I have birthed 3 beautiful and healthy children. These births also happened to all be c-sections and all 3 occurred for different reasons.
When I took Finely for his 2 week appointment recently, the doctor asked me how long I had laboured and I explained that is was a c-section. After that she asked me how I felt that is was a c-section. I of course told her the recovery sucks but that I was fine with it, and then asked why?? She proceeded to tell me about an increase of encounters with moms that really feel like they have been denied a proper birth, let down, jipped, some even depressed because if having a c-section.
I also recently read about someone saying that people that have c-sections are taking the easy way out of birth. To anyone that says that, there is nothing easy about having your stomach cut open, various layers severed, not being able to lift anything heavier than your baby for 6 weeks ESPECIALLY if you have other children, repairing your abs (or lack of abs in my case ), nerve pain, parts of your stomach being numb for forever, heck even wiping your butt for the first little bit is challenging for awhile…and don't even get me started on the gong show of having to insert a suppository of pain medication.
If you gave birth vaginally good for you! I know you had to endure painful contractions, the ring of fire (nope not a Johnny Cash reference), potential tears and stitches and everything else.
So here it is – I don't feel like I missed out on anything. I don't feel like my journey was any less important than the mom who didn't have a c-section. And truth be told isn't it the end result for everyone the same? We got pregnant to have children not to judge how the baby got here. And now that baby is here.
We need to let personal choices be, not bash each other for something so personal, and at times uncontrollable, and we should celebrate the fact that we brought a new life into this world. Period. Mmmmmmkay?