Cesarean Section is Not the "Easy Way"
There is no such thing as an easy birth. No procedure that represents an easy way out or escape from the process. There should be no doubt that cesarean section is not an easy way to give birth, although some people seem to believe so.
All mothers arrive at the hospital on that special day hoping with all of their hearts that everything will go well.
It is true that mothers also hide certain mental preparedness in case things don’t turn out as they hoped. Although, this topic is full of myths and there is also a lot of truth to be found.
The type of birth process you undertake in order to bring your child into the world does not make you a good mother nor a bad one.
After all, being a mother transcends the strictly biological role. Motherhood has to do with love and protection.
It is about taking care of the treasure that life gives us. Motherhood is embracing this precious gift and being thankful for it.
What does a cesarean birth imply?
How many times have you heard that you didn’t really give birth to your child because you underwent a cesarean section?
How many times have you been judged to be a bad mother simply for following the advice your doctor gave you to take the supposedly “easy path”?
There is nothing more hurtful than these offensive statements.
Sometimes a cesarean section is the only alternative in order to have a safe birth. Many mothers cannot undergo natural labor.
There are even many cases in which the mother goes into labor and the hours and days pass and the baby doesn’t arrive.
Every hour that passes increases risk and stress. So it clear that there is no other option to take.
In cases like the one mentioned above, specialists recognize the signs of suffering as well as the clinical symptoms that indicate the importance of taking another route. And no, it is not a shortcut. It is like going from a gravel road to a paved one.
This kind of decision change that doctors suggest can be an insurmountable shock for mothers. A cloud that hides the landscape preventing them from seeing the horizon.
This can disfigure the postcard of the sacred moment. The doctor’s decision changes what they previously envisioned and it is scary to think of the possible outcomes.
When situations like these occur, there is usually no other viable alternative. This is where the proud, brave and relentless mother who wants a natural birth must give way.
In that precise moment the intense desire to save your baby’s life will be revived.
This means that many times the decision to have a cesarean section is not a choice that the mother makes. The future mother and doctors end up losing control of the delivery and refuse to risk the most precious thing: the life of the expected baby.
Cesarean section is just as complex as natural birth
Don’t let yourself be fooled. Cesarean is just as complex and painful as natural birth. The only difference is that natural birth can be more painful in the moment while surgical intervention starts to take its toll in the post-operative period.
The cesarean procedure does not only pose a higher risk for mothers, its recovery is also slower and more complicated.
That’s not all. The mother’s belly will always have a scar that reminds her of the most painful and stressful moment of her life. A change of plans that left her in suspense.
Having a screaming baby pulled out of an incision only 8cm long that requires cutting, shredding and pulling in order to tear through all the layers of fat, muscles and organs; is an experience so different from the one that I imagined would bring my children into the world.” –Rayan Lee, a mother’s thoughts on the subject.
Many mothers go through this process and still experience ignorant comments. Just thinking about going home can be hard after a cesarean section.
The procedure separates the central muscles of the abdomen. These muscles are responsible for a considerable amount of functions that we have to do daily.
Muscles are torn and destroyed and they take time to recovery naturally. Coughing, sneezing and straining to carry or breastfeed the baby can truly be torture. The feeling of being incapable can sometimes invade these mothers, although only momentarily.
When the nurse tells you to get up and the pain in your body that has been cut into pieces and sewn back together intensifies.
It is ironic to hear people degrade cesarean birth. Refering to it as the “the easy way.” The procedure that took so much from you and made you suffer.
These mothers with their permanent scars deserve just as much respect as those who were able to go through the beautiful possibility of birth through the vaginal canal.
