Cesarean Awareness Month: Five Facts and Five Myths

Image from ican-online.org/cesarean-awareness-month

Like most pregnant women, I had a birth plan and felt fairly confident it would all go well. Like the saying goes, “Man plans, God laughs.” From the time my water broke until an emergency C-section fifteen hours later, just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Despite some scary moments, my baby and I both survived. Fifteen months later, I had a planned Cesarean for my second baby. April is National Cesarean Awareness Month, so I thought I’d share some facts and myths about caesareans.

Five Facts

1. A C-section involves delivering the baby through an incision in the abdomen and uterus. The incision is made either vertically or horizontally. Once the uterus is open, the doctor ruptures the amniotic sac and delivers the baby.
2. C-sections account for approximately 32% of births in the United States and about 21% of births globally.
3. Some of the common reasons for C-sections are breech positions, fetal distress, failure to progress, contagious infections, and placenta previa.
4. A Cesarean section is a major abdominal surgery! A woman who has undergone a C-section requires a proper recovery period.
5. A Cesarean section can be a life-saving operation!

Five Myths

1. You must have a vaginal birth to be a “real” mother. This is ridiculous! That would mean adoptive moms are not real moms either, which is also not true. It doesn’t matter how your child arrived; if you are mothering the child, you’re a “real” mother!
2. A C-section is the easy way out. It may initially seem easier than a vaginal delivery, but the price is paid in the longer recovery. It is a major abdominal surgery, and the recovery is made more difficult because you’re also taking care of a newborn (and possibly older kids also) while trying to rest and recover. There’s nothing easy about it.
3. Once a C-section, always a C-section. This was the prevalent thought once upon a time, but vaginal births are more common. There are many factors to consider, so consult with your physician about the possibility of a VBAC (vaginal birth after Cesarean). About 70% of women who attempt to have a vaginal birth after a C-section can do so.
4. It’s your fault for not planning better. The truth is that no amount of research or detailed birthing plan can guarantee that a C-section won’t be necessary.
5. You won’t feel bonded to your baby if you have a C-section. Bonding depends on many variables, but having a C-section does not mean you won’t bond with your new baby.

Before my first C-section, I knew little about what to expect. I was fortunate that recovery went reasonably well. My second C-section was planned and much less dramatic. However, the recovery was rougher because I had a 15-month-old and a newborn to take care of while trying to recover. In fact, my youngest one is 36, and I’m still not sure I’m fully recovered.

Postpartum Depression

Some women are disappointed that their original birth plan didn’t work out, and they ended up with a C-section. It’s OK to have these feelings. Find others who support you in your physical and emotional recovery. If you feel depressed, contact your physician and discuss a plan for assistance. Postpartum depression is real and needs to be taken seriously. Some studies show an increased risk of postpartum depression in women who have Cesarean births. Talk to your physician. Ask for help from your partner and any other support people in your life.

Resources

International Cesarean Network is a private Facebook group that offers peer support. To be allowed in this group, you must answer a series of questions. The also have a website with educational resources: ican-online.org

988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline:  Call or text 988 to talk to a counselor.

My second caesarean in fifteen months.