The “Nec-cesarean”

I am a huge supporter of natural birth. As a midwife, I believe in the power of a woman’s body and the normalcy of labour and birth. I have honed my labour support skills so that I can throw every tool possible into helping a woman achieve a natural birth. I love the look of awe on the partner’s face after they’ve witnessed a birth and I love the empowerment that women feeling following a natural birth.

What I don’t love is this culture of guilt we have created around birth when things didn’t go exactly as planned. As powerful and awe-inspiring as natural birth is, sometimes it is not meant to be. We are so fortunate to live in a world where we have access to modern technology and we can utilize interventions like cesarean sections in order to achieve the ultimate goal; a healthy mom and a healthy baby.

At the end of the day, that is what truly matters. A healthy mom and a healthy baby. The minute you hold that baby in your arms, it isn’t going to matter what way that baby was born, as long as you have a baby to hold. Birth has a unique way of teaching us lessons that we need, whether it be patience, belief in normalcy, belief in oneself, letting go of pre-planned ideals or accepting that parenthood requires an ability to go with the flow.

Are interventions sometimes overused? Absolutely. Do some care providers jump to using unnecessary interventions out of habit? Yes. And while I am busy at work trying to change that practice across rural AB hospitals, I want to remind you that sometimes, interventions like cesarean sections are absolutely necessary.

Momma cow and her c-section scar

When I was growing up, I loved springtime because that meant calving season for us. I find it amusing that my dad is so passionate about birth in relation to his cows but covers his ears and turns green when I mention it in relation to humans. Anyways, while I was home recently, a cow was having trouble calving. Now, normally my dad and brother are able to assist them right there on the ranch, but this particular cow was having extreme difficulties. So off to the vet she went for an emergency c-section. Yes, you read that correctly, even animals require c-sections. All turned out well and she had a big, beautiful calf. I watched that baby calf take its first steps and nuzzle up to its momma.
Does she care what way that baby was born? I don’t know. But what I do know is that at the end of the day we have a healthy mom and a healthy baby and really, that’s all the matters.

My goal in changing the culture of birth is to not only promote the normalcy of birth, belief in women’s abilities to naturally birth their baby and women-centered care but also to removed this culture of guilt we have created and the notion that women have “failed” if their births didn’t go exactly as planned. I urge everyone to take the time to speak with their care provider, ask questions until you really understand why certain interventions were used or why the outcome was the way it was. There is a healing power in simply understanding the truth of what occurred and being able to release that guilt or feelings of inadequacy when you truly understand the situation. And try and remember, when you hold your baby, and watch them turn 1 and 5 and 16, it is not going to matter how that child came into your life, only that they did.