C-Section Recovery, Health & Preparation

I can’t help but notice lately how many women are choosing to have a c-section instead of a vaginal birth.

When I was pregnant with my children, having a c-section never crossed my mind, yet today we are seeing more and more women actually choosing to have the procedure.   I’ve often asked myself, “Why would a woman choose having surgery over a vaginal birth”?

Many women today are looking for alternatives to the pain of childbirth and finding ways to stay on schedule with careers or other personal schedules.

While I’m not comfortable with  ‘choosing‘ to have a c-section over a vaginal birth for sake of convenience or fear of pain, after all a c-section is major abdominal surgery, I am learning to understand that there are women who feel they have a right to decide what is right for them.  I also strive to empathize with a woman’s fear of the pain.

Having said that, I still have my reservations on whether this is the best option.  Having had 2 c-sections myself and understanding what a woman goes through (so much so I wrote a book about helping women get through it ) it’s often difficult for me to feel good about someone opting for surgery.

If you need a c-section, you’re likely in good hands and will get through it just fine, however if you are deciding that you might want a c-section without medical reasons then I’ve found it helpful to get out a piece of paper and write down the pros and cons.  Read more »

Moms that deliver babies vaginally are presented with loads of advice for preparation. They’re offered pre-natal classes and help through books that they read.  The classes prepare them for relaxing and natural pain relief with various techniques such as breathing, hypnotherapy, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and visualization techniques for the labor and for the birth.  

But, what about women that need to have emergency or planned c-sections instead?  They need TLC and relaxation help as well! 

The C-Section surgery is a big deal because you’re almost guaranteed to be wide awake during the procedure, and while that can be exciting, it can be very stressful at the same time.

Here are some tips to help you whether you’re having a planned caesarean or in case you find yourself in an emergency surgery scenario.   Read more »

Having a c-section birth is anything but natural, but the cesarean procedure is working hard to fashion itself as much as it can to creating as natural an experience for women as it can.

Every woman wants a positive birth experience but the word ‘c-section’ just automatically seems to toss that the ‘positive’ right out the window.  All of a sudden things get scary and the whole birth experience takes on a new form.

Well according to an article by Joene Hendry at Reuters, the Childbirth procedure is starting to take on more of a “woman centered” approach which means the c-section procedure is incorporating more natural childbirth elements making the look and feel of having a cesarean seem more like having a natural birth.

Hurray!  I’ve been promoting this for a long time and it seems like it may becoming more of a standard for women who want to participate more in their cesarean childbirth.

I’m thrilled that we’re seeing more and more of this type of delivery but the actual participation for parents is still fairly minimal, after all, how much can you really participate in your own surgery?  All it really means is that there is more observance for the parents, the incision itself is blocked off but once the incision is made the mother can then see the half-delivered baby and watch the rest of the birth.

Once the baby is delivered she is placed directly on the mother’s chest for bonding.  This is already done in many hospitals however in many cases you must request it.  Making this procedure standard is a good thing in my opinion. 

When I had my first c-section I wasn’t much for wanting to see anything.  I was just scared hoping things would go well and be over soon.  My hubby was all eyes and ears, he wanted to see over that ugly green drape and take it all in.  As long as the hospital staff was sure that he wouldn’t pass out on the floor they were ok with it.  So for husbands this has probably been an option all along, for us women however, most of the action was off limits to viewing, or touching.

Would I have participated more if I had the opportunity to? I don’t know, but I think I would have considered it and the experience may have been more fulfilling.  I definitely would have considered it for my second c-section.