5 Reasons You Should Avoid a C-section

C-sections scare me. The very thought of somebody knocking me out and cutting my abdomen gives me the chills. An emergency c-section is one thing and if it’s supposed to save mine or my baby’s life then bring it on but what I just don’t understand is a c-section because you can (bribe the doctor for example). I just don’t get it.

1. NEGATIVE IMPACT ON BABY. Pre-Parenting: Nurturing Your Child from Conception states that each mode of delivery may be retained in emotional or cellular memory, influencing personality and actions throughout lifetime, and a cesarean section may result in a child’s tendency to feel helpless under stress, often sensitive to being interrupted and she may suffer from cuddle hunger (an inordinate need for touch).
2. THERE ARE BETTER WAYS. Vaginal delivery is so much better: according to the same source the baby will have a healthy sense of self, she will be feeling in control of her life, she’ll be optimistic and an active doer.
3. LONG RECOVERY. Having a cesarean is major abdominal surgery and in most circumstances it is safer to have a vaginal delivery. Recovery after a cesarean usually takes longer than after a vaginal birth.
4. SCAR. You have a scar, physical and often mental.
5. COMPLICATIONS. These might include bleeding during or after the surgery, the need for a blood transfusion, getting an infection in the bladder or in the abdominal incision. There is risk that your bladder or even your baby could be cut during surgery.

According to my favorite pregnancy book Pregnancy Day By Day a cesarean rate of around 10-15% is thought to be reasonable, although in most Western countries the rate has risen beyond 20% and around 30% of all babies in the US are now delivered by c-section, an all-time high.

Don’t get me wrong. I am absolutely in favor of a cesarean section if it will benefit the mother, the baby or both. But now I have to stop writing this post because the very thought of a cesarean scares the crap out of me. Should it happen to me, my thought will be “thy shall be done” but I am hoping and preparing for a beautiful natural birth experience. That’s why I am reading and reviewing everything I deem valuable on the subject of childbirth, I attend prenatal classes and educate myself on the various stages of birth and pain management techniques, I perform all the exercises assigned by my midwife, I work out and do belly dancing daily. I read about other mamas’ birth stories. I visualize what a beautiful experience giving birth could be and research funny childbirth stories to put myself in a good mood.

WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT CESAREAN SECTION? PLEASE SHARE IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.

You might also like:

Orgasmic Birth vs. Hollywood Childbirth

HypnoBirthing – Women Are Made To Have Babies

Childbirth On The Love-Making Continuum

5 Surprising Ways To Give Birth

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net