Recently, in the course of conversation with various birthworkers and friends, I have heard several times that someone has made a decision to choose an elective cesarean birth because they are fearful of birthing naturally.
Don’t get me wrong, I think there is a time and place for cesarean birth, and some people genuinely need it, as I experienced with one of mine. The thing that gets me is that a natural birth, with enough preparation and enough positive energy surrounding it, can be one of the most most empowering and amazing things a woman can experience, and the woman’s partner shares in that as well.
The problem is that most of the stories that we hear are the ones with a lot of high drama. We hear about the blood and guts, the 27 hours of labouring in the shadow of death etc. Some women experience trauma, but many don’t feel traumatised at all. In a group discussion, they might feel uncomfortable sharing their stories, because they don’t want to make someone feel bad.
I really feel that its important for females to hear about and share in the glory of a wonderful birth as much as to share the trauma of a bad experience. We get our impressions about these things from the stories we hear and that is what goes on to make our birth experiences either positive or negative. Hearing too much negativity, especially from our own circle of friends and female family members, can take a toll. Extensive pre-birth preparation can undo some of the damage but it can be difficult to let go of the fear it causes. As we all know fear prevents relaxation, which can cause that which we fear in labour.
Tell positive birth stories!
Continue reading Positive Birth Stories-Making Positive Future Births Possible