Encountered CSection shaming

someone on peanut said this to me whilst pregnant

@Ruby when I stated I wanted an elective I expected push back from doctors instead it was other women shaming me and telling how they pushed out a 10lb baby with no medicine…like that’s great if that’s THEIR story

As an antenatal and hypnobirthing teacher, nothing annoys me more. All decisions made in birth should be made by the person giving birth, nobody else. And having women fighting against each other isn't good for anyone. Your birth. Your choice. Always.

I had a c section a week ago and the recovery is brutal. If women choosing a vaginal delivery think it’s some kind of easy option then they are very wrong! I’ve heard people say that having a c section means you haven’t “given birth” as well which is just so invalidating to people’s experiences and I imagine is very harmful to people who wanted a vaginal birth and had to have an emergency c section!

Their argument is that letting a woman choose to have a C-section is like someone choosing to have their arm amputated because it’s broken 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

@Daisy I don’t believe anyone thinks a c section is the easy option. I think the reason many women (myself included) are against c sections is specifically BECAUSE of how hard they are. I personally can’t understand why anyone would opt for this 🤷🏻‍♀️ If the reason people are opting for a c section is because they fear natural labour/ vaginal delivery then I just think they need to be thoroughly informed of how its major surgery and how difficult the recovery is and how much you physically cannot do for yourself afterwards

@Sophie on the same hand women shouldn’t have that right taken away

Also to state that one lady stated that she is happy that US does not have universal healthcare so women don’t have that choice

@Sophie I opted for c section because they wouldn’t let me go to 40 weeks because of my age so it was c section or induction. When I looked into inductions, so many of them end up in emergency c sections which are inherently riskier and a much worse experience, I went with elective c section. No regrets about that either, despite the brutal recovery

I've had 4 c sections.... The recovery isn't great but I would to it again... My first ended in emergency and that was the wirse recovery ever... I was put off trying natural due to how my first ended in a emergency and the reasons why... This right should not be taken away from us xx

@Kirsty I chose a C-section because my baby was measuring big and I have epilepsy so I went through everything in my head. I was afraid of him getting stuck then having that stress cause me to have a seizure and end up needing an emergency C-section anyway. I believed it was best for both of our safety

I was referred around 3 months postpartum back to the hospital after I’d found a lump in my breast. The doctor asked me if I had a normal birth with any complications so I replied with none everything ran smoothly he was just nearly at 42 weeks. She replied with ‘good good, so you had a normal vaginal birth then?’ To which I said ‘no no it ended up in a section’ which apparently is not classed as a normal birth. As a first time mum who struggled with the fact it ended up in a section (although it was deemed the safest way to bring him) I was hurt. I had a perfect pregnancy with no complications baring the fact he didn’t want out. He wasn’t distressed, his heart rate was normal and I wasn’t in any pain either. I wouldn’t personally choose a section again due to my first experience but if that’s what some people would prefer then why not? It’s their body at the end of the day isn’t it and I don’t feel others should take that away x

@Sophie I can't understand choosing to spend days in pain (never knowing when it will start or end) and having my vagina rip or be cut (9/10 first time mums tear/get cut) Nearly 1/5 of these still end in C-section. Then you can have your bits be sewn up too loose, too tight, wonky, rip again, get infected. I see no positives to all of this terror. The fear of all this has made me choose elective sections twice. And before someone says it, I did 2 full face-to-face antenatal courses, and it did not set my mind at ease. It just reinforced how horrific childbirth can be.

@Anna I’m sure we could all look at the worst case scenarios of every situation. The same could be said for c sections - There are possibilities of your stitches being wrong after a section, ripping again and possibility of infection. It’s actually riskier because you’re having major surgery. I never once said your choice should be taken away, I simply said I think some people are unaware about just how difficult it could be and seem to think vaginal delivery is worse? My first labour I had an episiotomy but was completely healed after about 10 days. My second labour I had no issues and he was a bigger baby, in all honesty if I didn’t have my newborn in my arms I wouldn’t have ever known I’d been pregnant or given birth it was so weird. The same couldn’t be said if I’d had a section

@Sarah I agree. I never said they shouldn’t have the right to choose. But you asked for everyone’s thoughts and my thoughts are that sections are horrendous and shouldn’t be entered into lightly

I’m not sure anybody enters into a section “lightly” and it’s frankly a bit offensive to imply they do, or that they are choosing a csection because they are not well informed. I chose a csection because I preferred that to the alternative. I was very well informed about the pros and cons of all options and that was the decision I made because I knew it would be best for me and my mental health, and therefore also best for baby. The csection itself was straightforward and very calm and relaxed. Recovery was absolutely fine- up and walking the same evening, going up stairs at home the next day. Completely respect that there are people who have different experiences, or for whom a csection would be their nightmare scenario- but it works the other way too. That’s why choice (when choice is possible) is important. But I’m fed up of being made to feel like I made some kind of rash or risky or ill-informed decision. I didn’t and I don’t think anybody does when it comes to giving birth.