I just received this lovely, but heartbreaking, email. It’s just one of hundreds that I receive each week... And yes, I try to answer each and every one of them! I wanted to share this women’s thoughts, and memories, with you all, so that you may achieve a higher awareness of the emotional consequences of birthing by caesarean. Birthrites recommends that ‘every’ woman plans for this possible eventuality, no matter how much they ‘know’ that they are having a natural birth. Ie, make a birth plan that says “If I have a caesarean, this is how I want it to be...” then put the birth plan away in the hospital bag (or give it to their caregivers) and focus on the natural birth they are aiming for. Otherwise it comes as a real shock... Read on -
It is important for women to acknowledge the chance that they may birth by caesarean. We approach birth with such ideal expectations, that when something goes wrong, we can feel traumatised by the experience. Please recommend the Birthrites website to everyone you think can use it! It’s aim is to inform women about caesarean and VBAC birth.
Jackie I just read you preparing for a caesarean page and it brought tears to my eyes. everything that you had written there I really wished I had. My baby was whisked off straight away I wanted to cut the cord etc. It has brought back so many memories especially how I thought that the baby was just given to me. I felt like I could go home with out the baby and not feel anything. I love him to bits now but all of those emotions are real.
I would like to recommend that this site be given to hospital and that midwives present this information to expectant mums at their pre natal classes. I was not empowered to make any decisions as it was something that I didn't know about. In our first mums group of 9 women 6 had caesareans. Talking to them have healed my yearning for a natural birth.
One woman said to me “Thank goodness I’ve found women who feel the same way as me about the caesarean birth of my child. I was so grateful to have a beautiful baby boy. I thought maybe I was going crazy! How could I feel so negative about the experience, when the outcome (the safe arrival of my baby) was so positive?”
So giving out information in antenatal classes may be one way to help women research the possibility that their child may be born in this way, no matter how well they plan a natural/vaginal birth. Take care,
Birthing Beautifully,
Jackie Mawson.
Convenor of Birthrites: Healing After Caesarean Inc.
Visit our Website at: http://www.birthrites.org
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Phone: 61 08 9418 8949
Please note I am not a Professional Healthcare Provider, and all opinions given in this email are not to be taken as medical, or legal, advice. Please seek such advice from the relevant professional service.
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Too many Gods;
so many creeds,
Too many paths
that wind and
wind,
When just the art
of being kind
Is all the sad
world needs...
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