The Need To Knows About A Positive C-Birth by Pauline Rotsaert
Letting go of expectations is the hardest thing to do. There are yours, your families, your cultures and the societies.
You scroll through social media, all you can see and read is about “positive physiological birth”, “natural birth”, “ Home birth”, “No medical assistance”, “water birth”... Seeing photos of mama in the pushing phase, in a pool or in the arms of their loved ones, at home or on their knees.
And you. With your scar, with your pain killers, having trouble to stand up right or to sit down alone to go to the toilet. With those thoughts “ maybe if I had resisted”, “ I did not really give birth”, “ I failed”.
Let’s rewind.
First, what is a C- birth?
A cesarean section is a surgical procedure in which a baby is born through a cut made in the mother’s abdominal wall and uterus. There are two incisions. The first is through the skin of your lower abdomen, about an inch or two above your pubic hair line. The second is into the uterus, which is where the doctor will reach in to deliver your baby.
The type of cut on your abdomen may not be the same as the one on your uterus. The incision on your abdomen will be either:
Horizontal. A low-transverse incision (or a “bikini cut”) is used in 95 percent of C-sections today. That’s because it’s done across the lowest part of the uterus, which is thinner — meaning less bleeding. It’s also less likely to split if you try to have a vaginal birth after a C-section (VBAC) when delivering a future baby.
Vertical. Also known as a “classical” C-section, this incision is down the middle of the uterus. It used to be common, but now is typically only reserved for certain situations. For example, it may be done for prematurity, the baby is nestled low in your uterus or in another unusual position, or if an emergency requires immediate delivery. Vertical incisions may be slightly more painful and take a little longer to heal.
How to create a calm and positive c-birth?
Knowledge is power!
As you progress into your pregnancy, you are getting ready for birth. It can be through Hypnobirthing class, the free Hospital course, going to a Birth educator, a doula...
You are picturing your birth, baby is moving down, breathing through the waves, the cervix is shortening and opening, blooming.
Awesome!
But heard me out, what if you make some tiny space about learning about C-Birth. Learning about it has nothing to do with lowering your expectations and chances of physiological birth, but to gain more control over an unknown situation.
Knowledge demystified fears.
You don’t need to know all the how and whereabout of a C-Birth, but just having some pieces of information about it can help you if the situation arises as you’ll understand what and how it could happen.
A planned or unplanned C-birth can be emotionally difficult, as it already is for the body, so let’s make it as smooth and positive as possible.
You‘ll be surprised at how many tools you can apply from all your antenatal classes and preparation you can apply for a C-Birth!
Music: prepare your playlist, and ask the team, or your birth partner to play it next to your ear.
Ask the team to keep the talk to a minimum and use low voices. You probably don’t need to know about their day, or the hospital gossip. Of course, if a situation arises, intensity and volume won’t be possible to change, and it definitely won’t be your priority either.
Recenter yourself, close your eyes and go to your sacred and safe space. Which colors are there? What can you hear there: is it the sound of waves crashing down the sand? The gentle river flowing and birds tweeting? or the voice of someone you love. What about the smell? Is it the fresh grass just cut? or flowers blooming? or your favorite dish. Just put as much details as you can, and allow yourself to drift from the bright room, and the crowd.
When you start to feel pressure, from the opening and removal of bub, think about your breathing and birth affirmation.
You are scared, it’s normal mama. Just breathe. On a breath in say to yourself, or with the help of your birth partner : “ Each sensation”, and on the breath out “ brings my baby closer”, or IN: “my body”, OUT: “is made for it” . If you are not comfortable and it’s too much to think about an affirmation, just count :
In : 1-2-3-4 , Out : 2-3-4-5-6
All of this helps you to center yourself into the moment and distract the emotional portion of our brain, eliminating any fears and anxiety that our brain likes us to go through and which brings only resistance.
If you have your birth partner with you, ask to hold your hand, and keep the focus on you, only, by supporting you with the visualization or affirmation that you put together, flooding you with words of love and how proud they are of you. That your baby will be with you anytime soon, and you are doing it.
When the C-birth is planned, you can request a “maternal assisted caesarean”, which provides you the opportunity to lift the baby out yourself and up onto the chest. This gives you some control back, but it means to be fully active into the birth and the medical procedure, which can be daunting for mum to be or the partner. It usually means that the surgical drapes are lowered. So be prepared!
Your birth preference can include a C-Birth section : such as skin to skin straight away, delayed cord clamping, keeping bub with birth partner on skin to skin if mama needs attention, don’t intervene or wash baby straight away if not necessary...
Doesn’t that sound familiar? :)
You’re getting it!
Usually, they like to keep you for a minimum of 48 hours, to make sure all body functions are a-ok.
It depends where you are, but unfortunately in most public hospitals you have to share your room and the first night is already a bumpy one as your partner is not allowed to stay.
If you already have a long labor and not really rested, don’t feel guilty about leaving the little one at the nursery for a few hours. A rested mama is essential, for a faster healing and increased chance for a lovely milk supply.
If you are happy for your baby to stay with you, and want it close to you for some beautiful skin to skin time, ask to be propped up with pillows, so you are in an upward lay down position, and you and baby can just sleep like this!
When packing, try to pack some tea, such as breastfeeding tea or any tea you enjoy. We want you to drink warm. Pack some snacks, because you probably will be disappointed by the lack of interest from the hospital about postpartum meals!
This is the way your baby needed to be born. This is the way it needed to happen, You did not fail! Oh no!
To the contrary, you raised! You went against your own expectations, the society pressure, our deep cultural views about what a mother is and should do.
You are brave.You are strong.
A C- section Birth is a BIRTH! Yes!
I’m Pauline, mum of Iggy. Originally from France, I arrived in the Surfcoast almost six years ago with my Australian husband. Pregnancy and postpartum can bring ups and downs, it does take a village. I wish to help you open the doors to the inner strength that you already possess. I wish to support you while giving you the space to regroup and strive. I offer childbirth education, emotional support and birth attendance. Packages include postpartum meals and treatments. I offer maternity, birth, and postnatal photography, allowing a safe space capturing intimate and natural scenes.
You can follow me on Instagram @po.la.doula , for tips and sharing experiences, and if you are curious about gentle, organic mama and bub skincare locally made join me @pepinskincare