Natural Birth, Ultimate Test of Womanhood?

Sep 21 , 2024
By Eden Sahle

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Women face intense scrutiny regarding their birth choices, particularly those who have had cesareans. My personal experience of criticism for opting for a lifesaving surgery is that it undermined my womanhood.

The stigma surrounding surgical births, influenced by safety concerns and social or religious pressures is huge. During my pregnancy, I was unprepared for surgery and endured painful labor for ten hours with no pain relief, feeling desperate and fearing for my life at one point, expressing my love to my husband as if saying goodbye.

My daughter, weighing over four kilograms, struggled to fit through my pelvic bones. Despite ongoing efforts to deliver naturally, the baby's heartbeat became alarmingly rapid, prompting the doctor to warn that the baby could suffocate due to the mismatch in size. Faced with this frightening reality, I overcame my fear of surgery and consented to a cesarean, but was so weak that my husband had to help me sign the consent form.

During the cesarean I felt no pain due to spinal block but was emotionally overwhelmed. Within twenty minutes, my baby was safely delivered and I quickly realized the surgery wasn't as daunting as I had feared; I was up and walking the next day. However, upon returning home, I faced criticism from visitors, including medical professionals who reinforced that large babies cannot be delivered naturally. Others, lacking medical knowledge, accused me of being weak. This experience highlighted the societal pressure on women to pursue natural childbirth, regardless of medical considerations.

Childbirth is inherently difficult for all women. Some have it easy, of course, but ease isn’t for everyone.

The belief among many women that delivering a healthy baby via cesarean is a failure, viewing natural childbirth as the ultimate achievement of motherhood is causing undue pressure on women. Critics, some of whom lack personal experience with pregnancy, often assert that having a baby in one's twenties would have prevented the need for surgery.

I am surprised to find that women frequently criticize one another, overlooking the life-saving aspects of medical interventions that can prevent maternal and infant mortality. I heard many stories of women who endured birth trauma and loss due to societal pressure to deliver naturally. One heartbreaking account involves a mother who, after rejecting a hospital's surgical recommendation, lost both her newborn and her terminally ill father within the same week.

I have heard many tragic stories of mothers who faced severe consequences from choosing natural childbirth, against medical advice. One mother regrets her decision, as her son suffered irreversible brain damage due to suffocation during delivery. Another gave up having more children after a complicated natural birth that left her bedridden for years. Additionally, a husband lost his wife during childbirth due to a refusal of surgery. Cesareans are often necessary to address obstructed labor in situations such as when a woman’s pelvis is too small, the baby is in breech position, or is too large to safely exit the birth canal.

There are risks associated with multiple cesareans, such as placenta previa, that increases the chance of bleeding during pregnancy and childbirth. There are serious risks associated with natural birth as well, including severe tears, bleeding, and potential fetal distress, which can lead to life-threatening situations for both mother and child.

The stigma surrounding childbirth methods can be harmful and the process itself should not be viewed as an achievement. A woman's method of delivery does not define her worth or strength. Both cesarean and natural births can be necessary depending on medical circumstances. To prioritize safety and save lives, we must reject these uninformed perceptions.

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PUBLISHED ON Sep 21,2024 [ VOL 25 , NO 1273]

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