In honour of Cesarean Awareness Month, we would like to take a moment to appreciate the sometimes under valued cesarean birth. At The Doula Tree, we recognize ALL births because regardless of how your baby entered the world; you grew, nurtured and loved a human being in your body for the last 9 months (or so). We believe that motherhood is not born in the delivery room or in the operating room, but during the moments preceding and the years to come. What we struggle with, is the thought that a woman who has a planned or emergency cesarean birth is somehow ‘less than,’ that her experience doesn’t count and that she has failed. As a doula, we often see statistics indicating that having us at your birth may lower your chance of a cesarean birth, but that doesn't resonate well with us because it automatically assumes that a vaginal delivery is the ideal. Here’s the thing, without the option for a cesarean birth, MANY families would have lost their children and MANY women may have died themselves. I am proud to live in a place where this type of life saving procedure is available, now its time to make it valued!
Following a cesarean birth, many women feel deflated about their outcome. Not only is that totally normal, but its valid! You have the right to be upset and the right to be heard. As your doula, we are here to listen to those feelings and emotions and help process the journey, even though it may not have unraveled the way you had planned.
Can A Doula Be Helpful At A Cesarean Birth?
Just like a vaginal delivery, cesarean births are still filled with feelings of doubt and uncertainty. Having a doula present during this experience will help you process the sometimes copious amounts of information, alleviate your fears and walk you through the process before it happens.
Our support doesn’t stop at the delivery, your doula will be present with you immediately following the birth of your baby to help with the essentials such as bonding, initial breast feeding (if you are choosing to nurse) and newborn care while you recover. That support can transition right into your home with other essential jobs such as sibling care, tidying, errands and meal preparation to ensure that the household structure and routine runs smoothly.
At The Doula Tree, we support your choices, which means we support ALL births because it’s your body, your birth and your baby. To all our cesarean birth mothers, your birth was beautiful, your birth was enough, and you should be SO proud of yourselves.