It’s a well documented fact in the mommy blogger universe. Everyone has a strong opinion on childbirth and they just lurve to inflict it on … er, share it with you.
It’s the conversation that I most dread because there’s no escaping it. Unlike other annoying questions directed at the belly, they don’t care about what you plan to do, only what they think is the truth, the goodness, and the light. The only and one way … theirs.
At a recent play date, another mom (who I had just met that morning, by the way) bombarded me with the unsolicited details of her two VBACS/natural childbirths (and subsequently all of the ills of a second c-section).
VBAC. VBAC. VBAC.
Of course, I value her experience for what it is and listened with an open mind, but she pretty much lost me when she started saying the words “doula” and “advocate.”
From there, I just ended the conversations with, “At least we can all agree that childbirth sucks to matter how it happens. Now let’s see which of these kids made a poop?”
Frankly, I don’t care for the notion that a natural childbirth is a superior childbirth or the assumption that planning a c-section means you’re simply “too posh to push.” I’m here to say, that is simply not that case.
With my first child, there was a serious medical reason for my emergency c-section. I was in labor for several hours and pushed for several more (thank you very much) only to be rushed into a operating room and cut open.
In my book, that means I went through childbirth twice in one day. My recovery also took twice as long as anyone else in my circle of friends, but am I asking for anyone’s sympathy or adulation?
Nope, because I really didn’t have a choice. It was my son’s life versus the “earth mommies” and guess what … my son’s life won.
I have a healthy, happy little boy to show for it and that’s all that matters. Let’s leave my va-jay-jay out of it. In fact, in case you really, really wanted to know … I plan to.
