Cesarean Awareness Month

Yesterday was the first day of Cesarean Awareness Month! Coincidentally, this post was supposed to go out yesterday, but I was called away, mid-post, to a beautiful mamas birthing time (and again, coincidentally, she was working toward a VBAC). So, a day late for good reason!

Did you know that, in 2007, the last year that has been reported and released to the public, nearly 32% of births were via cesarean?

In honor of this month, I would like to point you in the direction of other blogs/posts on the internet:

Emjaybee writes on the Unnecesarean -

The most common thing I heard from everyone, doctors, nurses, midwives, friends and relatives, when I told them my awful c/section story, was, “Well, next time you can have a VBAC!”

Well, no actually. I’m not planning to have another child, and that probably won’t change.

And even if it did, what does it do to a woman to say this to her? It tells her “OK, well, you failed, but you can try again!”

And there are so many things wrong with that attitude I hardly know where to start.

This insightful post brings tears to my eyes as I had just recently visited with a woman who is still, years and years after her 2nd cesarean, trying to work through the grief and distrust, damage, and pain of her experiences. She feels trapped in a decision that is not so much a choice as a last resort to ensure that she has every chance possible to have a vaginal birth - and that still will not erase the damage already done.

The Feminist Breeder covers all of the VBACivism around the world.

Today marks the beginning of Cesarean Awareness Month. Over the next 30 days, let’s all take a moment to raise awareness of the cesarean epidemic, increase education about normal birth, and advocate for women’s reproductive rights.

April is sure to be filled with cesarean and VBACtivism all over the world. To start, the International Cesarean Awareness Network is hosting a radio show highlighting Mother’s Stories TODAY at 2 pm Eastern Time. If you are a Cesarean mom, a VBAC mom, or a CBAC mom, please call into the show to share your story. The ICAN blog will also be posting a new birth story every day of the month of April.

Definitely check out her post on web events!

Doula Ambitions talks about the correlation of Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month and Cesarean Awareness Month.

Keyboard Revolutionary writes "Come on In To The Cesarean Factory":

How is it that a woman can waltz in off the street, say she's pregnant and wants a Cesarean, and everyone leaps to her command....yet a woman who IS pregnant has to jump through hoops and fight tooth and nail just to give birth vaginally?

Are Cesareans really so common these days that you can easily get one whether you have an actual baby inside you or not? Are hospitals so happy to do one that they won't even make sure you're really pregnant? Or even full term?

Momotics talks about VBACtivism, her own personal journey:

With the growing cesarean birth rate nationwide it is so important that we take some time and realize that the 32% numbers we are seeing are not healthy, nor are they improving maternal or neonatal outcomes. In the past month we have seen several reports in large national news sources about this, and while bringing attention to this is great, it is not going to make the change that we need.

Cesarean Awareness is important to me because of the births of my two children, so different, but much alike.

She shares her birth video (below) as well as many links to great information, articles, and activism.

My Birth Journeys from Danielle Elwood on Vimeo.

Thoughtful Mama 'rants about her opinion' on VBAC bans and frustration surrounding it.

There is so much talk about VBAC floating around on the ‘nets lately! I was going to write a long article about all the medically sound reasons for VBAC and all of the lack of evidence for VBAC bans, etc, etc but honestly, that’s all been covered by far more qualified individuals than me. So I’m going to stick with what I’m good at: Standing on my soapbox ranting about My Opinion!

All the talk of VBAC these days is just dripping in terminology that turns my stomach...

Heart and Hands blogs, in Telling The Story, about the difficulty and healing - and the subsequent 'next chapter' - that occurred when she shared her birth story.

Today, ICAN (International Cesarean Awareness Network) had a radio show about cesarean and VBAC stories. They told women to call in and share their stories, to help themselves and other women.

I listen to a lot of blog talk radio shows. I love hearing the views of the blogs I read and feeling the connection.

I have never called in though. There have been a few times when I should have, but I always chickened out.

This time, the President of ICAN (who is one of my friends on twitter that I just LOVE) asked me if I was going to call in and share my story. I knew it was time, so I said yes, and as soon as I did, I broke down.

I expect to see many more bloggers add their thoughts in the coming days and, if you happen to blog about it, feel free to post your link the comments section.

I encourage everyone, this month, to look into how to support women who have experienced a cesarean or how to bring awareness to the unnecessarily high C-section rates in the U.S. (and how to minimize those rates) in your local community.

Together, with our voices raised as one, we can make an impact in our local communities and the U.S. at large - giving women options on how to make their birthing times the lease risky and most rewarding possible.

For additional information:
The First Cut Is The...
Cesarean Education in the News
Making Cesareans Mother-Friendly
Frozen Smiles
Natural Cesareans
Scarred for Life
Cesarean Art and Awareness
Cesarean Birth in a Culture of Fear
ICAN online
What Every Pregnant Woman Needs To Know About Cesarean Section