ecoCouture Baby: C-section Birth Is Still Giving Birth

Not sure if any of you have come across a very negative and disturbing article on Facebook floating around claiming a c-section birth is not giving birth. Needless to say I am outraged and disappointed. I have to admit that the simple fact someone could really feel this way disturbs me to my core.

Luckily, I can attest to both ends of this matter. I have done both! My first was an all natural unmedicated birth, and honestly it was super easy given what I went through the 6 days prior trying to stop labor all together.

I was up walking around within 30 minutes of birth I even remember saying "it did not even feel like I gave birth at all!" I felt so physically amazing afterwards everyone around me had to remind me I had just given birth and was always telling me to sit my booty down and put my feet up! How could I though I had an 11 week premature baby to look after. I was 100% back to my normal self within 2 weeks of giving birth and felt empowered, beautiful and blessed to have my little strong fighting boy.

(The day after giving natural birth)

(Few weeks after natural birth)

Fast forward 2.5 years, pregnant with my second baby I planned on having another all natural birth however things did not go by my plan.

I had a semi-emergency "gentle c-section because my little girl was frank breech. I went into full active labor while waiting for the doctor to turn baby around and had "back labored" for a few hours unmedicated till I was whisked away to surgically have my little baby girl. Although, I did have a pleasing surgery, and I was able to have a gentle c-section I was still emotionally not ready or prepared.

(Doctor holding baby girl right after nursing during my c-section)

(Me and baby after surgery in recovery)

Let me tell you almost 9 weeks later I'm still recovering physically and emotionally. I still have some pain, I'm still numb in my lower part of my belly. My stomach well is floppy over my scar, um I have a freaking scar. Plus after my c-section I had major complications, my lungs started to collapse, air was trapped in my chest. I thought I was having a heart attack or that I had thrown a blood clot. It was the most scary 9 hours of my life let me put it this was I thought I was on an episode of House (I miss that show) and I had a preemie.

I thought I could have died and leave behind my two little babies motherless and my husband alone. I know it seems a little dramatic, but in those moments when they were trying to figure out what was wrong with me I was scared and in so much pain, worse pain than labor so a little drama was in order.

I'm pretty well know in my community as being a natural attachment parent so I'm still so disappointed and somewhat felt ashamed I had to have a c-section but because I know both sides of the stick I can honestly say giving birth via c-section is giving birth ( in the most difficult way) so many more emotional and physical pain comes with it and the healing taking longer not just the physical but the emotional healing too. But here is the real question. As long as baby is healthy and alive earth side and mama is healthy and alive does anything else really matter in the big picture? Really, does it?