The short answer is that it is both.
If you had a cesarean section, you gave birth to your child just as well as the lady who had a vaginal delivery. You needed a lot of courage, you had to make great sacrifices and birth came with pain and struggle, and the result was your beautiful baby. By no means is it easier to give birth via a cesarean section than vaginally. The expression ‘too posh to push’ is a myth, because the regeneration process takes longer after a cesarean birth, the mental and emotional toll is often bigger and, despite it being common and birth being a natural process, delivering a baby with a cesarean section is major surgery.
When cesarean section is considered, it is for the safety and health of the baby or the mother- it is not to make birth ‘easier’.
We often forget that when a baby is born with a cesarean section, the mother is left with a big scar, just the same as if she had any other major abdominal surgery. Skin, connective tissue, peritoneum (inner membrane lining the insides of the abdominal cavity) and a major organ is cut through, muscles are pulled out of the way in order for the baby to be born. If the same process were to take place in a different surgical scenario, the patient is often given more information and family and friends know that they must help and support the person postoperatively. It is not uncommon for the mother to receive little information regarding what she must do to take care of herself, and that she will need quite a lot of practical support. The mother should avoid heavier house work, such as carrying wet laundry or anything heavier than her baby in the first weeks. Any help is welcome, so she can take care of her wound, rest and sleep as much as she can, along with tending to the never ending needs of her newborn.
As with other surgeries, it is recommended to take part in rehabilitation to aid the regeneration of the body. Rehabilitation is based on the individual’s needs, the healing time of her wound (scar) and is built up of gradual, step-by-step exercises which help her return to everyday activities with continual guidance. Breathing exercises, deep abdominal muscle activation, and gentle stretching are very beneficial. Treating the cesarean scar is also important. It has a role in physical and emotional healing. Once the wound allows, gentle massage and mobilization can encourage abdominal rehabilitation. The scar should be mobile, allowing skin and deeper layers to slide on each other, including the ability of the uterus (womb) to move within the body.
The pelvic floor muscles should not be neglected in the case of cesarean birth. Many believe that pelvic floor rehabilitation is only necessary after a vaginal delivery. The weight of the growing fetus is held by the pelvic floor muscles for 9 months, therefore, after a cesarean birth, rehabilitation of these muscles may still be necessary. Deep abdominal scarring itself can create tension and decreased mobility in the pelvic floor muscles, which can create problems such as urinary incontinence or painful intercourse. Fear, not: with some attention and specific exercises, the elasticity and buoyancy of the muscles can be improved. After consulting your doctor, make sure to contact a physiotherapist specializing in women’s health. She can advise you regarding safe exercise at home, in a group or online setting.
Every mother should be proud of herself and all that her body has done. Your body has created new life! That is amazing and worth celebrating and being proud of, irrespective of the specific birth process.
By Zsofia Agg
