Are C Section's 'giving birth'?

[somewhereovertherainbow2]

Just interested in people's opinions on whether a C Section, planned or emergency, is considered 'giving birth'?

Bit of a backstory as not to drip feed.

I was induced with my LO, it completely failed, so I pushed for a good hour and ended up having a failed instrumental & eventually a emcs. All very traumatic & I still feel sad about it 8 months on that I was unable to push her out as she was back to back, I get a bit jealous of women who have an all natural birth that I'll possibly never experience (long standing health condition may result in being induced again if we are lucky enough to have a second baby).

I always say & think that I didn't actually give birth, I had surgery and my baby was born iyswim?

So what are your thoughts?

[MsPavlichenko]

It's vaginal not "natural" birth. The other way to give birth is by section.

[Tsubasa1]

I would say its giving birth, wouldnt it be offensive to say its not giving birth?

[Peony99]

Of course it's giving birth. Being cut open, risking infection and struggling with a potentially Long recovery is hardly a cop out!

[7salmonswimming]

Hmmm, maybe. I guess so.

Does it matter? All my DC were c sections, for different reasons. I’ve never given it any thought. If anything I’m happy to have had easy deliveries with no side effects!

[Megan2018]

Giving birth is defined thus

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.collinsdictionary.com/amp/english/give-birth

It has nothing to do with whether this involved a vagina.

Sorry you had a traumatic birth that didn’t end up as you wanted, but yes as far as I am concerned all birth methods are covered by “giving birth”

It would probably benefit you to get some support to resolve your feelings on this.

[DramaAlpaca]

Of course you gave birth. You gave birth by c-section instead of giving birth vaginally. Both are giving birth. Please don't be upset about this

[FictionalCharacter]

I had a similar experience and it’s grim. Understandable that you feel sad
It’s still birth and none of the crap that happened to you was your fault. I hope these thoughts fade and you can let it go.

[Topseyt]

Of course a C-section is giving birth. Why not?

I've had both types of birth and preferred the caesarean if I am honest. I recovered more quickly from it too than from the battering and bruising that was one of my so-called natural births.

Don't be too hard on yourself. You did just fine in a difficult and complicated situation.

[puds11]

What else would it be Surgical extraction? Who cares how a baby got here, they got here and they are ok, that’s the main thing. There’s far too much emphasis put on being able to have a vaginal birth, like it somehow makes you better. I’ve had both and I’m just glad both my children arrived unharmed.

[leafyskyline]

Exactly what @MsPavlichenko said.

A dictionary definition of birth is "the emergence of a baby or other young from the body of its mother; the start of life as a physically separate being,"

There are two types of birth; vaginal delivery and c-section. Unfortunately for them, some women get hung up on having a vaginal delivery and lose sight of the wonder that both types involve.

There are no special badges given for how your child was born. Perhaps look into some counselling OP, it sounds like you had a very traumatic time and you deserve to feel proud of how your baby arrived into this world.

[happycamper11]

Well the word birth is just to do with the baby arriving - how they arrive is pretty irrelevant as they've all go to come out somehow. Personally I'm happy with my neat scars and pelvic floor as strong as when I was a child free 19 year old. I've 2 healthy and happy children who have been unaffected by their birth method which is the main thing

[DioneTheDiabolist]

I've had a vaginal birth and a planned CS birth. I have given birth twice.

[somewhereovertherainbow2]

Just to clarify I'm not wanting to offend anyone.

I didn't talk to anyone about it much afterwards apart from my husband but he was equally traumatised, I'm guessing watching someone you love going through that is worse in some ways?! I am a 'just get on with it' type of person and was just happy she arrived safe & concentrated on looking after her and I recovered really well.

I don't dwell on it too much, I tend to think that was just the way it happened and I'd do it millions of times over for her, I just would have liked to of experienced it without the whole intervention of an instrumental & emcs, although I was begging for a c section at the time!

[PatricksRum]

Yes

[springydaff]

I know what you mean op. All my kids were C-sections - I gave birth by c-section, I should say - and I really struggled with this at the time. I empathise with the jealousy you feel because I felt it too. It was a real grief for a while..

But I absolutely couldn't care less now! There are benefits in later years to not pushing a baby/babies out of your vagina!

[BrokenLogs]

Dd1 was a traumatic instrumental (vaginal) birth and 9 years on I'm still not 'over' it.

You gave birth to your DC, but it wasn't the birthing experience you wanted - lots of us on here!

Fwiw, dd2 couldn't have been a better experience, 4.5 hours from start to finish, a lot calmer, and not the second disaster I'd been expecting.

[LolaSmiles]

There are no special badges given for how your child was born.
This is so true. Sometimes I think vaginal birth is held on a pedestal to a point where women end up feeling a failure if they don't deliver that way.

OP you have given birth. You've carried a baby and brought it into this world, but maybe you need to talk to someone about your experience to come to terms with it. I think many of us can empathise.

I, perhaps morbidly, put it into perspective by thinking there's no point having an imaginary "I pushed a baby from my vagina" badge if me/baby was ill, injured, or worse.

[Shev1996]

You brought a new life into this world, hence you gave birth

[Snowflake9]

I also asked myself the question and felt like a complete failure after 34 hours of labour. My cervix wouldn't go that last half a cm. Baby was back to back, emcs for me.

[RubaiyatOfAnyone]

I had an induction ending in ventouse and episiotomy with awful after effects, and second time round a peaceful ELCS.

I don’t feel guilty about either, despite the fact that neither were the whale-song-and-water births we’re lead to covet. I have a very simple set of questions for this:

1. Do you now have a baby where you didn’t have a baby before?
   
2. did it happen at the end of a pregnancy rather than an adoption process?
   
   If yes to both, congratulations! You have given birth!

[user1471582494]

Well the baby is out so surely that's giving birth!
Why do people obsess over birth method so much?

[Snaleandthewhail]

As others have said, your baby’s birth doesn’t need to be qualified. And I’m very sorry it didn’t go to plan.

You do sound like meeting a midwife to go through it might be helpful. At my hospital they call this service Birth Afterthoughts

[Thinkingaboutsummer2020]

Yes

[AxeOfKindness]

According to the dictionary definition of "birth" (which doesn't involve a vagina), yes, you gave birth.

If not, you presumably also couldn't say that your little one was 'born' which would be a bit odd!

I know what you mean because of the connotations but, yes you gave birth.

[WorldEndingFire]

I've suffered similar to you. It's awful trauma. Please go with your husband to the hospital talk back service to get the answers you need.