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?

Mine was also back to back and eventually hauled out with forceps. Long lasting injuries as a result. I definitely feel no sense of pride because it was a vaginal birth, it was very traumatic.

Of course it's giving birth, you brought a new life into this world, it came out of you, doesn't matter how, it's just that these days we can actually save mum and babies in many amazing ways that would of died due to birth complications 100 years ago

I have a baby that was born. I’m not sure how he got here if I didn’t give birth to him?

I had a similar experience with a failed induction and back to back baby, but thankfully they offered me a section rather than let me continue and then try instrumental. When they offered me the section I wanted to take it but started crying as I thought DH would think I was giving up- nothing could have been further from the truth!

In the days after I felt a bit of a failure-seeing the form they give you to sign so you understand why you had the section, with the box beside "failure to progress" really compounded that. And I went in with a really open mind, didn't have any aspirations for a particular type of birth and was ok in theory if a section was required.

When I explained this to DH he said that the miracle was my body taking a bit of his genetic material and over forty weeks growing it into our beautiful DD, not how I got her out. And when you think about it, safe sections that result in a healthy mum and baby at the end are a miracle in themselves.

I did the birth debrief thing and would really recommend it. You were not in control of baby's position or the outcome of the instrumental attempt, but made the decisions at the time that resulted in your DC being born safely. You should be proud of that. And yes, you most certainly gave birth!

For me it doesn't matter how a baby comes out, your body is still giving birth.

Of course.
It doesn't matter how you gave birth, you still birthed your child.

I felt exactly the same as you, like I hadn’t given birth. In fact I went straight for an elcs so didn’t even try a vaginal birth due to severe pe.

I felt like I’d failed as a woman and a mother for months afterwards (they’re ivf babies and I couldn’t bf properly). I used to beat myself up for not being able to do anything ‘naturally’ and used to feel sorry for my babies having such a bad mother.

I finally sought help for my pnd when they were 8 months old, and they’re now 2. I no longer feel like a failure, sure I needed help with getting pregnant but I made amazing human beings, and 100 years ago chances are all three of us would’ve died without my elcs.

So yes, you’ve given birth. It might not have gone the way you wanted it to, but Baby was inside you, and then baby was birthed by you!

I felt like this after my first who was born by c section while I was under general anaesthetic, I felt like it was something that had been done to me rather than me actually giving birth. Essentially I went to sleep and when I woke up I had a baby. It was a traumatic experience and took time for me to feel ok with it.

Yes it's giving birth, any way is! I had a back to back induced Labour with dc1 which ended in forceps, bad tear and major pph, so I get the feelings of disappointment that it didn't go to plan. I really do, but please don't be too hard on yourself.
With dc2 I'm electing for a section. You have given birth to a beautiful baby, be proud of that!

I struggle with this too, OP, and get pangs of regret and jealousy of those who gave birth vaginally. When I get regretful, though, DP likes to remind me I was exhausted and sobbing and threatening to jump out of a window, – and hadn't even got to the pushing stage! – when we all called time on my efforts and went to theatre.

But I absolutely believe sections are giving birth: 50 hours of intense labour and a lot of trauma ending in EMCS, brutal mental and physical recovery; if that isn't "giving birth" what is?

(Nb I also believe you can have a lovely, gentle, planned, non-traumatic, plinky-plonky music C-section and it's still giving birth.)

How funny I found this thread now! Currently in hosp having a CTG for a high risk pregnancy. Staring down the barrel of a second ELCS for medical reasons and when I enquired about a 'natural/slow c section' the midwife's response was 'there is absolutely nothing natural about a c section'!!
I swiftly told her that comment wasn't great for my mental health when it comes to this pregnancy and she had the good grace to apologise.

I have my own stresses and insecurities with my births, but c section is 100% giving birth. I also hate the term 'natural' over vaginal birth. I don't feel it has positive connotations :/

It really makes me sad that women who have given birth via c-section are actually questioning whether they have, in fact, given birth. of course you have. A baby came out of your body - that's giving birth.

This ridiculous sense of failure starts with the medical profession. As I was being wheeled into surgery for EMCS with DC2, the doctor told me he was sorry that having had one successful vaginal birth I couldn't have another. I think he was quite shocked at the vehemence of my reply that I was quite happy with a c-section and just wanted baby safe. And having had an AWFUL vaginal birth, I was quite pleased by the c-section, even more so when we realised that if she hadn't been born that way she would have either died or been brain damaged.

Please OP, and others, if you have carried that baby and then delivered that baby via vaginal or c-section, please know that of course you have given birth. Your body made this possible.

Did nobody else do Macbeth at school? I assumed that 'no man of woman born' would have to be a woman, it seemed an unnecessary leap for it to be a man who had been delivered by c section. I was very disappointed by the misogyny of it, it took my breath away! However, in Shakey's day I don't imagine C sections were done on many women who survived the process, so the massive likelihood of death, plus the fact it was a rarity would have contributed to it being strange an unusual.
A (pregnant) friend recently said she hasn't given birth before, and she wants to this time (as in her daughter was born by c section and she wants this pregnancy to end with vaginal birth). She genuinely feels that by having her first by c section, she has missed out on something. Not everyone feels this way, but some do.

I like the expression the Italians use which is" bringing in to the light."
I am sad you had a traumatic time but your child was brought into the light alive. Try and focus on that

In Hebrew the words relating to childbirth, whether for the mother giving birth, the baby's birth from their perspective, or the HCPs assisting at the birth, all derive from the Hebrew word for child. It is all about the making of a child, not the way of the child's entrance into the world.

You have brought forth a child. You needed more assistance than some mothers did, that's all. Would you say that a mother whose baby spent the last trimester in a hospital incubator has not been properly pregnant?

You gave birth.

Congratulations on the birth of your baby

I would have gone doolally if I'd had to have a VBAC so I struggle to understand when people are upset and would have preferred it. But that's personal to them.

Giving birth is a choice (and a privilege I think) however it happens.

I had to have an emergency C section with my son and was completely put under. I wasn’t the 1st one to hold my son and I don’t even remember the 1st time I did get to hold him because I was in so much pain but all that will never take away the fact that I had him in my arms now. It shouldn’t matter what any other woman here has to say about it. If you are having a hard time about what happened then you have some things you need to deal with in your own way. It could even be signs of postpartum depression and you really should seek some help in sorting your thoughts. It will only benefit you and if working thought these things benefit you then they will benefit your whole family. I only wish you the best of luck.