If anything is true, we are definitely not in the olden days anymore. Life now seems to blow by, with the day-to-day hustle and bustle that constantly keeps us on our toes. When it comes to pregnancy, this is one thing that doesn’t go by in a flash for any expecting mother, slowing us down so that our baby can grow before they reach that inevitable day when they are born and our whole world changes. Before the advancements of modern medicine, many mothers lost their lives in childbirth from complications, as well as babies who weren’t strong enough to make it in the outside world without unavailable medical care.
For any good mother, all we hope and pray for is a healthy baby. Caring for a sick infant is hard on our hearts and taxing on our minds, and not to mention thrashing on our bank accounts. But when it comes to childbirth, many insurance providers cover a large portion of the delivery, thankfully. In the time leading up to baby’s debut, every mother contemplates the exact same thing multiple times throughout her pregnancy: how and when am I going to have this baby? It’s a constant conundrum that plagues us with uncertainty while rattling our hormonal, unbalanced nerves.
For my first child, I took a recommendation from someone I knew and went to their OB/GYN that they referred me to. Boy, was I in for a shock. While the doctor was extremely nice, I’ll give her that, she was very lax on how I wanted to deliver my baby. My mouth practically dropped to the floor when she offered me an elective cesarean section as a birth plan. What? That’s ridiculous. Why, with no previous medical history would I just choose to have a baby cut out of my body? It was crazy, but at the time, I didn’t realize it as much. Obviously, I did my research thoroughly the second time around and found a straight-laced male doctor that wasn’t going to be okay with me sipping espressos or doing anything whatsoever that could harm my baby. Coincidentally, my first doctor doesn’t even practice obstetrics anymore I’ve learned… what a shock.
As mothers, we feel an overwhelming sense to do what is right for ourselves and our baby. Although we may feel strongly in our beliefs, there are many times that others have to butt in and give their two cents. It’s almost as if there is an aura surrounding us with a sign reading, “Please, by all means, solicit me your unwanted advice” hanging over our heads. I feel like I’m on the opposite side of the spectrum having had two emergency cesarean sections, but I’ve known women who simply choose a date near their due date and were induced. You know, because that was best for their schedule. Others go into labor and choose the epidural that’s offered, because hey, why not?
I’ve known others that have given birth in bathtubs at birthing centers without even the tiniest amount of pain medication to aid them in the process, leaving hours after like it’s no biggie. It’s amazing to me the things that the human body can do. Women have been giving birth for centuries, and at the end, everyone has a preference on how the choose to have their baby. It’s their right as a mother, and although we may not understand it, ultimately it is their choice to decide. We don’t have to understand their decisions at the end of the day, because it’s out of our control and really none of our business. I was set to have a scheduled cesarean section the second time around per my doctor’s orders and I caught so much flack from people about not doing a VBAC. I said to them, “Okay, well this is what my doctor wants.” And thank God I listened to him, because even going into labor on my own weeks ahead of schedule was too much for my body to handle as serious implications followed.
Most people are not medical professionals and just because they read some nonsense blog on the internet doesn’t give them the right to tell you what’s right and what’s wrong. The only two people that you ever need to listen to is the little one growing inside of you, and the big one that’s going to help bring them out, i.e. your doctor or midwife. Don’t listen to others or allow yourself to feel pressured into doing what they think is right. It’s not their body or their baby, and how you choose to bring your baby into this world is your special choice as a Mom. Because after going through everything you have to get that baby here safely, you truly deserve it.
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