Dear Jessica Simpson,
Congratulations!
I hear through the grapevine that you are expecting another baby. (I don't buy gossip magazines. But I do sometimes look at them in the checkout line.) And I heard your first was born by requested, scheduled c-section. And I also heard it was because (in part) you watched your sister attempt a long and painful natural birth.
There are a few things that you deserve to know about having another c-section. They are things that not all women are told.
There are risks no matter HOW you birth. But were you told about the risks of mulptiple c-sections in a real and honest way? Most women aren't. They include:
- Placenta problems (implanting improperly and causing further and sometimes dangerous problems) in future pregnancies.
- Injuries to the bladder- this surgery is major and involves more than just a uterus.
- Heavy bleeding- as with any major surgery this is a risk- and it is higher with c-section than with a natural birth.
- Weakened uterine wall- this is why there is so much talk about "rupture" after one c-section. It is often given as a reason NOT to VBAC- but what they don't tell you is that the more c-sections you have, the more dangerous it gets.
- Women after cesarean often report pain in the incision for months or even years, adhesion pain internally, and various other problems.
- In fact, cesarean can even impact future fertility (either by making pregnancy less likely or less desirable.)
- If you don't believe me, just ask Tori Spelling. Her multiple c-sections made her fourth pregnancy scary and dangerous.
(You can read all about these risks on the Mayo Clinic website.)
Jessica, you deserve to know a few things about natural birth too.
Birth doesn't have to be scary.
Birth doesn't have to be horrible.
Birth doesn't have to be suffering.
Yes, natural birth isn't free of risk or pain. And no, you can't always control the outcome. But natural birth can be amazing. Birth can be empowering. Birth can make you feel like you did something INCREDIBLE even though it is something women do every day.
You don't have to be afraid of birth. You don't have to think of birth as suffering. A woman who is supported and loved throughout her pregnancy and birth process can feel more powerful and happier than at any other time in her life.
I can't guarantee that a birth class or the right book will make a natural birth wonderful or even possible for you. But I can guarantee that there is joy in TRYING and there is power in knowing that you are capable. And there is something so much more wonderful about embracing HOPE rather than FEAR.
You deserve to make the decision yourself. You also deserve to know the risks and benefits of EVERY decision.
All the best-
Photo from-
- cliff1066™ / Foter / CC BY
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