Get a C-Section...

If I hear or read this stupid fucking shit one more time I'm going to throw an adult temper tantrum. Because the reality of a c- section is that it's major surgery, and it was the worst and most painful thing I have ever experienced in my life. And I say this having had both types of deliveries. An emergency c-section and a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarian), in case you didn't know what it stood for.

I don't even know where this "easy way out" even came from. Just because you didn't feel the pain of labor and delivery, or you didn't have the contractions—doesn't mean you didn't birth your child. And it certainly doesn't mean that you had the easier experience. I would take a vaginal birth over being sliced open any day. The pain of recovering from a c-section is unlike any other I have known.

I know that everyone has their own birth story. But for me, the vaginal birth was the easy one. I pushed my second child out in 26 mins, and yes, I had 15 stitches inside of me. I felt a lot of the contractions before the epidural worked correctly. It was like searing hot daggers being stabbed and twisted into my body. But really, that was a walk in the park compared to having an emergency c-section. I was dying, and they got my son out in 10 mins. It was one of the most horrifying experiences of my life. I was stitched on the inside, and glued closed on the outside.

I couldn't drive for 8 weeks after my c-section. It was like nothing I have ever felt in my life. Even something as simple as getting out of bed was extremely painful, sneezing, coughing, walking...... Axton was early. He was 36 weeks and and 4 days. He spent 8 days in the neonatal intensive care unit. While I tried to trick my body into making milk. Sounds like the easy way out right?

I think that people make the statement about it being "the easy way out" because of the labor piece of it. If you don't go through the contractions and push your baby out, then it must've been easy. Ummmm, what? Yes, you feel pressure as they cut the baby out. And sometimes you don't go through the traditional labor, but I feel like the pain is so much greater after the fact. Not being able to cough, sneeze, laugh, get out of bed, walk, pick up your baby in a normal manner... those things are all accompanied by SO MUCH PAIN. Having a c-section means having your muscles and everything cut open to have your baby. Nothing compares. Having a VBAC was wonderful compared to the recovery from my c-section.

There are also women who labor and push and push and push. The baby gets stuck, or someone's blood pressure drops. They get an emergency c-section to save one or both of their lives. Did that mother take the easy way out too? Or is it acceptable because she labored first? It can't be one or the other. You don't get to pick and choose which scenario you support.

No matter which way our babies come into this world, it doesn't really matter as long as they're healthy. But let's work on releasing the stigma around c-sections. Women aren't out there thinking... hmmmm... maybe I'll go ahead and schedule a major surgery right before I have a new tiny human to care for. It's just absurd to think that way. So stop looking down on women who had c-sections. Don't say shit like, you took the easy way out, or that she didn't have a "real birth." It's condescending and complete bullshit. A woman who births a baby vaginally is no better than one who has her baby cut from her womb. It's fucking badass either way it happens!