Can we move beyond tolerance? How about honoring mother’s rights to a fair chance at birth?

“A chance is all most of us ask for; not a certainty, because there is none;
just an honest chance at a normal birth, and that makes all the difference,
in the end. Having that honest chance, means that whatever follows is good and worthwhile, whether it is VBAC or CBAC.” – M.L.

I begin this entry using the eloquent words of M.L. , a member of the ICAN online group and forum, of which I am a member as well. Her words accurately describe what goes on in a mother’s head as she prepares for a vaginal birth after a cesarean. Women are not looking for epic or heroic births, we are not looking to endanger ourselves or our babies. We are looking for supportive caregivers, friends, and family members who can respect our desire to reclaim our God-given right to birth our children, naturally.

Evidence-based reserch proves time and time again that the risks to mother and baby are minimal when attempting a vaginal birth after having undergone one or more cesarean sections by transverse incision. It also proves that the risks to mother and baby are higher by undergoing a repeat cesarean section.  The evidence about physiological risks and benefits is out there. In fact, the National Institutes of Health recently held a conference on this very topic!

However, I ask myself how often do we consider the emotional and psychological risks and benefits to mothers that desire to have a trial of labor after cesarean. We have been socialized to make birth ALL about the babies, and we fail to acknowledge that every time a baby is birthed into the world… a mother is also born, in every corner of the universe.  We must be as accountable to that mother as we are to the child.

It is  my firm belief that if we come together in community to mentor, grow, nurture and support incipient mothers, we are also creating stronger children, families and a global society. Creating a better, more peaceful world begins at conception.

Just as mothers prepare themselves with proper nutrition, exercise, a modified lifestyle, prenatal classes and more during  nine months of gestation in order to provide the best birth possible for their children…care providers, partners, family members, and such must help mothers prepare for their best birth possible by nurturing their self-confidence, their sense of empowerment and self-respect; and their spirit during gestation and beyond.

Babies matter. Birth matters. Mothers matter just as much.

-M

~ by mamamia713 on 03/30/2010.