During my first pregnancy, I had a clear picture in my mind of what labour and delivery would look like. Long story short: It didn’t go that way. It went sideways, starting with an induction and ending with a C-section. I think a lot of women don’t know tons about C-sections unless they’ve had one. I sure didn’t. But I know a lot now!
Here’s what I didn’t know about C-sections that I’ve learned since having two of them.
1. The term “natural” birth is offensive. Same goes for “normal” birth. I hadn’t thought about it much before, but there are all kinds of birth scenarios out there, so who’s to say what’s “natural”" I personally prefer the terms vaginal birth and C-section. They describe the type of birth without diminishing either experience in any way. 2. A C-section isn’t the “worse” way to give birth.  There will be no gold medal for the home-birth mom who laboured for a day without pain medication, just as there will be no award for the woman who laboured for 24 hours and was cut open at the end (that’d be me). No birth method is better or worse than another. So when people talk about their C-section or about their vaginal delivery, it should never be to lessen someone else’s experience. We should all be acknowledged as moms who are tough as hell because we gave birth (in whatever way we gave birth).

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