GREENSBORO, N.C. — It's time for my "2 cents."
Happy C-Section Day -- two weeks belated, because admittedly I didn't realize the Jan. 14 holiday existed. I also didn't know, years ago, I'd have a personal reason to honor it.
A C-section, formally a Cesarean section, is an abdominal surgery to deliver a baby, usually performed because of a health concern with labor.
I remember an ultrasound while pregnant with my oldest when the doctor said the baby's positioning and other factors would make a natural delivery dangerous. A C-section was best.
Emotionally, I was unprepared. I felt surprised, scared and somewhat disappointed. Why couldn't my body do what nature designed it to do? Soon, however, those thoughts turned to gratitude...for God's plan and the gift of modern medicine.
I shudder to think about the women and babies who died in childbirth for centuries before a C-section delivery was possible. The CDC reports one in three babies in the U.S. today is born via C-section, and because the major operation inherently carries risks, the World Health Organization (WHO) advises it only when medically necessary.
There is a common claim a C-section is "the easy way out" (of labor and delivery). That's obviously not true. More importantly, there is so much unnecessary comparison between pregnancy and motherhood, and the reality is this -- no journey is simple or the same. Much of childbirth is completely out of our control, and none of it really matters, if we can hold our child in our arms...safe and sound.
So, mamas, let's cherish our scars and our strength. After all, the wounds we wear in motherhood are reminders of the blessing of life.
Sincerely,
Meghann