C-section surgery has been around humankind for a very long time! The history goes something like this, due to religious norms the mother and the child were not buried together when the child is still inside the womb, so the baby was separated before the burial of the mother. An incision was made to get the baby out when the woman lost her life trying to birth her child or because of certain complications.
The history also says that there was a woman who survived this kind of C-section procedure and went on to birth another child vaginally dating back to the 1580s, however, there are no records to prove this as it was way too long ago. History also says that Caesar was birthed by making such an incision, and so the origin of the name Cesarean section was born after his birth. Not sure if this is true, because his mother was alive for quite some time till he grew up and those days there was a very minuscule chance of the survival of the mother after such a surgery was performed for obvious reasons.
Thanks to nature and science, we have pain killers, anesthesia to make this process not so painful for the mothers who undergo the surgery today and this has been a boon to humanity as a whole. Another important and very useful invention was the ultrasound scan or the sonogram that has helped in situations where immediate action was needed, to understand when the help was needed either to the mother or the baby. These inventions were the need of the time when too many lives were lost during childbirth.
Side effects of C-section surgery
Though the technology has made it relatively simpler to go through the surgery, C-section surgery is major surgery and the after-effects of the C-section surgery remain more or less the same. The body has to heal through the wounds, and there is no Fastrack method to heal the body from these wounds. It takes time to heal the body, and the wound has to heal from within. Though the surface might look dried up, the inner layer of muscles takes time to heal.
What one might think is that, since the surgery takes less time due to the advance in technology, women might be able to heal faster and get back to their pre-pregnancy body in less time. Well, this is not true! Though these surgeries have become common these days, it is major surgery and utmost care has to be taken in the recovery of the mother who undergoes the C-section surgery.
But why has C-section surgery become so common these days?
Well, every individual has to think about this and it is not the sole responsibility of the woman to think about this. When you plan to extend your family, it is the responsibility of both man and woman to talk about childbirth like how to take care of her while she is pregnant, talking to your doctor about a healthy lifestyle, and if this is a second child then the postpartum care of her first pregnancy plays a crucial role in her second pregnancy, the priorities, the changes, the emotional support, everything has to be discussed.
Remember, though it involves two people to create a child inside the womb, it's the woman who has to go through changes physically and emotionally. Yes, even men go through emotional changes, emotional struggles, but it is the woman’s body that has to go through immense changes, right from pregnancy to childbirth to childcare and also the after-effects of the surgery. So, let’s be clear that it does take a toll on a woman’s body and emotions.
So, what's the conclusion?
Sometimes, even after planning a lot, things may turn out differently. There are always pros and cons to any decision you take, decide based on how the woman wants to ride the birthing journey. and use the technology wisely. Discuss and talk about the birthing process either before or after conceiving. It is important to understand the body’s nature and how it works. Along with physical health, emotional or mental health is equally important.
What we leave behind is what the next generation has. Be conscious of what you want to leave behind and make your lifestyle changes accordingly.
Take care!
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