During my six-week checkup following the birth of my second child, many thoughts ran through my head. I was feeling relatively good versus how I felt after my first delivery (an unplanned c-section,) and pretty proud of having accomplished a successful VBAC (
Vaginal
Birth
After
Cesarean.) These pleasant thoughts were abruptly replaced with the feeling of "OUCH!"
Obviously, I believe in VBAC, but for now I am not going to use this forum as my soapbox to tell you why you should try to avoid a cesarean. I leave this to other learned sources such as
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and
The International Cesarean Awareness Network. I also believe in giving women a fair and balanced account with a bit of my own brand of naughty chair vernacular. As I have mentioned
before, there's not enough frank and honest dialogue at playgroup, although there's lots of talk about diaper absorbency.
So to my sisters out there considering a VBAC, or even you first-time moms about to deliver, let me tell you what happens to your precious vajay jay. Sure the recovery is easier but I think a lot of VBAC enthusiasts aren't upfront about what the actual recovery is like. To hear them tell it, you will be dancing in a field of flowers doing somersaults and cartwheels while cradling your angelic newborn with a cone-shaped head. The truth is recovery from any birth is not easy. A VBAC may be easier, but the emphasis is on the "-er" not the "easy".
