C-section; Stop The Stigmatization and Misconception.

There is nothing as beautiful as being able to bring life into this world.

I and some of my cousins went to visit another cousin of ours who had just put to bed. While we were there, we decided to put a call through to a mutual friend of ours and tell her about the good news. The first thing that came out of her mouth was, "did our cousin give birth through a C-section or a natural delivery?" Funny enough, she's not the first person I have heard ask the same question.
I don't know about other places, but in this part of the world where I come from, there is a lot of stigma and misconception about women who give birth through C-section. This has made many women feel like failures for having a C-section. People make it look like giving birth through CS is terrible.

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In this post, I will list the four
most common stigmas and misconceptions that are prevalent around my neighborhood:

Laziness
A few weeks ago, I was with an elderly aunt of mine, when a young man who happens to be her neighbor walked up to her and told her his wife had just given birth, but she was still in the hospital because it was through CS. I could see the disdain on her face. When the man left, she started grumbling and saying a lot of negative things.She complained that the young women of this generation are lazy. That what is in labor that a woman cannot push. Any woman who gives birth through a C-section doesn't know what it feels like to give birth and doesn't understand the pain and joy of bringing a child into this world".
In my mind, I was wondering why, on earth, would someone think that way. There are different reasons people opt for CS; one of them is "medical". I am not a medical practitioner, but I know there are different medical reasons why a doctor would suggest CS: gestational diabetes, when the woman's pelvis is too small to deliver the baby vaginally, placenta previa, and the like. There is no way a doctor would suggest a caesarean section if it would not be that the life of the baby and/or mother are at risk.

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If you give birth through a C-section, you won't be able to give birth naturally again

Big lies: there are a lot of people who say things they themselves don't know or are not sure of. They heard someone say it, and they are busy copying and pasting it onto whomever is willing to listen to them. Why believe people who are not medical practitioners? This has put fears in the minds of some women. I believe there is a reason why we have doctors in our hospitals. If there is anything you are not sure of or need more enlightenment on, ask your doctor. I know someone who gave birth to her first child through a C-section and her other three kids naturally. Do not allow people fill your ears with what they have no proof of.
Personally, I believe that rather than being stigmatized, C-section mothers should be commended for deciding to undergo surgery in order to bring another life into the world.

Religion
Here in Nigeria, I have heard Christian women frequently say they want to give birth like "Hebrew women" in the Bible. (and seriously, there is nothing wrong with that.) My only challenge is when the health and lives of the woman and baby are in harms way, everything becomes wrong with that mindset. I have read online on different occasions in Nigeria how some women died during labor all in the name of giving birth, like the Hebrew women. One time I read on Facebook how a woman was having prolonged labor, and the nurses asked the husband to give his consent for the woman to be taken in for surgery. The man asked them to wait for him to confirm with his pastor. After putting a call through to the pastor, the pastor said no surgery should be done on her, that she would give birth naturally. He told the husband to keep praying while he, too, would join them in prayer. That was how they prayed the woman to her death.

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Not wanting to embarrass their families
It sounds ridiculous, right? But it's some women's reality. I was dumbfounded when I first heard about it. You know how, here in Nigeria, there are some things your parents or extended family discourage you from doing, in order not to bring insult and embarrassment to the family. Well, some families see a C-section as embarrassment. I first heard this from my neighbor, her elder sister could not give birth naturally because she had some complications, and her husband outrightly disapproved of her undergoing surgery, because no woman in his family has done surgery before, so his case would not be different. Her life was in danger, but the man was more concerned about his ego and reputation. Thank God she stays in the same city with her parents; they were the ones that approved the surgery. He eventually divorced his wife because he felt she embarrassed him by not being able to give birth herself. The child whom the wife gave birth to is about 5–6 years old, and the father does not know what she looks like.
A lot of women are hesitant to undergo surgery because they are battling ingrained fears of being humiliated by their families or society.

THANK YOU FOR READING TO THE END 🤗