Natural Childbirth After Cesarean by Karis Crawford

I am so far behind on blogging! My 2-year old doesn't nap anymore and I'm having a hard time getting any uninterrupted laptop time without that special quiet part of the day. I've read a few others before this book but I want to get this one out of the way first.

I am currently 35 weeks pregnant and trying to get ready for baby #2 to join our family. My first was delivered by c-section and I'm really wanting to avoid doing that again. My sister-in-law recommended this book she read while trying for a VBAC and I must admit I devoured it. No libraries in the area had it so I got it through interlibrary loan from a library in Missouri. Unfortunately that meant I couldn't renew it or anything, and I kind of wanted to read through some parts again. 

I really liked the general ideology of the authors. They weren't too "crunchy" for my tastes and had a pretty reasonable view of doctors, hospitals, and medications. And by reasonable I mean they weren't super pushy about any one way, acknowledging that every pregnancy and birth is different and different methods work for different people. Overall I loved reading all the stories of women who have had c-sections and worked to make their second (or third) birth a better experience. My c-section was totally unavoidable and I have no guilt or angry feelings toward what happened. In fact, I am incredibly thankful for the technology that is available because without it my daughter (and possibly myself) most likely would have died had we tried to birth naturally. But everything looks normal and healthy this time around and I really want to try and have this baby non-surgically. I'm not totally opposed to an epidural, though the authors of this book encourage other methods of pain relief because epidurals can slow down the birthing process, which can sometimes lead to repeat c-sections; but mostly I want to try and have this baby with the least amount of intervention possible. I've never been in labor before so I can't predict how I might handle it, so when I get there and if I want an epidural, I'll get an epidural and not feel bad about it. I'm not making any rules for myself that I might not be able to keep. 

My whole life I've had this general fear of childbirth. In the movies and on tv, it's shown as this absolutely agonizing ordeal, with the woman screaming and cursing her husband. When I got pregnant with my daughter I thought for sure I'd have to face my fear of childbirth, but then I had a c-section... I'm still somewhat apprehensive, but the more I read books like this one the more empowered I feel. Women have been having babies since the beginning of the human race and we haven't died out as a species, so it can't really be all that bad. If the millions of women before me can do it, I can do it too. It's not going to be easy, but I know I can do hard things. I did a triathlon just before getting pregnant and I've stayed active this whole pregnancy, and I believe that those things will help with my mental and physical endurance. 

I think my very favorite part of this book is in one of the last chapters. After telling story after story of women who successfully had a VBAC and spending chapters going over the best methods to avoid repeat cesareans, they close the book by stressing that no matter what preparation you put into your labor experience, you can't control everything. Sometimes the unexpected happens and there's nothing you can do about it. Maybe you'll end up with another c-section. And that's ok. You have not failed as a woman or mother because things didn't end up just the way you wanted. It is so important to accept your experience as it is, without attaching blame or holding onto regret or anger or guilt. You are amazing for doing everything you could to bring life into this world, no matter how it happened. 

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who has experienced a c-section and wants to try for a VBAC. Definitely an empowering book.

5 out of 5 stars