A Physical Therapist's Thoughts on Cesarean Delivery:

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but we don’t call them C-sections any more. Something about the word “section” apparently bears too close a resemblance to how you would carve up a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner guests. People who undergo surgery apparently prefer language that suggests that after their procedure has begun, it will in fact end with them being made whole again. Such a hope can not be expected for the turkey, so therefore we now call them Cesarean Deliveries. 

The procedure itself has been around since ancient times, but was originally used only to remove a baby from the uterus of a dead or dying mother. (For those who’d enjoy a more lengthy history…visit this NIH website.) Only in the 19th century was a baby’s removal through an incision in a mother’s abdomen done in an attempt to save the life of that mother…and consequently it began to matter how to stitch her up again. Time passed. Penicillin was discovered. Birthing babies shifted from homes to hospitals. And since then, for a host of complex, multifaceted, and culturally unique reasons, cesarean deliveries have become extremely commonplace in the United States, more so than most other developed countries.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to observe that most women carry very strong opinions about when a cesarean delivery is appropriate. Those opinions run the gamut. The same woman who believes in the freedom to schedule a child’s birthday or avoid the discomfort of labor may also abhor the ways in which a modern medical establishment may pressure a woman into a cesarean delivery because surgery is more predictable and profitable than vaginal birth. A woman who believes that anything less than a vaginal birth would be a failure of motherhood may also recognize and praise the modern miracle of holding a precious baby she doesn’t remember delivering because of the medical emergency that nearly killed them both. The debates can be complex and emotionally charged, but I believe we’re all united in a hope and striving for healthy birth outcomes for moms and babies regardless of our differing opinions.

As physical therapists, it’s not our job to opine on your birth plan. If you ask, we’re more than happy to help inform your decisions with our clinical expertise, but at the end of the day it’s your birth plan. We’re here to help empower you and prepare you physically for the type of delivery you want. If that’s via cesarean delivery, PTs can help you understand what to expect regarding the physical toll it will take on your body. It is, afterall, a major surgery. We can also help prepare you for a smoother recovery, whether that's with safe abdominal exercises prior to delivery to ensure you’re starting at your strongest or with scar tissue management to help restore your optimal movement during the healing process and beyond. If cesarean delivery is the last thing you want, we're equally as happy to help you prepare for a vaginal delivery. But it does seem like it's never a bad idea to be physically and mentally prepared for all possible scenarios. What’s that they say? About the best laid plans? 

To find a PT near you who specializes in pregnancy and postpartum recovery, visit https://www.choosept.com/find-a-pt Type in “Pregnancy” and your zip code and tada! PTs ready to help you on your journey!