Some Thoughts on Cesarean Births
And I'm Lamaze International's newest member of the Board of Directors!
If you’re a birthworker with clients who give birth in US hospitals then you likely know this scenario well: Labor stalls, heart rate decelerations appear on the fetal monitor, the birthing person is told by a doctor that they ‘have to get the baby out’, and 30 minutes later a baby is born by cesarean.
This was not your client’s desire. They are told that the cesarean was an emergency.
The New York Times magazine published this article in their latest edition - A Personal History of the C-section. It was a challenging piece for me to read. I found myself having to work really hard to stay present to the story; one person’s birth experience and their meaning making.
This is the practice of holding space. I recommend that you read the article and try practicing the same.
I also found myself interrogating the beliefs, healthcare practices, missed opportunities, gaps in consumer education, and systems that are responsible for a 33% overall cesarean rate in the US, a 60% cesarean rate in the Dominican Republic, and a rate of 85% (of births in private hospitals) in Brazil - the cesarean capital of the world.
Between the 1960s through the late 1980’s the cesarean rate in the US rose by more than 400 percent!
The World Health Organization recommends that a nation’s cesarean rate not exceed 10-15%.
Cesareans are intended to preserve life, yet the US maternal mortality rate overall is twice that of most high-income countries. In the US, Black women experience maternal mortality at a rate 2-3 times higher than white women.
This is a public health crisis. One that seems so much bigger than all of us who are on the ground trying to show-up and support birthing people, and those of us who are trying to keep ourselves and our babies alive at birth.
Lamaze International has been promoting, protecting and supporting birth through education and advocacy for generations. I’m a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator and member. Just recently I was asked to join the Board of Directors.
As a newly appointed board member, I hope to learn, grow and impact change on a bigger stage than where I’ve stood prior. I’m excited for this new opportunity!
Thank you so much for supporting me and my work. I’m grateful to the many who have referred me to a friend and thought of me for a project.
And thanks for reading!
xo,
Naima
Upcoming Events and Ways to Work Together
I'm guest-teaching at Debra Pascali-Bonaro’s DONA Postpartum Doula Training, August 9-13. This workshop is hosted by Birth Day Presence
I'm co-teaching The Advanced Holding Space for Pregnancy Loss course with Amy Wright Glenn on 3 Saturdays in October. *This course has been approved by Lamaze International for 8.0 Lamaze Contact Hours. These hours may be applied towards recertification as an LCCE educator under learning competencies 1, 6, and 7. More info and registration are here
Take a comprehensive, evidence-based, and self-paced Birth Prep Class with me and Jenn D’Jamoos on the Soshe App!
I hold space, 1:1, for people experiencing challenges becoming pregnant and for those who have experienced pregnancy loss. Black women are able to access this service at a discounted rate. More here.
Use my scheduling link to book a free 15 minute consultation for any service.
If you’re interested in having me as a speaker, instructor, or consultant on a project, write to me at naima@foryourbirth.com
Donate to our Birth Support Fund
Good Morning Naima! Congratulations on your recent appointment to the Board of Lamaze! They are blessed to have you guiding and supporting their organization! And thank you fir this post regarding C-sections. I’m currently working with a mom who is 38 weeks, mother of 3 yr old twins and hoping for a VBAC. The litany of things she ‘cannot do’ and things she has no choice but ‘to do’ is overwhelming. They are clearly wearing her thin in some ways and bolstering her determination in others.
Holding space for her and reminding her to use her voice is helping. Thank you for being a beautiful mirror to Doulas and Mothers everywhere ❤️