Yes, more of this

I wrote a letter to the Editor of the New Yorker today:

For Publication

Editor:
Atul Gawande's article about birth and modern medicine raises the bar for birth journalism -- his historical treatment and surgical descriptions are eye-opening -- but I find myself deeply disappointed by the ending of Elizabeth Rourke’s story. Dr. Rourke’s misery and debilitation following her cesarean section were not “stupid feelings.” As one of the many women who suffer from what Gawande calls medicine’s "tyranny" against birthing mothers, I observe that mixed feelings after a cesarean, while varied and intimate, are far from stupid. The pain of women like me– from IV bruises and infections, from confusion and anxiety – is real, even if it is usually invisible to institutional healthcare.

It’s not just medicine that lets us down. It’s our culture and community – often other mothers like Rourke – sending the constant message that all that matters about birth is a healthy baby. As if, were our child only “gorgeous” enough, our gratitude only deep enough, then we could ignore these “stupid feelings” of pain and regret. Like all mothers, I value my healthy son more than my very life. But I’m not alone in grieving a birth I never knew I wanted (I being one who yelled for my epidural before I had my shoes off) until it was lost.

When the most recent evidence (perhaps published after fact-checking for this issue) suggests that cesareans nearly triple the risk of maternal and neonatal death, the damage we face is not just sentimental. The prevalence of cesarean delivery is threatening every doctor’s ability to treat patients and every woman’s right to choose the safest birth for herself and her family. Only with accurate information, and honest emotional support, will this begin to change.

Robin Grace
Member, International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN)