All women are different and we live in a different way the birth of each child. This happens with C-sections. While some women seems to have no emotional consequence, for others it can be a traumatic experience, it will depend on various factors. From the obstetric point of view, is different if it was an emergency Caesarean or if was planned, where the mother has more time to prepare emotionally. If it was an emergency, it depends on how it is presented, how was the labor, at what stage caesarean section is performed. To this we add the personal elements of the mother, their expectations, their desires, their fantasies about the birth of their baby. If a mother has been prepared during pregnancy for a vaginal delivery, and can not conceive of another possibility, probably find it difficult to compare the position of a cesarean. Health personnel and the type of attention it receives, influence the experience.
We speak of "emotional injury" as the resulting emotional brand of caesarean section. Is the pain often muted and it is difficult to "cure". Sometimes it reappears years later, when the mother finds a new pregnancy. There is a mourning that it is necessary to pass through and emerge several questions, "Why I could not give birth?" "Have I got something wrong?" You hear phrases like "I'll never know how it feels to give birth. The important thing here is that the mother knows that is a normal process. Sometimes we feel that we are the only one, but the reality is that many other moms experiencing the same thing.
The emotional consequences depend on how the mother lived the cesarean . For some women can be a traumatic experience they need to tell. From the standpoint of medical and social, physical health is assessed. We hear phrases like: "What is important is that you and your baby are fine." This is correct and it is still very important but nullifies the negative feelings that can be generated. Moms who have children by cesarean may find difficult to express the experience. Usually the birth is a celebration, the family is present, and everyone is happy, hence it is not easy in this environment to have conflicting emotions. It is normal for these to occur and have nothing to do with being a "bad mother" or not to love our baby. It is important to avoid silence these expressions, and combat minimize what happened. Some women do not have these experiences, but others do and need to express it. For this there must be people willing to listen and understand, without promoting feelings of guilt. Family and friends can help, let her know that what happens is normal calm anxieties. However, one must always be vigilant about signs to indicate the need to contact an appropriate professional. You could also go to support groups, where the mother can share with peers of similar situations and feel understood.
What can be done to mitigate the consequences?
We can think of elements which attenuate the emotional consequences, one of them is the need to be accompanied during the operation. In Uruguay there is a law that protects women and allows them to have a person of their choice within the operating room. During the intervention, the mother is naked, usually with his arms restrained and has a field that doesn't lets her see what happens. Doctors are uniformed and mouth cover. This situation is very strange, a moment that should be warm and loving, it becomes cold and distant. Usually doctors do not speak, because they are concentrated in the operation. It is natural that women are nervous and anxious to know how their baby is. Undoubtedly, in this context, it is essential to have someone you trust, you take her hand and saying how everything is going.
It is also important to show her the baby and bring it closer, if possible, to be released one of his arms and caress. These are small details that do not hinder the surgical and emotional make a big difference for mom.
Has been with general or spinal anesthesia, the mother and baby will be away the first minutes of life. Here the role of companion is essential, you can follow the baby and take pictures. From the psychological point of view, for the baby is very important to feel the voice of someone familiar, as it can not be in the arms of his mother. And to her, be sure your baby is being accompanied, and it is ok, takes away anxiety to the situation.
Then it can be reassuring for the mother to see photos or hear stories of how her baby and what he did while she was recovering. Are those few minutes that she "lost" but that can be retrieved through others.
Finally, do not forget that a caesarean is a birth, we think that is another way that science has given us to birth. It is a celebration and a miracle of life. But above all things, is the extreme displays of dedication and love, where the mother sacrifices her own body for the welfare of her baby.
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