Women can’t have Cesarean Section in peace now?
I was recently minding the business that pays me when I came across a conversation shaming women for opting for a Cesarean Section (CS) over vaginal birth.
Men rushed and grabbed the microphone with theatrical urgency, and very loudly criticized and sought to shame women who opt for CS.
What I saw was a spectacle that exposed not just ignorance and need for control, but the deep discomfort still felt from the mere thought of women having control over their bodies.
Let’s get something straight: I am a believer in science and evidence-based decision-making. The decision to opt for a CS should be informed by considering at least the following:
- Understanding the circumstances, risks, and benefits of both CS and vaginal birth
- Making a decision based on personal values, health needs, and circumstances
- Having access to respectful, dignified, evidence-based medical guidance
- Being free from coercion, whether from family, providers, or cultural pressure
In summary, as long as the decision to have, or not to have, a CS delivery is informed, voluntary, and/or medically supported, we should trust women to make the right decision
That said, this conversation got me thinking about the unending abortion debate.
We trust women to choose and/or take charge of, among other things…
- Choose contraceptive methods
- Carry life and navigate pregnancy complications
- Attend prenatal clinics, prenatal tests, supplements, and vaccinations
- Managing nutrition, rest, and physical activity
- Raising children and caring for families
- Respond to unsolicited advice or judgment from community members
- Prepare for maternity leave or income loss
- Make sacrifices for the well-being of others
- Educate, heal, and nurture families and societies
- Balance work and family life
- Take leadership of churches, movements, and communities
- Etc, etc… this list is long…….
… But motherhood is still a duty, not a choice.
We impose restrictions, stigma, and moral judgment. I believe the word for this is hypocrisy.
Women can’t continue being nice, but because we are good humans, here’s a possible solution….
If control is what men so desperately seek, by all means take it- you already have much of it anyway. The only condition here is that if you are bringing honesty, take charge of every burden women carry: the sleepless nights, the burden of unpaid care work, the silent endurance, and every item on the above list.
…while at it, take the pill too. Champion for it.
But you won’t, will you? Because deep down, you know, it’s easier to trust women. Easier to let them bear the weight, make the choices, and clean up the mess that comes with their sacrifices.
Your kind of control is too selective and isn’t about morals. It’s about what’s comfortable for you. The sad thing is that in this case, comfort is built on inequality.
Trusting Women Means Trusting Their Decisions,…including the right to end a pregnancy.