Friday, April 11, 2008

April is International Cesarean Awareness Month

You can find information about International Cesarean Awareness Month at International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) which has a focus of prevention, recovery, and advocacy. ICAN works to educate women, health care providers, and society about the prevalence, causes, risks associated with, impacts and effects, and prevention of unnecessary cesarean birth procedures. ICAN also provides information about recovery (including emotional recovery--birth trauma, postpartum mood disorders, and grieving the loss of a vaginal birth experience) as well as vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). There is a Portland ICAN chapter with monthly support group meetings.

In her book, Birthing From Within, Pam England uses the term "Cesarean-Birth" instead of cesarean section or c-section. What a powerful way to shift the dynamic of a term and to honor a mother's cesarean birth as a personal experience. At Nurture, we honor each mother's birth experience and have a range of services that provide emotional and physical support for mothers before, during, and after a birth experience. The Birthing From Within website has an article about and titled, Having a Cesarean-In-Awareness. In addition to being aware in prevention, recovery, and advocacy; being prepared emotionally for coping during and after a cesarean is an awareness that can prevent or lessen the emotional impact should a cesarean be necessary.

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