Unfortunate circumstances have forced Jill, the owner of The Unnecesarean, to change her url. It’s such a fantastic and important resource for women that I wanted to make sure to pass along the word. If you have it bookmarked or linked, please take a moment to make the correction.
The new link is: https://www.theunnecesarean.com
UPDATE: Jill’s got the old one back now so either address will take you to her site! Yay!
thanks for the info! i’ve visited the site a few times and think it’s great for the most part, thoujgh sometimes some of the posts/links make it sound like if you don’t have a vaginal you haven’t really given birth, just been operated on. i’ve unfortunately had to have two csections and having another baby now where it will most likely be by csection, and while i wish it weren’t the case, i still believe that even though it will be in an OR and i won’t be able to push the baby out, i will still be giving birth that day.
I think Jill’s intent is to bring awareness about those c-sections which are not necessary or by choice of the mother. She would never want a woman to feel inadequate. Your babies were born, mama. (((hug)))
thanks, bonnie. it’s a sensitive subject for me…i trust my OBs a lot but sometimes wonder if the first csection was as necessary as i was told it was, but i guess i can’t look back now.
Jill didn’t Godaddy warn you that the domain was expiring? They usually send you a couple of warning mails in advance. If they didn’t warn you they might be in trouble and you should go after them.
She had the wrong e-mail on file so she didn’t get any of the messages and her domain wasn’t set to automatically renew. :(
I was looking for the website today and actually was close to tears when I couldnt find it. I have a friend who is going to attempt a VBAC and wanted to send here there for inspiration. Its also the only place where my sons birth story is… so maybe I should consider saving it somewhere just in case.
Thanks for posting this Bonnie!
I love this website. Having had a vaginal birth and then a C-section, I know how I was cheated out of such an experience that second time around. Now, my son was literally dying in utero, and I was nearly in HELLP syndrome, and his blood supply had nearly stopped, and nothing could have changed the C-section. Thank GOD for them when they are the only option, but regardless, I know the difference having had a vaginal birth, and I often say I feel like my second son was delivered by a tramatic stork instead of delivered by me. I HOPE that I am able, with this 3rd pregnancy, to have a VBAC. Honestly, I could never compare my second birth to the first in terms of how happy I was following the first verses the second and how I look back on it. I think it is shame so many women miss the birth experience in the more “natural” (do not get me wrong, I had an Epi) way due to doctors choices instead of emergency situations only.
While I haven’t had a c-section, it’s my biggest fear this time since I am giving birth in a military hospital, and am told the rates are much higher because they just don’t want to deal with anything. This is my third, I have fast deliveries (6 hours and then 2 hours) and I know they are going to want to induce me. Due to where we moved, living in base housing, and insurance, I can’t have the homebirth I wanted, and am scared to death I will be forced into a c-section. With my first, my dr took my husband aside and convinced him an epi and pitocin were necessary (water had broken and didn’t go into labor right away. He didn’t even give me an hour to walk for them to start). He just didn’t want to have to stay there all night to see if I went into labor on my own. Epi and Pit was started and I had him 6 hours later, so I felt cheated out of that, but my second was awesome (except almost having him in the car, but still awesome). The recovery was awesome. I think that dr’s push their agenda more often than not, and I hope that the c-section rates start to drop or someone does something about this. My dr. with my first started talking c-section at 16 weeks because my baby was still head up and he turned 2 weeks later, so I more than realize their need to push their own agendas.
I visited the site and was happy to see that she does not vilify c-sections, only wishes to support women in educating themselves about when a c-section might actually be necessary and when it might not be. I get so angry about the culture of childbirth sometimes – there is this attitude that if you did not have a vaginal birth without the use of painkillers, then you did not experience “real” childbirth and are somehow less of a woman. (In the area where I live, it goes a step further – people advertise their homebirth experiences on their bumpers like a badge of honor.) Unfortunately I was influenced by this mentality so that when I did have to have a c-section, I was so depressed I didn’t want any photos of the birth, only after he was born and we were back in the recovery room. I felt like I failed. What a moron! It took me almost a year to feel proud of the fact that I did what I had to to save my life and my son’s life! Though maternal deaths during childbirth are very low in the U.S. now (it used to be 1 in 8), worldwide a woman dies every minute as a result of childbirth. I am confident that my c-section was absolutely necessary, and I am happy that that medical technology was available for me. My son is going into high school soon, and I have been a mother every minute of his life – even if I DIDN’T birth him under an oak tree surrounded by chanting and the aroma of burning sweetgrass.