11. Scheduled C-Section: Bodily Autonomy & Lessons Learned at a Teaching Hospital

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The Radiant Mission Podcast | Episode 11
Host: Rebecca Twomey @theradiantmission
Co-Host: Rachel Smith

Thank you for listening to The Radiant Mission podcast! We are on a mission to encourage and inspire you on your walk with Christ and as you journey through life. 

In Episode 11, we return to Rachel’s birth stories and discuss her scheduled c-section with her second son, medical procedures in a teaching hospital, and more.

NOTE: possible trigger warning as we will discuss c-sections, birth trauma, and medical procedures.

In This Episode on Scheduled C-Section: Bodily Autonomy & Lessons Learned at a Teaching Hospital:

• The groundwork for this conversation
  • Scheduled c-section, uterus didelphys, bicornuate uterus, infertility
  • Postpartum struggled with breastfeeding
• Birth control discussion
  • Birth control postpartum and side effects like difficulty breastfeeding, postpartum depression, and more
  • Taking Charge of Your Fertility
    • Introduction to the Fertility Awareness Method
• Rachel’s 2nd Pregnancy
  • Morning sickness and hyperemesis gravidarum
  • Diagnosis updated to bicornuate uterus
  • Planned for a VBAC if baby was head down
  • Medical red flags and understanding your rights
• Scheduled c-section experience
  • Original doctor doesn’t show up
  • Rachel became a medical test subject at a teaching hospital (Grey’s Anatomy reference)
  • No one asked for verbal consent or told her she would be under the care of medical students.
  • Dissociating during medical procedures due to overwhelm and discomfort, lack of true consent.
  • Baby delivered by medical students while the room was full of other students there to learn.
  • The body handles surgery as trauma
  • Lack of consent and bodily autonomy
  • Felt like a lab rat on a table
• Educational moments
  • Part of processing a traumatic c-section was understanding the truth about breech and that it is a variation of normal that is simply not taught in the traditional medical system.
  • Breech Without Borders
  • There are risks either way, you have to choose your hard.
  • VBAC Academy
    • Having a repeat c-section actually has higher risks than a VBAC
• Variations of breech: frank breech, footling breech, complete breech

Bible Verses Mentioned:

Hebrews 10:23

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

Resources Mentioned:

• Taking Charge of Your Fertility: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health
  • Click here to preview or purchase
•  Breech Without Borders
•  VBAC Academy

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For the full show notes, including links to any resources mentioned, please visit The Radiant Mission Blog.

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