Rewriting the Birth Narrative: The Truth Behind Elective Caesarean Sections

When it comes to giving birth, every woman deserves to feel empowered, informed, and supported. But time and time again, I hear stories from women who felt led—not by intuition or understanding—but by fear and outdated narratives.

"I booked my C-section as soon as I found out I was pregnant. Too many of my friends had traumatic births that ended in emergency sections."

"I didn’t want to go through that pain."

"It felt like the safest option for my baby."

These aren’t just casual comments—they’re reflections of deep societal conditioning and fear-driven beliefs passed down through generations. But we need to ask… safe according to whom? And where is the balanced information that includes both the benefits and the risks?

The myth that elective C-sections are “safer” or “easier” isn’t supported by the full picture. In truth, many women are only handed information at the very last moment—when the labour ward is full, emotions are high, and legal forms are being signed.

I remember attending my first antenatal appointment and being handed a photocopied sheet about epidurals—long before anyone asked about how I wanted to birth my child. The unspoken message? “This will be painful. You’ll need help.”

But decades ago, I read Birth Without Violence by Dr. Frédérick Leboyer. It changed everything. I began to see birth through the baby’s eyes—not just as a clinical event, but as a deeply spiritual and emotional experience. That became the foundation of my life’s work.

As a practitioner with 38 years’ experience supporting families, I’ve seen how early imprints—formed during pregnancy, birth, and those first 1000 days—shape a child’s sense of safety, resilience, and connection. I call this Baby Body Language.

We need to reclaim birth as an instinctive, powerful process that a woman’s body was designed to navigate. Yes, modern maternity services save lives, and sometimes C-sections are necessary. But when chosen purely from fear, we risk disempowering women and affecting the long-term bonding and emotional blueprint of their baby.

Even within the medical field, many midwives today have rarely seen a natural birth unfold from start to finish. Interventions like sweeps, inductions, and emergency C-sections have become the norm. But that doesn’t mean it’s always the best way.

Your birth story matters—and so does your baby’s. Our birth choices can influence how we parent, sometimes leading to what’s been dubbed “helicopter parenting”—rescuing children instead of equipping them to navigate life at their own pace.

This isn’t about blame. It’s about awareness. It’s about shifting from fear to trust, from control to connection.

So let’s start asking better questions.
Let’s share more empowering stories.
Let’s remember that pain has purpose when met with preparation, trust, and support.

You don’t need to regret your choices—but you can explore them.
And if we know better, we can do better.

With love and compassion,
Anne Matthews
www.wholesomelyconnected.com
Baby Body Language expert and coach for parents