It's another day, which means another chance for women to be shamed about motherhood in some way. Whether it's freezing our eggs, having a baby alone, or choosing not to have children, women can't win for their parenting choices, it seems.
A news story on Monday claimed that more women are giving birth by caesarian, as 'natural birth' numbers reach a record low. Journalist Lorraine Candy condemned a newspaper's framing of the issue, saying it shames women and works to 'panic or demean' them.
The former Sunday Times Style editor and co-host of Postcards from Midlife podcast said a headline claiming 'natural births at record lows' felt like 'women are consistently being pitted against each other for their birth choices'.
In an Instagram post shared on Monday, she wrote, 'Am I over reacting? I find this headline extremely depressing and upsetting: all births are natural surely?'
'To me this feels like women are consistently being pitted against each other for their birth choices - as if ‘natural’ is somehow the morally superior choice, as if c-sections are a second choice or a failure.'
The former editor went on to say that the media language around birth 'is so depressing right now', adding, 'I find the continual need of headlines to panic or demean women in many ways, small or large, exhausting'.
She made the comments in reference to a news story from Monday that reported that one in four babies born in NHS hospitals in England were by caesarean, while the number of births without the use of drugs or other techniques has declined over the past decade.
The article went on to say that experts cited a 'growing number' of complexities as the reason why the number of caesarians has grown, including rising obesity rates and women choosing to have children later.
According to the NHS, a 'caesarean is a major operation that carries a number of risks, so it's usually only done if it's the safest option for you and your baby', highlighting the very real health reasons behind why women would give birth this way and how it's unlikely to be a matter of choice for most.
Lorraine continued, 'This [headline] seems to be blaming women for: being obese, for the increase in birth complications and for exercising their right to choose how they go through the potentially life threatening experience of giving birth.
'Or perhaps I am sensitive having had four c-sections? Maybe we need to be looking at why the risk of complications has risen and have the headline refer to the dire state women’s healthcare today in the UK and on the NHS?'
Lorraine has frequently written about parenting and is the author of 'Mum what's wrong with you: 101 things only the mothers of teenage girls know'. Her recent comments have felt like overdue pushback on a building narrative around the 'right' way to give birth, and the 'wrong way'. For some women, giving birth doesn't go to plan and the safest way to deliver their baby might force them to change routes. The last thing they need is additional shame around this experience.
Unsurprisingly, the reaction to Loraine's post was overwhelmingly positive, with one user saying, 'you’re not overreacting. Having a c-section is as natural as having a vaginal birth. This headline is shaming of women who often don’t ‘choose’ a c-section it’s what is needed for a healthy and safe birth.'
Another offered a different perspective saying, 'Having had a vaginal birth and a cesarean I can see why medical professionals try to push a vaginal birth as much as possible. The recovery from vaginal was so immediate' but 'wow... cesarean was an entirely different situation and required so much help that not everyone has'.