Cut, Stapled and Mended
by Roanna Rosewood
"At least you and the baby are healthy."
That's what they said when they handed him to me. And they were right. Why then, so long after my body has healed, do I still feel broken? A whisper inside of me insists: Birth is more than a means to a baby. There was something I was supposed to do, something I was to receive through giving birth.
Pregnant again, when the doctor tries to schedule another cesarean, I refuse. I will not submit to being tied down, cut open, and having my uterus extracted again without a fight.
That's why I ask a midwife to help me give birth. I tell her that I'm determined and strong. But she sees through my tough-guy armor. She smiles, saying, "Birth isn't a battle to win or lose. It's the result of delving into your vulnerability and finding your true feminine power."