Ep 271: The Pain of a C-Section Without Anesthesia with Author Rachel Somerstein

Birth With Power

Dr. Nicole C. Rankins

Parenting, Kids & Family

4.9 • 637 Ratings

🗓️ 3 September 2024

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode I’m chatting with Rachel Somerstein about her traumatic experience having a C-section without adequate anesthesia. Already a professional journalist, this experience led Rachel to write her first book, Invisible Labor: The Untold Story of the Cesarean Section. In Invisible Labor Rachel weaves her personal narrative and investigative journalism with medical, social, and cultural history to reveal the surprising evolution of the cesarean section: from its days being practiced on enslaved and “unfit” women, to the ways modern technology promotes its overuse.

It’s very common not to prepare for the possibility of a cesarean birth (Rachel didn’t). Even if you are completely healthy and it seems unlikely, you need to understand that a C-section is possible. If you want to know which questions to ask in order to understand if it’s medically necessary and what your options are, you need to be educated on all potential outcomes.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

Why Rachel didn’t plan for a C-section
What happened when she told her OB she wasn’t numb during surgery
How this experience affected her ability to bond with her new baby
What long-term effects she experienced as a result of her traumatic birth
How therapy helped her discover that she wanted a second baby but fear was holding her back
Why it’s important to find a care team that enthusiastically supports your decision to try for a VBAC
What challenges came with giving birth in 2020
How her recovery was different in her first versus second birth
How she processed her internalized stigmas about cesarean birth

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode271

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Transcript

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0:00.0	In this episode, I'm chatting with Rachel Somerstein about her traumatic experience having a C-section without adequate anesthesia and the book that that experience led her to write.
0:17.5	Welcome to the All About Pregnancy and Birth Podcast. If you're having a baby in the hospital,
0:23.1	you are giving birth in a system that too often takes away power from women over what happens
0:28.0	in their own bodies. I'm Dr. Nicole Calloway Rankins, a practicing board certified OBGYN,
0:33.9	who's had the privilege of helping well over a thousand babies into this world.
0:37.9	I've been a doctor for over 20 years, and I'm here to help you take back your power,
0:42.8	advocate for yourself, and have the beautiful pregnancy and birth that you deserve.
0:47.0	This podcast is for educational purposes only and it's not a substitute for medical advice.
0:52.0	Check out the full disclaimer at Dr.N. Nicole Rankins.com forward slash disclaimer.
0:56.4	Now let's get to it.
0:58.8	Pregnancy can be overwhelming, but your inbox doesn't have to be.
1:04.0	The Birth with Power Brief is my free weekly newsletter with expert tips, real talk, and support you can actually use. No pressure,
1:15.0	no preachy advice, just a breath of fresh air in your inbox every Thursday. Come join me at
1:22.5	Dr. Nicole Rankins.com forward slash email. Hello there. Welcome to another episode of the podcast.
1:30.1	This is episode number 271, whether it is your first time listening or you have been
1:36.0	here before.
1:36.7	I am so glad you're spending some time with me today.
1:40.2	Rachel Somerstein is the author of Invisible Labor, the untold story of the Cicarean section.
1:45.9	It's just been published by Echo.
1:48.2	She's an associate professor of journalism at SUNY New Paltz, and her reporting has also appeared in the Washington Post, Boston Globe, and The Guardian, among other publications.
1:58.1	She's also been featured on NPR's Fresh Air.
2:02.2	Rachel holds a PhD from Syracuse University's Newhouse School, and she lives in New York's Hudson Valley with her family.
	...

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