Episode 66: Invisible Labor: C-Sections and Birth Trauma with Rachel Somerstein

No One Told Us

Rachael Shepard-Ohta

Society & Culture, Kids & Family, Parenting

4.9 • 590 Ratings

🗓️ 21 November 2024

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Birth trauma is something we may not even realize we experience in the moments during and after birth, and can really cause lasting effects on both the birthing person and their partner. That's why this week, Rachael has a great discussion with Rachel Somerstein, author and associate professor, all about cesarean sections, birth trauma, finding the right care during birth, and postpartum support. Inside this episode: Rachel shares her personal experience of having an unplanned C-section and the lack of support and communication she received during the process. The misconception around emergency C-sections and “natural” births How medicalization of birth is a contributing factor to the high C-section rate in the US. The importance of high touch care and the need for providers to listen to their patients. Why a doula during childbirth can be so helpful Redefining your worth as a parent- how you gave birth does NOT determine it! Tips for finding a care team that aligns with your birth preferences and wishes The impact birth trauma has on our parenting journey And so much more! Mentioned in this episode: Rachel’s book Invisible Labor: The Untold Story of the Cesarean Section Rachel’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelesomerstein/?hl=en Rachael Shepard-Ohta is a mom of 3, founder of Hey, Sleepy Baby, and the host of this podcast. Instagram | Tiktok | Website If you enjoyed this episode, please rate 5⭐️ and write us a review! ⬇️ ✨For sleep support and resources, visit heysleepybaby.com and follow @heysleepybaby on Instagram! 😴☁️🤎✨ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:33.5	Welcome to No One Told Us, the podcast that tells the truth about parenting and talks about
0:37.6	all the stuff you wish you knew before having kids.
0:40.7	I'm your host, Rachel, and today I'm speaking with another Rachel, Rachel Somerstein.
0:45.4	Rachel is an associate professor of journalism at State University of New York and is the author
0:50.4	of the book Invisible Labor, The Untold Story of the Cessarian Section.
0:54.6	Her essays and reporting have appeared in the Boston Globe, The Guardian, and the Washington Post,
0:59.3	among other publications. And she lives with her family in the Hudson Valley. We're so excited
1:04.5	to have you on the podcast today, Rachel. This is such an important topic. I'm really excited
1:08.8	to hear about your experience and to hear more about the
1:11.2	book. So welcome and thanks for joining. Thank you so much for having me. I would love to kind
1:15.6	of start with your personal experience if that's okay, because I think that just gives a lot of
1:20.0	context to why you decided to write such an important book. Take us back to your experience, your journey with, it was your first baby, right?
1:31.4	It was my first baby and I was totally convinced that I would have vaginal birth and I thought I
1:36.6	would have a natural birth, which what that means we could maybe talk about what that means
1:40.1	and why people like sometimes are so attached to that. For me, that meant I expected to have, to go without an epidural.
1:46.4	I was having my baby in a hospital.
	...

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