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Like so many moms-to-be, Pink was hoping for a natural, drug-free birth, probably with husband Carey Hart right by her side, helping to pace her Lamaze breathing. "I was really looking forward to the whole rite of passage -- giving birth perfectly present, unmedicated, in the way nature intended," Pink told People, adding that she was inspired by Ricki Lake's documentary The Business of Being Born.
But then the Grammy-winner learned the first lesson of parenthood: Things don’t always go according to plan. After two days of labor and the discovery that her daughter was in the frank breech position (bottom first, with her feet near her head), the singer had to shove her natural birth plan aside and accept that she would have a cesarean section, which is how Willow Sage Hart entered the world on June 2. "Turns out this little girl had other plans," said Pink. "She is my daughter, after all."
I can so relate to Pink’s birth experience. In the months leading up to my son Jack’s birth, I became more and more determined to give birth the natural way -- no epidural for me! I believed everything I heard from natural birth supporters about c-sections: Breastfeeding would be harder, bonding would be more challenging, and that pumping drugs into your body during delivery was just about the worst thing you could do. Having a c-section would mean I was already failing my child before he was born. I was both panicked and devastated when a late ultrasound revealed my son was breech, and attempting to turn him was deemed too risky. The c-section I so dreaded became my reality.
Pink had a much better attiude about the change in her plans. “It all turned out perfectly in the end, even though it wasn’t what we intended, because she is healthy and happy and so am I,” the singer added.
In retrospect, my c-section angst seems so silly. I now realize that all that mattered was having a healthy child. In my case -- as in Pink’s -- the best way to achieve that goal was via c-section. As my 15-month-old son grows into a more independent, at times defiant, toddler, I am constantly reminded that I need to be flexible because so often our babies have a different agenda from our own.
Pink says she’d love a natural birth experience for her next child -- and so would I -- but if I have a c-section again I won’t be devastated. Next time, my birth plan will simply involve having a healthy child, no matter how he or she enters the world.
