Ways to Celebrate Cesarean Awareness Month

April is Cesarean Awareness Month (CAM). While the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) is the official host of this month, there are many things that you can do even if you are not a member of ICAN or have a chapter near you. Here are some examples of things that you can do to celebrate Cesarean Awareness Month:

• Write a Letter to the Editor
  Consider writing a letter to your local newspaper or favorite magazine about the topic of cesareans or about vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). You can share your story or talk about things on an impersonal level, like discussing local cesarean rates, hospitals who are working at lowering their cesarean rates, hospital VBAC policies locally or whatever you are passionate about.

• Attend an ICAN Meeting
  Look for the closest ICAN chapter. Even if you have to travel a bit more than you might normally do, reaching out to others who feel similarly is always a positive thing.

• Offer Yourself as a Guest Speaker
  Consider talking to local parenting groups like mothers’ clubs, toddler groups, breastfeeding support groups, etc. Tell them that you can speak from 15-45 minutes on a topic that will be tailored to their group. An example might be talking about how breastfeeding might be effected by a cesarean section.

• Write a Thank You Note to a Practitioner
  Do you have a doctor, nurse, midwife or doula who really helped you? Perhaps it was someone who took care of you during your cesarean or supported you during your VBAC. This is a great time to write a thank you letter, even if you’ve done it before. You might also consider sending the note with a copy to the hospital administrator or their boss. This is always a positive thing.

• Share Your Birth Story
  If you feel comfortable, consider sending your birth story out. You can email to a good friend or your ICAN leader. You can even post it for others to read. This is a great way to help people connect to the issue of cesarean awareness.

• Write an Article
  Writing an article is another way to bring awareness to the issue of cesarean section. Some topics to think about include:
  • How to Avoid an Unnecessary Cesarean
  • How to Write a Cesarean Birth Plan
  • Planning a VBAC
  • Emotional Recovery After Birth
  • How to Choose a Doctor or a Midwife

• Consider Starting an ICAN Chapter
  If you feel like you have the physical and emotional time, starting an ICAN chapter might be something that would be great for you. You would need to contact ICAN for additional information on how to get a chapter going in your area, but it would be a great way to help other families who need support either before or after a cesarean. ICAN offers a lot of assistance in beginning a new chapter.