Caesarean Birth in A Social Context: A Content Analysis of Childbirth Narratives

Childbirth is a shared life experience among a majority of women and is both biological and social in nature. This paper explores the stories women hearing about birth by looking at the language, themes, messages which surround the public discussions of C-section. Using sociological theories of child birth and historical context, this paper answers the question: What are the language, themes, messages used in popular media, such as parenting magazines and “mommy blogs” and how do they characterize caesarean births for women? To answer this questions, a content analysis of two parent blogs was conducted to identify the themes and messages in these sources. Findings from the analysis show that shame and failure are among the most common themes surrounding caesarean