MYTH: Caesarean births are always traumatic

REALITY: A planned caesarean hasn’t been shown to increase the likelihood of postnatal depression or post-traumatic stress disorder compared to a planned vaginal birth, stresses Clare.

“I’ve met many women who experienced their caesarean births as traumatic, and many who experienced their caesarean births as magical,” she says.

“The same is true of vaginal births. Often the differentiating factor is the way they’re treated by those around them, and the care and compassion they receive if they have a complicated clinical situation.”