The news came around 10 o’clock that night.
I was induced the night before, around eight pm. I labored all night and all day, only dilated to a four. I had a slight fever and a few other complications, so I was wheeled in for a c-section after 28 hours of labor.
During my entire pregnancy, everyone kept asking me if I had a birth plan. I thought it sounded like a cool idea, but I never really thought to plan it out.
I had an idea in my head of what I thought I wanted, which mostly consisted of no medical intervention. But there was one thing I knew for sure! I did not want a c-section.
I told my husband over and over, “Do not let them give me a c-section!” So when my doctor told me the news, it was a little humorous when my sweet and thoughtful husband said, “Oh no, she doesn’t want that” and I very sternly replied, “Shut up… Get this baby out of me!!!” Haha!
C-sections tend to have a bad wrap. I mean, the thought of taking care of a brand new baby while going through hormonal changes, learning to breastfeed, etc., AND recovering from major abdominal surgery at the same time seems crazy, right!?
In our generation, there is such pressure to have the perfect birth story. The birth plan. The natural birth in a bathtub, and the placenta. The skin-to-skin during golden hour and a videographer there to record it all.
I thought I wanted all that. Let’s be honest; I was sucked into the societal norms of what I thought my birthing experience should be like. But God showed me something completely different.
When you have a c-section, there isn’t anyone there to video, take perfect pictures or anything like that.
I remember thinking, Gosh, why can’t my body do what it was made to do? Why did I need surgery to birth my baby? Why can other women do it, but I can’t?
I think the quicker we realize, as expectant mothers, that each birth is special in its own way, the better off we’ll be.
God taught me through my birth experience that life will probably never go 100% as expected. But that’s perfectly alright because, without a c-section, things could’ve gone very wrong for me. I may have never gotten to meet my sweet baby girl, and a year later, my son, who was also delivered via c-section!
Here are some things I learned from my two c-sections!
1. They’re not as bad as some people think.
2. You can have a vaginal birth after a c-section (it’s called a VBAC). I just chose not to.
3. There is a longer recovery time, but that can be a good thing. More time to rest and take it easy!
4. You will still bleed for several weeks after birth.
5. You can still have skin-to-skin time with your baby almost immediately after birth.
6. You will have a pretty nice scar, which is a daily reminder of how amazing your body is!
7. It is possible to recover in less than eight weeks. I fully recovered in less than a month both times.
*Always check with your doctor to make sure you are fully recovered.
8. My babies are just as happy, healthy, and thriving as any baby delivered vaginally!
No matter if your baby is born vaginally, through c-section, or adoption, every birth is so special and unique!
Embrace it and find joy in every little thing because when it all comes down to it, being a mom is the biggest blessing in the whole world!
