I know a vaginal birth is best, ok?
I KNOW!!
It’s safer. It’s the way God designed it. It’s less risk to the baby and the mother. The recovery time is shorter.
I KNOW!!
But look, as it turns out, some of our hoo-has just don’t want to DO that, and you’ll never believe it…even when a hoo-ha revolts, crosses it’s arms, stomps its feet and refuses to cooperate with what it was designed to do…you can still get ‘yer baby out.
It’s called a C-SECTION, and IT’S NOT THAT BAD!
I kind of loved mine. I’m not even kidding.
When I was pregnant with my first child, I secretly kind of hoped I’d end up having a c-section. Who wishes for that?? Me, Natural-Birthers. That’s who. And I don’t even feel ashamed. I wouldn’t have gone so far as to ASK for it. I’m not going to ASK for anything that’s less than the absolute best for my baby. But, I secretly wanted it. Surgery doesn’t scare me a bit. Having big things force their way out of little things kinda does. I’m just being honest, ok?? Plus, having been a c-section baby myself, knowing my husband was a c-section baby, and having witnessed all my siblings delivered via c-section, it just didn’t seem like the end of the world to me.
Anyway, my weird wish came true, as my “selfish doctor who just preferred c-sections because it’s easier on his schedule” (that’s the reason doctors perform c-sections after all, right?) wanted to keep his schedule clear to, I guess, go play golf or something the week of my due date, and decided to schedule us for a c-section a few days before. (There were legit reasons involved, I promise).
My husband and I high-fived and fist-bumped each other (secretly, while still in the office, and then for real, once we got home), and then called up the grandparents and said, “Hey, clear your schedule for Monday morning at 7. Your first grandbaby will be here.”
Which brings me to…
Reason #1 Why I’m Team C-Section:
You can PLAN! (Well, assuming you are a scheduled c-section, that is). You’re not going into labor while in the middle of shopping for your groceries at HEB. Nope, not you. You’re going to bed at a reasonable hour the night before, having your bags already packed, your house clean and ready to go, your pet/childcare already arranged, mentally prepared to embark upon the most life-altering event of your life the next day. That seems like a nice way to welcome a child into the world, in my opinion.
Reason #2 Why I’m Team C-Section:
That baby comes out QUICKLY! I’m talking 15 minute, start to finish. There’s nothing else that even needs to be said here. And I’m not exaggerating. In, out, done. Wham, bam, thank you ma’am! I’ll take my baby now, please. Oh, and I haven’t even broken a sweat over this whole ordeal.
Reason #3 Why I’m Team C-Section:
You get to stay in the hospital longer! Well who wants to do that?? I’ll tell you who. Anyone who is returning home to other children, that’s who. And anyone with any sense. When you go home, it’s ON. Get your game face ready. Never nursed one child while another one crawls all over you? You’re about to! Never tried to break up a fight between siblings while cradling an infant in your arms? You’re about to! Girl, get ready. But not today!
Today, and for the next 3 days, YOU are going to get to lounge around in your hospital bed, watching episode after episode of Fixer Upper on your hospital TV, while all your favorite peeps stop by and bring you treats. Is your wee one a little fussy today? There’s a nurse for that! Nursing not going so well? Someone will come and POSITION your BOOB for you. Want your drink poured over perfect nugget ice? There’s an ice machine down the hall that produces that, and probably a nurse willing to bring it to you. Is this all very diva-like? Um…yeah. The reality is that your diva days are about to come crashing around you soon…very soon…but you, c-section mama, get to ride this whole thing out for 1-2 extra days. Embrace it.
Well alright then. Some of this is written in jest. Have a sense of humor, will ya? A c-section is not the ideal. If you have birthing hips, and your vagina will cooperate, you absolutely should have a vaginal birth. Really.
ALL I’M SAYING IS…if you DON’T have those things working for ya…
It’s not the end of the world. The end result is still the same. You are no less a mother or a woman than The Pushers. You don’t need to feel less than. No one needs to feel sorry for you, and you don’t need to feel sorry for yourself. You’re still a mama, your body still did something freaking amazing, and you still have precious new life in your arms. It’s all good.
P.S. You can be lookin’ all pretty and stuff in your postpartum pictures, and the rest of them can’t.
P.S.S I didn’t, because I basically look like a monster from Day 1 of pregnancy. But you can. You totally should have your beach waves intact, and your makeup on point, and flash a gorgeous, non-sweaty, not smeary eye-makeup smile for your “just delivered” pic.
Team C-Section!
Love this. I had perfect birthing hips and still secretly hoped for a C-section and even asked the doctor and his reply was girl you have the perfect birthing hips. But low and behold my baby boy was stubborn (still is, he will be 6 next month) didn’t want to come out so I had a C-section. Few years later had another baby boy and my Dr didn’t believe in vbacs so I had another C-section. He’ll be 2 in may. I plan on one more in 2 years and I can’t imagine delivering any other way other than C-section!
You put all of my thoughts into words on this screen! And moment of honesty, when thinking of having a third child, of course I would just love to be blessed with a third, but I can’t help but think how amazing a 4-day hospital stay would be in my labor and delivery unit. It’s amazing and I miss it…and sleep…I miss that too.
Hello ladies, I just moved into Austin from France and desperately need a good obgyn. I don’t believe in vbac either and I’m looking for an awesome to help me deliver…anyone can recommend someone? I’m 28 weeks pregnant and have to find someone sooner than later.
You can pm me on s_nachat@ Yahoo. Co.uk
Thanks all
As someone who almost lost my life because of csections this is unbelievable. With each pregnancy it is more dangerous. You develop problems with the placenta and can lose your life. I had to have a long hospital stay before the birth, emergency c-section with hysterectomy just to save my baby and my own life with several blood transfusions. To make lite of this saying you will look good in pictures is unreal. When you have to meet your preemie baby in pictures because you aren’t allowed to it the worst feeling.
I am not a negative person but please please please for the love of all things living… don’t promote C sections.
I had an emergency c section for my first birth and my next birth I almost died because of the previous births c-section. I understand c sections are necessary but only for necessary reasons. They lead to a condition called placenta accreta, increta and percreta. If you wanna know what it’s like to look at your family, your husband, child and think for months you’re going to die because of the child growing inside of you and you just have to wait to see if you make it out of your scheduled csection/hysterectomy, praying to make it out alive (some don’t by the way) …. just ask I can tell you how great c sections are….
As a mom currently recovering at an Austin hospital from my 5th c-section delivery, I gotta chime in. While I totally relate to much of what you mentioned, I unfortunately had placenta percreta with this last pregnancy because of all my prior c-sections. It is a life-threatening condition (4-8% chance of maternal death) due to extreme blood loss before and/or during delivery. To save my life, my doctors delivered me at 34 weeks and did a hysterectomy immediately after baby came out. This was followed by blood transfusions and repair on my bladder. It was a 4 hour surgery/delivery. I was lucky. My baby will be in the NICU for quite some time and my recovery is vastly different than with my other C-sections. I owe my life to my amazing medical team. Just the other night my OB and I were talking about how important it is that the first c-section be avoided as much as possible. Guidelines have changed and doctors are now expected to wait longer before performing a c-section. This is in large part due to the rise in accretas. We all know that c-sections are necessary sometimes and as you described in the blog post, there certainly are many “pros” that make the c-section far less scary or daunting. However, I think it’s important for everyone to know that once you have a c-section, having more children significantly raises your chances for an accreta. Definitely should make all of us think twice. For now, I’m back to trying to watch fixer upper while in extreme pain and tears because I can’t walk up to the NICU to see my baby because my body can’t do it yet.
I had two c sections due to medical reasons. When people found out that I had c sections it was as if I was the worst mother in the world…
“You did what??!”
“You didn’t really have your babies because it wasn’t a natural birth.”
“How could you do that knowing all the risks??”
(Yes, real comments)
Giving birth, whether it’s natural or c section, have risks. I understand that people in the comments section are up in arms about what Hayley wrote but not everyone has a bad experience with c sections. I was very lucky to have had great recoveries and two healthy and happy girls. She was just simply trying to make light of a taboo subject. Some say that it’s easier natural, others say that it’s easier having a c section but I think one thing that we can all agree on is that being a mother is difficult and that starts from the moment you realize you’re about to become a mommy. I know that I was scared to death (still am).
And not only was I made to feel horrible about having c sections, I also felt like a failure because I could not breastfeed. I tried and cried and tried and cried again. I had help and nothing. I pumped for a month with each and I stopped producing milk.I hate the fact that I was made to feel like a completely horrible person for not breastfeeding. That was also not a choice, but people don’t understand and assume that I was “just lazy.” Don’t you think I wanted the best for my children? Of course I did and still do.
Today I am thankful that I have two beautiful and healthy daughters to teach and mold every day 🙂
Ever heard of the words placenta accreta?! Look it up! 1 out of 333 pregnancies will now be accreta related due to the increase in sections. 1 out of 14 moms WILL DIE. My placenta grew out of my scar and into my bladder and vagina. I also had complete placenta previa. I also had an ectopic c section scar pregnancy. 1 out of 2500 pregnancies are lucky enough to have one due to the increase in sections.
At 18 weeks gestation I lost my perfect healthy baby boy, 10% of my bladder, and had a total hysterectomy so I can’t have any more children. In addition to cell saver I needed 3 blood transfusions, 2 units of plasma, and 1 unit platelets. I was already starting to rupture before surgery. I was on my way to dying because of 3 previous c sections. I was told I would die or lose my entire bladder. Tell me how glamorous a hole in your stomach with a bag attached to collect your urine for the rest of your life is?! I’d take a vagina birth over that in an instant!!!
I understand the many reasons for desiring a couple section is. But when you lose your baby and your reproductive organs as a result of vanity how would you feel knowing you could have chosen a different path with better outcomes?! You wouldn’t have to suffer the PTSD, depression and anxiety I do. You wouldn’t have to suffer the guilt and grief and lose I do. You wouldn’t have to go to therapy twice a week to deal. You wouldn’t be in survival mode for 9 months being a less then parent to three beautiful children and a husband who need you.
Just some reasons to be Team Vaginal Birth. I hope I don’t meet any of you on your accreta journey.
And did I mention I also had invasion of my vagina?! I lost 2 inches. Try having sex with that for vanity and scheduling sake.
I like so many other above also suffered from something called a placental percreta, I was born with really unusual anatomy and was never able to give birth naturally. Therefore all of my children had to be delivered by C-section. None of them were easy nor were they convenient and everyone of them came with many risks. My last son was delivered at 31 weeks by emergency section and hysterectomy. Due to my previous C-sections my p placenta had grown through my scar in my uterus and into my bladder where it invaded like a tumor. It was during this time that I lost 30 units of blood and nearly died, I was life lighted to another hospital where I woke up five days later…having lost so much blood I spent nearly a month in the hospital recovering from multiple complications including deep vein thrombosis’ and pulmonary embolism’s. I could not be with my son who was fighting for his life in the NICU across town. C-sections should absolutely never be a consideration…saving yourself 30 hours a labor vs years of pain and suffering… I’ve had to have multiple subsequent surgeries and my body will never be the same, most of which are too graphic to share.
Have you ever heard of placenta accreta. Please please look it up. I had it and my only risk factor was 1 c-section…I lost my ability to have children I was on bed rest for 3 weeks my second son was born at 32 weeks and I watch him fight for 4 weeks in the NICU. I under went a 6 hour surgery with my second child, I couldn’t see my child for over 24 hours after he was born becuase my recovery was so bad. I have a vertical scar 13 inches long across my stomach…all because I had 1 unnecessary c section with my first son. Please look up placenta accreta it’s very real and very dangerous and becoming more common. I’m not hear to judge anyone for their choices just educate on the facts.
The comments on this are everything that’s wrong with momming. Let’s support each other, ladies-no matter how you have your baby, you’re just as good a mom! There are a million reasons c-sections happen-both wanted and unwanted, and no one deserves to be judged for their choices.