I’ve seen it online numerous times – a debate that simply eludes me… natural birth vs. c-section. C-sections have been seen as the easy way out, a strategy to cheat. Some have even gone so far as to accuse these mamas as being lazy and weak. Well, I’m here to advocate for all of you c-section divas!
Let me start by saying that no matter which way you choose to have your baby, I fully support you. You know what’s best for you and your little one. You are strong, beautiful and brave! You have grown a miracle inside of your very own body. Now that is something admirable, no matter which way you look at it!
So, what about my story? Well, I ended up having an emergency C-section. This was definitely not my plan! In fact, for me, it was pretty much hell. One minute, I’m going in for a normal checkup, the next I’m being told I’m having a baby in two days! She was 3 weeks early, so we were not prepared at all. I had two days to prep for a preemie in the dead of winter and notify my boss that I was going to be out of there sooner than expected.
I was terrified before the surgery. So anxious, in fact, I didn’t sleep. I had a big project that I was supposed to complete before I left for maternity leave. A project that should have taken at a week’s time to do. I stayed up all night hoping to get my brain focused on anything else other than the fact that I was getting sliced open soon. I finished that project a couple hours before I was due in.
When I finally went to prep for surgery, I was cold, exposed and being shown a huge needle that would be shoved into my back. The epidural gave me violent convulsions. I laid there while the upper half of my body convulsed uncontrollably over and over again. By the time our sweet one had arrived, I was so exhausted, I couldn’t even hold her. Despite that, they wanted me to feed her. So there I was, convulsing and trying to get my baby to latch for nursing. She seemed to have no desire to do so.
It went downhill from there. Every couple of hours I would call in every woman I could to help me figure out this nursing thing while trying not to bend too much and put myself in immediate pain. Breastfeeding and c-sections don’t blend easily. I hurt for days, my baby was losing weight and I thought of giving up. Plus, I was so very tired. I had gone through major surgery and was needing care, meanwhile, I had become a new caregiver myself.
To make this long story short I will tell you that I didn’t give up. I kept trying, kept gritting my teeth through the pain when I had to and asked for help whenever I could get it. I eventually managed to get things together enough to walk and get my baby fed.
So what’s my point? First of all, if you’ve had a c-section, don’t let anyone tell you it was the easy way out. You are a warrior! Second, no matter how hard things seem right now, the obstacles stacked against you, don’t give in. Keep trying, keep fighting. Things will get better. You will find a way to work around it until they do because you are a mother.
They say with kids that the days are long but the years are short. It’s so true. My new battle is against picky eating! You bet I’m going to keep trying to get that girl to eat her vegetables!
To all you mamas out there, remember what you’ve been through and accomplished. You are strong, beautiful and brave!
