I have been there- Lets talk about C-Sections.
C Section Awareness Month April 2026

& Yes, that picture, is of me, still on the OR table.

I’ve had two C-sections—one emergency, one planned. Both were early term at 37 weeks, both high-risk, and both resulted in healthy, living babies.

But the experiences? Very different.

With my daughter, I didn’t get to “meet” her for 11 minutes.
All I heard was, “Don’t show mom the baby.”
She was born not breathing and discolored. Those 11 minutes felt endless. When her APGAR score finally rose to a 9, I was able to meet her.

With my son—large and in charge—I was able to see him immediately, meeting him through the curtain within seconds.

Every birth story is different. But what they often share is the emotional complexity that comes with them.

The emotional reality of a C-section

For many, a C-section brings a conflicting mix of emotions.

You can feel deeply grateful your baby is safe… and still grieve the birth you imagined.
You can feel strong… and also deeply sad.

There is no “right” way to feel about a C-section—or any birth.

Birth is both terrifying and beautiful. Uncertain and exciting. And sometimes, it doesn’t go the way we planned.

What I wasn’t prepared for

Even with medical care, many people aren’t fully prepared for the reality of a C-section.

I didn’t know I wouldn’t be able to walk or move for 6–8 hours after surgery.
I didn’t expect, within minutes of recovery, a nurse pressing firmly on my uterus—the same organ that had just been operated on.

I had imagined a calm, beautiful first feeding experience.
Instead, I was disoriented from anesthesia, trying to process what had just happened, while being physically guided through feeding.

I pictured something peaceful and natural.
In reality, I could barely focus.

The hospital stay is longer. Movement is difficult.
And yet—you’re still expected to care for a newborn.

I remember being helped to the bathroom, managing bleeding and physical discomfort, and then immediately needing to feed my baby every 1.5–2 hours.

I remember being told to “get rest”… while staff came in frequently for vitals, checks, and rounds.
They were doing their jobs—but the expectation that rest is simple in that environment is not realistic.

The part no one talks about enough

A C-section is a major surgery—on top of childbirth and caring for a newborn.

With most surgeries, there’s a clear recovery plan.
With a C-section, you’re healing while simultaneously learning to care for a baby.

The emotional load.
The physical pain.
The hormonal shifts.
The exhaustion from anesthesia.

The vulnerability of being on an operating table.
The pressure to “bounce back.”

No one told me how intense the uterine cramping would be days later when milk came in.
No one talks enough about that pain.

A C-section is not the “easy way out.”
It is necessary, sometimes life-saving.
It is strength. It is resilience. It is also painful.

Complications and continued recovery

Recovery doesn’t always end when you leave the hospital.

I was readmitted five days postpartum, needing a magnesium sulfate drip and treatment for an incision infection. I was too weak to hold my baby for 48 hours. I underwent imaging to rule out an eclamptic stroke, just days after surgery.

Even in those moments, there was little accommodation for what my body had just gone through.

A C-section involves cutting through multiple layers—skin, fat, fascia, and connective tissue. Yet at six weeks, many are “cleared” to return to normal activity.

Healing takes longer than that.
Physically, hormonally, emotionally—it can take months.

What I want others to know

Respect that a C-section is major surgery.
It may be common, but that doesn’t make it easy.

Ask for help—don’t wait for it.
People may not know what you need unless you say it.

Move gently.
Early movement can help, but slowly, with support.

Healing is not about “bouncing back.”
It’s about rebuilding.

Process your birth story when you’re ready.
Your experience deserves space. (PSI For Directory of PMADs trained and credentialed providers, and for Free Groups)

For future births, ask questions.
Explore your options. Ask about VBAC candidacy and why or why not. Consider additional supports like a doula.

Let’s change the narrative

We need to normalize redirecting the question: “Did you give birth naturally?”

A vaginal birth is not “natural” birth.
A C-section is not a failure.

Birth, is Birth.
Some people can add stigma and shame onto; medications, options, postpartum healing.

You gave birth.
Maybe differently than you imagined—but that does not make it any less valid.