c-section mums

I saw this recently online and it really annoyed me, I know I shouldn't let it because it's actually by a 'religious' group that would rather see women and their babies die than have a c-section - makes sense doesn't it?! *sarcastic face here*

'Face the facts: you didn't really give birth' well actually I had a baby... so to me that's the same thing!

'You caught a lucky break' well I'm still alive and so is my baby if that's what you mean... but lucky break? Anyone who has had a c-section knows just how hard it is to have a Cesarean section, planned or unplanned. How hard it is to recover afterwards and the personal feelings you feel about needing to have a c-section.

Mine was an emergency, I had a cord prolapse and if I didn't have a c-section when I did we both wouldn't have made it, now this religious group thinks God would prefer both me and my child to be dead? No. It's 2015 and we are so so lucky we know what we know about c-sections and saving our precious babies lives and those of mothers too.

Cord prolapse is definitely rare.  I had a general anaesthetic, I was by myself because Michael wasn't allowed in. I didn't get to see my baby being born and I didn't get to hold her straight away, I didn't even see her face for an hour after she was born and there was no skin to skin... I don't call that lucky.

I had major surgery. I didn't have any pain relief before hand, no epidural. So it was absolutely agony when I woke up.... that wasn't 'easy'. To me it made me feel rubbish, I felt like I had failed by needing the help of a c-section but once I had (some) sleep I realised I was the luckiest mum in the world to still have my baby and no matter how she arrived on this earth, she's here and safe. I will be forever grateful to the team of people that done my c-section. The midwife who made sure Isabelle didn't cut off her oxygen supply, keeping her alive. The doctor who held my hand telling me everything was going to be ok while I just on repeat said "please don't let my baby die".

It's amazing what doctors can do! According to my records from examination and the button being pressed for an emergency to Isabelle being out was only 8 minutes. 8 minutes to save two lives considering everything they needed to do. Amazing right? It feels weird that I will be one of the only women those midwives will witness having a cord prolapse.

When the doctor turned to the midwife and said cord prolapse - she said "you're joking?!". She was such a lovely midwife too.

Superior women who actually had what it took to get the job done - I have done labour, my first child. Naturally. Easy peasy for me. 2 hours 45 minutes and then another 2 hours for placenta to come out.. recovery was 2nd degree tears and I can tell you it was so so much easier to recover than it was after a c-section.

Recovery - sleepless nights and trying to recover from major surgery isn't something that would be ok with any other operation. Exercises you need to do, even though you've got everything a new mum needs to do too, you're in pain and you're tired.

Oh and by the way, silly people who made that silly picture - I didn't get choice whether I 'wanted' or even agreed to a c-section, the decision and rightly so was made for me by the doctor. It was described as a 'real medical emergency'.

C-section mums, I salute you. It's hard and you deserve a massive hug! x