For some reason, there is a strange stigma surrounding births that happen via C-section. Although more and more mothers are speaking out about the cesarean experience, demonstrating the scars of a cesarean delivery, and educating people on how to have a gentle cesarean, some mothers still feel it is unnecessary to demonstrate that Their caesarean section is considered “real” birth. But birth is not a competition, and every woman should be celebrated for her unique birth experience.
In the moments leading up to surgery, a cesarean mother must hold onto the strong and fierce love she has for her baby. She allows fear to overtake her before letting it go. She is aware that a cesarean birth is the best option for her, but she is also aware that it will need extensive surgery, leaving her with visible scars and bruises.
Some women have weeks to mentally prepare for a cesarean, but many have just days, hours or minutes. Everything she anticipated while meeting her child has all of a sudden changed, including the location of the room, her position, and the people who will be around her. Humans typically struggle in instances of abrupt change. And yet these brave women find a way to let go of their pride and connect with an inner strength that allows them to enter the operating room and give birth to their child.
Every birth is unique, and as these photos prove, every birth is valid, “real,” and truly special.
And then the actual surgery happens. The actual cutting and suturing. Full recovery often takes months. And after a major operation, most of us would like to curl up with a bowl of ice cream and a stack of movies, but C-section mothers do the exact opposite: they nurture and love and bond with their needy, beautiful babies.
Emotionally and physically, these women are SO strong. And this strength isn’t just necessary on delivery day; this strength must endure in the weeks and months and years ahead—as their bodies and souls heal, crafting new dreams with their little ones in their arms.
Becoming a mother leaves all of us with scars. Some of them are emotional, some of them are physical. C-section mothers often have both. However, their scars serve as potent memories of the courage and fortitude they exhibited in bringing their kids into the world. These scars identify the entranceway that their children used to transition from this world to the next. These scars are stunning and deserving of admiration.
Birth – all birth – is beautiful. Birth is as real as you can get…mama’s beads of sweat, furrowed brow, clenched fists, fighter-like expression, vulnerability, even the moment she is actually birthing her baby (whether vaginally or by cesarean) are all raw, real, but BEAUTIFUL and MIRACULOUS moments. As for the difference between a vaginal birth and a cesarean birth, the anticipation and emotion you feel about meeting your baby for the first time is all the same.
