 |
| January 3, 2013 |
A dear girlfriend of mine had the most beautiful baby the
other day. Like so many women, her labour did not progress enough for a vaginal
delivery, and the doctors made the wise decision to have her deliver by
c-section. When I heard about this, my heart sank in empathy—16 months ago I
was there too. With tears welling up in my eyes, I texted her this:
Welcome to motherhood! I’m sorry
to hear about the c-section. You’re now part of the c-section club: A group of
mamas who are willing to change their bodies forever for the best of their
babes. You’ll wear that scar with pride and as a symbol of your love for her.
Trust the nurses when they say to get up and move, even though it hurts. It
helps with the healing. Take the pain meds to stay on top of the pain. And know
that recovery is short in the grand scheme of things. You’ll be back to
yourself before you know it. I love you and wouldn’t wish a c-section on
anyone, but know that I understand—we share that bond.
All moms are heroes, no matter how they deliver, but those who deliver by c-section hold a special place in my heart. This blog is for all you mommas who’ve been inducted into the c-section club.
You are the mother who did everything you could and pushed your body to its limits, only to hear that it wasn’t quite enough.
You are the mother, like myself, who gets the terrible news on an ultrasound that her baby is better off outside the womb instead of in. You are the mother, who when hearing that news, courageously says, “just cut her out”, do whatever it takes to bring my baby into the world safe.
You are the mother who has a pre-existing condition that makes a natural delivery too unsafe or too complicated. You are the mother who kicks your illness in the face, unwilling to let it prevent you from fulfilling your desire to be a mother.
You are the mother, who despite one of these reasons, musters up the courage to do it all over again. To spend nine months anxious about the day your little one makes its arrival, wondering if you’ll have to relive it all again.
You are the mother, who despite one of these reasons, chooses to relive it all again. You are the mother who willingly endures all the painful sacrifice of going under the knife, because you know the joy of new life will one day trump the pain.
You are the mother who knows the disappointment of feeling like your body has failed you. You know how hard it is to hear your friends swap empowering labour stories, feeling left out of this right of passage. You are the mother who knows the unique challenges of nursing, changing and bathing a baby while recovering from major surgery, just wishing you could fully engage in those fleeting first weeks with your little one. You are the one who bites her tongue when someone suggests a c-section isn’t that bad, when really you want to scream at them for being so naïve.
And you are the mother who wears the scar with pride, knowing that you are a hero. You put into practice from the very first day what it means to lay down your life for your child. It’s never ideal, but membership to the c-section club is an honour that you share with many other women who understand--who know the same pain & disappointment and love & triumph. I feel it too.
♥ Dion
*
All moms are heroes, no matter how they deliver, but those who deliver by c-section hold a special place in my heart. This blog is for all you mommas who’ve been inducted into the c-section club.
You are the mother who did everything you could and pushed your body to its limits, only to hear that it wasn’t quite enough.
You are the mother, like myself, who gets the terrible news on an ultrasound that her baby is better off outside the womb instead of in. You are the mother, who when hearing that news, courageously says, “just cut her out”, do whatever it takes to bring my baby into the world safe.
You are the mother who has a pre-existing condition that makes a natural delivery too unsafe or too complicated. You are the mother who kicks your illness in the face, unwilling to let it prevent you from fulfilling your desire to be a mother.
You are the mother, who despite one of these reasons, musters up the courage to do it all over again. To spend nine months anxious about the day your little one makes its arrival, wondering if you’ll have to relive it all again.
You are the mother, who despite one of these reasons, chooses to relive it all again. You are the mother who willingly endures all the painful sacrifice of going under the knife, because you know the joy of new life will one day trump the pain.
You are the mother who knows the disappointment of feeling like your body has failed you. You know how hard it is to hear your friends swap empowering labour stories, feeling left out of this right of passage. You are the mother who knows the unique challenges of nursing, changing and bathing a baby while recovering from major surgery, just wishing you could fully engage in those fleeting first weeks with your little one. You are the one who bites her tongue when someone suggests a c-section isn’t that bad, when really you want to scream at them for being so naïve.
And you are the mother who wears the scar with pride, knowing that you are a hero. You put into practice from the very first day what it means to lay down your life for your child. It’s never ideal, but membership to the c-section club is an honour that you share with many other women who understand--who know the same pain & disappointment and love & triumph. I feel it too.
♥ Dion
Thank you! Well said I too am in the C-section club. One thing I was not prepared for was the "after" body. As I saw other non c section family and friend recover with grace and return to "normal" body. Something I deal with daily, my little princess is 21 months now. I have to learn to love who I am now and wouldn't trade it for the world now that I am a mom.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this. So much.
ReplyDeleteThanks Danielle!! Please share this post with whomever you feel would appreciate reading this!
Delete