Keyona’s C-Section Birth Story

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This birth story is from Keyona, who blogs at Professional Momma.

My pregnancy wasn’t planned but that didn’t change how excited I was to become a mother! I kept envisioning how I would handle labor. Would I really forgo an epidural and attempt a natural birth? That was the plan! I shared it with all of my friends and family. People were taking bets on how long I would last before changing my mind!

I wasn’t sure how long I would last either because I was afraid of labor. You hear all these awful stories about how long women labor and how much it hurts. Who wants to go through all of that? On the flip side, I looked forward to sharing in the “I was here when my water broke” conversations. It’s always funny to hear where people were and what they were doing.

At 30 weeks I learned that I would only be a listener when it came to labor stories. I, myself, would never get to experience labor or have my water break spontaneously while eating at a restaurant. I was diagnosed with placenta previa. The placenta was completely covering my cervix, leaving no exit route for my baby. I was scheduled for a C-Section at 36 weeks.

To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. I felt like something had been stolen from me and I didn’t know how to get it back. My family didn’t see what the big deal was. Most of them had delivered via C-Section too. But, this was my experience and not theirs! This isn’t what I wanted for myself.

By the time I reached 36 weeks I was ready to have my C-Section. I couldn’t imagine being pregnant another day! My feet were swollen, I was experiencing terrible gas pains, and I had developed insomnia. I was over it!

Related: More Real Birth Stories

On the morning of my C-Section I was a ball of nerves. I was well aware of all the things that could possibly go wrong for me and my baby. It scared me! The excitement of finally getting to meet the person constantly kicking me took over. I was ready to have a baby!

Although I wouldn’t be having the vaginal delivery that I desired, I still wanted to have some of the same experiences. One of the best parts of a vaginal delivery is seeing the baby come out. I wanted that experience too. My team agreed to use a special surgical drape to allow that to happen. It was very important that I be able to do skin to skin in the operating room. I also wanted to see my baby get her first bath. This was a part of my birth plan. I shared this with my nurse and she made it happen!

My spinal anesthesia was absolutely wonderful! I didn’t feel a thing. It felt like I was literally floating on a cloud. I was surrounded by a sea of familiar faces, my work family. So I knew I was in great hands.

I don’t remember hearing my daughter’s first cry. She locked eyes on me as soon as they pulled her out. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced. I can’t begin to explain the emotions that came over me. Tears were just coming out of no where! I couldn’t believe that I was really a mother.

The rest of the day was a blur until I started hemorrhaging. That was one of my fears going into the c-section. Thankfully, they were able to get the bleeding under control and I was fine.

My birth story is different from a lot of other moms. My water never broke and I didn’t labor but that’s ok. I’m still a mom and that’s what matters most.


You can read more from Keyona over on her blog – www.professionalmomma.com

If you’d like to add your own birth story, I’d love to feature you, just send an email to hayley@mamainprogress.com

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