C-Section Birth Stories: Annie Payne

1. Please share the circumstances that led to your c-section birth(s):

At 40 weeks and 5 days, I was induced due to the late onset of cholestasis. I labored for 13 hours with Pitocin and no epidural. After only reaching 4 centimeters with 30 milligrams of Pitocin, I asked for an epidural. I had been at 4 centimeters since hour 9 of labor. They upped my Pitocin beyond 30 milligrams. Another 14 hours later, I was still at 4 centimeters. The baby was not phased by the contractions at all and nothing seemed to be moving. At this time, I was given the choice to consent to a c-section or labor for another 5 hours, at which point I would have reached 24 hours since the doctor broke my water and they would have required a c-section. After discussions with my husband, I cried tears of relief to consent to a c-section. I was exhausted, having labored through 2 nights and could not imagine waiting to see if I progressed any further. The doctors and nurses told me I was making the right decision since neither baby nor I were in distress.

2. What surprised you the most about having a c-section?:

The biggest surprise about having a c-section was the tugging and pulling that occurred throughout surgery, as well as the complications I endured. I've never had major surgery before, so I did not know what to expect. I was thankful for my ignorance. Having known what I know now, it would be much harder to consent to a c-section. The complications I experienced began with my incision site becoming severely infected. I ended up back in the hospital 4 days after being home. I spent 3 additional nights in the hospital on IV antibiotics. When I was first admitted, the doctors had me go through a CAT scan to determine the location of the infection. It was so infected, that doctors had to do a bedside surgery to re-open my abdomen. I was then given a wound vac and had home nursing come to my house every other day to change my dressing. My wound was 11 centimeters long, 6 centimeters wide, and 5 centimeters deep. After 8 weeks of trying to heal my wound from the inside out and with a wound vac attached to me 24/7, I ended up in another surgery. My wound was not healing correctly, so I had another surgery to correct the healing process and insert another drain, as it was much deeper than anticipated. Finally, after 12 weeks, I was closed up and am working my way to a full recovery.

3. What kind of support do you feel you received (from friends, family, healthcare team) after your c-section(s)?:

I had an immeasurable amount of support from my husband and family. My mom was at my house every day without hesitation. My husband was always quick to get up to help with anything I needed. Everyone around me did their best to keep me still. I had so many friends deliver meals. With the wound vac, I felt extremely limited and unable to care for my son independently. Having the medical device attached to me at all times made it very difficult to move about the house with the baby. So many things to carry! Throughout the entire process, I had such consistent support from my husband and mother. Even my husband's work was extremely accommodating and allowed him to work from home.

4. What’s your #1 piece of advice/encouragement for a new c-section mom?:

Be kind to your body. Don't put the pressure on yourself to move. Stay put. Your abdomen just went through something crazy!

5. How do you believe having a c-section birth(s) made you stronger?:

I am still grappling with my experience. Writing this out has helped me to process everything. I still get teary as I relive the emotions. It's amazing how power and determination come into play when needed. I've realized that in the midst of trials, I have a strong foundation and my strength will always kick in gear to help me persevere through. I have learned that staying focused on the finish line, in this case - full healing, I can trust my heart and mind to get there. The c-section and my complications have probably made me stronger in ways that I won't fully know until time has passed. One of the biggest strengths that I think came from my experience, is the ability to look at my sweet, sweet son and know life is good. It didn't matter that I was suffering, I was still a mom and to him, I was the best mom. The strength I developed to love my child in the midst of stress and trauma is something that I will carry forever. I believe, as parents, one of our biggest responsibilities is to make life fun for our kiddos, despite all the stress and pressure that comes from being an adult. This experience taught me how to exercise and strengthen this muscle. I was able to remain happy, bonded, and focused on being a mama full of love and joy for my little babe...

I was someone that strongly desired to have an unmedicated, vaginal birth. I worked so hard to be healthy in my pregnancy and prayed for a smooth delivery every day. I still have this dream, but will know just how strong I can be if I need another c-section. I have this dream not because it is better, but because I so desire to feel the child come through the birth canal. It's something that I know I have been created to do as a woman and I would so love to experience this. With that said, my c-section experience has not stopped me from wanting another child. At only 3 months postpartum (as of writing this), I feel a deep desire to be pregnant again. Being a mom runs so deep inside of me and it's something I truly love. I cannot wait to bring another baby into our life - no matter how the baby comes into this world again. If I have to go through what I already went through another time for another child, I would do it. The feeling of growing a child in my belly is unbelievable, beautiful, miraculous. Hearing that first cry, there is nothing like it.

Name: Annie Payne

Your Profession: Director of Advertising Department

How to Connect With You on Social Media: @anniegpayne on Instagram