C-Section Birth Stories: Beth Hurst

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

We found out at 35 weeks that my son was breech and at that point the likelihood of him flipping was rare. My OB gave me two options. She said at 37 weeks I could have an ECV (external cephalic version) or schedule a c-section for 39 weeks. So we scheduled both! On June 7th, I went to the hospital to have the ECV done. I was given an epidural, lathered up in mineral oil, and they pushed on my belly. There was about a 30% chance of this working but on the first try, my baby boy flipped head down! This put me into labor and I started to dilate a centimeter per hour. At 6 centimeters, they broke my water to make sure he would stay head down and not flip back to head up. As time passed, I dilated to an 8 and stayed at an 8. Hours started to pass and I was not dilating anymore. Since my water was broken, we had to discuss a c-section to keep my boy safe. At 2 am on June 8th, my baby boy was born and I wouldn’t change a thing!

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

How fast the recovery was! Everyone said that a c-section would take a long time to recover from. Yes it was major surgery but I felt like the recovery was much faster than most people make it out to be.

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

After my c-section, I had a hard time accepting it. I felt as if I had failed as a woman or missed out on something by not delivering my baby vaginally. However, my amazing husband encouraged me, loved on me, and told me how much I sacrificed every single day. Other family members and friends were understanding of my thoughts and lifted me up with their words to make sure I knew I was strong and awesome no matter how my baby came into the world. I even saw a counselor to discuss the feelings and thoughts I had postpartum which was extremely helpful!

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

You are strong, you are a woman, you are a MOM! And you definitely didn’t take an “easy” way out.

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

Having a c-section birth made me stronger in the sense of how I view motherhood. Before having a c-section, I was very narrow minded about how a birth should go and what those first few weeks as a mom should look like. However, I have come to learn that there are so many ways to parent and no matter how your baby got here, you are strong and children are gifts!

Name: Beth Hurst

How to Connect With You on Social Media: @bethhurst26 on Instagram