C-Section Birth Stories: Brittany McNally

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

We were scheduled to induce on a Monday at 4 pm since I was only one centimeter dilated at forty-one weeks. We thank our lucky stars that we had that date and time scheduled because the moment they hooked my belly up to the fetal heart rate monitor, our baby’s heart rate significantly dropped to the point of coding. The nurses were all called into our room and gave me meds to speed up my heart rate, which helped, but two hours later it happened again. This was during a shift change, so my husband had to quietly leave the room and run to get the nurses again. The on-call doctor at my practice made the decision to prep for surgery right then and there, after rushing back from traffic after her shift. We didn’t know it at the time (and wouldn’t find out until test results at two weeks postpartum) that my placenta was shutting down with 0% amniotic fluid left. My son is truly a walking miracle and a fighter! It’s the 21st century and yet every birth is STILL a miracle!

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

The whole thing! How quickly plans change, how quickly they can get your spinal tap administered (the easiest part), and overall how terrifying and disturbing it was to be operated on while completely awake! Unfortunately, I remember everything from the sounds, smells, dozens of medical staff, etc. I wish I didn’t have such PTSD from that crazy hour!

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

I felt very alone in that none of my closest friends had ever had a c-section, nor my mom, or elders. I was NOT alone though, thanks to my loving husband and family who tried their best to understand what I went through. It’s been seventeen months and I still have a lot of unanswered questions and a void but after finding this page, C-Section Strong, I feel at peace! I cannot thank you mamas enough for sharing your stories, emotions, and feelings with others!

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

It may take a while to understand or comprehend your “birthing a child” when they pretty much went in and got your baby, but at the end of the day, you conceived, carried and created a LIFE – the biggest gift of all! Also, it’s not only about your healthy baby, but a healthy mama - a package deal! Take care of YOU and surround yourself with a community that will check in on you, not just the baby. :)

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

I think it reminded me of all the hard work paying off from my Pilates/barre class during my pregnancy. It sounds like a wash to keep up with ab workouts with a huge belly, but without my strong core and workout community of supporters to stick with it, I would NOT have had such an amazing recovery and bounced back to my physical self! I am not a health nut or workout fanatic, but that was the best gift I could have given myself for nine and a half months!

Name: Brittany McNally

Your Profession: Graphic Designer

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