C-Section Birth Stories: Charlotte Plank

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

My due date for my firstborn baby boy was July 1st. I ended up having to be induced on July 10, which was actually my 29th birthday. I'd had the perfect pregnancy; I wasn’t that sick, and I felt great. This boy would not budge though! I went in for my induction early on Monday, July 10th, and definitely had in mind that I would have a baby in my arms by 8 pm or close to that. However, I ended up being very slow to dilate and was in labor for over 33 hours. I had planned on trying an unmedicated birth, but the drugs for induction were so intense that I opted for the epidural. It took them a long time to actually put the epidural in, so I was in a lot of pain, about 24 hours after I had arrived at the hospital. By the next day, I was exhausted. At around hour 31/32, they noticed the baby was experiencing some distress (heart rate was dropping during contractions), so they stopped the Pitocin. Because of this, labor stalled. I was around 9.5 centimeters dilated when they stopped Pitocin, and I went back to 9 centimeters shortly after they stopped the meds. They decided to rush me to surgery for an emergency c-section. I think I remember the doctor asking me if I’d like to try to push, and I just said, “No! Do the c-section!”. Even though, all throughout my pregnancy, I feared having a c-section most of all. I said goodbye to my husband and thought I was going to die on the table. It was a really scary situation. After a short time, they were able to open me up and deliver my son. But it turned out the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck very tightly about 3 times. They actually cut the cord while he was still inside me, and then got him out after pulling it free. He wasn’t breathing, and it took about 7 or 8 nurses to actually revive him before we heard anything. I remember asking my husband “Is he dead?” - and then they took him straight to the nursery to stabilize him. My husband stayed with me until they sewed me back up, and then he went to see our son in the nursery. I had to stay in the operating room until they wheeled me back to my room. Eventually, my husband came in, and then the nurses brought my son in, and I got to hold him for the first time, about an hour after he was born. What they didn’t tell me right away was that he would have to be transferred to a different hospital, since they didn’t have a NICU, and that I only had about 40 minutes with him before they would have to transport him. It was heartbreaking! We were apart for 48 hours. Longest 48 hours of my life!

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

So much was unexpected, even after months of planning and being pregnant. I wish I had researched more about the experiences other mothers had after c-sections because I might not have been so scared. The most surprising thing was how quick it was. The whole operation, start to finish, took less than an hour, even in an emergency situation.

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

I did receive help, but I needed more. I wish I would've had a support group or at least information about a support group after giving birth. Both as a NICU mom and as a c-section mom.

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

Giving birth via c-section is STILL GIVING BIRTH. I had to learn this one myself. It took me a long time to really internalize that it was more than okay to have had a c-section. In fact, it was life-giving, and probably saved my life and my son’s life.

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

I think it has definitely made me reevaluate how to prepare for the future, and that I can’t control everything. I also hope this will teach me to trust in myself more, and trust my instincts more.

Name: Charlotte Plank

Your Profession: Musician

How to Connect With You on Social Media: @char2d2runs on Instagram