C-Section Birth Stories: Christy Payne

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

My 3rd birth was via c-section. My first two were born vaginally. I was induced both times (first for preeclampsia, the second one was way past my due date). They were two very different but very special births with an epidural. This time I was really wanting to have an unmedicated birth and spent 37 weeks preparing, visualizing, exercising, and anticipating the arrival of our youngest. A c-section never even entered my mind as a possibility. At 37 weeks I went into labor! I was so excited as I had never had this experience. I went in overnight due to bleeding and was sent home at 2 am at 1 centimeter dilated, assured that there was no issue with the bleeding to labor at home. During the night, labor progressed and I went into my OB early that morning to be checked. He immediately left the room for an ultrasound machine and informed me that during the night my little head-down baby had turned transverse and I was now 4 centimeters and needed to head to the hospital. He was so understanding of my desires and attempted an ECV (external cephalic version) and was successful…four times. Our little babe just really wanted to go back transverse. He checked again and I was almost 9 centimeters and we headed into the OR. It was fast and a whirlwind. I looked at my husband and cried and said this isn’t what I wanted, but I knew it was the only way. He was so kind. It took a while to deliver him; he was wedged in tight and came out feet first. We knew he was a boy for several minutes before he was born! My doctor was doing his best to keep my incision low transverse and worked and worked to get him out successfully. It was so different from the births of my girls as I didn’t see him right away or get to hold him skin to skin. He was early and had to be checked out first, but thankfully after about 40 minutes, he was in my arms and nursing away like a champ.

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

The way that I had a head-down baby one minute and a transverse one the next with very little time to prepare mentally or research options to make me feel more involved was very surprising.

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

I was blessed with so much support. I wasn’t able to lift my girls (3 and 1 years old at the time) for almost 2 weeks, so my mom and my husband’s mom helped us for the first week. My husband thankfully had a great paternity leave and was such a big help! Thanks to all of the work I did to stay strong during pregnancy, I was cleared to lift my girls and even start back with some exercise at 2 weeks postpartum.

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

It gets better!! The recovery is HARD at first. But in a about week you will start to feel more like yourself. Find peace with the experience and joy in the exciting parts if you have any feelings of disappointment. I take so much joy in the way that I actually went into labor! I got to 8 centimeters without an epidural! I finally got to tell my husband, “I’m definitely in labor!!” I have a picture of the first time I held him! Me and my baby are so healthy. And if you know ahead of time that you will have a c-section, do your research! Know what you can ask for. Prepare a playlist, ask to see the baby once they are born, or to have the curtain lowered. There are so many ways to feel more involved if you want that and know what to ask for.

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

It takes so much strength to trust someone else completely with your child’s life and yours. It takes strength to have major surgery while AWAKE! It takes strength to take care of a newborn while nursing yourself back to health. I am stronger than I realized. Not because I had the unmedicated birth I dreamed of, but because I did whatever I had to do to bring our little baby boy into the world.

Name: Christy Payne, stay-at-home mom

Country of Residence: United States

Instagram Username: @_christypayne