C-Section Birth Stories: Elena Biedert

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

First, I should mention that I have a fibroid, which was discovered before I got pregnant. At first, it was about 4 centimeters, then we were able to shrink it with a medication down to 2 centimeters, and a couple of months later I got pregnant. The thing with the fibroid is that it may affect your contractions and there is a hemorrhaging risk, too. My doctors were aware of it, but they stayed really calm and ensured me that everything looked good and I should be able to deliver vaginally. As my fibroid grew a lot during the first 3 months, though, it became about 12 centimeters, which is about the size of a very big orange or even a grapefruit. Since it caused some mild uterine contractions, my gynecologist was always afraid my baby would come too soon.

So, at 41 weeks with still nothing happening in terms of labor, I got an appointment in the morning to get induced, but at midnight right before the appointment, my regular contractions came. As the doctors suspected, although I was dilating well, my contractions were irregular. I got an epidural and was induced too. The contractions lasted for about 12 hours, but I was only 9 centimeters dilated, and my midwife told me that the baby’s head wasn’t in a proper position yet and there was no progress. The midwife and doctors asked me if I would be okay with having a c-section, which they all recommended given the circumstances. I understood that it was the only choice, but I was so scared! Honestly, I don’t know what I was scared of more, vaginal delivery or a c-section.

Thankfully, it wasn’t an emergency c-section. Everyone was calm and very professional, and my husband was able to be there with me, too.

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

How fast it was! It was unbelievable and kind of surreal. First, I had 12 hours of excruciating contraction pain but when I got the spinal, all this pain was gone. After only about 2 minutes (at least it felt like only 2 minutes to me), I heard my baby crying and was finally able to hold him.

I was also surprised by how long the recovery was. Mine was more prolonged since I lost almost all my blood because of the fibroid. So many women and friends I know were able to do so many things and completely take care of their baby right after they gave birth. I could do nothing, only lie down in the bed for the first two weeks.

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

At the hospital, there were a lot of nurses who helped us, took care of me, helped my husband with my son and could answer all the questions. Also, my husband and I had a family room, which means he was there for me all the time. In fact, he was the person who completely took care of me and our son at the hospital. I couldn’t even change a diaper and didn’t see my son naked almost for the whole first week!

I live in Germany and here we get support from midwives, who come visit you at home, check the mama, check the baby, etc. She came every day for the first 10 days, and later 1 to 2 times a week as far as I can remember.

In the first two weeks, my mom was also visiting us and she helped a lot. Basically, in the first weeks, I could only lie down and breastfeed my baby. Everything else my husband did, so I received a lot of support from him. He also took 2 months off from his job so he could care for us. When he had to go to work again, my dad came to help us. He would carry my son in the baby carrier, as my son needed it a lot and I still couldn’t carry him because of the scar and how weak I was.

Note: I live in Germany and my parents live in Russia, so they flew to us in Germany in order to help.

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

It’s major surgery, but if that’s something which will help you to bring the baby into this world, don’t be afraid of this! You can plan everything, you can plan for your c-section, but you never actually know how it will be. It’s so different for everyone! My advice is to try to accept it as long as it’s the best option for you and for your baby. Also, make sure you give your body time to heal. Start with the recovery of the pelvic floor muscles and then slowly incorporate more functional movements, so that your abdominal muscles get back their functionality.

Another thing, which no one told me back then, but which is quite important actually, that you can and should massage and mobilize your c-section scar after it’s healed. It can prevent some possible pain in the future. Also, If your birth was traumatic, it’s important you talk to someone. It really helps!

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

I appreciate and am thankful for my body so much more now. It was capable of literally surviving the delivery of my son, it recovered, healed, and now it’s strong again. Although I had a lot of support, I still didn’t have enough support for the postpartum recovery. My midwife, my doctor, and everyone else advised completely different things, so I felt really lost and didn’t know what to do. I stuck to the doctor’s advice in terms of timeline, i.e., what and when I should recover, but I had to find out on my own how I should recover. I did so much research! Then very little, step by step, I became stronger and like myself again. In fact, the absence of support during postpartum recovery was the reason I did a certification as a fitness trainer first, and then a postnatal trainer. When my son was about 1 year old, I started my own business, where I help moms on their postpartum journey. I know how it feels to be lost in your new body when nothing seems to be like “yourself” or to be functioning properly. I don’t wish this feeling for anyone, so now I’m trying to support as many women as I can. In conclusion, having a c-section has really changed my life and made me so much stronger and more confident.

Name: Elena Biedert

Your Profession: Stay at Home Mom & Fitness Coach for Moms and Women

How to Connect With You on Social Media: @mamafitnesscoaching on Instagram and Facebook, http://mamafitnesscoaching.com/