C-Section Birth Stories: Erica White

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

I had an emergency c-section with my first daughter in 2019. My water broke the day before they were going to induce me 10 days late and then I still needed to be induced once I got to the hospital. After about 12 hours, I was ready to push. 10 minutes into pushing they stopped me because my daughter's heart rate dropped and we were given the option to have a c-section or use forceps. I chose the c-section after I asked the doctor what she would tell her sister to do and she said a c-section. I remember feeling like an experience was taken away from me in terms of having a vaginal birth.

With my second daughter who I just had on 2/14/22, I chose to have a c-section even though I was a candidate for a VBAC. The reason was I was pretty traumatized after having an emergency c-section. Also, my first and my second daughter were both positioned sunny side up, which makes it harder to push out since they are facing forwards versus toward the back. I also had major pelvic floor issues I had to repair after my first pregnancy. Sure enough with my second pregnancy, I got Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction that started at 28 weeks of pregnancy meaning my body alignment was completely off. I also became high risk at 34 weeks and would have had to be induced at 37 weeks at the latest. Long story short - the cards were stacked against me having a VBAC and I chose to have a c-section given my history and current state.

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

What surprised me most is how different my two c-sections felt during the actual surgeries and my recoveries. My first c-section was extremely painful during the delivery and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I felt all of the tugging and everything, it was an emergency so from what I understand the pain meds are a bit different. Afterward, I also had horrible reflux and the shakes. I recovered much quicker than my second.

My second c-section was pretty painless (except for initial nausea, which went away quickly) during the surgery, which surprised me after my first experience. I also didn't get the shakes or reflux, so overall it was a much better experience surgery-wise! However, the recovery has been much harder. The pain was worse and took longer to subside. Emotionally I had a much tougher time too and I think it's because I had a pretty traumatic pregnancy from start to finish and never actually processed it until the baby was here.

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

My husband did an amazing job letting me focus on healing as he took care of our first daughter who is now 2. We decided to hire some help for the baby for the first 2 weeks which I am so grateful for since physically I’m unable to do much, but I'm getting stronger every day. Our families have also offered their help and we're lucky to have them close by in case we need anything. My friends have also been amazing, checking in on how I'm feeling. The healthcare team was great at the hospital, although there isn't much support when you get home, which I'd love to help change for future mothers.

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

Take all of the help you can get and try to be patient with yourself when you want to do things for your baby or other children, but physically can't. I really struggle with this myself. After having had a c-section once, I know I will get through this and get back to myself at some point, it just may take some time and that's ok.

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

My c-sections have taught me resilience - our bodies are incredible and can come back from major surgery with proper healing. Also acceptance - being able to accept the fact that it wasn't best for me or my babies to have vaginal births and that's something I will never experience. However, I've come to accept it since I was able to bring two healthy babies into the world and also stay healthy myself. I chose to have my second c-section, which is something I needed to explain to my doctors, and felt proud that I made a choice that I felt most comfortable with versus trying for the VBAC, which seemed to be what most people were expecting me to do since I was eligible.

Name: Erica White, Executive Recruiter

Country of Residence: USA

Instagram Username: @ericawhitenyc