C-Section Birth Stories: Gretchen Miller

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

I went into labor and got checked at the hospital when my contractions were at five minutes after sixteen hours. I was told I was only at two to three centimeters and sent home. I was told to come back and that “You’ll know when it’s REAL labor”. After another sixteen hours, we went back to the hospital, as the pain was unbearable. I was at three to four centimeters dilated. My daughter had been head down for weeks. When the midwife arrived, she found that our daughter had turned transverse, which is why I wasn’t dilating. So I was prepped for an emergency c-section.

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

How difficult it was to do basic things afterward. Right in the hospital, I was sometimes alone in a room with this tiny baby and unable to get out of bed without extreme pain to get her and hold her. I tried to do everything they advised for recovery, but could not lie flat in a bed for two weeks after delivery.

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

My parents rented an electric recliner for me after seeing how hard it was for me to manage. A friend stayed with me at the hospital when my husband couldn’t, and my aunt did too. My mom was there a lot after my birth when my husband had to go back to work a week after our daughter was born. My sister came into town and spent a night around that time too.

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

Your recovery may look very different from someone else’s. It doesn’t mean you are weak or any less; it’s just different. Take care of yourself and remember it’s major abdominal surgery.

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

I really don’t think it made me any stronger than I otherwise would be. It has changed things though. As bad as my recovery was, I would choose a scheduled c-section in the future over being in labor again.

Name: Gretchen Miller

Your Profession: Social worker

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