C-Section Birth Stories: Victoria Jones

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

Let me start off by saying that I have childhood trauma associated with surgery and complications. My mother was in the hospital off and on my entire life until she died in the hospital due to surgery complications. I went into this pregnancy telling my doctor that a c-section was not an option for me. My doctor listened and understood, but told me that she would not have a choice if she was going to lose my son or me. I agreed but still did not consider surgery as an option in my mind. My doctor became concerned about my climbing blood pressure at 39 weeks. My mother had preeclampsia during her pregnancy with me, and my symptoms were suggesting the same for my pregnancy. I was actually relieved to hear that I’d have to be induced the following evening because I had grown pretty miserable. My husband and I went in at 6:00 p.m. the following evening to begin the process. It was slow but not terrible. I stayed awake and labored all night until my doctor eventually broke my water, I got an epidural (I LOVED it), and waited. I was getting worried that my son would arrive after my doctor’s on-call shift was over. After 24 hours of labor, at the end of my doctor’s shift, she came in and told me we could start pushing. I pushed as hard as I could, falling asleep between contractions, and before we knew it, it had been three hours. My doctor informed me that my kiddo was basically stuck. She could see his head and was trying as much as she could to wiggle him out, but she couldn’t. I was so upset and so scared, but so was she. My doctor apologized and told me that she knew this wasn’t what I wanted, but we didn’t have much of a choice. I trusted her, so I just closed my eyes and tried to put myself into a box in my mind to block out the surgery. After 27 hours of labor, I was only as calm as I was because I was absolutely exhausted, but I was freaking out mentally. I kept asking everyone if I was going to be okay, and they reassured me that I was doing great. I heard my doctor telling stories about her family and tried to listen to them. I’m not sure if she did that to distract me or not, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it was intentional. It helped! My doctor came around and spoke to me after she finished and told me that I’d done a great job. She seemed so calm after a crazy night and staying several hours after her shift was supposed to be over to deliver my baby. I finally met my son because of her!

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

So many things surprised me. I was surprised that I had to have one, I was surprised that I was okay during and afterward, but most of all, I was surprised by my appearance afterward. No one can prepare you for the feeling of emptiness in your body after having a tiny person consuming your entire midsection for nine months, especially when they’ve been cut out of you. It took me a long time to be able to look at myself in the mirror and even touch my incision. I’m 12 weeks postpartum as of writing this and I am just starting to be okay with massaging my scar.

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

I could not have had a better doctor and healthcare team surrounding me. I was constantly checked on by nurses, and they continually encouraged me that I did a fantastic job and I was healing well. We even had a sweet night nurse teaching us to swaddle our little guy and get him to sleep. Not only did my doctor express her care and support for me by being present for my surgery, but she came to see me in the hospital the next day. That meant so much to me! I had friends bringing me food for two weeks after I got home, and never did I not have at least one friend to call upon.

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

My #1 piece of advice is to know your doctor and find one that you can build a relationship with. I heard wonderful things about my doctor and had several friends that delivered with her as well, even a few that have worked with her. In my initial appointment, I told her my wishes and she respected them until the point where it was not safe for me to deliver my son. If I did not know going into my c-section that she cared for me and I could trust her, I would have had an absolute mental breakdown and I’d have a lot more trauma to recover from.

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

Just becoming a mother has made me stronger, but I truly believe that I overcame trauma that I’ve carried with me for a long time. I had lost trust for doctors in general, but my doctor changed that for me in our relationship and in seeing that I could come out on the other side of such intense labor and surgery and be alright.

Name: Victoria Jones

Your Profession: Therapist

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