I first met this couple just after the new year when mama was already 39 weeks pregnant. 

They were first time parents, excited to meet their new baby girl any day.

They had been looking for a birth photographer for a while and ended up finding me at the last minute.

They knew they wanted to capture the memories of this incredible day and didn't want to leave it to chance. Plus, if dad was the one taking all of the pictures, who would take pictures of him?

So I went on call for this couple immediately and we waited.

Late at night on January 12 - 2 days after mom's due date - I got a text that she was having a lot of cramping. She was going to try to rest and see if they went away, but would let me know if anything changed.

A little after 3:30 in the morning, I got the call that they were heading to the hospital with contractions 4-5 minutes apart. When she arrived she was only 1 cm dilated, so I told her to keep me updated, but I was going to get some sleep and I hoped she would be able to do the same.

I checked in with mom throughout the day. Progress continued slowly. Later in the morning, she was 2 cm dilated and 80% effaced. She hadn't been able to rest because the consistent contractions were still keeping her awake. 

As of 1 PM, there had still been no change, so her OBGYN decided to start pitocin to see if they could get things to progress. 

A little while later mama got an epidural and the doctor broke her water. She was 4-5 cm dilated that evening. 

I arrived at the hospital around 8:45 PM. I ran into dad in the waiting room. He looked exhausted and was hoping they could both get a nap now that mom had an epidural. I told him to get some rest and I would be hanging out in the waiting room until they were ready for me.

Dad was able to get some sleep, but this poor mama never did get a nap. Because of some concerns with baby's heart rate and meconium in her water, the nurses were coming in periodically to check on baby and help mom change positions. 

Around 1:30 AM, mama called me back to the room. She was completely dilated but they were trying to let her labor down some before pushing.

When I got in the room, mom was touching up her makeup and everyone was joking about how hard it had been to wake dad up. It seems he was having full conversations with people without ever actually waking up.

A little after 2 AM, the nurse said they should be ready to start pushing soon and this sweet mama had a tiny moment of panic realizing she was going to meet her daughter soon. She said she was excited but scared too.

Dad was right there by her side reassuring her that everything was going to be great and he was so excited to meet their baby girl.

Just before 3 AM, mama was finally able to start pushing.

She pushed in a variety of positions and eventually was given a little oxygen between pushes to help baby's heart rate. I kept expecting her to get tired and run out of energy, but from what I could see, you'd never know she'd been up for over 24 hours at this point!

The soon-to-be grandfather (mom's dad) was there in a chair by her head. He sat between pushes, but every time a new contraction came, he stood up to support and encourage his little girl. 

At 4:25 AM, after about an hour and a half of pushing, baby Samantha was born with a head full of dark hair!

After snuggling with mom for a little while, Samantha was weighed and clung to the side of the scale the whole time.

Samantha went back to mom's chest and dad called some other family members to meet the baby over video.

After taking some time to work on that first latch, baby Samantha was taken to the warmer for her remaining measurements and was swaddled in a precious new wrap and headband.

I left this family to settle in and hopefully get some sleep just as the sun was coming up on this baby's birth day.

Congratulations to this new family of three and thank you for trusting me to capture your first baby's entrance into this world!

All birth is beautiful.

I know a lot of people say that, but as someone who has required 2 medically managed births and has photographed everything from a natural water birth to a scheduled c-section, I truly find birth miraculous every single time.

BUT - I have to admit there's something fascinating about watching a birth that's been uninterrupted by modern medicine.

The way a mother's body just knows when to work and when to rest.

How her body shifts and adjusts to make room for her baby to come earthside.

This was the case with the birth of baby Weston.

First time mom Katelyn knew she wanted a natural birth, so she chose to make the drive to deliver at Charleston Birth Place. She did everything within her power throughout her pregnancy to make sure she stayed healthy and low risk in order to deliver there.

After she reached 41 weeks, she and the midwives started discussing some natural methods to get labor to start. If Katelyn was still pregnant at 42 weeks, she would have to deliver at the hospital instead. There were a few times she was able to get some mild contractions going, but they would eventually fizzle out. 

Finally, just under the wire at 41 weeks and 5 days, I heard from Katelyn early in the morning. She had been having contractions all night long and was heading into the birth center. 

When she arrived, I got a text that she was 5 centimeters dilated with a "paper thin" cervix and the baby was really low. I arrived at the birth center not long after that at around 9 am. 

Several of Katelyn and her husband Tyler's family members arrived at about the same time. We all found out that the midwife was giving Katelyn something to hopefully help her sleep for a little while since she had been awake all night.

Most of the family went to get breakfast and kill some time. I was fully prepared with a pillow, crochet project, book, and some snacks to just hang out in my car until I was needed.

About 2 hours later, Tyler came out to let us know that Katelyn was awake and everyone was welcome to come wait inside the birth center.

The family gathered for a moment to pray over the birth of baby Weston.

And then I tip-toed back to the birth suite where Katelyn was 8-9 centimeters dilated and laboring in the bathroom while she waited for the tub to fill.

Once mama was in the tub, the two soon-to-be grandmas joined us in the birth suite and we all watched quietly along with the midwife and nurse as Katelyn calmly labored on.

Tyler was quiet for the most part. At one point he told his mom that he was a little nervous but mostly okay. Other than that he didn't say much except when Katelyn would begin to have a contraction. He whispered encouragement to her each time until the contraction passed.

You're doing so great.

He'll be here soon.

You can do this.

Katelyn's mom turned on some quiet music and we waited.

We all watched and listened as Katelyn's contractions grew closer together. 

I'm still in awe of how well she handled all of this as a first time mom. She seemed so calm and peaceful throughout labor. She seemed lost in "labor land" for the most part, but she occasionally opened her eyes and said something sarcastic or funny to the rest of us in the room.

Eventually Katelyn started to feel pressure. The midwife told her that she could bear down during contractions if it felt right, so at about 2:30, Katelyn began gently pushing during contractions.

It wasn't long before we started to see the baby's head. 

Katelyn would have a few contractions back to back during this phase, and then her body would take a break for several minutes. She would just float quietly in the water until the next round of contractions began.

Eventually, the amniotic sac broke during one of her pushes and we could see that baby Weston had dark hair!

Then at 3:34, Weston was born into the water. The midwife unwrapped his very long umbilical cord from around his neck and handed him to Katelyn.

New dad Tyler, who had been so quiet throughout the whole labor process, surprised me with his enthusiastic reaction to seeing his son for the first time.

They stayed in the tub together for a while before cutting the cord.

The nurses measured Weston and recorded his stats while the new mom and dad got out of the tub.

8 lbs 2 oz
​20 in

Dad held Weston for skin to skin time while the midwife took care of Katelyn and got her settled in the bed.

After the first feeding, the new family of three was sitting together in the bed. I left them to bond with and get to know their new family member.

Thank you Katelyn and Tyler for trusting me to be with you on this amazing day! Congratulations on your new baby boy!

Just like your wedding day, you plan and prepare for the day you meet your baby. 

And just like your wedding day, it's over in a flash.

How will you remember the emotions and details of such an important day?

Normally, my basic birth photography package is $1200.

This includes:

-Consultation during your 3rd trimester to discuss your birth plan and photo preferences

-Photographer (that's me!) on call 24/7 - day and night - starting at 38 weeks until the birth of your baby

-Photographer (me again!) present for an unlimited amount of time during active labor and delivery and up to 2-3 hours after birth

-Full gallery of edited images to download

-Slideshow video set to music

-Discounts on maternity sessions, lifestyle newborn sessions, and album purchases

However, I am choosing THREE expecting mamas to receive my birth photography services at HALF PRICE in exchange for a model release!
That means my basic birth package now starts at $600!

Requirements to apply:

1) Must be currently expecting with a due date between October 15 and December 15, 2018.

2) Must be willing to sign a model release allowing me to use photos for promotions and advertising.
(Disclaimer: Even though you sign a model release, I do not ever share photos that contain nudity, and I will let you know what photos I intend to use before publishing any.)

3) All types of birth are accepted! Planned c-section, hospital birth, home birth, birth center birth... it's all beautiful and worthy of photographing!

4) Must be willing to pay a 25% non-refundable retainer to reserve your place if you are chosen for this discount and the final balance is due by your 38th week of pregnancy.

Ready to apply? Click below!

Even before your baby is born, you can't help but worry.

I think it's part of the mom code or something.

You worry about whether your baby is healthy or your bump is too big or too small.

You worry about what kind of mother you'll be and what kind of personality your little one will have.

You worry about the birth.

What if something happens?

Women having been having babies forever, but everyone has at least one friend with some terrifying birth story (unfortunately, I think I'm sometimes that friend for some people).

What would a birth photographer do in those cases? Would you even want a birth photographer there?

These are all legitimate concerns. Birth is incredible and miraculous and in a lot of cases, completely normal.

But birth is also unpredictable and sometimes unexpected events can happen, even for the most prepared mother.

In those times, moms often feel a wide range of emotions.

Fear.
Vulnerability.
Lack of control.

I speak from experience here (remember how I said I'm often that​ friend?). If you've never read the birth story of my first born (lovingly called Bug), you can find it here.

I felt so out of control... like my body had failed me and my baby.

I remember laying on the OR table thinking, "How did I get here?"

It wasn't until a day or two later that I saw my own strength through the eyes of my own mom. She had been with me throughout the entire process and even in the OR when my daughter was born.

She made a post on Facebook talking about how brave I was and how I was the calmest one in the OR. She praised how I set aside all of the hopes I had for my birth and laid myself out on that table for the sake of my baby girl.

I won't say I magically felt better about everything after that because it's just not true.

But it was a start.

I needed to get out of my own head and see my birth from an outsider's perspective.

I needed to see my birth from another angle.

That's what birth photography does. It shows you the depth of your own strength.

You can see the look of determination on your own face as you work to bring your baby into the world.

You get to see the joy in your eyes when you meet your baby for the first time.

You can see the love and support of the people who surrounded you that day.

Even more important, birth photography can give you moments that you may have missed.

That's actually one of the biggest reasons I decided to become a birth photographer.

After my daughter was born, my husband went to the nursery with her and I was left behind in the OR.

He held our daughter - the first baby he had ever held in his life - in the nursery, and I missed it.

It's a moment I'll never get back. It's the reason why my favorite pictures during my clients' births are usually dad meeting or holding baby for the first time. I feel like I get the chance to give other moms something that I wasn't able to have.

Birth photography can be healing and empowering. My goal as a birth photographer is to show you the beauty in your baby's birth day - no matter what else happens.

I see you there.

Yes, you.

Lurking through my birth photos and reading my blog posts.

You know you want photos of the day your newest little addition is born, but maybe you're still on the fence about hiring a birth photographer.

You already read my last blog post, and you know hiring a pro is totally worth the investment. (Okay, okay... if you actually haven't read that blog post yet, you can find it here)

There's a part of you still wondering though...

Will it be weird to have a stranger in the room taking photos? 

If this is your first baby, let me be the one to tell you: there are likely going to be strangers present at your birth whether you hire a birth photographer or not. You might have an OB present that isn't your normal doctor because you go into labor during on-call hours. You'll have at least one nurse for yourself and one nurse for the baby. There could also be a number of other people there for various reasons depending on how your birth progresses.

No one ever bats an eye at having any of those "strangers" present at their birth though because they are professionals - there to do a job.

Well, guess what? It's the same thing when you hire a professional birth photographer! I'm there to do my job. You are not the first woman I have ever watched in labor and yours is not the first birth I've witnessed through the lens of my camera.

Plus, all of my birth clients have a consultation with me prior to the birth, and we'll keep in touch some throughout your pregnancy. I promise we won't feel like strangers by the time your baby is born!

Ok... but can't my husband/mom/friend/doula/insert-whatever-person-you-plan-to-have-present-at-your-birth-here just take photos?

Valid question and one I understand very well because I thought the same thing! I thought I could have my support people take photos, and I would just use my photo editing magic to make them into what I wanted.

Although I absolutely cherish the photos that I have, this plan just didn't work out for a few different reasons:

1) Even if one of your support people is a skilled photographer, births are a whole different bear with unpredictable lighting and circumstances. Having someone who has knowledge and experience with birth itself and knows their way around a birth space will help you get more of the photos you really want.

2) Your support people will be emotionally invested in you and your baby. More than likely, they will get caught up in the moment and forget to take photos. Trust me when I tell you that you don't want to be reminding people to take photos (if you're even in the mental or emotional state to remember yourself). When my son was born, I was constantly blurting out, "Oh! Someone take a picture of that!"
It wasn't fun for me and honestly, it was probably annoying to everyone else.

3)This last point is an important one - If one of your support people is in charge of taking pictures, who will get pictures of them supporting you? If your husband has the camera, who takes a picture of him when he sees his baby for the first time? If your mom is in charge of taking pictures, who will take a photo of her comforting you through your contractions? 

I think this is one of those circumstances where a photo really is worth a thousand words.

​I'm going to show you some examples of the photos my support team took during my births and compare them to photos that my clients have received from me.

Just a sample of my clients' photos:

Family/Friends/Support People

Personal photos:
*I have almost no pictures of my mom, husband, or doula from either of my births because they were always the ones taking photos! Pretty much all of my birth photos are just me and don't tell the whole story of the day.

Client Photos:

Client Photos:

Client babies:

So there you have it - the difference between just having a friend taking photos and hiring a professional. I have never met anyone who regrets hiring a photographer for their birth, but I know there are others like me who regret not hiring one.

Ready for more information? Click here and fill out the contact form to receive the info about my birth packages!

The first time I met this mama, I knew she was the type of person who was well loved. Kelly has the kind of personality that just makes you feel like you're friends instantly.

It was no surprise, then, that Kelly was a total VIP during her birth, and her delivery room was like a revolving door of friends and family coming to check in and visit.

Kelly had been having contractions on and off for weeks, so I was constantly checking my phone and jumping every time it made a sound. We were all surprised when she actually made it all the way to her induction date!

When my birth clients are induced, I normally wait for the call that things are progressing and mom is 4-6 cm dilated. However, Kelly had told me that her first birth progressed very quickly once things started moving. I knew it might take a little while to get things going, but I didn't want to risk missing the birth if she progressed as quickly as she had the first time.

I dropped my daughter off at preschool and headed straight to the hospital. When I arrived at about 9:30 am, Kelly and her husband, Jackson, were all settled in and waiting for the nurse to come start pitocin.

Shortly after I arrived, the first member of Kelly's hand-selected birth team arrived. She is a baby nurse at the hospital where she delivered, so she asked two of her friends to be a part of her delivery team: one as her delivery nurse and one as the baby nurse.

There were other nurses and family members who stopped by throughout the morning to chat for a minute and add their votes for gender and birth stats on the white board in the delivery room.

The first few hours were pretty relaxed. Dad was fielding all phone calls and incoming texts and updating the voting board with outside guesses. Mostly we were just waiting... Waiting for the pitocin to kick in. Waiting for contractions to pick up. 

At one point, Mama even said, "I don't know what this baby is waiting on."

"Baby's waiting on the rain," Dad said.

They then proceeded to tell me about how it had rained on every significant event in their life together: their wedding day, the day their first child was born, every bridal and baby shower and on and on.

I quickly checked the forecast and saw that there was no rain that day. I said, "Well, if we're waiting on rain, we might be here a while."

"Just wait. The rain's coming," he said.

Around noon, Jackson stepped out for lunch. I stayed in the room chatting with Kelly and suddenly a huge storm cloud rolled in and it started to POUR.

A few minutes later, Jackson returned, soaking wet, with a big grin on his face.

"I told you the rain was coming."

It was about this time that contractions were becoming more intense and closer together. When the OBGYN stopped by to check, Kelly was still 3 cm dilated, but I still had a feeling that things would move suddenly (especially now that the rain had come).

Kelly was ready for her epidural, and I ducked out to grab lunch while the anesthesiologist did his thing.

Kelly tried to take this opportunity to get some rest, but as it turns out, we didn't have much longer to wait.

Just before 3:00 pm, Kelly was dilated to 9 cm. She called her personally chosen baby nurse and told her it was time to head to the hospital. 

Kelly said she was starting to feel different and knew things were changing. Less than an hour later, she was complete and ready to push. The doctor came in and the room was quickly changed for delivery.

Kelly pushed for less than 10 minutes before her new baby arrived and everyone scrambled around the bed to get a peek.

Jackson was the one who officially announced, "It's a girl!"

​A little while later, once mom and baby were settled, I followed Jackson out into the waiting room where the rest of the family was waiting to hear the news.

He picked up his first born...

... and said, "Come on. Let's go meet your baby sister."

​And. The. Crowd. Went. WILD.

Big brother was the first to meet Baby Penny.

He was so sweet and timid at first, but quickly shifted into a proud big brother.

He announced to everyone who came into the room, "THAT MY BABY PENNY!"

Then the rest of the family took turns meeting the newest addition.

Eventually, it was time to get Penny's first measurements.

Shortly before I left, I heard Jackson say as he held his new baby girl, "I think I'm a big fan of the rain now."

Thank you Jackson and Kelly for letting me be a part of this amazing day! 

You've recovered from your c-section and you're ready to welcome your next baby into your family. You've been researching your birth options, and you have decided you want to go for a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean). Maybe your c-section birth was traumatic or maybe you just don't want to go through another abdominal surgery unless absolutely necessary - it doesn't really matter WHY you chose a VBAC; the question you're facing now is, "What do I do next?"

Well, I'll tell you, and you should listen carefully. This could be the decision that makes or breaks your VBAC. A quick Google search would produce tons of recommendations for activities, birth classes, diets, supplements, chiropractic care and pretty much anything else you could imagine to help you along in your VBAC journey.

As a successful VBAC mom myself, however, I think there is one vital piece of the puzzle that will make all the difference in your VBAC plans -

A Supportive Birth Team.

You can do everything "right" and have the healthiest pregnancy ever, but if you don't have a birth team that supports your VBAC plans, you will have a much harder time following through with those plans.

First on my list were my mom and husband.

Of course, they both said they wanted to support me in whatever I decided, but it was also important to me that they know the research and the reasons behind why I chose to have a VBAC. I knew that when the exhaustion and hard work of labor took over,  I would need them to know my wishes and be able to speak for me if I couldn't.

Next, I needed a new OBGYN.

In the state of South Carolina, there are limitations on VBAC moms. It is against the law in this state for a midwife to attend a VBAC birth outside of a hospital. That rules out homebirths or birth center births for moms like me who are uncomfortable with an unassisted birth. Here in Charleston and throughout the lowcountry though, we are fortunate that the majority of our hospitals do allow VBACs. Only a small number of OBGYN practices ban them altogether. 

Unfortunately, I discovered that the obstetrician who delivered Bug via c-section was a part of one of the few practices with a VBAC ban. I knew I would have to break up with my doctor if I wanted to move forward with the birth I was planning. I'm not going to pretend it was an easy "Bye Felicia" to leave that practice. Most of the doctors I had experience with there were kind, wonderful people. My decision to leave was solely based on the fact that their practice did not align with my beliefs about my birth and my care. We women sometimes need to be reminded that we are the decision makers in our own births and health care. We have a right to ask questions or seek other opinions or break up with doctors who may not line up with our preferred standard of care.

If you aren't sure what to look for in a VBAC care provider, VBACFacts.com is a great resource and they have a list of questions to ask your care provider. 

When I met with the doctor who would eventually care for me throughout my pregnancy with Bubba, I talked to her in depth about her feelings about VBAC and the success rate at the hospital where I would be delivering. She assured me that as long as baby and I were healthy, we would be treated like any other perfectly healthy mom and baby in the practice. She also told me that even if some special circumstance were to arise, they would not automatically push another c-section before exploring other options first.

Finally, I hired a doula.

A doula is someone who is trained to assist a woman and her family in labor. I knew that the hospital where I would be delivering is a large teaching hospital, and I would most likely end up with whatever on-call doctor was available when I happened to go into labor. I wanted to make sure I had someone with me who understands the labor process and would help me advocate for myself in the hospital.

People often tell me they are surprised that my doctor or hospital "allowed" me to labor as long as I did with my VBAC baby. I always tell them that's the value of a supportive care team. Even though I strongly disliked the resident who ended up delivering Bubba, I will say one thing in her favor - she never once tried to bully me into another c-section. By surrounding myself with a strong, supportive birth team, I was able to have a successful VBAC despite my long, exhausting labor.

There's one person I wish I had on my team though...

A birth photographer. I'm not saying that just because I'm a birth photographer either. We saved up in order to hire a doula, and I wish I had found a way to save more - sold stuff I didn't need - whatever I needed to do - in order to hire a birth photographer. I would give anything to have photos of the look on my face when they put that beautiful baby on my chest.

So you’ve had a cesarean and now you’re considering another baby (or maybe already expecting another)… Now you have to decide what route to go for your birth this time around. Do you plan another c-section or do you plan a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean)?
 
As I mentioned in my C-Section Recovery Tips post, April is Cesarean Awareness Month. Continuing with that theme, I’m addressing another concern that is unique to c-section moms. Often the choice whether to plan a VBAC or a repeat c-section is an emotional one. For moms who had a long labor leading up to their first c-section, the fear of attempting a vaginal birth only to end up in surgery again often weighs heavy in this decision. For others, avoiding major abdominal surgery is the primary concern.
 
I could write an entire post about the research that led me to choose a VBAC for my second birth. For example, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends VBAC as a safe option with very low risk for most women with one or two prior cesareans. Also, a c-section is major abdominal surgery, and as such, inherently carries risks - many of which increase in likelihood with multiple surgeries.
 
However, this post is primarily about my personal experience with these two deliveries. As someone who has experienced both a c-section and a successful VBAC, I can share first-hand experience with the pros and cons of both types of delivery. After all, statistics can only tell you so much.
 
Every family has to make the choice that’s best for them based on their own experience and needs, but for me, it came down to one major deciding factor.
 
RECOVERY TIME
 
I knew that recovering from a c-section was difficult and long when I only had to take care of myself and a newborn. With my second, I was going to have myself, a newborn, and a toddler. I didn’t want the then 3-year-old Bug to be upset that I suddenly couldn’t pick her up and take care of her the same way I usually did. I wanted to make our transition into a family of four as easy as possible.
 
Usually when people hear about Bubba’s VBAC birth story, they either tell me it scares them into not wanting to try for a VBAC or they ask if I regret not scheduling a repeat cesarean instead.
 
I can see why they would think that. From an outsider’s perspective, my c-section was complication free. As far as surgeries go, it was pretty textbook. I healed well and honestly, my scar is barely even visible now. My vaginal birth was long and exhausting. Medical interventions were needed. I pushed for 3 hours. There was tearing (I’ll spare you the gory details). However, even taking all of that into consideration, I would STILL choose the vaginal birth every time because the RECOVERY experience was like night and day.

With my “scary” vaginal birth, I’ll admit that first day was rough. I was exhausted and sore and generally felt like I had been beaten with a stick. However, I quickly started feeling better. I was walking around within 24 hours after birth - slowly but upright. The only pain medication I needed was ibuprofen and after the first couple of days, I only took one dose at night before bed to help me sleep. I stopped taking pain relievers completely less than 2 weeks after birth. As a matter of fact, Bubba was only 2.5 weeks old when I first took both kids on a fun outing by myself. I’m not sure I can truly express in words how much better and more capable I felt after my vaginal birth. My VBAC was two years ago, and I have had no long-term effects from the tearing or any other part of my vaginal birth.
 
All births are different, and, as I said before, all women need to make the decision that’s best for themselves and their family. In some cases, that may be a repeat c-section. No matter what priorities and criteria a woman uses to make this choice, her concerns are valid and she needs the most accurate information available to support her decision-making.
 
No matter what kind of birth you choose, you’re going to want a birth photographer there to capture the story of meeting your new baby for the first time! You can see some examples of my birth photography here.
 
If you’re considering a VBAC for your next birth, check back later this week for my last Cesarean Awareness Month post: The #1 Thing You Need For a Successful VBAC.

Each April the International Cesarean Awareness Network sponsors Cesarean Awareness Month. According to their website, ICAN is "a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve maternal-child health by reducing preventable cesareans through education, supporting cesarean recovery, and advocating for vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC)."

As a birth photographer and a rockstar c-section mama myself, I know that cesarean births are just as beautiful and powerful and miraculous as any other birth. I also know that c-section moms have a unique struggle in the early postpartum weeks as they try to recover from major abdominal surgery while also adjusting to life with a newborn baby.

I was very fortunate to have a smooth c-section recovery after Bug's birth, and I attribute some of that to a few pieces of great advice from other mothers who had endured this surgery before me. I have compiled the top 3 recovery tips I found most helpful, and whether your c-section is scheduled or unplanned, I hope you find them useful as well.

1. Schedule Your Pain Meds
I am the queen of not taking medicine. I generally hate taking medicine of any kind but especially pain relievers. However, I learned very quickly after my c-section that all of my friends who told me to stay ahead of the pain knew what they were talking about. I still vividly remember one night when Bug was about 5 days old. I woke up in the middle of the night to feed and change her and realized it was time for another dose of my pain relievers. I had left my pill bottle in the kitchen and was feeling okay at the moment, so I decided to go back to sleep instead and take my dose later. It was only a few short hours later that I woke up screaming for my husband to bring me the medicine.
After an informal poll of my fellow c-section mom friends, the general consensus is to set an alarm and take your pain medication on a schedule for at least the first week. After that, you can slowly start stretching out some of the doses and start weaning yourself away from the meds. In my case, it took a full six weeks after Bug's birth before I was able to go a full day without any medication at all.

2. Embrace The Granny Panties
I know. I know. You are a young, amazing, sexy new mama. Granny panties are not your thing. Well, guess what? They're going to be your new best friend. Make sure they're soft and the waist band comes well above your incision site (you don't want to risk them rolling down onto your incision). For the first several days post c-section, I wore the mesh panties you get from the hospital. However, it eventually becomes unreasonable to wear those, but your incision will be tender for quite a while. I honestly can't tell you how long it was before I felt comfortable wearing panties with a lower cut waistband, but it was months. Honestly, even 5 years later, I sometimes find certain types of elastics irritating on my scar after wearing them for a long time. The good news is that high-waisted bikinis are totally in fashion right now, so at least bathing suit season will be one less thing you have to worry about!

3. Give Yourself Grace
Honestly, this one piece of advice could be applied to ALL new moms, but it's particularly important for c-section moms. You are recovering from MAJOR. ABDOMINAL. SURGERY.

You might see Jane NaturalBirth down the street taking her six-day-old baby out for a short walk, but you still can't even stand up straight and need help getting out of bed. That's okay though because...

MAJOR. ABDOMINAL. SURGERY. 

It's so important to remember what your body has been through and not try to push yourself to do what you "think" you should be able to do at any point. So you actually have to take people up on those offers to help or clean or cook? That's great! After Bug was born, we had so many friends and family members bring us food that I swear I did not touch my kitchen for a solid month. That meant even more time for me to rest and recuperate and snuggle my perfect new baby girl. My mom usually helped out by cleaning up a little when she came over, and I had friends and cousins who folded loads of laundry while I sat nursing the baby.  I give you full permission to pull the "I had major abdominal surgery" card whenever needed - diaper changes, dishes, anything. Honestly, I think we c-section moms should be able to use that card for the full first year - but maybe that's just me.

Now I know you may be struggling with a wide variety of feelings about having a c-section - I know I did - and that's okay! You are allowed to feel however you feel about your birth. I just want to remind you that no matter what happened in the events leading up to your cesarean, you are an amazing mom! You literally laid yourself out on an OR table and allowed yourself to be cut open for the sake of your baby. There's a special kind of beauty and strength in that.

I hope these tips are as helpful in your recovery as they were in mine! If you're a veteran cesarean mama too, share your best recovery tips in the comments!

Are you located in the Lowcountry and currently expecting?

Is your due date in either May or June 2018?

Are you interested in having the birth of your new baby artfully photographed to capture the story of this very important day?

If you answered yes to the questions above, I have an amazing, limited-time offer for you! I am in the process of creating some new promotional material, and I'm looking for 2 or 3 Charleston-area moms who would be willing to sign a model release in exchange for a 50% discount on ANY of my birth photography packages.

It does not matter what type of delivery you are planning: hospital birth, planned csection, home birth, birth center, etc. I think birth is beautiful in all of its forms, and want to represent all moms in my work.

I will not offer a discount like this again in the future, so now is your chance! Keep in mind, I'm only choosing a limited number of moms, so contact me now to make sure you don't miss out on this opportunity!

To apply, click here to go to my Contact form. Please enter your name, email, due date, and where you plan to deliver. I will then email you more information about my packages and planning your consultation.

If you have any questions, you can also email me at briannesandersphoto@gmail.com