🌼 The Birth That Turned Everything Upside Down
This c-section birth story taught me how quickly pregnancy and birth plans can change.
I was 25, five years after my first baby, and this birth unfolded very differently than I expected. Even though my first experience wasn’t perfect, I walked into this pregnancy feeling more confident… like I could prepare, plan, and maybe even do it better this time.
This birth didn’t unfold the way I had pictured.
My doctor had told me she was breech and wasn’t able to turn her, so we scheduled a C-section at 39 weeks. In that moment, it felt like everything had shifted and was suddenly out of my hands.
Even with that, I didn’t stress too much. I was curious, a little nervous about the surgery, but mostly just excited to meet her.
This pregnancy had its own challenges too. The gallbladder pain that crept up in my second and third trimesters made some nights almost unbearable. It felt like a tightening belt around my midsection that kept me awake. Still, I pushed through, trying to stay positive for my growing baby — while also feeling ready to have her in my arms and finally take care of the gallbladder issues.
At the Hospital
Before I knew it, the day of surgery had arrived. Surgery was scheduled early in the morning, around 6 a.m.
I remember lying there with a curtain in front of me, hearing the quiet buzz of the operating room. There was a mix of nerves and curiosity running through me. I kept wondering what the doctors and nurses were saying that I couldn’t quite make out… and part of me feared they might be saying something was wrong.
I could feel the tugging and stretching sensations. I couldn’t see — but I had to trust that everything was in good hands and that we would both be okay.
There’s something about walking into a situation you didn’t choose that feels different.
It’s not the same anticipation. It’s not the same sense of control.
It felt more like surrender.
I was so thankful for one nurse in particular. She would come up, place her hand on my shoulder, and gently check in on me, telling me what was happening and what was coming next. She let me know my daughter was about to be born and that they would place her on my chest for a few moments.
And then suddenly — she was here.
I felt that same awe I had felt with my first baby.
I held her briefly while they finished closing me up, trying to soak in every second of those first moments before they took her.
The NICU Days
She needed time in the NICU to help with her breathing, and they put her on a feeding tube too. To me she looked healthy — she looked fine — but she wasn’t ready to come out yet.
I was there for four days. She was in the NICU the entire time.
That separation created an anxiety I hadn’t expected. Not having her beside me, not being able to just reach over and check on her — it sat heavy on me the whole time I was recovering.
So I pushed myself to walk faster than I probably should have. Not because I felt ready, but because moving meant getting to her sooner. It made recovery feel less like resting and more like something I had to get through quickly just to be where I wanted to be — next to my daughter.
By the time we were close to going home, they started talking about keeping her longer while letting me leave.
That thought broke something in me a little.
I wasn’t leaving without her.
And then just like that — they changed their minds. We could both go home.
I don’t fully understand what shifted in that moment. But I didn’t ask questions. I was just thankful to walk out of there with her in my arms.
Postpartum & First Days
Recovery from surgery was slower physically than my first birth.
The first time I had to get out of bed, I remember thinking how different my body felt. Every movement was slow and intentional, and even then, it hurt more than I expected.
I didn’t realize how much you use your core for everything until I couldn’t use mine the same way.
Going home didn’t magically make it easier, but I was more comfortable in my own space.
I had a newborn who needed me, and a body that wasn’t fully ready to give the way I wanted to. That was hard.
But I wasn’t alone.
Having my first child at home, a helpful five-year-old, made a world of difference. Watching him interact with his baby sister, giving cuddles and trying to help in his own little ways, filled my heart in a way I didn’t expect.
What Helped Me During C-Section Recovery
Looking back, there were a few things that made those early days a little easier — some I figured out as I went, and some I wish I had known ahead of time.
Getting up and moving slowly, having support nearby, keeping things within reach, and giving myself more time than I thought I needed. Those were the things that actually made a difference.
If you want the full list of what helped me most, it’s all here:
→ Things I Wish I Knew Before My C-Section Recovery
→ Postpartum Must-Haves After 3 Very Different Births
What I Learned After
After everything, I found myself wanting to understand it all a little more.
Not in a heavy way, just enough to make sense of what I had experienced.
I came to see that breech babies and birth situations aren’t always as straightforward as I once thought. There’s a lot that can influence how things unfold, and sometimes those decisions are made in ways we don’t fully see in the moment.
As I looked into it more, resources like Spinning Babies helped me understand how much positioning and alignment can play a role in pregnancy and birth.
It didn’t change what happened, but it helped me look back on it with a little more understanding.
And somehow, that made it easier to process.
What This Birth Taught Me
Looking back, this birth really did turn things upside down for me.
Not in a dramatic way, but in how I understood everything going into it.
I walked in feeling prepared, thinking I had a sense of how things would go… and it still took a different direction.
And in those moments, you just keep moving forward, one step at a time.
It wasn’t what I had planned, but it still became part of my story in a way that mattered.
✨ Thank you for letting me share this part of my story. If you’ve experienced a breech baby or C-section, I’d truly love to hear what surprised you the most.
With love,
Rachel (RaiRai 💛)
You might also enjoy:
→ Postpartum Essentials That Actually Helped Me After 3 Births
→ The Birth That Made Me a Mom
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