Hey, wanna see my C-section scar?

Thats not a sentence most people usually hear, or say.

And, as a woman who had a cesarean section, its pretty easy to understand why.

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Alex M. Smith Photography

There is no denying that myC-sectionmight have been one of the worst experiences of my life.

But at the same time, it was one of the most wonderful.

The surgery can be a lot to wade through mentally, physically, and spiritually for a new mom.

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Alex M. Smith Photography

For me, it was no different.

I really,reallywanted to have avaginal childbirth.

I wanted an Ina May Gaskin, baby at home,doulaand midwife, Ricki Lake documentarystyle delivery.

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Alex M. Smith Photography

Thats the kind of birth I envisioned.

But on the other, very bright side, the result was a beautiful and healthy baby boy.

A week after my pregnancy, I returned to the ER, convinced something was wrong.

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Alex M. Smith Photography

So I went to the hospital.

It gets better, she said.

You just had a baby a week ago!

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Alex M. Smith Photography

Give yourself a chance to heal.

Oh, and of course, a sweet scar.

C-section operations and their resulting scars are different now than they used to be.

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Alex M. Smith Photography

In all my years on the planet, no one has ever boasted their C-section scar to me.

I know this for certain, because one of the women photographed is me.

All photos were taken byAlex M. Smith.

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Alex M. Smith Photography

I wasnt planning on having a C-section.

At this point, after four years, the idea of having another birth scares me to death.

But if I were to get pregnant again, I would ask for a C-section 100 percent.

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Alex M. Smith Photography

My first C-section was an emergency C-section.

I was 11 days late, so they induced me.

They were estimating the baby was large.

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Alex M. Photography

I was also super uncomfortable so I was ready for him to be out.

After 18 hours, he ended up getting stuck and both of us went under stress.

I remember everything beeping and the doctor saying we need to take this baby out within seven minutes.

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Alex M. Smith Photography

I told the nurse I was going to throw up.

She went to hand me a bedpan and I puked in her hands.

I was not at all prepared emotionally or mentally for a C-section the first time around.

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Alex M. Smith Photography

I assumed I did everything during the pregnancy so that I could have a vaginal birth.

The second time, we went in at 41 weeks.

It was super easy.

It was really laid back; we were talking about the summer Olympics.

The second one, I was much more at peace with."

As long as you trust the doctors and the hospital you should be all good.

Also, the scarring isnt that bad.

I had a planned C-section due tobreech positioning.

It turns out he was 9 lbs., 6 oz.

No wonder he didn’t flip!

the doctor said as they pulled him out.

I did care for a while afterwards.

More real talk: Don’t be a martyr!

Take your drugs and stay ahead of the pain.

Someone will likely have to bring the baby to you.

It was actually a blessing in disguise for me.

Get up and walking as soon as you’re able.

The incision will heal with time and the pooching goes down.

Be kind with yourself.

Trust yourself, trust your partner, and trust your medical team.

I wasnt expecting a C-section.

It was the last thing I wanted.

Physically, I am fully recovered.

I can backbend now, and I was truly surprised at how small my scar was.

Its crazy to think that a baby came out of there.

The actual surgery was similar to what I expected, but I had a very strong reaction.

As they were perhaps cleaning my abdomen, I felt something and I panicked.

This is where my experience turned sour.

The rest of the delivery I was incredibly loopy and was babbling nonsense.

I was unable to hold my daughter for a long time and was not too cognizant.

My body has been through a lot and has changed so, so much.

And it sure is tired, but it sure is strong.

“I was arrogant about the way I intended to bring my baby into the world.

But I was determined to have a vaginal birth.

I skipped over all the C-section reading material.

My mom had six kids.

“Giving birth was an extremely humbling experience, and one that Ill never forget.

They say things like, ‘Mother Nature makes you forget the pain so youll do it again.’

Almost two years out, I still have not forgotten and I dont know if I ever will.

“I handled being afraid by grilling my ob/gyn.

I asked her, ‘So, how many C-sections a year would you say you have done?’

She was very patient with me.

That was comforting for me to hear.

I figured, with those kind of numbers, she probably knew what she was doing.

But I couldnt stop myself from shivering through the entire operation.

When he came out, they laid him on my face.

I have never been happier in my life.

“My advice would be to read the C-section stuff.

Understand theres a chance that it might happen.

Create a mental place where you might feel good about that possibility.

Prepare for your birth plan to get a monkey wrench thrown in it.

Hope for the best.

Having a C-section birth doesnt mean you messed up somehow.

You did nothing wrong.

“Also, cook many nourishing meals in advance and freeze them before the baby comes.

I pushed for four hours.

I was on oxygen the entire time because both of our heart rates were so low.

I was quickly taken to the OR.

The ob/gyn team was listening to Reggaeton when I was wheeled into the OR.

A little while later, they started congratulating me.

I was like, For what?

and out comes the baby.

You expect certain things: I was expecting that skin to skin and to hear that cry.

I heard the baby screaming and don’t remember much after that.

But my son was born perfectly healthy and weighed in a hefty 8 lbs., 10 oz.

A few minutes later, they were stitching me up.

And I was like, Wheres my baby?

The doctor said he was with his papa.

They were like, Wait until you see the eyelashes!

I didnt get to see or hold him for maybe 10 minutes.

There was some pain of not having that immediate skin-to-skin contact.

But you do what works for the baby.

As long as the baby comes out, who cares how?

I cant put my finger on why I thought it wouldnt be good to have a C-section.

I think you just have things in your head that dont seem to really come from anywhere.

I turned to my husband and said, This doesnt seem like anything to worry about.

It wasnt even a concern.

I was like, Lets do it!

I was in the hospital for four days and could barely move.

They werent that great, but I made it.

At my 38-week visit, everything was fine.

At my 39-week visit, my doctor wanted to do a sonogram.

I thought that seemed kind of weird, but she said, Thats what I thought.

Between week 38 and 39, my son had totally flipped around.

I had been doing inversions in yoga and I asked if that could have affected it.

My doctor laughed at me, but I still kind of think that had something to do with it.

That was a Tuesday.

She was next on surgery that Friday.

We blasted out to all our friends, Our baby is coming on Friday!

There was also a nervousness, though, in knowing exactly when he was coming.

We got to the hospital, we checked in, and it was nice to have everything be calm.

It was a beautiful Spring day.

I like to be on time.

My husband joked, Youre not going to send us home if the baby has turned around?

and the doctor said, Yes, I am.

We dont do surgery unless its absolutely necessary.

And we were like, Everyone we know knows the baby is supposed to come!

The surgery wasnt terrifying to me.

Im not a super scaredy cat; I was really, really excited.

My experience was different because I knew a few days ahead of time.

It didnt happen during labor.

But the adrenaline of knowing he was coming was really exciting.

Its all I thought about.

My husband was there, and that was great.

Everything else happening didn’t matter.

Overall, it just wasnt as bad as I thought it would be.

All that matters is that your kids are healthy.

The daily stresses of motherhood far supersede the visions of what you wanted.

Responses have been edited for length and clarity.