I don’t think I’ve ever looked at my body the way I did six months after I had my first-born, Sebastian.
And as time has passed, I am still fascinated by what my body has been able to do.
Scarred For Life
Even with a c-section, I felt beautiful. I know some women don’t feel that way after being cut open and left with a scar. I actually forgot about the my incision once I had my son in my arms. Although I’d apply scar cream every day to help reduce its appearance, it never fully went away. And I’m okay with that.
With the scar from my first birth experience, I learned to appreciate my body for what it’s meant to do. I’ve even wore a bikini here and there since moving to Florida. Not that I didn’t wear bikinis prior to becoming a mom, but for the first time in my life, I wasn’t self-conscious of how I looked in it.
I felt beautiful regardless of the extra pounds I was carrying around. That boost of confidence came from watching my family and playing with them.
Having gone through a c-section — one of the scariest procedures in my life — I felt empowered with my VBAC. My c-section section had been the first time I had ever gone under the knife, and the VBAC was, at least in my mind, the only way I could take back control of my body.
The Bond
I have special bonds with my sons based on their birth experience. With Sebastian, I feared losing him during the surgery. As for Christian, I thought about what would happen to my family if I didn’t survive the procedure.
But I overcame those fears with the gift of life. Each birth has been a reminder of how strong I am.
Overcoming these fears has only brought us closer. With each experience, a wiser version of myself makes her way into the world. And I’m happy to introduce her to everyone I know.
How has your birthing experience impacted your life?
One response to “The Beauty Of Motherhood”
I ended up having a c-section as well. I've always been super self-conscious about my body…I've had stretch marks since I was a child so to add more PLUS a c-section scar is a lot for me to process. I'm sure that I will begin to accept my new body eventually but I'm just proud that I brought life into this world.