After sharing about my recent c-section on Instagram, I received several questions about my two very specific things, so I thought I would share my responses here.

How’s your recovery the second time around?

My recovery with Mila was similar in some ways to my c-section with Kaiden. I had a harder time while at the hospital (pain, difficulty walking/getting out of bed, etc.) than at home. Given this was a planned c-section, I think in some ways my recovery was probably better this time around (but who knows because I can hardly remember how I felt over four years ago!). But I definitely had more of an idea of what to expect.

The nurses at the hospital told me to take it easy with climbing stairs and being too mobile, bu I was able to move around without too much pain or discomfort quite easily. I did take Ibuprofen every six hours for the first week or so, and then after that it’s been on an as needed basis.

I will say this though. Please don’t take my experience as gospel. Every woman, every body, etc. is different. Some may need more time to recover while some may get right back to it immediately. A lot can determine which side you fall on – complications during c-section, the amount of support/help you have, the layout of your house…I mean, the list is endless. Take it one day at a time and know that you’ll be back to feeling more like yourself before you know it!

Why not try for a VBAC the second time around?

*VBAC = vaginal birth after cesarean

Vishnu and I discussed both options at length. We went back and forth on whether I could try for a VBAC, knowing full well that I may end up having a c-section after all. For us, it came down to the fact that Kaiden’s delivery was a bit traumatic, and we really wanted to have some degree of control with this pregnancy. In addition to the chorioamnionitis, I also ended up with gestational diabetes with this pregnancy, and to top it all off, I’m considered advanced maternal age. All those factors combined led us to believe a planned c-section was for us.

I have a lot of friends who had a VBAC, and they ended up doing just fine. At the end of the day, you have to make the decision that you’re most comfortable with.

In our case, going the c-section route ended up being the best because my OB surgeon mentioned how parts of my uterus are thinner than others, and that a vaginal birth may have been more complicated at the end of the day. Things have a way of working out I suppose!

At the end of the day, remember that this is YOUR pregnancy, YOUR delivery, and YOUR child. Every decision you make should feel good/right to YOU!