Dear Mama, There's a Story In Your C-Section Scar

I’ve given birth four times. Each experience has been uniquely different and beautiful. My last baby was born by Caesarean section after a complicated and traumatic pregnancy. After three natural deliveries, the thought of a major surgery to bring my baby earthside TERRIFIED me.

Having a C-section never made me feel like I was taking “the easy way out.” Never did I hold myself to a different standard than other moms. Never did I feel like I had failed in birth or motherhood.

In fact, it was the complete opposite. Enduring major surgery while entering into the most vulnerable days of my life is something I cannot put into words. It takes bravery. It takes strength. It takes patience. Yet the misconception of Cesarean births being easier or less sacred still exists.

As a mother, you are expected to go home and carry on with your life. To take care of a newborn baby. To feed around the clock. To take care of your home. To nourish your family. To heal yourself. To sacrifice sleep. To take care of other children, your baby, and yourself. All the while, you have been ripped apart physically and mentally. Still, you find the strength and keep going.

This experience gave me perspective. It brought a newfound appreciation for the women who had done it before me. For the women who felt like they had “copped out” or hadn’t really given birth, but who had, in fact, just bravely experienced one of life’s purest moments: giving birth.

At the end of the day, bringing a baby into the world is life-changing, regardless of how you experience it. It shouldn’t be a competition of who did it best or what way is most sacred. All moms are heroes. The strength it takes to bring a child into this world is admirable, regardless of the path to get them here. I’ve experienced birth in both ways, and each held its own beauty.

I admit, some days I look down at my scar and feel a brief moment of grief. I mourn the loss of a happy pregnancy and birth. But in my scar a story is written. It’s a story of resilience, love, and strength. Like my scar, that story will stay with me forever.

Originally published on the author’s Instagram page

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Tara Hanratty

My name is Tara. I am a mom to four wonderful boys. I am an educator in the primary years but I consider life with my family my true calling. I have battled postpartum anxiety through my years of motherhood and advocate for other mothers navigating mental health.