Struggling to Come to Terms With Your Unplanned C-Section
People like to plan for things, especially big things! So, it makes sense that you wanted to plan the birth of your child. However, sometimes life has a funny way of taking our plans and throwing them right back in our face. It can be incredibly difficult to come to terms with the idea that your birth plan went up in smoke, and you had to have an unplanned c-section. This is difficult for many reasons, the two biggest being that you had to accept a change in this carefully and meticulously planned event – and because unplanned c-sections typically occur because there is something that isn’t going “quite right”. If you are struggling to come to terms with this unplanned c-section, you aren’t alone! Here are some tips to begin the mental healing process associated with an unplanned c-section.
Know Your Support System…
The birth of a child is a BIG deal! Whether it went as planned or not – you need support. If it didn’t go as planned, and you ended up having an unplanned c-section, getting the support you need can make a world of difference. Identify who your “people” are! Is it your partner, your mother, his sister, or any combination of those? Bottom line, know who these people are – and know that you can ask for help! These people are your people and want to help you through this difficult time! Another great option is to seek some support groups, whether they be online or in person – seek the support of other mothers who have gone through a similar experience, because knowing you aren’t the alone in your feelings can make a big difference! Seek all the help and support you can get and be open about how you are feeling to these people!
Skin-to-Skin Contact…
This one probably seems obvious, but sometimes when we experience unplanned (or planned) c-sections, we don’t feel as close to our baby because we didn’t “birth” them. Well, let’s end that stigma right here! You did give birth! Recognize that and own that! However, an unplanned c-section can absolutely make you feel like you missed out on a really important part of childbirth, and that is understandable. So, get as much skin-to-skin contact with your little one as possible! This can really increase your mother-child bond and will release some “feel good” hormones in your brain and your baby’s brain! Getting the most skin-to-skin contact time possible, will help you feel closer to your baby and will really boost your happiness, naturally decreasing your anxiety and worry.
Accept Yourself…
Let yourself be upset over what you missed out on – but don’t live there. You may be unhappy with how things turned out, and you may feel unhappy with your body following an unplanned c-section, many women are. But it’s important to remember that your body just grew a tiny human! This is incredible and miraculous – don’t take that away from yourself because you had an unplanned c-section! It can be difficult to accept that and come to terms with how our body may look now – it looks different. But different doesn’t mean bad! Cut yourself some slack and embrace the beauty of what you did. Revel in your resilience and embrace your strength! Take some time every day to admire yourself, because you put in a lot of hard work to grow that little human, you deserve to be celebrated!
How We Can Help…
Dealing with an unplanned c-section can leave you feeling a lot of different emotions – sadness, anxiety, fear, disappointment, to name a few. This is all normal! But we don’t want it interfering with your day-to-day life. If you are finding yourself feeling particularly emotional, or really struggling to cope with this life-changing event, that is where we come in! We not only offer online counseling in Florida, but we also offer birth trauma therapy and anxiety treatment in Miami, FL. We want to help you in all of your needs, because we recognize that this is a very difficult time. If you are considering online therapy in South Florida or anxiety therapy in Miami, FL we would love to speak to you! Reach out to us today!