Mom's Photo Of Infected Scar Proves C-Sections Are Far From 'The Easy Way Out'
Blogger posts her infected C-section scar to prove it’s far from easy
We’re not entirely sure where the idea that C-sections are ‘the easy way out’ came from, but we would love for it to die. Forever. So would a popular blogger and mom who just took to Instagram to show the very honest side of getting, well, gutted.
Mel Watts of The Modern Mumma gave birth to her fourth child about a month ago via c-section and unfortunately, her incision got infected. As you might imagine, it’s no walk in the park. She took to Instagram to share a photo of the scar with a blow dryer (presumably to air the oozing a bit).
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWZxXIpjrYm/?taken-by=themodernmumma
“Infected Caesarean section life,” she writes. “Sometimes it doesn’t matter how clean you keep it or how many you’ve had there is always that chance you’ll become one of the statistics.”
She’s right; even if you follow the postpartum instructions to a “T” you could still get an infection after a C-section. Approximately one in 10 women who’ve had C-sections will get an infection at their incision site, according to Web MD.
Watts then goes on to describe something many of us do when it comes to seeking medical advice: we consult Dr.Google. Which she admits only freaked her out more.
“With a nursing background the idea of this happening freaked me out, seriously I think of the wound tracking up into my uterus causing me to have internal uterus rupture [which isn’t even a thing] and by the time I get found unconscious of course I’d have a dehisced wound….. Okay that’s not going to happen I’m on antibiotics and being extremely anal, however I shouldn’t of googled Caesarean section wound infections.”
Take solace C-section mamas, most infections can be treated while you’re at home, even though they’re really painful and cause a great deal of discomfort. Only in rare cases will a mother need to stay in the hospital for a longer time or be readmitted to the hospital. All of this talk of pain, infection, and hospital stays leads us to the underlying truth: C-sections are not the easy way out.
In a brilliant nod to sarcasm, Watts used the hashtag #easywayout to end her post to which we say Brava, well done mama.
This also isn’t the first time the blogger has spoken up about C-sections and postpartum bodies. Days after she went through childbirth, she posted this photo on Instagram with a pretty powerful body positive message.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVHXLI1DFsG/
The top photo is her 30 weeks pregnant, and the bottom photo is her four days post C-section.
“Honestly it’s no castle or bloody piece of art. Sure it’s filled with stretch marks and dimples,” she writes.
“But this body, this one the one I own gave me another life. Another small human to love and to hold. It held onto him for 9 months and sheltered him, protected him and prepared him for the day he was born.”
“Sure it’s not magazine or swimsuit worthy to some. But to me and my husband, it’s the place that grew our babies.”
Both of her candid posts speak to the larger picture about child birth and this silly debate over “natural” births versus C-sections. No one gets out easy. Not a single soul. Pregnancy and child birth will rip, stretch, and change a woman’s body in so many irreversible ways. There’s no competition. There’s no need for one-upping. There should only be space for one thing: accepting and celebrating everyone’s unique pregnancy, delivery, and journey through motherhood.
