One Mom's Honest Photo Taken Hours After Giving Birth Shows What It's Really Like to Have a C-Section

Look I know it might not be my best angle (or is it?) 😂 but who wouldn't take selfies hours [...]

By Libby Birk

Look I know it might not be my best angle (or is it?) 😂 but who wouldn't take selfies hours post birth so they can see where they sliced you open and yanked out a whole person 🙋🏼 (if you couldn't tell I still couldn't see past my still inflated uterus) 🙈 This is what you really look like a few hours post c-section 🗡 To anyone who thinks it's the easy way out, we'll try having a 6 inch gash in your abdomen like a gutted shark 🦈 who had the body parts of the surfer 🏄🏼 it ate retrieved! That's then sewn back together with fishing wire while it feels like your vital organs are trying to escape! I mean sure, everything is 🌈 and 🍭 till the spinal wears off! After that it's like you've been hit by a bus 🚌 which then backed over you just to make sure it didn't miss you the first time! If you don't time the Endone exactly before the previous lot wore off then you will most certainly know you are alive (while wishing you were dead) ☠️ and worst of all you'll feel as if you'll spend your entire life wearing nanna 👵 knickers up around your waist because the thought of anything settling in the canyon between your gut and pubic region is the stuff nightmares are made of 👻🙅🏼 Anyone who's ever had c section knows that you'll forever be dependant on your friends Nancy, Dr 90210 and Spanx because you cannot for the life of you get rise of the ditch that is left by the scar 🙄 But for all the skin tight Kookai dresses I bought while pregnant 🤰🏼 that now make me look like I have a Kangaroo pouch - I wouldn't change it! Because if it wasn't for the ability to deliver my babies 👶🏼 this way they might not be here today 🙌🏻 plus I recon getting cut from A to B sounds way worse 😷🤕

A post shared by ✖️ OLIVIA WHITE ✖️ (@houseofwhite_) on

One blogger and mom of two has something to say to those who say having a C-section is taking the "easy way out" when it comes to giving birth.

Olivia White, the face behind the House of White blog, posted a selfie just hours after giving birth via C-section — but this isn't any old selfie. This particular photo featured her scar front and center while White was lying in her hospital bed.

"This is what you really look like a few hours post c-section," the Aussie wrote in the caption. "To anyone who thinks it's the easy way out, well try having a 6 inch gash in your abdomen like a gutted shark who had the body parts of the surfer it ate retrieved! [...] After [the medication wears off] it's like you've been hit by a bus which then backed over you just to make sure it didn't miss you the first time!"

Even amid all the suffering — and dealing with the "kangaroo pouch" — White knows she wouldn't have it any other way.

"But for all the skin tight Kookai dresses I bought while pregnant that now make me look like I have a Kangaroo pouch - I wouldn't change it! Because if it wasn't for the ability to deliver my babies this way they might not be here today," she wrote.

White isn't the only mom sharing the "honest" side of pregnancy. Check out these other moms who want you to know what being a mother is really like.

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Amanda Bacon

In what is now considered the Facebook post heard 'round the world, new mom Amanda Bacon appears in the background of her gorgeous baby wearing a "giant mom diaper." The photo is less than flattering, but it's part of an essential conversation about postpartum bodies that just doesn't get discussed (probably because it's not glamorous).

"Having a baby is a beautiful experience," she explains, "and the realities of postpartum life aren't spoken enough about. And definitely not photographed enough."

Abigail Wedlake

Although Wedlake's hair and makeup are always on point, she's not afraid to flaunt the "imperfect" parts of her body, either.

Wedlake posts pictures of her midsection, stretch marks and all, alongside her precious baby girl, unashamed of the marks she left on her body.

Stephanie Rothstein

Rothstein's Insta feed is usually a steady stream of running photos and videos, but she's also passionate about loving her entire body — and that includes her stretch marks.

"When I look down I see stretch marks that are here to stay, ab muscles that need continued strengthening, legs that are powerful and feet that are ready to fly!" she wrote alongside the photo below. Those stretch marks are just proof of the amazing things her body can do.

Kathy DiVencenzo

One mom used two powerful photos to portray that pregnancy and childbirth don't just leave a mark on your body — but they can affect your mental health as well.

In one picture, Kathy DiVencenzo is the ultimate Pinterest mom with a perfectly clean playroom and a chic, styled outfit—the picture of calm and composure. In the other, however, she looks as if she's hanging on by a thread—wild hair, a room strewn with toys, and a half-on nursing bra.

DiVencenzo explains the struggles that come with postpartum depression: "The truth is, both of these pictures represent my life depending on the day," she writes. "I would only ever comfortably share one of these realities though and that's the problem... work twice as hard to hide this reality from you because I'm afraid to make you uncomfortable."

Ruth Lee

After a particularly difficult delivery, beauty blogger Ruth Lee says she was "horrified" by the photo of her stomach.

"I took this picture a few days after I gave birth, when my PPD [postpartum depression] really first reared its head into my life," Lee wrote. "I took this and actually was horrified. I couldn't believe it was me. I'm sharing it because I know in my heart that there are people out there that struggle with inadequacy. That might think they are not beautiful, that they might be ruined, less worthy, or not good enough."

Lee says she was disheartened when her body didn't immediately "bounce back" like pregnant models she'd seen on Instagram. She wants to inspire others to be kind to themselves and their bodies instead of comparing themselves to others.

"Yours might not actually be physical scars, but maybe, a failed relationship, a difficulty in your career, a mental struggle, money issues, or just feeling lost in life. Be kind to yourself. And know that you are not alone. Comparison is the thief of joy. Don't let social media taint your view of what is beautiful, what is REAL. And above all, know that if you are struggling, I am here."

I'm posting this tonight with tears in my eyes. I can't help it. The pregnancy and birth of my little girl was the most amazing thing I've ever been a part of. Some people don't want kids, and I respect that. Really, I do. But for me, You see, I always have. When it finally happened though, it was so hard to fully comprehend. Pregnancy and babies, I mean that's common. It's everywhere. But when it's YOUR body and YOUR baby, it's so different. You literally feel like it's a miracle. Because, when it happens to you, it is. What brings me to Instagram tonight, is the post-baby. I followed SO many pregnant models during my pregnancy. And when they photographed themselves pool-side 5 minutes postpartum, I thought, "wow! I hope that happens to me!" I was 25 when I gave birth. I was healthy. I was young. I stayed active during my pregnancy. I took the best prenatals, went to the gym, used every kind of stretch mark prevention you could think of. I took hours of birthing classes, read every book under the sun, and studied natural childbirth my whole pregnancy. I STILL ended up with a traumatic labor, cesarean section, scars, stretch marks, and unfortunately the inability to breastfeed long term. I took this picture a few days after I gave birth, when my PPD really first reared its head into my life. I took this and actually was horrified. I couldn't believe it was me. I'm sharing it because I know in my heart that there are people out there that struggle with inadequacy. That might think they are not beautiful, that they might be ruined, less worthy, or not good enough. Yours might not actually be physical scars, but maybe, a failed relationship, a difficulty in your career, a mental struggle, money issues, or just feeling lost in life. Be kind to yourself. And know that you are not alone. Comparison is the thief of joy. Don't let social media taint your view of what is beautiful, what is REAL. And above all, know that if you are struggling, I am here. I have an open inbox or (if you actually know me) an open door. #stopcensoringmotherhood #nofilter

A post shared by Ruth Lee (@baybayruth) on

Dr. Jham Frank Lugo's 'Gentle C-Section'

"Gentle C-sections" are designed to make a C-section birth a little less surgical — for example, the mother is propped up slightly so that she can watch the baby come out. The baby is even placed on her chest afterwards, just like a vaginal birth, allowing for immediate skin-to-skin contact you wouldn't see in a typical C-section.

Dr. Jham Frank Lugo, the founder of a fertility clinic in Maracay, Venezuela, frequently posts videos of gentle C-sections on Instagram. *Warning: If your stomach tends to lean on the queasy side, you might not want to be eating while you watch.*

How's that for what a C-section really looks like?

A post shared by Jham frank lugo (@fertilugo) on

Sabrina Ewell

Postpartum body struggles are the real deal, but mom Sabrina Ewell decided to embrace her postpartum body in an amazing way with a stunning Instagram post full of raw emotion and a new perspective on beauty and loving your body as a mother.

So this is me… in all my 19 year postpartum glory… I thought this was baggage for so many years," Ewell wrote in the caption. "But I've been on a journey of self-discovery for the last 2 years, and the universe has lined me up with thoughts, circumstances, and people that have allowed me to connect with my authentic self."

"I want women to embrace and love themselves, focusing on all their haves and not the have nots. I want to help open up society's view on normality and diversity. Seeing photos like this in media gives women the permission to be exactly who they are without having to compromise themselves," Ewell said. "Do you know how many years of self-doubt I could have avoided if I saw a tummy that looked anything like mine on tv or the Internet?"

Deep breath... So this is me... in all my 19 year postpartum glory... I thought this was baggage for so many years. Contemplated tummy tucks numerous times. Had people give me home remedies to "fix" it that never worked. Felt ashamed because I didn't look like societal norms... But I've been on a journey of self-discovery for the last 2 years, and the universe has lined me up with thoughts, circumstances, and people that have allowed me to connect with my authentic self. I no longer look to societal norms to define who the fuck I am. I am unapologetically me in my bikinis as I do handstands on the beach because I'm the shit. Fuck your photoshopped imagery because your bullshit no longer applies to me. ✌? #Repost @expressionsuntold___ with @repostapp ・・・ Why be ashamed? A life grew inside of you that gives humanity hope of change. You felt things that I as a man will never understand. Even when you first held your baby girl or boy it was nothing similar to when they lay in their father's hands. Your body changed and so did you. It became a look into the past of what you went through. You grew mentally and emotionally and your spirit was taken to places you didn't think it would ever go. Your breasts may sit differently. Your ass may not be as thick as it once was. But why should it be when you gave so much of yourself to help all of us. A sacrifice of sorts if you choose to see it that way. But to me your body now is exactly how it's supposed to be. So don't be ashamed. Don't hide your changes from the world that you and your sisters helped create. Be proud of your story. Be proud of your lines. Be proud of who you've chosen to be.. . . Muse: @sereneradianceyoga Photo by @expressionsuntold___ #sereneradianceyoga #blackgirlmagic #notashamed #motherhood #stretchmarks #society #selfhatred #selflove #blessed #tigerstripes #badgeofhonor #postpartum #postpartumbody #pregnancy

A post shared by Serene Radiance Yoga (@sereneradianceyoga) on

Kari Horn

A year after giving birth to her son via an emergency C-section, Kari Horn was experiencing major pain from a golf ball-size bulge located right about her belly button. She was diagnosed with an umbilical hernia, which is a condition where a part of the intestine pops through the umbilical opening in the abdominal muscles.

In January, Kari had surgery to repair the hernia and that's when her doctors realized she was suffering from two other hernias as well. She continues to recover from both her C-section and hernia surgeries, but still experiences stabbing pains.

She shared her experience on Instagram posting a photo of her stomach with the caption, "The parts of motherhood they don't talk about much."

In her post, she wrote about the other unfortunate issues she has had to deal with because of the hernias. Her biggest concern is that she will always be in pain, but that will not bring her down.

"Don't hate on yourselves, ladies," she wrote. "You're beautiful no matter how many scars you get."

The parts of motherhood they don't talk about much. Sometimes, despite what your dream of child birth is, you have to have an emergency c-section. Sometimes, no matter how much coconut and vitamin e oil you put on your pregnant belly, you still get all of the stretch marks. Sometimes, even when your baby is now a toddler, you find out that you have not 1, but 3 umbilical hernias, and you have to get your abs and muscles cut into again. Then sometimes you're allergic to the bandaging the doctor used and end up with burns and a rash all over your already sore tummy. Yet, despite the fact that I may not have much of a belly button after all of this, I'm really only worried about how I'm going to get all of that stitch glue out of my belly button haha. Mothers are the real MVPs. Don't hate on yourselves, ladies. You're beautiful no matter how many scars you get. #4thtrimesterbodiesproject #stopcensoringmotherhood

A post shared by Kari (@karialliah) on

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