When it comes to giving birth, a mom’s only concern during labor is that her baby is happy and healthy.
While some people see a C-section birth as one that might be “easier” than a “traditional” vaginal birth, these photos of C-section scars might change some of those opinions. These moms shared photos of their C-section scars to show the power that lies behind them.
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Actress and author Jenny Mollen welcomed her and husband Jason Biggs’ second son, Lazlo, in October. Mollen took to Instagram to share her C-section scar later in the month.
“I just met my new c-section scar for the first time this morning. Thank you Dr. Albert Sassoon for your artistry,” she wrote in the caption. “Because I wish somebody had shown me a pic like this 9months ago, I’d like to insist this be your new business card.”
For this mom, multiple scars were signs of multiple victories. Her endometriosis surgery scar was a sign of conquering a disorder that almost didn’t allow her to have kids in the first place. And her C-section scar? A sign that her miracle babies made it.
A proud C-section mom snuggles with her 5-week-old baby girl with her scar in clear view of the camera. “Women’s bodies are incredible,” she wrote in the caption, to a rousing round of agreement in the comment section.
This mom had two kids and two C-sections, only one of which was scheduled. But she’s thankful for the procedure. “Without the quick intuition and speedy decision by the doctors in room to call for an emergency C-section, there is a high probability that Elliot would not be here today,” she told The Bump.
One talented tattoo artist turned this mom’s C-section scar into a beautiful flowering vine.
Getting back to the gym can be tough after pregnancy, especially after a surgery like a C-section. Fitness blogger “TheCaribSpice” took the first step by showing off her two-month postpartum body and c-section scar.
The blogger behind The Ruth Lee Diary shared her journey through pregnancy, her unexpected C-section delivery and the ultimate acceptance of her body, even though it frustrated her countless times throughout the experience.
“I see my scar and am filled with gratitude that I live in a time where doctors were able to get my baby here alive. Magic happened there,” she wrote.
Any mom who had a C-section after not originally planning it will tell you how strange the experience can be. And this mom concurs, saying at first she was angry at her body.
Heather Elizabeth Johnson had been dilated at over 7 cm for 12 hours. “I was angry, I was defeated,” she says of the moment she realized she’d have to opt for a C-section. “How could my body fail me like this?”
It’s an all-too-common sentiment, but this gorgeous photo is a reminder of the ultimate reminder why C-sections are so common.
After having her first baby at 25, Briana Klink Macon says she didn’t fully appreciate what her body had gone through until one vaginal birth and three C-section births later.
“I was so young and naive and not able to comprehend the beauty that my body had just accomplished. One vaginal delivery and three c-sections later, I finally get it,” she told The Bump.
She also gets that it’s never okay to judge another mom’s delivery choice. “Being a mother is hard enough,” she writes. “Why divide ourselves? Why compare?”
Italian photographer Mama Fedona wants moms to know they’re enough.
“It is so important for me and I’m fighting everyday because having a C-section makes a lot of mamas feel like ‘series B mamas,’ ” she wrote in an email to The Bump. “We are all mothers — it doesn’t matter how we gave our babies to the world.”
She added that her scar is a forever reminder to smile.
“This scar, for me, is a smile. A smile for having given birth to my Giovanni. A memory on my skin, forever.”
Danika Little went into the delivery room expecting a vaginal birth, but when her daughter’s heartbeat dropped 100 points from 170 to 70, she had an emergency C-section.
“I’ll forever be grateful for this scar because that’s what got my little lady safely into this world,” Little said.