Photo Series Shows the Variety and Power of C-Section Scars

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I just met my new c-section scar for the first time this morning. Thank you Dr. Albert Sassoon for your artistry. Because I wish somebody had shown me a pic like this 9months ago, I'd like to insist this be your new business card. #2weekspostpartum #csection #keepingitreal #albertsassoon4EVA ????

A post shared by Jenny Mollen (@jennyandteets2) on Oct 16, 2017 at 4:48pm PDT

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."

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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.

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Women's body's are incredible ?? . . . . . . . . . . #1monthpostpartum #1monthold #babybump #mumbod #mumtum #csection #csectionrecovery #love #powerful #beautiful #world #womenempowerment #lineanigra #embrace #motherhood #proudmom

A post shared by ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Isabella Kochanska-Dry ♡ (@izzay.kd) on Jul 27, 2017 at 6:54pm PDT

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.

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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.

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A very well done C section scar cover performed by Angel @quilestattooer at Fyre Body Arts #tattoo #tattoos #tattooideas #tattooedgirls #csection #csectionscar #csectionscarcoverup #scartattoo #scarcoveruptattoo #scarcoverup #flowertattoo #flowersandmacro #cherryblossom #cherryblossomtattoo #cherrytree #perkasie #fyrebodyarts #quakertown #doylestown #sellersville

A post shared by Fyre Body Arts (@fyrebodyarts) on Nov 3, 2017 at 11:33am PDT

One talented tattoo artist turned this mom's C-section scar into a beautiful flowering vine.

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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.

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I DON'T LIKE MY BODY. In March 2016, my boyfriend and I were shocked to find out that I was a few weeks pregnant. We weren't married & I was in the middle of a semester at college. Shortly after our first ultrasound, I woke up with pain, cramping, and bleeding. The nurses prepared me for the procedure of a miscarriage. My body, which had surprised me with this baby, was now going to betray me by taking it away. I didn't like my body. The next day, we saw our little gummy bear floating around with a strong heartbeat. She was going to be OK. I started liking my body again. My baby grew big and strong, and my body had to stretch immensely to house her. In my third trimester, stretch marks expanded on my belly, thighs, and booty. And though I dreamed of as natural of a birth as possible, after 39 weeks and 6 days, my daughter was born via cesarean section. My body had failed. It failed to keep her safe during delivery (during contractions her heart rate and blood flow were decreasing) and it had also failed to dilate properly, after almost a full 24 hours of laboring. While recovering from my surgery, I didn't like my body. I didn't want to look at my scar. My bandages stayed on as long as they could. I didn't want to face the reality in the mirror. I shared the picture on the left on Insta, and to my utter shock, it blew up. Hundreds of women commented and messaged me; finally seeing something on social media that was relatable. In the months between these two images, I have shared my struggles, & also my victories. I've connected with so many amazing warrior-Mommas. I've asked for help. I've gotten treatment for PPD. I've practiced self care. I've started eating better, exercising. I see my stretchies today and am reminded of the 39 weeks and 6 days that my beautiful, perfect baby grew; my body her home. I remember her kicks, and the special moments of pregnancy that we shared. 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. I DON'T LIKE MY BODY... i love it. How could I not? #postpartum #bodyafterbaby #csection #csectionscar #fourthtrimester #bodypositive #selflove

A post shared by Ruth Lee (@baybayruth) on Jul 16, 2017 at 3:22pm PDT

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.

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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.

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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?"

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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."

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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.