u/long_lumes_22

I’m a first-time mom, and throughout my entire pregnancy I’ve done everything I could to optimize for a vaginal birth. I took classes, hired a doula, stayed active, worked on my birth plan, and spent months mentally preparing for labor. Then, just a couple of weeks before my due date, I found out my baby is breech.

Today, at 37+3, I had an ECV. I went in hopeful after hearing some success stories, but unfortunately it wasn’t successful. I honestly wasn’t prepared for how painful it would feel. To me, it felt like someone was twisting my insides or trying to snatch my baby out of my uterus and physically flip him. I know everyone’s experience is different, but that was how it felt for me.

The pain itself was one thing, but what made it even harder was that I couldn’t fully relax because I was so worried about my baby the entire time. Every push made me think, “Is he okay?” Even though the team monitored him throughout and his heart rate remained reassuring, it was incredibly emotional.
After two attempts, we stopped because I just couldn’t tolerate any more.

Now I’m home feeling so disappointed and can’t stop crying.. I know I gave it a chance, and I don’t regret trying because I would have always wondered “what if.” But I’m grieving the birth I had pictured for months.

Unless my little guy decides to perform a miracle on his own, I’ll be having a planned C-section in about two weeks.

I’m honestly scared. while I know C-sections are common and can be beautiful births too, it’s not the path I imagined. Right now I’m mostly anxious about the surgery itself, the recovery, and how different everything will be from what I had prepared for.

If you’ve had a planned C-section—especially after a failed ECV or for a breech baby—I would really love to hear your positive stories. What surprised you in a good way? Was the recovery better than you expected? Is there anything that helped you prepare mentally?
Sorry I know this is kind of a long post but I could really use some reassurance today. ❤️