Mum hits back at criticism that C section was the 'easy way out' with caesarean photos

She described it as the most painful experience of her life

A new mum has hit back against people who described her C sections as the 'easy way out'.

All birth stories are different, and in an honest Facebook post, Raye Lee shared photos of her surgery to show the unexpected pain of having a C section, calling it 'the most painful thing I have experienced in my life'.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=614477965380757&set=a.104445449717347.9744.100004556770788&type=3&theater

In the post, Raye shared photos of the scar left as a result of surgery to highlight how traumatic the process can be. She said: 'I now belong to a badass tribe of mamas with the scar to prove that I had a baby cut out of me and lived to tell the tale. (because you can die from this, you know.)'

Rather than having a cesarean as a 'matter on convenience', Raye had the surgery after being in labour for 38 hours - when the baby went into distress and the contractions were stopping his heart.

She added: 'Having a shrieking infant pulled out of an incision that is only 5 inches long, but is cut and shredded and pulled until it rips apart through all of your layers of fat, muscle, and organs (which they lay on the table next to your body, in order to continue to cut until they reach your child) is a completely different experience than I had imagined my sons birth to be. This was not pleasant. It still isn't.'

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=615360635292490&set=a.104445449717347.9744.100004556770788&type=3&theater

Her post also highlighted that the pain doesn't stop when the C section is over, but the recovery after the procedure is an incredibly long and distressing process.

'You use your core muscles for literally everything... even sitting down, imagine not being able to use them because they have literally been shredded and mangled by a doctor and not being able to repair them for 6+ weeks because your body has to do it naturally', she said.

The post has since been shared over 10,000 time on Facebook in just four days, with many mothers sharing their own C section stories to show how the surgery is far from easy.

Family Writer

Charlotte Whistlecroft is a former Family writer at GoodTo. She obtained a BA in Theology and Theological Studies at Durham University, going on to study a masters at City University London in 2016. Since leaving GoodTo she has worked as a Social Video Researcher at Mail Online and is now Assistant Producer at BBC Sport.