My beautiful daughter was born February 13, 2001, via emergency Cesarean section. This is our story.

I planned on having natural childbirth, no epidural no drugs. I was not prepared for what lay ahead.

She was a week late on February 13, having been due on February 8. The time was about 1 in the morning when I went to the bathroom and noticed some brown discharge. I had been having contractions but nothing that suggested a rush to the hospital. I just felt intuitively that I had to leave right then, not really that anything was wrong but just to go on to the hospital, where as I had planned on laboring at home for a while.

I arrived about 20 minutes later and was immediately put on a monitor. The nurse told me my baby was in distress and I needed a C-section. I was very confused. I don't remember my doctor coming in at all. They gave me a paper to sign reading noncompliance and I told them to go to hell, that my doctor better explain something to me now or suing him would be the least of his worries.

When he came about 20 minutes had gone by since I arrived at the hospital. He said her heart rate was dropping. OK, I'm not a doctor, I thought. That's what you're for, to ensure my baby's safe arrival. How dare you send me some form to sign and never step foot into my room in person to explain.

In a matter of minutes I was given a catheter I didn't even feel and was knocked out with general anesthesia, which is really fast. I remember a nurse being snotty and my nightgown being cut off.

I woke up and felt a lot of pain around the incision, but after about five minutes – not even – they had me on something so strong I never felt anything ever again.

My daughter had passed meconium and her cord was choking her. They were able to suction her lungs and she was put on oxygen. She was fine, thank God, and spent only one night more than me in the hospital.

I had no problem with pain or recovery. Honestly, the worst part was getting up for the first time sometime the next day. I rolled in a wheelchair to see my munchkin. She was perfect. I started breastfeeding later that day, and I walked back and forth about every hour for the next 24 hours. I didn't sleep much, and once I got up I walked a lot.

I remember my first shower was heavenly, about two days after surgery. I stayed a total of four days and never had any pain then or afterwards; the medication and Tylenol took care of it.

I'm pregnant again seven years later with a son this time. I have scheduled a repeat C-section. After considering VBAC I have come to the conclusion that VBAC would only be worth it for me if this wasn't going to be my last pregnancy. My C-section was really easy and my scar is tiny.