Annabel: Two Planned NHS C-Sections, Breech Baby, Miscarriage, Secondary Infertility, Breastfeeding Challenges, Tongue Tie, Postpartum Constipation, Honest Postpartum Recovery

 She always wanted a C-section. From the time she was a teenager. And when her son turned out to be breech, she finally had the reason she felt she needed to say yes. Second time around, she asked for one with no hesitation at all. And she would do it again without question. Annabel is a journalist, TikTok creator, and founder of The Moon Suit who shares two planned C-sections on the NHS. Her first birth was with her son Jasper, who was breech, in England before the family moved to Iceland two weeks after surgery. Her second, her daughter Ophelia, came after a long road of secondary infertility, a miscarriage before Jasper, breastfeeding into Jasper's second year affecting her cycle, and a frightening bleed early in Ophelia's pregnancy. Both births were calm and controlled. Both recoveries had their challenges. What makes this episode stand out is how honest Annabel is about everything that sits around the births themselves. The brutal breastfeeding journey with Jasper that lasted nine months of pain. The loneliness of early motherhood in Iceland with no village around her. The postpartum constipation that she describes as worse than anything she experienced in either surgery. And the very real emotional weight of gender disappointment with her first pregnancy that she sat with for a long time. In this episode we talk about:Why Annabel always wanted a planned C-section and how she navigated the NHS conversations to get what she wanted second time aroundWhat it is actually like to go through a planned C-section twice and how the two experiences comparedSecondary infertility after extended breastfeeding and the book and lifestyle changes that she credits with helping her conceive OpheliaA miscarriage before Jasper and a significant bleed in Ophelia's pregnancy and what those experiences were like emotionallyBreastfeeding with tongue tie, Raynaud's Syndrome, and mastitis for nine months and why it was completely different second timePostpartum constipation after a C-section and what actually helpedWhat it is like to raise two small children without a village and how much that changed when family came to stayThis episode is for anyone who has chosen or is considering a planned C-section and wants to hear from someone who has done it twice and has absolutely no regrets.The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. You can follow Annabel on social here and if you'd like to buy her Moonsuit you can purchase it hereBritish Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery.These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional.Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTubeWant to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.