Lauren: First Birth, Positive Planned C-Section, Vanishing Twin Syndrome, NHS Antenatal Care, Breastfeeding Struggles, Scar Recovery

 She never wanted a vaginal birth. Not once. She knew exactly how she wanted her baby born. And after a small battle with her midwives, she got it. A calm, planned C-section. Baby on her chest at 3.15pm. And she would do it exactly the same way again. Lauren is a first time mum from Kent who shares a warm and honest account of planning and delivering a positive NHS planned C-section with her son Louis. Low risk, informed, and clear on what she wanted, Lauren had to push back on initial resistance from her midwives before her decision was accepted. Her antenatal care left her feeling invisible and unsupported at times, including a deeply difficult moment at her 12-week scan when she discovered she had been carrying twins, and one had not survived. But when she got into that operating theatre, everything changed.The birth itself was calm, controlled, and positive. What came after was harder than she expected. Breastfeeding was painful and relentless, and the postnatal ward left her alone overnight with a newborn after major surgery, calling for paracetamol at 1am and waiting until 4. But Lauren came through it all with clarity, pragmatism, and a really beautiful perspective on what it means to make an informed choice and stand by it.In this episode we talk about:Why Lauren chose a planned C-section and how she handled the initial pushback from her midwivesDiscovering vanishing twin syndrome at her 12-week scan and processing that lossWhat it actually feels like in the operating theatre and how Lauren stayed calmThe reality of the postnatal ward after a C-section and why she chose to go home after one nightA really painful breastfeeding journey and the silver nipple shields that finally turned it aroundWhy she is going back for a planned C-section second time around and why she feels more nervous this timeThis episode is for anyone who knows in their gut how they want to birth their baby and needs to hear that it is okay to stand your ground.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.British 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.