13/06/2026
āI've seen many mothers who went through C-section share their storiesā¦ so why not me? š
Maybe this will encourage a mom out thereāespecially when people say that a C-section is the āeasy way out.ā It is not.
Sunday morning, around 1:00am on the 23rd of May 2021, I was at home with my mom. It was just the two of us when I started feeling pain in my lower back. I kept going to the washroom, and my mom noticed and asked, āAre you in pain?ā I didnāt fully understand what was happening yet.
Later, my cousin took me to the hospital. As a first-time mom, I was already nervousābut this was during COVID-19 š·, when no visitors were allowed. I was completely alone. The pain, the fear, the lonelinessā¦ I felt all of it at once.
At around 8:00am, I was transferred from Navua to CWM Hospital in Suva because I was a first-time mom. I was confused and didnāt really understand why. When I arrived, I had to wait for a long time because many mothers were also being transferred from places like Nausori and Wainibokasi.
When the doctor checked me, I was only 2cm dilated, even though the pain felt like I was already 8 or 9cm. I was then admitted to the ward. Being there alone, without my husband or family, was one of the hardest things Iāve ever experienced. It felt like I was surrounded by darkness and loneliness š.
All I could do was pray to God to help me safely deliver my little blessing šš½. I couldnāt sleep or eat properly because the pain was too much.
On Monday, the doctors kept checking me. My baby was progressing very slowlyāfrom 2cm to 4cm. The nurses encouraged me to talk to my baby and ask her to come out faster. On Tuesday, it was the sameāI only went from 4cm to 6cm.
That night, the pain became unbearable. I called the nurse and told her I needed to go to the washroom. She asked me to lie down so they could check me first. When they checked, I was already 9cm, and they quickly took me to the delivery room.
But something didnāt feel right. I hadnāt felt my water break like other mothers. The doctor asked me, and I said no. She broke my water manually, and thatās when they discovered something was wrongāmy baby had already passed stool inside.
There was no other choice. The doctors told me I needed an emergency C-section. I was shocked and scared because I was not expecting a C-section for my first baby at all. I kept telling them, āNo, I can deliver my baby normally.ā But they told me, āItās either you or your baby.ā
At that moment, I cried and prayed, āLord, please help me. You are the greatest healer and the giver of life. Whatever happens, I trust You.ā šš½
I signed the consent form, changed my clothes, and was taken into the operating room. The bright lights were overwhelming, but I kept telling myself to stay strong for my baby šŖš½.
They gave me an injection in my back. The first one didnāt workāI could still feel the pain. The second one made my body go numb. When they asked me to lift my legs, I couldnāt. It felt like my legs were so heavy, like they didnāt belong to me anymore.
On Wednesday morning, at 2:36am on the 26th of May 2021, I gave birth to my beautiful baby girl š¶š½š. She weighed 4.50kgāa strong little girl who took her time entering the world, while her mommy went through days of contractions from Sunday to Wednesday.
But the journey didnāt end there.
After the C-section, the doctors and nurses told us to get up, clean ourselves, and take a bath. Imagine being a first-time mom, alone, just after surgery. When you try to walk, it feels like you are learning to walk all over again. Every step is painful. I remember holding the lower part of my stomach because the pain was so intense š£.
I thank God that I was able to slowly walk myself to the washroom. Not everyone couldāsome mothers were in wheelchairs, and some couldnāt even stand. Thatās how serious and painful recovery is.
After that, we had to clean our babies before the doctors came for check-ups. The pain, the crying, learning how to breastfeedā¦ and no one there to guide you. You have to do everything on your own. It was overwhelming, but I kept going for my baby š¤±š½š.
And through it all, I was alone in the hospital because of COVID-19. My family couldnāt come because of the checkpoint at Wainadoi. That loneliness was one of the hardest parts of my journey š¢.
So please, never tell a C-section mom that it is the āeasy way out.ā It is not easy. It is an emergency, a life-saving procedure. It takes strength, courage, patience, and faith.
This is my story. And my daughterās story.ā
-Asenaca, Fijian mamašø
