Emma’s birth stories: two babies, two completely different recoveries
When people talk about birth, they often focus on the moment your baby arrives. But if you’ve had a baby, you’ll know the story doesn’t end there — once postpartum, always postpartum.
I’ve had two babies.
One vaginal birth.
One caesarean birth.
And honestly? My recoveries felt like two completely different bodies.
Not better or worse.
Just… different.
I share this not because my story is special — but because it’s ordinary.
And yet so many mums feel shocked by how different their recovery feels from what they expected.
If your body doesn’t feel the way you thought it would “by now”, you’re not failing. You’re healing.
My first birth was vaginal - I felt emotional & physically vulnerable
After my vaginal birth, my overwhelming memory is feeling open — physically and emotionally.
Open in my pelvic floor.
Open in my nervous system.
Open to vulnerability.
Your pelvic floor stretches to over twice its length during a vaginal birth. For the first few months, I felt heavy and wobbly. I knew from my physio expertise what I needed…
Not endless pelvic floor squeezes.
Not rushing to “get back”.
What helped was gradual loading, consistency, and reconnecting with my breath and my whole body — not just one muscle group.
Strength didn’t return because I forced it.
It returned because I reconnected from the inside out. I felt stronger than I ever had especially because filming weekly Mothership videos guaranteed I was consistent with my rehab and return to weight lifting.
At 12 months, I felt like I’d achieved my physical goals, I could start lifting heavy in the gym and I could do any sport on any day - run, bike, swim or any other a friend fancied doing with me.
My second birth was a caesarean - I felt tighter and seemed deceptively “easier”
My caesarean recovery felt completely different.
This time, I didn’t feel open.
I felt tight. Held. Bound.
My recovery seemed more straightforward at first. Less obvious weakness. Less heaviness. More “I can probably just crack on.”
But scars don’t shout the way pelvic floors do.
They whisper — through tightness, pulling, numbness, discomfort and later weakness.
I knew I had to slow down intentionally.
Not because I couldn’t do more…
But because I wanted to heal properly.
I paired breathing with mobility.
I worked alongside scar healing.
I respected my body’s timeline instead of pushing past it.
Because healing isn’t something you “push through”.
It’s something you allow.
Two births, two recoveries — both valid
So often mums ask:
“Is vaginal recovery harder than C-section recovery?”
“Should I be further on by now?”
“Why does this feel different to last time?”
The truth is:
✨ No two births are the same
✨ No two recoveries are the same
✨ And no two bodies heal the same way
It’s not vaginal vs caesarean.
It’s your birth.
Your body.
Your healing.
Why scar care matters after a C-section
C-section recovery doesn’t stop when the wound closes.
A healed scar is not the same as a well-functioning scar.
Scar tissue can:
Restrict movement
Alter posture and breathing
Contribute to pelvic floor tension
Affect how your core reconnects
Cause persistent sensitivity or numbness
Which is why proactive scar care is so important.
If you’ve had a caesarean birth, I really encourage you to read our full guide here:
👉 C-section Scar Massage: Why It Matters & How To Do It Safely
(insert link to your C-section massage blog page here)
And if you want practical support with healing your scar properly, we’ve created something deeply supportive for you…
The C-Section Scar Recovery Kit
We’ve curated a kit we genuinely use and recommend in clinic — designed to support:
✔ Scar hydration
✔ Silicone therapy
✔ Scar mobility
✔ Tissue healing
✔ Daily care routines
You can find our recommended C-Section Scar Recovery Kit here:
👉 (insert link to your kit buying page here)
If your scar is:
Tight
Raised
Red or itchy
Still changing colour when pinched
Or simply “doesn’t feel right”
Then structured scar care can make a huge difference.
And if you’re ready to rebuild your body…
Healing isn’t just about one muscle or one scar.
It’s about:
✔ restoring trust
✔ rebuilding strength
✔ understanding your body again
✔ moving with confidence
✔ and knowing what’s normal and what needs support
Inside The Mothership Membership, we guide you through:
Pelvic floor rehab
Core rebuilding
Progressive strength
Nervous system support
Education you can actually use
And a community of women who get it
Not pressure.
Not perfection.
Just supported, sensible, realistic healing.
If your body feels different…
…you’re not broken.
…you’re not behind.
…you’re not dramatic.
You’re postpartum.
And you deserve care that sees the whole of you.
Two births.
Two bodies.
Two stories.
And a lifetime to look after the one you’re in now.
🧡 Emma
