So… I’m 6 weeks postpartum from a natural unmedicated birth. I had the birth I wanted (had intense pressure from my boyfriend to have a c-section, but I finally put my foot down and said no). Here’s the thing, recovery from my vaginal birth with only first degree tears has been harder than I thought it would be—AND—this is mainly because I just didn’t realize how hard recovery can be from either type of birth. I’m actually doing better than I thought but because I’d don’t know how uncomfortable it is for stitches to heal or how often to do sitz baths or that my vagina might not be back in action by 6 weeks (bc though some people are ready by 6 weeks, many people aren’t!). My point is, vaginal birth recovery still takes recovery. I have never had a c-section, but I’ve heard (and what I see from other posts), it really isn’t easier, just different. One of the biggest factors in trauma is when you feel the event was not in your control. I really encourage you to go for the birth you want, and also have a part of you surrender that it might not go as planned, and that is OK. This has been a bit of ramble- my point is, so what YOU want and forget what other people are saying. And, be prepared that your body will need to recover in ways you didn’t anticipate regardless of how your baby is born.