Millie Mackintosh opens up about what it was like to have ‘natural c-section’

It was the safest option for her daughter Sienna's birth.

Millie Mackintosh has opened up about what it was like to have a natural c-section. The mum, who is pregnant with her second child, reflected on her birth experience in an honest Instagram post this week. The former Made In Chelsea star explained that her daughter Sienna was breech so "the safest way for her to arrive was an abdominal birth, it was also my birth preference". A natural c-section, also known as a gentle or family c-section, is a slowed-down cesarean that tends to include the parent more. The surgery itself is the same, but medical teams make "accommodations that allow you to feel more part of the birth experience and to bond with your baby right away."

 

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The mum will be able to view the birth by being propped up or by lowering the plastic drape. However, a solid drape will still block the view of the surgical incision. Other accommodations include a slower delivery, dimmed lightning, less sedation, special music, and immediate skin-to-skin contact. The delivery team may also use less restrictive equipment during the surgery.  The mum's hands may not be strapped down and the EKG leads will be placed on your back or lower chest. "I am a planner and I liked knowing when and how Sienna would be delivered. I requested a natural c section which I really recommend if you have a choice. It’s basically a slowed-down cesarean but I’d explore this for yourself if interested."

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  The mum admitted that it did really hurt when the painkillers wore off, "but to put it into perspective I experienced more pain from breastfeeding and cracked nipples than from my c section!" After Sienna was born, the mum said she felt woozy from the drugs and she was in and out of consciousness. "At one point my skin started to itch all over which is apparently a normal reaction and I was given an antihistamine to help." Millie said she stayed in bed and felt weak and unsteady on her feet the next day. "Once I was up I made sure to get out of bed every few hours to walk very slowly around my room to get the blood flow going. Don’t get me started on my swollen ankles!" the mum wrote.

 

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The soon-to-be- mum-of-two stayed in the hospital for two nights, but was eager to get home to husband Hugo. "The second morning I had a low point and I remember calling my mum crying, the pain of a raw bleeding nipple combined with being sore from my surgery all got too much. My advice would be to make sure someone looking after you has an alarm set for when you can take your next pain medication and they stay on it to help manage it!" Millie welcomed her daughter Sienna in May 2020. She is due to give birth to her and husband Hugo's second daughter later this year.