Pregnancy and childbirth are two very special moments in the lives of women who have become mothers. Our bodies go through impressive transformations, to make way for a new life. Sometimes, this new life comes through a caesarean section, which could make some women feel that the birth of their children was not as planned.
But giving birth by caesarean section is a very special way of being born. This is how it shows us a mother who is an artist, with her paintings on pregnancy and childbirth, among which those dedicated to mothers who had an unexpected caesarean section.
Catie Atkinson is a family mother and artist. Through her Spirit & Sol online store, she sells her illustrations and products, in which you celebrate pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, through beautiful colors and figures.
Flashback seven years ago- I was a broke new mama, desperate to stay home with my baby but also faced with the harsh reality of needing a paycheck. The "American" dream of a two car garage didn't appeal to me- but neither did scraping by and being constantly stressed about money. I wanted freedom, travel, adventure-- but also financial stability for my family. I had a dream in my heart of a life that would allow us to travel back and forth to Peru (and other places) while doing something I loved and keeping my babes close to me. It was a dream that seemed too big, too unrealistic, and too scary to even share with anyone at the time, but I held it in my heart, fought for it with every breath, and worked my ass off to bring it to life. Seven years and three businesses later, we're living that dream We're still hustling, and it's definitely not all unicorns and glitter, but we have a life that allows to travel and spend time with our family. And it's only the beginning As I reflect and soak in this gift, I realize I'm ready to set even bigger dreams - and to support others in reaching theirs. I'm looking for ten kick ass womxn to link arms with me on a journey of physical, spiritual, and financial expansion. One part business venture, one part selfspiritual growth adventure- we'll be working together (and with an amazing team of healers and visionaries) to step into our potential as radiant, powerful, abundant light warriors. And we'll be making magic money along the way. If you're ready to Embrace a journey of personal growth and planetary healing. Expand your horizons as a heart centered entrepreneur, Support others in reaching their goals and embodying their most thriving selves, and Create financial abundance in your life All while working from home (or from the road) with your babes- hit me up I've been sitting on this plan for months now and I'm finally ready to leap Ready to dive in with me Please send an email to [email protected], subject line "green goddess" and tell me a little bit about yourself and your dreams --- by tomorrow The energy is moving fast, so if you feel the call, reach out right away Love you all
And although his theme is motherhood in general, a couple of paintings published on his Instagram account stand out from the others, for showing something that is not so common: how magical and how special caesarean sections can be.
Magic Happened Here print is now available on my website (link in profile) #csection #cesareanbirth #cesarean #cesareanscar #csectionscar
In the illustrations dedicated to mothers who have had a C-section, Catie includes phrases like "Here magic happened"or"Worth", near the illustrations that represent a caesarean section in the mothers' womb that appear in his paintings.
Cesarean mamas- this one's for you. I hope you know that you are worthy. That you are a warrior. That you are brave and powerful and strong as fck. I hope you know that birthing your baby on an operating table makes you no less of a mother. No less of a goddess. Your birth story is holy and that beautiful scar on your belly is sacred as sht. You are worthy of praise and celebration, honor and admiration. I hope that you know it was worth it. Knowing this does NOT mean you can't mourn your dream. It does NOT mean you can't wish things had gone differently. But I hope that underneath it all, you can find beauty in what was. What is. Your baby. Your birth Your strength Your healing Your story. Your journey wasn't easy. Perhaps it unfolded much differently than you had hoped- perhaps it shook you to your core and left you feeling the immense weight of a "what if" and "why". Perhaps you're still wading through the heavy emotions of disappointment, anger, and grief. Perhaps you always will. But whatever feelings you hold in your heart and in your womb, I hope that you can look at your scar and say "Hell yes, it was worth it. And hell yea, I am worthy" * this post was written for mamas who might be struggling with an unexpected or undesired cesarean birth. I recognize that there are mamas that choose to have plannedelective cesarean births who might not resonate with the message in this post. I honor them as well - as I honor all mothers, all womxn, and all beings.
In addition to the beautiful illustrations that show the most important of a C-section, our babies, Catie sends a message to all mothers who have had a C-section:
I hope you know that you are worth it. What are warriors. That they are brave and powerful and strong. I hope you know that giving birth to your baby on an operating table does not make them less mothers. No less goddesses. His birth history is divine and that precious scar on your belly is too. You are worthy of admiration and celebration, of honor and admiration.
She continues to say and highlight that she hopes they can understand that under everything, there is beauty in a caesarean section and that there are different things that we can appreciate from it: our babies, our strength, our recovery and our history.
The trip was not easy. Maybe it happened in a very different way than you thought, maybe it shook you to your gut and left you with the immense weight of questions like "and if there were" and "why". Perhaps they are still dealing with strong emotions such as disappointment, courage or sadness. Maybe they always do. But whatever feelings they carry in their heart and belly, I hope they can see their scar and say "Yes, it was worth everything. And yes, I am worth it."
And it is that for some women, that their part ends in an emergency or unplanned caesarean section, it is something that saddens them and makes them feel that their body failed them. However, we must remember that the way of giving birth does not define us as women and mothers, because although maybe things did not work out as we imagined, in the end the most important thing is that mom and baby are well.
At the end of her message, Catie clarifies that her message is addressed to mothers who are dealing with an unplanned caesarean section, and that she acknowledges that this message may not resonate for everyone, as many choose to have a C-section for different situations. In the end, she decides to honor everyone, and this is her way of including those who had an unexpected caesarean section.
