After a Cesarean delivery, your body is not only recovering from major abdominal surgery—it’s also healing from childbirth while nourishing a new life. The right foods can make recovery smoother by helping rebuild lost blood, repair tissue, and support your hormones and energy. For me, nourishing myself with healing foods after my belly birth was the one of the first ways I showed myself love.

Part memoir, part investigative reporting, this book follows the author as she experiences her own unplanned Cesarean, grapples with the resulting trauma, and interviews other C-section patients and experts on the history and current state of maternal health care.

Each belly birth has its own unique story, and these statistics help us understand the scope of shared experiences for Cesarean birth moms. 

This is a comprehensive guide that covers many aspects of belly birth recovery. My hope is that you take what’s helpful, and leave behind what’s not. You are unique, and birth is a complex experience. Your recovery journey is yours to navigate – whether that’s full speed ahead or floating down the stream is totally up to you.