I was in labor for more than 24 hours, unmedicated, and my cervix never dilated past zero. My daughter was born by unplanned (non-emergency) c-section at H+ Hospital in Cabo San Lucas, and I would still call this a positive c-section birth story.
I know that sounds like a contradiction. Stay with me.
I gave birth in February, at 40 years old, as a first-time mom here in Cabo, the place my husband and I now call home. It was the longest and hardest day of my life, filled with decisions I never expected to make and an ending that looked nothing like the birth I had imagined. But it was also the day I met my daughter, and the day my life changed forever.
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The Birth Plan I Actually Had
My original due date was February 21st. At my 37-week appointment, my OB adjusted it to February 18th. I went into labor on February 19th, at exactly 40 weeks.
In the weeks leading up to birth, I did everything I could to prepare my body. Daily walks, strength training, Pilates, raspberry leaf tea, ate all the dates, breathwork, meditation, and more hours bouncing on a ball than I can count. I wanted to go into labor naturally, and I wanted to see what my body could do.
But my actual birth plan was one sentence: a safe, healthy, peaceful delivery for me and my baby, however that needed to happen.
After losing my dad and living through the medical trauma that came with it, I could not attach myself to a specific type of birth. My priority was never the method. It was making sure my baby and I came out of it safe.
The Day Labor Started
Around 5 p.m. I started feeling "off". Tired, achy, a funny stomach. By 7 p.m. the stomach ache had turned into something that felt exactly like period cramps, and it dawned on me that period cramps can be a sign of early labor.
Then came a very mild bloody show. It was not very bloody, and it was not much of a show. Moms will know what I mean.
I texted my doctor and my doula, and said, "I think it's starting." My doctor told me to meet her at her office at 9:15 p.m. She ran the usual checks, ultrasound, fetal monitoring, and a cervical check, and confirmed it. Labor was starting, but my cervix was completely closed.
She sent me home to rest. My mom went to bed. My husband went to bed. I did not go to bed.
Contractions were mild and sporadic, so I bounced between the couch and the bed and watched movies. Around 3 a.m. I gave up on sleep, took a shower, blow dried my hair, and snapped a few pictures. Apparently even in labor, I was still me 😉
The Longest Day
At 8:30 the next morning we went back. Same checks, same result. Cervix closed, zero dilation. Baby was doing great, so my doctor sent us home and told us to come back at 1 p.m.
At home, my mom and my husband kept me fed, hydrated, and calm. My playlist was going, I bounced on the ball, and at one point my contractions gave me a 45-minute break and I actually napped.
At 12:30 we went back. Same checks. Same result. Zero dilation.
That was the moment things shifted for me mentally. I was tired, hungry, and starting to feel defeated. My doctor could see on the monitor that my contractions were getting stronger, but my body was not progressing, and for the first time, the word c-section entered the conversation.
She told us to go home, but to plan on staying when we came back at 7 p.m. Then she said the sentence I will never forget: "Your baby will be born tonight."
When Everything Picked Up
About an hour after we got home, my contractions turned intense, frequent, and all in my back. The only relief was being on my hands and knees while my husband pressed hard into my hips.
I looked at him and said, "Call the doctor. I can't continue like this without any progress."
The 20-minute drive to her office included four contractions. Getting out of the car, one more. The short walk from the car to the office, three more, each lasting about two minutes.
I was exhausted, thirsty (because since we knew a c-section was reality, my Dr needed me to cut back on all fluids and foods), and in a lot of pain, but I had also dropped into the most focused state of my life. All I could do was breathe. It was actually incredibly fascinating. I was in so much pain but locked into my breathe.
On the table, the checks told the same story one more time. Baby was doing great. I was in active labor with strong, frequent contractions. And my cervix was still completely closed.
That is when the tears started.
The Decision
My husband looked at me and said, "Whatever you decide is what we will do." I know he was nervous, but he stayed calm for me. So did my mom, even though I could see it in her face too.
Our gut feeling, and my doctor's, was that something was preventing the baby from dropping into the birth canal. My body was clearly trying, but nothing was moving. Since the baby and I were both still safe, we did not want to wait until it became an emergency.
So we made the call. Unplanned c-section, that night.
I felt two things at the exact same time: fear and relief. Fear because major surgery is scary no matter how calm you have stayed for 24 hours. Relief because we finally had a plan, and we were choosing it from a place of safety instead of panic.
While we waited in the hospital reception to be checked in, everything hit me at once. The exhaustion, the fear, the excitement, the realization that I was about to meet my daughter. I started crying, not because anything was wrong, but because I felt everything at the same time.
My mom wrapped her arms around me and told me it was going to be okay. And in that moment, I believed her.
The Operating Room
My doctor's office sits right across from H+ Hospital, so we walked over. The hospital was quiet and peaceful, and I barely saw another patient. My mom, my husband, and my doula were with me in pre-op, and my doctor held me while the anesthesiologist placed the epidural.
Around 9 p.m. I was rolled into the operating room. They had Tina Turner playing. I did not have my phone for my own playlist, and after 24 hours of unmedicated labor, I truly did not care. They asked me "What music do you want to listen to" and I responded "I don't care, this is fine!" I couldn't be bothered to answer another question!
The medication gave me the shakes, and I shivered nonstop, asking over and over, "Is this normal? Am I okay?" The anesthesiologist answered every single time. "You're doing great. Your vitals are perfect. You're okay."
My husband was right next to me, holding my hand and scratching my head. The room felt calm, warm, and even happy. The doctors were relaxed and engaged, and I realized I was getting the one thing I had actually asked for: a peaceful birth. Even in an operating room.
The procedure started around 9:30 p.m.
At 9:56 p.m., my baby was born.
Meeting My Daughter
The first thing I noticed was her hair. A full head of dark hair, lifted over the curtain, and one thought running through my head before I could process anything else: that's my baby. She's here. She's safe. She's real.
Within a few minutes she was on my chest. I know that after c-sections, immediate skin-to-skin does not always happen. Because everything was routine and healthy, they brought her straight to me, and I held her while they closed me up.
Dark hair. Big cheeks. Squishy little eyes. The calmest energy. My husband was above my head, and we both had tears in our eyes and the biggest smiles of our lives.
When they took her for her routine pediatric check, my husband went with her and got about 20 minutes of skin-to-skin of his own. My doctor came over and gave me the biggest hug. And then the whole team leaned in around the baby on my chest and we took the most epic group selfie. Honestly, iconic.
The moment I was out of the operating room, she was back on my chest, and my very first request was for my doula to call my mom. Because even though I had just become a mom, I still needed my mom to know we were okay.
The First 36 Hours
Recovery was rough at first, not because anything was wrong, but because I was not prepared for how little I would be able to move. I could not feel my legs. I did not know if I was peeing. I did not even realize there was a catheter bag until they came to change it!
And still, those first 36 hours were some of the most blissful of my life. My baby in my arms, my husband next to me, my mom's face when they rolled us into the room, and the ocean out the window.
I was begging for ice chips because I could not drink water right away, and the first time I had to stand up was a whole event I will tell you about another day. But the nurses were lovely, the room was peaceful, and my baby was healthy, strong, and perfect.
If you are curious about the practical side, the hospital, the costs, and what maternity care actually looks like here, I wrote a full guide on giving birth in Cabo San Lucas as an expat.
FAQ
Yes, an unplanned c-section can absolutely be a positive birth experience. For me, the keys were a doctor I trusted, making the decision before it became an emergency, and a calm operating room. My daughter was on my chest within minutes of being born.
Yes, it is possible to have strong, frequent contractions without any dilation. That was my exact experience for more than 24 hours. Every situation is different, so this is something only your own provider can evaluate.
Skin-to-skin immediately after a c-section is possible in many cases. Because my surgery was routine and my daughter was healthy, my hospital in Cabo brought her straight to my chest while they finished the procedure. Ask your provider about their policy ahead of time.
For me, early labor felt like period cramps that would not go away. It started with feeling tired and achy around 5 p.m., turned into cramping by 7 p.m., and was followed by a mild bloody show. Contractions stayed mild and sporadic for hours before intensifying.
I gave birth at H+ Hospital, a private hospital in Cabo San Lucas, with the OB who had followed my whole pregnancy. The hospital was quiet, private, and calm, and my full experience with maternity care in Cabo is covered in my giving birth in Cabo guide.
If you are preparing for a C-section or postpartum recovery, you can shop the recovery products I actually used and loved.
Related
If this story resonated, the rest of the series is for you: my honest guide to giving birth in Cabo San Lucas as an expat, how I prepared my body for labor, and what nobody told me about c-section recovery.
What I'd Tell Pregnant Me
If I could go back and talk to pregnant me, I would say: you can do this. You are strong, you are brave, and you are safe.
Laboring for more than 24 hours without medication taught me that I can stay calm in pain, breathe through fear, and trust my body even when it is not doing what I expected. I never once lost my cool during contractions. I did not know that about myself before.
I thought the moment that would change my life would be labor, or the c-section decision, or her first cry. It was none of those. It was the moment they placed her on my chest.
Everything before that feels like a blur. Everything after it feels like the beginning of the greatest chapter of my life.
Would I do it all again? Yes. All day, yes.
