New mums 'left to get on with it' as C-section numbers hit record high

Mothers have described being left to recover from caesarean sections with "no support" as the number of babies being born via caesarean reaches its highest rate on record.

A caesarean, or C-section, is a major operation to deliver a baby through a cut made in a woman's stomach and womb.

Carys Louise Brandon, from Swansea, had an emergency C-section to deliver her first child in 2022 and said she was completely unprepared for what came afterwards.

Latest figures show 42% of babies in Wales were born by C-section in 2025, with just over half of those operations being emergencies.

The Welsh government said every woman should receive high-quality postnatal care tailored to her needs.

Carys' first baby was born in 2022.

After needing an emergency C-section, Carys, a content creator, said she had many unanswered questions about her recovery.

"I think I was thrown in at the deep end and I really didn't know how to deal with it," she said.

It was almost three weeks before the 29-year-old said she felt physically able to leave the house.

"And even then, I only walked up to the top of the street and back," she added.

Carys has since had two more caesareans and said each experience was very different.

Both times, she said the care she received in hospital and from her community midwife was good. But after getting home, she was left with questions about how her body should be recovering.

"You're thrown so into the deep end and there's no sort of, 'Oh, this is how your scar should look. This is quite normal for this sort of time'."

She recalled taking the dressing off her wound and fainting in the shower.

"I didn't know – should my scar be recovering in a certain way, should I really be feeling like this?

"There's just no support around the fact that after it, you're looking after a baby and recovering from major surgery, and everyone's recovery looks totally different."

She has shared her own experiences online in the hopes of helping other women, and said expectant mums often contact her for advice.

"I wish I'd had more stories that I could read to be a bit more informed before I gave birth that way."

The latest figures from the Welsh government showed that 42% of births in Wales were by caesarean section in 2025 – the highest rate on record - while in England around 45% of babies are delivered in this way.

According to the NHS, external, a caesarean may be recommended as a planned procedure or carried out in an emergency if a vaginal birth is considered to be too risky. Some women also choose to have a caesarean for non-medical reasons.

The health service's website states that most women can go home from hospital one or two days after a C-section, but that recovery is normally slower than from a vaginal birth.

A Welsh government report published in February highlighted the rapid increase in caesarean sections and inductions, saying the consequences for women, their families and the NHS had not been evaluated.

The report raised concerns about staffing and support across maternity services and said postnatal care was inadequately staffed and supported.

The Welsh government has committed to a three-year programme of improvements, but the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) said maternity services had not kept pace with the changing picture.

Julie Richards, director of the RCM in Wales, said postnatal care for C-sections should include support with pain relief, wound care and surgical recovery, alongside help with feeding and caring for a new baby.

She said the rise in caesareans had changed the demands being placed on services.

"What we may not have had is the developments in maternity care to respond to the change in landscape for maternity services."

Ceri Ann Roberts, 29, from Gwynedd, said the care she received at Ysbyty Gwynedd after giving birth to her second child last year had left her "traumatised".

Ceri Ann had an emergency C-section and her daughter, Ania, was taken to neonatal intensive care because she was not breathing.

Ceri Ann said she was then left alone on the recovery ward, unable to move.

"I just wanted to see my baby but I couldn't, and the staff told me there was no one available to take me up to see her."

She said it was seven hours until she held her baby for the first time, and that was when her husband arrived back at the hospital and took her to the unit himself.

"It was awful, I just cried and cried," she said.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said while it could not comment on individual cases, women recovering from C-sections while their babies are in special care are supported by midwives who provide updates on their baby's wellbeing and help to facilitate visits to see their babies as soon as they are medically able to do so.

It acknowledged that being separated from a baby following birth could be distressing and said its teams worked to facilitate contact "at the earliest safe opportunity".

Nicola Rous-Morgan is a pregnancy and postnatal yoga teacher and a trained midwife, who works with women recovering after childbirth, including those who have had C-sections.

She said women often tell her they feel left alone to manage their recovery by themselves.

"I think one of the biggest take-homes is they felt that once they had been discharged from hospital, upon coming home, that they were just left to get on with it."

She added: "The focus is on women who are recovering from vaginal delivery. It's not geared towards women who are recovering from major abdominal surgery."

Nicola said women should not have to rely on private services or social media to find basic recovery information.

"These things shouldn't be things that women have to pay for privately. What happens to the women that can't afford that luxury?"

The RCM said staffing pressures were one factor affecting the care available.

Ms Richards said: "Our midwives are stretched, and quite often that is often impacted into the postnatal care, into the community settings."

The RCM surveyed its members in Wales in July, and 94% of respondents said they were not able to give the care they would like to give.

The organisation said midwives were working extra shifts and being moved to cover shortages elsewhere in maternity services.

Ms Richards said more investment and a workforce plan was needed.

The Welsh government said every woman should receive high-quality postnatal care tailored to their needs.

A spokesperson added: "Maternity teams provide postnatal assessment, advice and support following birth, and where required, women can be referred to specialist services including obstetric physiotherapy.

"Referrals are determined by individual clinical need to ensure women receive the most appropriate care to support their recovery and wellbeing."

"Recovery after birth matters, and where women tell us they have not felt listened to, supported or involved in decisions about their care, we expect services to learn from that feedback and act on it."