C-sections hit record high in Wales as mothers warn of support gap

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

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.”