Raquel Renteria is a #badassmama. Why? Because she knows that giving birth via caesarean doesn't make her less of a mum.
The mother of two has shared her story to help other mums make peace with their birth experiences.
In a now viral Instagram post, the Californian mum shared an intimate photo of her C-section scar.
"The last few weeks leading up to Alexa's birth, I was scared. I was terrified of this surgery. I was afraid of this scar and the long-term effects it would have on body and my mind. I was worried I would feel inadequate, like I didn't give birth to her," she wrote.
"So many different fears lingered, but SO many other mamas told me, it would all be okay. And it is. I don't feel as if I was robbed of a birth or like less of a bad ass. This scar proves that I am indeed a #badassmama!"
Raquel notes that deciding to have a C-section wasn't an easy decision, but that it allowed her to let go of her expectations. "It pushed me to educate myself, to open my mind," she writes.
"I had everything I wanted during my birth. We had skin to skin in the OR, we saw our daughter being birthed (actually have the video of it), my husband cut the umbilical cord, they delayed cord clamping, and most importantly, our baby was safe and beautiful and my doctor respected every decision we made.
"I couldn't be more proud of this scar. I couldn't be more proud of myself."
Speaking to Scary Mommy, Raquel explained that although her first birthing experience hadn't been a "horror story", she wanted things to be different second time around. "I knew what I wanted, I knew I had choices and that this birth could be an experience my husband and I could enjoy together," she explains.
But as we all know, the business of making babies doesn't always go according to plan.
At 32 weeks, Raquel discovered that her baby was breach. When she went into labour at 37 weeks she reluctantly opted to have a caesarean. "It's illegal in California for midwives to deliver breech babies out of hospital and unfortunately there aren't any doctors in my area that will deliver a breech baby," she explains.
Although it wasn't the birth experience she set out to have, she was still able to have a positive experience. She now hopes that her story will inspire others.
"Women should help each other to see the beauty in all births. No one birth is better than the other," she says.
"They are all their own unique experience, all of which should be celebrated."