Counting Down the Final Days
Now there are only a few days left until our third child arrives by planned surgery. This planned C-section with three kids feels very different from everything I have experienced before.
People often ask why a planned C-section.
The answer is simple. Both of my previous births ended in emergency C-sections. With both children, labor was induced for two full days using four different methods. Nothing worked. My body simply did not start labor.
With my daughter, I reached 42 weeks. With my son, who has Down syndrome, labor was induced at 39 weeks.
This time, the birth is planned exactly on the due date.
Trying to Prepare for the Unknown
Before the surgery, there are still things to take care of. Small but meaningful things that somehow make everything feel more real.
We went to the hairdresser as a family.
My daughter did not want anyone to touch her beautiful long curls. I understood her completely. I, on the other hand, chose something practical. I cut my hair shorter, to shoulder length, and covered the grey roots.
Pregnancy always makes my hair thick and strong. It never falls out. But after birth, especially while breastfeeding around the clock, it starts shedding in handfuls.
Shorter hair feels like a small act of control.
My son had hair covering his eyes and ears. After the haircut, he looked like a completely different boy. So grown up. So handsome. He suddenly looked so much like his cousin.
I couldn’t stop looking at him.
Seeing My Children as They Are
Both of my children are incredible in their own ways.
My son, despite having Down syndrome, is so social, emotional, and joyful. I truly believe that if he were already in kindergarten, he would find friends easily.
My daughter amazes me every single day with her intelligence. The way she thinks, asks questions, and understands the world is beyond her age.
And now, there is a third child coming.
We know almost nothing about this baby.
Living with Uncertainty
I only recently had my first ultrasound. At this stage, it is difficult to see details like brain or heart structure.
We know the basics. Arms, legs, a head.
And we hope.
I often think that if something serious had been visible, they would not have let me carry to full term.
Still, this planned C-section with three kids carries a layer of quiet uncertainty that I cannot ignore.
A Rare Moment Alone
I also went to the beauty salon for some treatments.
It may sound small, but it meant a lot. I managed to go alone. I walked through shops and the pharmacy in peace.
I bought mesh underwear to wear after the hospital. Practical things. Necessary things.
Moments alone feel rare now. Almost unreal.
Balancing Time Between Two Children
My son has clearly recovered from his ear infection. Seeing him active and happy again brings relief.
My daughter has been home more lately, but soon she will spend more time in kindergarten again.
Before going to the hospital, I want to spend time with her alone. Just the two of us. Maybe a quiet walk this weekend.
She deserves that.
I often spend one-on-one time with my son when my daughter is in kindergarten or playing outside. But she is used to having me around almost all the time.
She feels the change coming.
Questions Only a Child Thinks to Ask
Yesterday, she asked me something that stayed with me.
When you are in the hospital with the baby, who will take care of me and my brother?
Who will take me to kindergarten?
Who will play with him?
Such a simple question. Such a deep understanding.
I told her that her dad will take care of everything, with help from grandparents and our neighbor’s daughter.
Usually, we share responsibilities in the evenings. But this time, my partner will carry it all.
The Reality at Home
He will not be alone, but he will be the center of everything.
Therapies, training sessions, daily routines, meals.
Proper food is a priority in our home. If needed, his parents live just five minutes away and can bring warm meals.
We have strong routines. Eating at the table. Washing hands before meals. Brushing teeth morning and evening.
These systems matter now more than ever.
They hold everything together.
Who Has It Harder
People might assume that I have the harder role.
I will go through surgery. I will face pain. I will need to recover and establish breastfeeding.
And yes, I know from experience that recovery is long and difficult.
But honestly, I sometimes feel that my partner has the harder role.
I will be surrounded by a medical team. There will be support.
He will be at home, managing everything alone.
The Emotional Weight
Mentally, this is not easy for either of us.
Children have emotions, frustrations, needs that do not pause.
I have had difficult moments mentally before, especially after my daughter was born.
That memory stays with me.
So now, we are trying to keep things as calm as possible before I go to the hospital. Maybe it will help us face what is coming.
Preparing for the Chaos Ahead
Because soon, everything will change again.
Right now, life with a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old already feels intense. Constant movement. Constant noise. Constant needs.
Soon, that same life will include a newborn and round-the-clock breastfeeding.
It will be a different kind of chaos.
I try to prepare in every way I can. Cleaning the home. Washing clothes and bed linens. Filling the fridge.
Doing everything now that I won’t be able to do later.
The Final Instructions
The doctor said that if nothing happens before, I should come to the hospital the evening before the surgery.
I don’t expect anything unexpected, but after 40 years of experience, the doctor has seen everything.
On the due date, I am scheduled as the first in the morning.
Everything is planned.
And yet, nothing feels fully predictable.
Looking at What Comes Next
We will see if my partner comes to visit with the children already that same evening.
I hope everything goes smoothly. I hope we won’t be sent to intensive care or transferred to a larger hospital.
Mostly, I hope for something simple.
A safe birth. A healthy baby. Strength for all of us.
This planned C-section with three kids is not just about bringing a baby into the world.
It is about holding a family together while everything shifts.
And somehow, finding calm in the middle of it all.
You are not alone.
If this story resonated with you and you’d like to go deeper, you can explore my e-book Our Journey – A Different Path. It offers honest reflections and lived experience beyond this post.
If you’re looking for practical support, I’ve created Routine Templates to help parents and children navigate daily life with more clarity, structure, and understanding.
You can also read my previous posts or follow along on Instagram @parentguidancehub, where I share everyday reflections on parenting, family life, and finding balance.
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