by Callista Dawson

If you’re living with scoliosis and wondering how pregnancy, labor, and motherhood might be different — especially after bracing or spinal fusion — this is my real-life story and what I learned. In this blog, I’ll share what scoliosis and pregnancy was like for me, how my body handled labor without an epidural, and what I wish I knew before becoming a mom.

The Beginning of My Scoliosis Journey

Scoliosis has been a part of my family for generations. My grandmother, father, aunts, uncles, and cousins have all lived with it—some mildly, others more severely. My grandmother never pursued treatment, and my uncle’s spinal fusion in the 1970s failed, leaving him with lasting difficulties. I grew up with scoliosis all around me. In many ways, my diagnosis felt inevitable.

What I didn’t know at ten years old—when my curves were spotted during a fifth-grade school screening—was just how much scoliosis would shape me, break me down, build me back up, and ultimately prepare me for the kind of strength I’d need as a mother.

Scoliosis Bracing during Adolescence: The Heavy Weight of Middle School

At twelve, the summer before eighth grade, I was fitted with a Boston brace. My doctors told me to wear it all day and night. I tried, but middle school is a brutal place to stand out, and my brace didn’t hide well. The brace was big, hot, and uncomfortable. Physically, it hurt. Emotionally, it crushed me. One day, the boy I liked asked loudly, “What’s wrong with your back?” 

That was it. I decided then and there I would never wear it to school again.

I fell into a depression that year. I hid the brace in my closet, snuck off to school pretending I had it on, even faked stiffness under baggy clothes so my mom wouldn’t suspect anything. But eventually, I slipped up. I bent down to pick something up as I was getting out of the car one morning. Mom saw. She knew what was going on, so she went home instead of going to work. When she found the brace shoved in the back of my closet, she decided to pull me out of school for the day, sat me down, and we had one of the most honest conversations of my life: I didn’t want to brace. I wanted surgery.

💡 Advice for Parents: Don’t become “the bad guy.” Threats and guilt only deepen the isolation. Your support and presence will matter far more than perfect compliance.

How I Choose My Own Path for My Scoliosis Surgery

By fourteen, my curves had progressed past 50 degrees, and my doctors determined I was done growing. That summer, before freshman orientation, I had spinal fusion surgery. I was fused from T1 to L4. Recovery in the hospital was longer back then, and it was challenging. But surgery taught me grit. Each milestone—sitting up, walking again—reminded me that I could do hard things. But my mom…she was my anchor. She eventually got me home, managed my pain, bathed me, dressed me, brought me to my freshman orientation, and made sure my transition to high school was smooth. I didn’t fully appreciate what she did until I became a mom myself.

When I started school that fall, I was just 98 pounds. But I felt stronger. For the first time, I was comfortable in my own skin. This was my choice, and for me, that made all the difference. Instead of gym, I got to take extra art classes. That freedom to lean into art—at a time when my body was physically limited—sparked a passion that eventually grew into part of my career. Scoliosis closed one door but opened another, giving me a lifelong outlet for creativity.

💡 Advice for Teens: Surgery doesn’t have to be scary, but it’s not a magic escape either. You will always have scoliosis, plus or minus some hardware. Focus on doing what’s best for your whole self: body, mind, and spirit.

Facing Pregnancy, Labor, and Motherhood with a Spinal Fusion

Years later, scoliosis met me again—this time as a young newlywed, wondering if pregnancy and delivery were possible with a fused spine. I knew epidurals weren’t an option for me, which was daunting. But I also knew I wanted children, and I chose to trust my body.

Both pregnancies had their challenges. With my first, I battled sciatica—it made stairs nearly impossible. With both deliveries, I experienced intense back labor that required constant counter pressure and massage. My husband and family members took turns pushing on my lower back for hours. But the truth is, my body carried my children well. I delivered both Ryder and Evie with no epidurals and no complications. Holding each of them for the first time was proof: scoliosis didn’t stop me from becoming a mother.

💡 Advice for Fused Women: Fusion is not a barrier to motherhood. Prepare your body, find providers who listen to you, and lean on your support system. Your body can do hard things. The rest is in God’s hands.

Full Circle: A Scoliosis Mom

When Evie was almost seven, I noticed her hip protruding. My heart sank. I had been watching her like a hawk, and I still missed it until her curves were 36 and 36 degrees, with 9 degrees of pelvic rotation. I felt like I had failed—but I hadn’t. That’s scoliosis. It hides until it doesn’t. I felt a rush of emotions—sadness, empathy, determination. It was as if history was repeating itself, but this time I wasn’t the patient; I was the parent.

That perspective changes everything. I know firsthand the discomfort of bracing, the social challenges, and the fears. Because of that, I try to give Evie the encouragement I longed for as a teen. I remind her that the brace doesn’t define her, that her passions matter, and that she can still dream big.

I dreaded making her wear a brace because of my own trauma, but her doctor assured me things had changed. He was right. Evie’s brace, crafted by Gez Bowman, inventor of the LA Brace, was nothing like my Boston brace. She has been bracing faithfully, and now—four years later—her in-brace correction is almost 0 degrees. She’s entering puberty with strong odds she’ll never face surgery.

💡 Advice for Parents: Trust the process, and celebrate every small victory along the way—progress isn’t always visible in the mirror, but it’s happening every day. 

Finding a Special Scoliosis Support Community

The biggest difference between Evie’s journey and mine is community. As a teen, I felt utterly alone. There were no support groups, no mentors, no teddy bears in braces to remind me that other kids were out there. When Evie was diagnosed, I turned to the internet and found Higgy Bears. That small teddy bear in a scoliosis brace opened the door to a whole world: support packets, resources, Zoom calls, mentors through Scolios-us, and eventually the Higgy Convention.

I’ll never forget when Evie was matched with her mentor, Isabelle. Suddenly, she had a friend who understood what she was going through in real time. Through Higgy Zooms during the pandemic, she laughed with other “scoli kids.” And when she attended her first Higgy Convention, she looked around a room full of kids in braces and realized she wasn’t different—she was part of something bigger.

For us, the Higgy Friends community has been life-giving. Higgy Friends is a growing network of local groups where families walking the scoliosis journey can meet, share stories, and have fun together. Evie and I now host the Pasadena, CA group, and it has been such a joy to connect with others in our area. We are always open to inviting more families to join us, and anyone can visit HiggyFriends.com to find a group near them, or start one!

Community transforms the scoliosis journey from something isolating into something shared. We don’t have to walk this road alone.

💡 Advice for Parents: The biggest gift you can give your child is connection. Don’t try to control them into compliance—support them, encourage them, and connect them with others who understand.

My Final Tips for Kids and Teens with Scoliosis and for Parents

Scoliosis has taught me that my body is uniquely beautiful and capable of hard things. It has taught me to persevere, to accept what I cannot change, and to cherish the strength I discovered along the way.

If I could go back, here’s what I’d say:

• To my teenage self: You’re stronger than you know. This won’t break you—it will build you.
• To parents: Be steady. Be safe. Don’t become the enemy. Don’t let fear drive you.
• To teens: Your scoliosis is part of your story, but it is not the whole of you.
• To fused women: Motherhood is possible. Your body can do hard things.

Today, as I watch my daughter walk this road, I see a strength in her I didn’t have at her age. She is confident, brave, and resilient. She is Scoli-Strong. Bent-not-broken. And that gives me hope—not just for her future, but for every child, parent, and woman living this journey.

✨ Final Encouragement: Scoliosis is not the end of the story. It’s just the beginning of one that will make you stronger than you ever imagined.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Scoliosis and Pregnancy

Can someone with scoliosis have a normal delivery?

Yes, most women with scoliosis can have a normal vaginal delivery, although individual factors such as curve severity, prior spinal surgery, and anesthesia access should be considered. Studies show that 54-81% of deliveries occur via spontaneous vaginal delivery, with cesarean section rates ranging from 14-23%, which is similar to or only slightly higher than the general population rate of 13-18%. Please talk with your doctor about your specific situation [1-3].

Does spinal fusion affect epidural placement?

Yes, spinal fusion significantly affects epidural placement, making the procedure more technically challenging with longer placement times, more attempts, and higher failure rates, though successful neuraxial anesthesia (epidural) is still achievable in most cases [4].

Will pregnancy make my scoliosis worse?

Pregnancy is unlikely to significantly worsen your scoliosis, though minor curve progression may occur and is often temporary. The evidence suggests that any changes are typically small and may occur with time regardless of pregnancy status [5].

References:

1. Chan EW, Gannon SR, Shannon CN, et al. The impact of curve severity on obstetric complications and regional anesthesia utilization in pregnant patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a preliminary analysis. Neurosurg Focus. 2017.
2. Chatelain LS, Marie-Hardy L, Khalifé M, et al. Pregnancy and childbirth after adolescent idiopathic scoliosis surgery: a study of 80 pregnancies. Orthop Traumatol Surg Res. 2024.
3. Orvomaa E, Hiilesmaa V, Poussa M, Snellman O, Tallroth K. Pregnancy and delivery in patients operated by the Harrington method for idiopathic scoliosis. Eur Spine J. 1996.
4. Bauchat JR, McCarthy RJ, Koski TR, Wong CA. Labor Analgesia Consumption and Time to Neuraxial Catheter Placement in Women with a History of Surgical Correction for Scoliosis: A Case-Matched Study. Anesth Analg. 2015 Oct;121(4):981-987. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000000690. PMID: 25794113.
5. Singh M, Yan Z, Daher M, et al. Curve progression and clinical outcomes in pregnant females with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. World Neurosurg. 2024.

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