Elective C Section or Vaginal Birth?

[Kirstiedenman]

I have very bad anxiety and was medicated for it for quite some time and each pregnancy i have it gets worse and worse! I have had both my boys vaginally and I wouldn't change it for the world my second was actually a completely drug free home birth and nothing could ever compare to that feeling. I dont know why but women do not trust there bodies at all in todays society and its awful. We were created for this almost 99% of the time yes the medical interventions are there as a back up which is great but your body is an amazing glorious piece of machinery and to trust it and let it birth your baby is one of the most amazing things ever. It can be a very daunting thought at first but c sections are a huge surgery and in fact all around the world especially in america at the moment there is alot of research going on as the c section rate is so high that places like america and australia are concidering taking on the same system as the uk when it comes to birthing.
I know I have gone on a bit of a rant but it makes me sad when I see posts like this that women are scared to trust themselves. Ina may gaskins book guide to childbirth is amazing and it helps to install that trust and relaxation about birth into you. I truely hope you find what is comfortable for you and you get an amazing birth you want but I also hope you can over come your anxiety as it can be very crippling and trust your body and your baby.

 

[sausages]

I've had four c-sections now and my last two (where I got to keep my healthy babies) were amazing!! The operation went smoothly, the healing was quick. I was breastfeeding in recovery and it all went fine!

BUT, if I could choose? I'd give my left tit to be able to deliver naturally. I have never experienced the excitement of going into labour. I wish I could push my baby out into the world like mummies have been doing for thousands of years. I just can't. It would likely kill me and my baby.

 

[Quartz]

One thing to think about as well is that I felt more out of control in my elective than I did with my VBAC. I was lying down with one arm strapped to a blood pressure machine and the other to a heart rate machine and all I could do when she was born was lift my head up. With the VBAC (it was drug free) I had far more movement.

 

[kittykat7210]

This has actually really swayed me towards labour, and made me feel more confident about it, i'm still scared but i think i would be the oddity if i wasnt! Thank you, I cant explain how much you have all helped

 

[lisa1980]

I've had two sections (on emergency and one planned). I enjoyed both to be honest and found the recovery much easier than I had expected.

BUT I personally would never plan a section for my first birth if it could be avoided. If it goes that way on the day then it will be fine, but if you can delivery vaginally without complications then that's what I'd choose every time.

 

[Kirstiedenman]

Honestly I will say it over and over again ina may gaskin guide to childbirth will give you everything you need it makes you feel like you are a goddess and to appreciate your body. I am in no way saying that if you have a c section you are not because there is definitely things out of our control that c sections are needed but please please do yourself a favor and read that book and do some meditation get in touch with your body and learn to love and trust yourself. It is one of the best ways I have learnt to control my anxiety and I dont use any meds anymore. I wish you the absolute best of luck

 

[ItsAWonder]

I dont think its negativity towards c section as such they are amazing and I enjoyed the elective c section experience with my daughter and I personally consider I gave birth to her as much as I gave birth to my son.

But having done them there was something more magical about my sons birth - it could be the hormones, the fact that I managed to do it myself, listening to my body and getting other people to listen to me (I went from 6cm to 10 cm in 20 minutes and my body started pushing for itself).

Regarding planning you cant with birth or a baby, find what decisions you can control and use them to help you. I am a planning freak as well so I can sympathisse!

As I said, I think it's best to try vaginal first for the reasons you stated but I hate when women simply say "don't do it" and start to talk about an inability to bond, nurse etc. as those cases are not as common as people make it sound. I think it's this kind of talk that makes c-section mamas feel like they have failed or not birthed. There is a stigma w/ c-sections that needs to be eradicated from society. C-section mamas are strong and have made a very hard choice to keep their babies safe and alive. It's the first time we put our babies before ourselves, outside or pregnancy, and I think that is beautiful.

I also know women who were convinced to have vaginal deliveries when they wanted c-section and it was not always the right choice. They have since had c-sections the second time around and are happier.

I have never said there is an inability to bond or nurse (I happened to nurse my daughter 21/2 years after our c section and I agree (and said before) that c section is as much to me giving birth and a vaginal birth. There should not be a stigma attached to it either its necessary (my DD would not have survived otherwise) and any medical indications one is necessary I would always be there to reassure someone its the right decision.

But personally it took me a day to bond properly with DD, to recover from the surgical experience and to get moving as opposed to instant bonding, 3/4 recovery and moving around.

The OP is anxious about giving birth vaginally and that is understandable but trying to allay her fears is not being negative towards a c section and you a right having one is a hard choice and often the right choice but here at the moment for the OP I am not sure it is - talking to her midwife raising her concerns and making sure that they listen to her and she listens to her body so that any signs that vaginal birth is not the right choice she feels she can say so is imo how it should be played.

I was not talking about you at all. If you read what I wrote I agreed with what you said. Please don't take it personally. There are other people here and in the site who have made those comments.

 

[BrandiCanucks]

I'm 5ft and successfull vaginally delivered 3 babies. My smallest one (6lbs 6.5oz) gave me 86 stitches because I reacted to the epidural and began vomiting while I was pushing. My second and third (6lbs 12oz and 8lbs 1oz) gave me 7 and 0 respectively. Both of them were natural, no pain meds.

Then my fourth came along and all hell broke loose during labour. I had excessive fluid and when my water broke, my son's cord prolapsed. His heart rate had already been dropping to the 50's with every contraction for 4 hours. The OB tried very hard to allow me to deliver vaginally, but once the cord prolapsed, my only choice was an emergency c-section. I had the nurse's hands shoved into my vagina and uterus to hold my son's head off the cord, because if he came vaginally, he would have died. I was put to sleep and he was delivered by c-section. He'll be 1 on July 22, and I'm 9 weeks pregnant now.

As much as I want a VBAC, I honestly don't feel like it will be the safer option for me. The risk of uterine rupture or another prolapse is low, but clearly, a 0.006% chance of that kind of severe complication meant nothing after 3 successful vaginal births. As a single mom of (soon to be) 5, I don't think I can risk doing a VBAC so close to my last baby's birth. I don't want to risk leaving 5 kids without a parent.

Because of that, I'm about 90% sure I'm going to choose an elective c-section for this baby. Talk to your doctor and find out what your options are, discuss your reservations about a vaginal birth, and see which one she thinks will be the safer option.

 

[DAISYPRENCESS]

My sister in law is Philipino and she is TINY, 75 lbs (about 5.5 stone) and very short. She had two vaginal births and it was no different than any other woman having a vaginal birth. Your body will know what to do no matter how petite you are!

I am pregnant with my first so I don't have any first hand experience, but I will be avoiding a c-section at all costs! It may seem like an "easier" delivery, but the recovery sounds like hell. It is a major surgery, one that most people would spend two weeks in the hospital recovering from before being discharged. But you will be sent home right afterwards and have to look after a baby on almost no sleep while trying to recover from major surgery. That does not sound like fun to me. My one sister had three c-sections and she hated every one of them. My other sister had two vaginal and one c-section and said she would take a vaginal birth over a c-section any day.

I had vaginal birth and I stayed in the hospital 5 days because of complications.

 

[fashionlover]

I agree with the majority.
If you can deliver vaginally, please by all means do so. Our bodies are designed to deliver babies. I don't know and will never know what delivering vaginally is like. My daughter had a very abnormal and detrimental placenta so I had to have a planned c Section. With this one my doctor strongly advises me to have another planned C Section because I have giant fibroids that as he saw when he opened me up last time will make birthing vaginally pretty much impossible. I feel cheated out of one of the most beautiful and natural things a woman can do. I know it is not a picnic but giving birth is not supposed to be. I will say that having a C Section is hell and I don't recommend it.

 

[caz_hills]

Interesting thread as I'm wondering the same thing after having an emergency c-section with my son.

I desperately wanted a natural birth and felt robbed when I had to have a c section after 36 hours of labour. X

 

[Radiance]

Vaginal all the way. I'm 5'3" and was 94 pounds when I got pregnant with my first, whom was 9 pounds at birth. I was fine! Unless, you NEED a csection for medical reasons regarding yourself OR your baby then vaginal.

 

[DAISYPRENCESS]

I read many people say they feel robbed because they had c - section. I can say that I feel in the same way having vaginal birth because I had the forceps. My baby was in odd position and they had to fix her. I was taken to the theatre and I was put a spinal injection that froze me from my breasts down. So I did not feel how my baby came out. All I felt was the after pain from the stiches which actually opened and infected. Now 7 weeks later I still recover. But a girl in the hospital that had c - section was "running" the next day. Me - hardly walking .

 

[_jellybean_]

Hi. I had scheduled C-sections with both of my little ones for a few reasons. Recovery was tough, but I had a lot of help/support. Pain was pretty bad afterwards for a few days but not unbearable.

 

[Libra Mariah]

I had my daughter vaginally and my son by emergency c-section, therefore I know what they are both like. I would pick a vaginal birth any day over a c-section. After vaginal you can get up and walk around almost immediately after the epidural wears off and feel normal. However after having a c-section it hurts to breath and especially to cough. I can't think of a time in my life that I hurt worse than after I had a c-section. You will bleed the same either way after. Also you can be more involved with the birth when it is vaginal. (I had an epidural). However with a c-section you are just laying there on your back feeling like you can't talk or breath. I was horrified. My doctor said we will try a VBAC, however I do realize that there is a big chance that I will have to have another cesarean. In the end I just hope my baby arrives safe as well as me.