"too posh to push"

[Tasha]

I've had four vaginal births and one emergency section. The emergency section was because my daughters heart-rate kept dipping and not recovering as it should, they wanted to put the clip on her head but as it was only 361 days after a stillbirth I was terrified, they agreed to section due to a low threshold on waiting. So partly for her, mainly for me.

If I ever get to the point of having another bring home baby, then it is quite likely that I will have an elective section (despite having a successful VBAC with another stillbirth between the section and now) because I will of had at least 15 miscarriages and one stillbirth since that section and the fear of labour and losing another baby is huge for me. I know it is huge surgery, I've been there (although my recovery was actually okay) but my heart pounds at the thought of labour and losing another baby.

Some would say that mine is a medical reason, psychological I guess and that is true to some degree but I think people who chose to have a section for vanity reasons or to make sure baby comes on a precise date are rare, so the majority of electives for what are seen as non-medical reasons will be through fear, just like me.

 

[eris]

Tasha, I just want to say how sorry I am that you went through all of that. Psychological or not, that's a heavy hand to deal with. I hope that your next pregnancy is uncomplicated with a happy healthy baby at the end of it. Sending you lots of positive thoughts.

 

[cayjay]

I am choosing to have a c-section. I had a vaginal birth with my first with absolutely no problems. It was not traumatic in the slightest but I didn't enjoy pushing. Why not take away the uncertainty this time? I want to know when it is going to happen and be in control of the situation, as far as possible. I think women who choose to have natural births (i.e. no pain relief) are mental but that' the first time I've said that 'out loud'! Whatever makes us happy yah?

 

[addy1]

I am really going back and forth on this one.....I had a section with my first, and a v-bac with my second. I am expecting our third and final baby, our first boy. I am so scared now of the uncertainty of a vaginal birth.....I am scared something will go wrong. My v-bac went well with no major complications, but was really hard and scary. I was so out of control for 12 hours and I was in excruciating pain. My recovery was also not great. I had tears that made going to the bathroom horrible, and was sore and bruised up until my baby was 7 months. I am not sure if I want to experience that again. Because I have had a section before, I get a choice this time. I have a lot of time to think about it, but this decision will be hard.

 

[Magsy]

I also have to decide if I want a c-section this time around. I had nerve damage in my leg from pushing last time that left me unable to walk. It healed, but it took nearly a year to resolve completely. There is a five percent chance it could happen again. My reasons are partly medical and partly psychological. Being unable to walk with a newborn was hard enough. I'm not sure it's even possible with a newborn and a toddler.