Vaginal or c-section....had both? which did you prefer?

[Flum]

If you could choose what would you go for?

[Flum]

oh well. just wondered

[Feistybird]

I preferred my c-sect. I recovered really quickly and could laugh my head off without fear that I might wet myself....then I had DD2.

That said, c-sects are major surgery, so I wouldn't opt for one.

[oliveoil]

I had both and I preferred the vaginal delivery with dd2 as I felt sooooooooooo powerful afterwards.

Was screeching banshee at the time though and would have paid for a section!

Also, I had an emergency section under GA for dd1 which was terrifying, an elective would be completely different I think.

Also, I pee when I sneeze now (sometimes) and didn't before my VBAC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[compo]

I din't think you could ask for one anyway if there wasn't a good reason. Not round our way you can't.

[milward]

Had 3 'normal' births & one c/s - prefered the normal births as recovery quicker afterwards. C/S was no effort but the first day & night hated not being able to pick up dd2 by myself.

[Harpsichordcarrier]

I agree with milward - the recovery after a vaginal birth (even with forceps and LOTS of stitches) was much quicker than with the C section.I hated being so immobile and restricted after the section.
the births themselves were both lovely in their own different ways though. The C section was very calm and tranquil, the vaginal borth was - well - hard and hot and sweaty and painful but fabulous

[mcmudda]

Hi Flum.

I had an emergency c-section with ds. The actual procedure was calm and fine but I found the recovery afterwards really hard. I needed help with stairs and getting out of chairs for the first couple of weeks. I also couldn't lift ds from the floor or get him into a good position for breastfeeding. Everything was a real struggle. Hated not being able to drive for 6 weeks too.

DD was a normal delivery with one stitch (Uncomfortable but not evil pain). I was up and about within a couple of hours and felt absolutely great. And I had that weird feeling of power that OO talks about too. Kind of like - Ug - me fertile. Can pop sprogs. Ug.

[MrsRecycle]

My friend had 5 VBs and then an elective CS (breech) and preferred the VBs. I've only ever known a CS so I'm biased.

[muppety]

I had ventouse with shoulder dystocia and episiotomy with ds1. Then cs with ds2. Much preferred the VB due to recovery. I was fine the next day but with cs took 2w to be anything approaching normal.

[MrsStrutsHerStuff]

i would go for vaginal, i thought my em c/s was horrible and the recovery was so much longer(felt i couldn't get out and about and enjoy my baby because i was in so much pain, i had my c/s first and fought to have a vaginal

[MrsStrutsHerStuff]

looking back i feel really sad because i don't think i bonded very quickly when i had c/s but bonded straight away with vaginal delivery, anyone else feel this way? or just me

[RedZuleika]

Just a thought.

I had an emergency section and haven't had a vaginal birth. However, I'm wondering if it's really a question of three options: vaginal birth, emergency section and elective section. With an emergency section, I believe the recovery time is longer than with an elective. I put the delayed bonding after my section down to sheer exhaustion (and possibly the morphine ) - so it's possible that this would be different with an elective.

[christie1]

OMG, had an emergency c-section after normal vaginal births. The c-section was horrible and the recovery was so slow and painful, not even close for me. Would never recommend a c-section.

[Jasnem]

I had normal vaginal,then c sec under GA (emergency), and VBAC . Definitely wouldn't choose a cs Even the VBAC (ventouse and episiotomy) was much better recovery than cs. As has been suggested though, planned cs may be much better.

[manitz]

loved my planned cs but was basically scared and hurt during vbac as had horrid mw. 3rd deg tear and heamatoma, undiagnosed until 6hrs later and then surgery.

bonded better with dd1 than dd through vbac. not sure if relevant but always regard dd1 as 'other than me' and dd2 is more a part of me. dunno if birth counted or the fact that dd2 is more physically like me.
wld prob go for another vbac as it's a bit like cosmetic surgery - might need new nose but not going to go under knife for anything iyswim.

[Chuffed]

Had emergency c-sec with dd and was up and about 12hrs afterwards albeit a bit slowly, home day 4, day 5 walked 2miles to go shopping. Could bd after about 11days.
with ds had vbac - in hospital 6days, after haematoma, general anaesthetic, haemorrages(sp??)went into shock, 48hrs of 1 on 1 nursing care, back in hospital after a week at home, still not 100% due to scarring from tears, episiotomy etc, no bding and ds 4mths.
Give me a c-sec anytime. The recovery from this has taken far longer than with my section.
Bonded with my c-sec faster as I wasn't allowed out of bed for 4days after the vbac so could care for my daughter after c-sec so much faster.

[hotmama]

I had a forceps delivery with dd1 and an emergency cs with dd2. Actually, felt better after the cs - and recovery was better - suppose it did help that dd1 was put in nursery ft for the month after the cs.

I was driving after 10 days - downside was I couldn't pickup dd1(hence going to nursery ft) and she was only 16 months.

Am considering having a 3rd - as both dd's were back to back and large I would consider having an elective cs unless I knew that a vb would be easier that time.

[manitz]

hello chuffed. sounds like we had similar exp with our vbacs. I didn't get gen anasthetic though, why did you hve that? was that for the surgery on heamatoma? also didn't have hemorrage but my uterus didn't close up as heamatoma made my pelvic floor seize up so a bit liek a hemmroage. how old is your lo now?

Sorry to hijack. i think in retrospect i preferred the reocvery from a cs and it's wrong of me to say it's like cosmetic surgery. but some css can go wrong too and some vbacs can be better.

[Chuffed]

Hey Manitz, I had the haematoma after they stitched up all the tears/cuts they had missed an internal tear behind the episiotomy and I was rushed into general for that.
ds is 4mths now, pelvic floor is getting there after all that work having help from physio but things aren't back to normal with dh yet (iykwim)

I totally agree with you in that I preferred the recovery from cs too, but I have heard stories about bad recoveries from them and my hospital did say it was incredibly unusual to have all that went wrong with me go wrong. (I had doctors coming back in on their days off to see me).

[manitz]

hi chuffed. nobody explained why my heamatoma was there but i was in agony after returning to ward and cldnt pick up dd. then cldn't wee so they told me to have a bath..long story.. but eventually they got me out of the bath and gave me a catheter, htought i had a big pile and they said they'd get anusol. in agony asked them back and turns out its a heamatoma so they said into surgery. but i got in about an hour later (after it had popped) and was operated on with a spinal block. so felt like i'd had a cs anyway. had dd at 4am and surgery at 10am. didn't hold her till after that.

dd2 is now 15 months old. my pelvic floor isn't great and i thought i had a prolapse a while back but don't think it was. haven't seen aphysio and need to get better exercises as cant really do the ones i do now.