To have a second elective c-section?

OP I went for a VBAC and ended up with a ruptured uterus, intensive care for 4 days and asphyxiated baby. I’d go for c section every time.

I'd go for a c section. I've had 2. Recovery for my last in October has been very straightforward.

I meant externally obviously 😃

Who knows what's done inside, but externally I have one faded neat line across my pubic line and a totally intact, never repaired vulva. From a purely cosmetic perspective, why damage both?

They were also painless and easy and I avoided labour pain. I've had worse periods than my sections.

It’s up to you, what do you want? Personally having that two sections (both breech babies, both sections very much unwanted) I wouldn’t ever ever have another one. It’s harder to recover with a toddler. And it means you can’t do anything for the older one for weeks. It really affected my relationship with my son for a few months. But I know people who have enjoyed their sections and would have more. Only you know how you feel about it.

I had an elective section for my second because I had an emergency one first time round and I just thought it would be easier because I'd had one before and could plan around it etc and I was scared of the complications possible with a vaginal birth. They found once they were in there that all my organs were adhered together from the first section, and there would have been no way to know that beforehand. The operation took so long that the spinal nearly wore off, and I haemorrhaged. I was stuck in hospital for 5 days with a surgical drain in place but had to do everything for myself overnight despite that. The wound from the surgical drain took weeks to heal and I was back and forth from the doctors worrying it was infected. All this is to say - elective cesareans can have horrible complications too and should not be taken lightly.

Is this referring to the section wound or the placenta? If it's the latter that's a bit of a myth as after birth the uterus contracts down. If there was a wound the size of a dinner plate the woman would bleed out.

If you wanted to try for a VBAC you could always have a low threshold for switching to c-section agreed so that it's not done as an emergency. That's what I did. Any failure to progress, baby showing signs of distress etc it was agreed we'd switch to a c-section, which is what happened as my induction just wasn't working. So it was still a calm affair with a good recovery. It felt like the right balance for me.

Because of the scar on the uterus, giving a 0.5% chance of uterine rupture. That chance is higher if labour is induced.
Whoever said you've already got one scar, why have another one meaning vaginal tears etc, has underestimated the amount of scars that a caesarean birth will give you - it's not just me what you can see on the outside

Is there a reason why vaginal delivery is riskier or less likely after a c section?

You have to do what’s right for you. It’s your body and your baby.
A planned c-section gives you more control that’s for sure. You’re already planning for a recovery to take a bit longer, I think it comes as more of a shock for those ending with emergency c-sections. Plus as you say, so many planned vaginal births end with c-sections or forceps and it can come as a big shock to those people. The risk of ending in an emergency section is higher with a v-bac too… but plenty of people do have successful v-bacs.
I guess it depends on how important a vaginal birth is to you. For some women it’s something they are desperate to experience, others couldn’t imagine anything worse, others are pretty take it or leave it.

Go for it OP! I’m not convinced vaginal birth is safer - if women got better care with more highly trained people and didn’t experience discrimination it would be different, but it’s not

It will stop hurting in about week, just take it very slow and easy. Sit on the sofa with baby and snacks! Belly will be normal in about two months

I had an elective section due to a health condition and if I do have a second child, I’d probably do that again. I think the fact it was elective helped recovery (obviously just anecdotal but compared to friends who had emergency sections after difficult labours.) A friend just had her second, wanted VBAC and ended up having an emergency section. My thinking would be that if I was going to have a section anyway, I would want it to be planned. Good luck with whatever you choose xx

I've had one emergency section followed by two electives.

Questions to consider - how big was your first baby? My first was over 9lbs and when I looked into statistics the success rate of a vbac dropped with larger babies. I was right to pick an elective because DS2 arrived at 39weeks weighing 9lbs 10 I dread to think his weight if he'd arrived later.

I would ask about the conditions they expect for a vbac. For example my hospital wanted me to have continuous monitoring which would restrict my movements. This isn't helpful for a successful vbac. But I'm a nervous person so would have struggled to say no. Also meant consultant led so different birthing suites to midwife led. In my opinion not as nice.

Practical considerations if you have an elective it's easier to arrange childcare. I knew at 12 weeks so I was booked in very early. Meant I was first on the list on the day so baby arrived before 10am and there was time for my older children to visit and DH went home to take care of them.

I have no regrets at all and recovery for all three sections was fine. Longest with the last but I was caring for a two and four year old so that probably explains it.

I have one emergency C section followed by two elective C sections. The first took by far the longest to recover from.

I had an elective due to breach fit dc1 then dc2-4 were all VBAC. Tore with each VBAC getting progressively worse with each. I’d do either again.

I had an EMCS which wasn't that bad, bit stressful but recovery fine (up and walking that afternoon, walking dog by week 2) and I'm having an ELCS in a month. I am a bit nervous about the recovery as my toddler is very physical but I will have DH on hand for the whole 6 weeks to help and at least it's a known entity and I think the safest for me. Only you can decide what is right for you but as you've had a section before that would sway me!

Yanbu. Better the devil you know.
Yes, the first 6 weeks will be hard going and you'll have to take it easy so it heals nicely. But you should be on the mend after that.

I'd go for the section. Then again, I had two purely by choice. They were fab and I was back to normal in a few days.

Also, why end up with an extra scar (from the almost inevitable vaginal tears/cuts), when you can just stick with the one you've already got.

I didn't find it hard to recover from with a toddler and was able run round the garden after her on day 5 with no pain. I recovered quicker than many, and there is a spectrum though.

I’d go for the section. I had a vaginal birth with my first, and elective section with my second, and the recovery from the section was far better than from the vaginal birth. It may technically have been major abdominal surgery but I had minimal pain and was doing a 5 mile walk with a 9-day old. Whereas with my first, I could barely sit down for a month and shuffled around like a geriatric.

I had an elective section, followed by a VBAC which ended up being a ventouse delivery and my third was another elective. My VBAC took far longer to recover from than either of the sections and I needed help with my older child for longer.

On that basis I’d say if your instinct is to have a section, I’d go with that because there is no guarantee at all that your recovery from a VBAC will be quicker

Bear in mind this time you will have not one but two small children to care for straight after. The oldest will still need playing with, lifting up, dressing, crawling about on the floor with - all hard after surgery!

I’ve had a vbac. I would go for a c section if I had my time again.