Why vaginal birth?

[SantaSusan]

Inspired by another thread. I'm really interested to understand the reasons for most women opting for a vaginal birth.

Disclaimer: I really, really want this thread to be a nice discussion to share views. I'd hate for this to descend into a judgy or unkind thread! Obviously, however anyone chooses to give birth is their choice alone. And as long as your precious little bundle arrives safely at the end, then who cares how they got there!?

I ended up with an elective. I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd have anything but a vaginal birth. However, for reasons I won't go into, it was decided during my pregnancy that a c section would probably be the best option for me. Everyone I spoke to absolutely loved their c section experience, and 99% of the comments online were so positive, so I wasn't worried about it at all once it was decided upon.

I had absolutely no pain during my c section or during recovery. I breastfed right away. I was up and about pretty much immediately. This seems to be the experience of most women who've had elcs. I would have an elective section again and again. If I'm lucky enough to have another baby, it'll be another section.

As such, I often wonder why more women don't choose to have their babies this way. It's so common in other countries. I think there's a lot of misinformation around c sections. The risks are also lumped in with those of emergency c sections, so electives are often painted to be riskler than they actually are.

You often hear people saying it's major abdominal surgery' in quite a judgemental way, which of course it is. But as far as surgical procedures go, it's generally very straightforward and in most cases, is easy to recover from.

I also repeatedly hear that vaginal is best as it's the most natural. But just because something is the 'natural' way to do something, doesn't necessarily mean it's the best. There's lots of things we do now with technology and with medicine that isn't the 'natural' way, and nobody bats an eyelid.

I can't quite put my finger on why I was so opposed to c sections previously. It's like it was subconsciously ingrained in me for no reason other than popular rhetoric. Which is why I'd be interested to hear why others decided a vaginal birth was best for them? Or why others knew they wanted an elcs? Has your subsequent birthing experience changed your minds at all?

NICE disagree with you. Guidance states 'there are benefits and risks associated with both vaginal and caesarean birth, some of which are very small absolute risks and some are greater absolute risks, and they will need to decide which risks are more (or less) acceptable to them'.

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng192/chapter/Recommendations#benefits-and-risks-of-caesarean-and-vaginal-birth

With my first child I had to have a c section as I got pre eclampsia so I had her 6 weeks early, with my second child I was so hoping for a natural birth as I wanted to experience it. I did manage it with the help of forceps, he was a large baby,

This!!

Emergency section here. Despite it being classed as an emergency it was a breeze. If we had another baby, a vaginal birth would scare me hah

That isn’t disagreeing with me.

Because I was able to leave hospital the same day just hours after giving birth. I definitely did not want to stay in hospital overnight, the bath had scum rings round it for a start.

My c section was really smooth but ultimately the aftercare in the hospital and recovery caused my PND. I regret not trying to have my baby turned due to her being breech, I’d choose to have a vbac next time if I can.

@SantaSusan they have them because - excluding for risks such as being stuck in the birth canal, shoulder distocia etc - they are better for the baby.

In the lead up to birth the mother’s body builds up a natural flora of bacteria in the vaginal canal which smother the baby’s head as they are born. This sets their baby’s immune system up in their journey to defend themselves against bacteria / viruses etc. it’s also the reason they say you shouldn’t wash your baby when they’re born and they’re just patted dry

Another reason why it is better is that the contractions are not just there to push the baby out but to force the liquid out of their lungs from the sac.
Many babies born via c section have liquid in their lungs from the amniotic sac and they can suffer breathing issues and illnesses/ chest infections as a result.

I had a traumatic first birth and damage caused by keilland forceps. I then had to have a posterior and anterior prolapse repair done meaning I couldn’t give jury naturally again. Babies 2 and 3 were both born by ELCS just over a year apart. Recovery was Easy both times.

However I would never have opted for a c section first time around if there was no medical reason. I’m also pretty sure you can’t just opt for an ELCS 🤷

I had a vaginal birth, it seemed the safest option with most benefits to baby for a non complex pregnancy. I also wanted to experience it. It wasn’t a perfect birth but it was an amazing experience. I’m glad I did it that way and if I have another will go the same route barring any medical reason not to. Recovery was pretty quick except my episiotomy stitches took a while to heal (next time I would kick up a lot more fuss about this and get it seen to quicker.)

I had vaginal births because I wasn’t given the option. Shitty, miserable experience and I hated every second of it.

Same and I was out and about the next day with my my baby, yes I am aware others are bedridden for months but I was happy with thr birth and was totally back to normal a few hours after

@Crepid yep and not to mention the risks involved with any spinal injection, it can sometimes be long term / permanent. I personally wouldn't choose that if possible.

You speak about other countries with high c-section rates as if this is a good thing? I'm from Brazil and women are practically forced into having c-sections. If you want a natural birth, you really have to fight for it. It's insane.

Any kind of birth can be a good or bad experience. It's a subjective thing. But I think it's wrong for a culture to enforce c-sections, and behave as if VB is weird or inferior. Perhaps it's just a way for doctors to make more money (in countries where private healthcare is predominant).

Yeah, it is. You responded to a post about ELCS by saying vaginal delivery is safer, but that's the wrong metric in any case since attempting vaginal birth doesn't mean you get one. By definition EMCS is a consequence of attempting VB rather than going for ELCS. But also, the NICE guidance states that neither option is 'safer' per se, that it depends on how one weighs the risks and benefits. They disagree with you.

For me it was the opposite!

My first section was twins. I had planned to have a vaginal birth but was starting to lean towards a section. I went into labour at 25 weeks and woth one transverse and the other breech, section was the only way! The actual surgery itself was a bit crazy, it was 3am, I was still processing having my babies early and they had great difficulty getting the needle into my back but I felt quite calm once I was nice and numb and could lie down! Lots of people in the room though. 20+ and I didn't really know what was going on. I got to see the babies but not hold them before they went to NICU. My recovery was very straight forward. I was up and about after 12 hours. Walked up and down to see the babies in NICU multiple times a day etc. Didn't have much pain. Did get a wound infection with suspected sepsis a week later but recovered quickly from that too.

My second section was elective. I wouldn't even consider vaginally. It was lovely, calm, I knew what was going on, got to make decisions, everything was explained to me carefully and my wishes respected, minimal amounts of people in the room, plenty of laughing, nice chats, the curtain pulled down to see my baby being born, got to hold her, got to go home the following morning. But, the recovery was bad. I was fine the next day but had lots of pain after 2 days. Really struggled the first week. Have had more lingering pain than I did after the first but they did have issues with scar tissue from the previous section sticking my bladder to the inside of my scar. It's actually still stuck a bit 🫠

Anyway, would I choose a section again? Yes but I would send the other kids to Grandparents this time haha.

Surely unless you go private you don't really get a choice.

If there is no medical reason for a c section, how do you get one?

Honestly don't remember being asked my preference, it's just a given.

I almost had a c section but luckily my son stopped being stubborn and decided to come out himself.

I was happy to be driving 4 days after I had him, I was in Friday to the Monday with him.

I had a vaginal birth and then two elective c-sections. I can honestly say the c-sections were a breeze compared to the vaginal birth (traumatic, painful recovery, painful sex for ages). After the two c-sections I was back doing the school run on foot (round trip of 3 miles) after 7 days. I was probably quite lucky in that I recovered v v fast though.

No it does not. I suggest you read the report, elective c section comes with higher risks than vaginal. That doesn’t mean you should rule out elective nor does it mean that for some those risks are worth taking. It just means one had higher risks than the other. And for a large number women vaginal delivery will therefore be their choice.

I had an emergency c section with DC1 and was so traumatised from attempt at natural birth that I decided to have a planned c section with DC2. I was also going to have a planned c section with DC3 but he ended up being born by emergency c section 4 weeks early anyway.
I didn't have much pain with DC1 or DC3 although DC2 was a different story. I was up and about fairly quickly. 5 days and I was out and about with my first two. Not so much with DC3. I wasn't in pain but we couldn't go out thanks to Covid.
DC1 and 3 I had no problem caring for them as newborn but I just found the idea of natural birth really terrifying. May well have been different if my first birth had gone tonplan

My instructions to the midwives were "get her here safely". However she arrived I'd have been OK. But my preference was natural. Because I don't do well will most meds and I didn't want to be feeling out of it or unwell as soon as she was here. And thankfully, that's what I got.

I've had both. C section was much less traumatic. But also took way way longer to recover from. I was NOT one of those women who was fine 3 days later! I slept on a reclining sofa for 2 weeks as I couldn't get up from my bed - it was too painful! I'd have a vaginal birth if there was no clear reason not to as it is safer, but c sections are great too if needed. I wasn't hugely fussy either way- just wanted me and the baby to be fine!

If you think elective section comes with higher risks than attempted VB per se, as opposed to higher risk of some things but not others, it's you who needs to read the guidance. You have misunderstood it.

Have a look at Appendix A. It lists some outcomes that may be more likely with Caesarean birth and others that may be more likely with attempted VB. There's a mixture, hence NICE very wisely state that it's for the individual woman to weigh up which set of risks are more acceptable for her.