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?

Why do you get to decide what is misinformation? Where is your source for "the majority of others" who are up and looking after their baby right away?

As someone who's had a c section and may be facing another I can assure you that wasn't my experience at all. I had a good 8 hours of being numb still, then having the catheter taken out, it wasn't until the next day I could waddle to the bathroom, it hurt to sit up, I could barely twist to pick up my baby from the hospital bed. I hardly think from the people I know that my experience was unusual. What would be unusual is being able to be "up and looking after my baby pretty much right away." In contrast to multiple friends who were home 6 hours after birth feeling sore but much better than expected.

@MushMonster you don't need cs after a cs delivery. Vaginal birth still possible but they monitor you more closely in case the old wound starts to open up.

There's no way I could tolerate being awake during surgery.

The obstetrician's face when I said if I needed a c section they'd have to do it under GA!

I realise my experience is personal to me and I hope my tone doesn't come across as judgemental.

I have had a csection, a VB with interventions and a VB with nothing but gas and air for pain relief. The recovery from the csection was the worst by far, many of the complications listed on the consent form happened to me and DS, the worst being sepsis for both me and DS and a massive PPH. I didn't meet DS for days after he was born so breastfeeding didn't happen and our bond took some work. I have suffered varying degrees of postnatal mental health problems with all my babies but it was the worst after my csection.

I realise complications can occur with VB but the risks are generally greater with a csection. My VB with no interventions was an absolute breeze, I wouldn't even say it was that painful. If I were to have any more DCs that is what I would aim for and accept any interventions as required.

ETA I know they try to aim for skin to skin in the operating theatre these days but it more often than not doesn't happen. There is that compared to your brand new baby being placed right on to your chest immediately after being born.

I had repeated lumbar punctures due to IIH to reduce pressure in head. After one of them I suffered a spinal headache. It was the worst pain I've ever experienced and the only way it was relieved was to lie completely flat for 5 days - I couldn't have the spinal plaster thing to fix it because low pressure is less problematic than high so they opted to leave it. The thought of anyone going near my back with a needle fills me with dread so I never even considered a c section

My youngest was born 15 years ago .I definitely don't remember being asked if I wanted a c section..
He was my fourth child ,and it was never offered for the others
I thought the cost of a C-section was a lot more than vagina birth ,so I'm surprised considering the NHS is on its knees ,that women can choose sections .

Medically it seemed safer to give birth naturally. My body is/was healthy and strong. I didn't fancy tummy muscles being cut or stomach surgery in general, especially wanting a few children. I've heard good things about the benefits to baby from the birth canal. And it sounds primative, but I loved birthing in a pool myself. Pushing the baby out and picking them up for the first time. Recovery- not needed, I walked out of hospital a few hours later wondering when the painkillers would stop working.
Anyway, four babies later, I can jump on trampolines and have no scarring. Children had the birth canal and breastfeeding benefits. I don't feel like I've missed out on a ELCS experience.

I had two vaginal births because I wanted to. I had no desire to have a c-section. Each to their own 🤷🏻‍♀️

It's so lovely to hear people speaking so positively about their birthing experiences. Usually it's the opposite!

A Caesarean might be major surgery but at least you probably won't get a prolapsed uterus. Fixing that isn't fun surgery either. Yes you might be up and about but years later your undercarriage may be drooping. This happened to my mother after one relatively short labour with a large baby. Her sister, my aunt, nearly died in childbirth in a country town with only a GP on hand and had the most appalling birth injuries. I am grateful that I had Caesareans with both of mine especially since they found a prolapsed cord with the first one and the baby would likely have died in an attempt at natural delivery. (It was in a teaching hospital and the surgeon urged the med students to gather round to look at the prolapsed cord!) That baby is now a med student himself so maybe it had an impact.

I didn't want surgery.

Also didn't want the huge scar.

I would not judge anyone else but I personally never considered a vaginal birth for a moment and was delighted with my ELCS, which was a breeze and has left no visible scar.

My epidural failed on the operating table - they did a last check as they were about to cut and I could feel it. Had to top up the epidural.

Possibly worth a mention that in the UK any planned surgery is considered elective. So not all.elective sections are just because someone chooses them. You can also be booked in for an elective csection due to a medical condition meantime you cannot safely give birth vaginally, whether because of phobio/mental health condition or physical condition. So elective/planned sections typically split into two types of people have vast different risk profiles for giving birth vaginally.

Emergency csection is an unplanned procedure, generally where the mother is already in labour and there is an immediate risk to life for the mother or baby. By its nature, this is most risky option as it is taking place because something is wrong. You can be booked in for an elective section and then arrive in early labour already and that can potentially become an emergency section.

Looking at risk and outcome stats is difficult as these groups are not always well separated and you can't always see the risksthat would have come into play if the people having elective sections for medical necessity type reasons had not had the section.

With vaginal birth you get loads of gas an air which is great fun especially if you've brought your own play list of music

😂 ah now you're convincing me to have my next one vaginally

I had 4 Emcs. I tried to give birth naturally the first time but they said I was too small. I was lucky and recovered well and very quickly after each one. Was up and about in no time. I don’t know why that was because I know others suffer dreadfully afterwards. I can only put it down to luck. I remember a lady in the bed beside me who had a section to and she said to me “thank fuck we didn’t have to push the baby out and end up with a vagina like a hippo’s yawn”. I though that was an awful comment to make.

Yep same here!

VB first time. Induced by oxytocin drip and no epidural as I took NCT advice a bit too seriously. Agony. Stitches and hugely swollen perineum partly because head was crowning for far too long. Never been quite the same since!

Second time emergency section for severe pre eclampsia at 33 weeks. Apart from a worrying couple of minutes getting DS to breathe I remember thinking "Was that it?!" Five star treatment (was when the NHS wasn't so dysfunctional) and just a nicer memory despite the health issues.

No judgement from me either way for anyone else.

For the people making claims about VB being cheaper, see NICE guidance below:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng192/evidence/full-guideline-pdf-9071942942

States that they can't conclusively demonstrate the cost effectiveness of one mode of birth over the other. Planned vaginal birth came out as about £700 cheaper without considering the subsequent costs relating to urinary incontinence or the impact of litigation costs due to negligence during attempted vaginal births. Both of which obviously cost the NHS a lot. It's from 2011 but afaik is the most recent NICE guidance on the matter as it isn't included in the recent updates, and obviously the birthing population have got older and fatter since then anyway.

I've done it both ways and didn't like either, so have no dog in this fight.

This made me think. I guess I always see intervention, medication and surgery as a option when necessary. But thank god they are an option.

I had no intervention with my second birth. Not even to check progress. It was drug free. I wouldn't change that for me. I was feeling a rush of whatever chemicals my brain was dosing my body with. I was pretty much high as a kite. But, second degree tear with all the stitching falling out. Still an amazing experience.

My sister had an elective (after an emergency one). Her recovery was incredible and swift. She could plan. It was pretty much pain free. Pretty sure she wouldn't swap her experience either.

There was no good reason not to have a VB in my case. Straightforward pregnancy, baby head down, no obvious likely complications. Wanted as little time as possible in the hell that are recovery wards so did a birth unit and was home less than 24 hours post birth.

If a C section had been medically advisable I would have done it.

It's so common in other countries

Is it? Where? Is that a reason to do it?

A c section needs use of an operating theatre, more staff/surgeons, more drugs so I’m guessing it’s rather expensive compared to a regular vaginal birth with no complications?

I had 2 vaginal births and was kind of annoyed that people that had a c section were moving around better than I was afterwards, I had a lot of stitches 😬

I hate to break it to you to there's no guarantee that even with a c/s you won't have a prolapse. They can happen to anyone, even young 20 year old who have never been pregnant.
And as far the vagina and vulva changing appearance, that's the pregnancy hormones, regardless how the baby is born.