Has anyone elected for a Caesarean with no medical need for one?

[Beetawix]

I’m due in the autumn so very early days and only just found out. Researching like crazy. I am a bit cautious given they say September/October are the busiest birth months coupled with the maternity ward ratings not being very good.

It’s my first baby, I’m in my 20s and as far as I know there are no other risks.

Baby might be breech or there might be issues with the placenta which mean I have a section anyway.

But, presuming it’s a smooth straightforward pregnancy, would it be naive to choose a section? I understand the recovery is worse and it can be trickier to breastfeed. My sister has had a section for medical reasons and my friend had an EMCS. I know it’s no walk in the park! It does however offer a bit of predictability- I can prep myself for a night in hospital, I’ll know which date it is. I’d prefer a straightforward vaginal birth but nobody can promise I’ll have that.

After reading the statistics for our local area it seems about half of first time mums end up with intervention anyway, be it instrumental or surgical. I would find that very stressful.

We will either be one and done or possibly we’ll have another in several years. I don’t want loads and loads of babies.

Has anyone had a maternal request section before and what was your honest experience of it? Would you choose the same again? It would be so nice if we could have vision into the future to see how both options would go.

Thanks in advance!

I told her to do what she wants and that I'd never heard of anyone refused a section.

Well l didn't even know this was a thing you could request.. l always thought c sections were emergency or those who had problems.
You learn something new every day.
But having had a few laparotomies and an hysterectomy and cut in same place a few times.. why would you want to ? If you can give birth naturally? Not being adverse .. just genuine curious.. because I'm now 65 and my scar still gets sore 30 years later.

I had one because I was scared about giving birth naturally. I had to attend a birth choices appointment to discuss the risks involved and to see whether there was any counselling etc that I could have instead to allay my fears about natural birth, but it wasn't pushy and I could have said from the get-go that I'm still not interested and the appointment probably would have stopped there and then.

The section itself was absolutely fine, very little pain, just a couple of sharp scratches as they inject you with anaesthetic. Recovery isn't the easiest but it's manageable. I was up and walking to the toilet the next day with the help of nurse, and went out for a walk on day 10 with the pram. I'm still quite sore 7 months later but it's major surgery so I don't feel concerned about it.

If I didn't have a supportive partner or anyone else that could help during the first couple of weeks, I think a c-section would be a lot more difficult than a natural birth in terms of just being able to get on and do things and look after the baby. You really do need help with even very simple things like picking up the baby in order to feed them during those first couple of weeks.

Because giving birth vaginally comes with risks too, risks that some people would rather not take so opt for a c-section instead.

Or in my case, I'm having twins and giving birth vaginally is possible if the first twin is in the right position but I don't want to risk having one vaginally and needing an emergency c-section anyway for the second twin. I'll just go straight to a planned c-section.

@NoKnit what a load of absolute bollocks. Can you evidence any of your ridiculous claims?

@Beetawix go ahead and request your elective c section. I was 40 when I had mine and the recovery was significantly easier than my first vaginal birth. Discharged in 23 hours, pretty much back to normal by 2.5 weeks. The only annoying part was not being able to lift my toddler. You'll be fine lifting the baby

You also told her it was the easy way out yet also told her it was major surgery.

I ended up having two CS's out of medical necessity, but I never wanted to give birth vaginally and am massively relieved I never had to go through with that.

My healing time with the first was 4 weeks: it was a terrible labour and an emergency section, healing time was down to various complications in the run up to birth, not the surgery itself.

Healing time with the second was 2 weeks before I was out doing toddler classes etc with the eldest.

My second scar is in exactly the same place as my first, 3.5" long (I'm quite a small person) and under my pubic hair. I didn't have any repercussions of the deliveries after 4 weeks. My milk came in on day 4 and day 1 respectively, I bf both for 18 and 20 months respectively.

I have never understood why anyone would want to push a baby out of their vagina when they can have a section. I don't think it's a medically better option, and I'm deeply suspicious of anyone who seeks to ascribe a moral value to it. But to each their own, none of my business what other people do with their bodies!

Why would you want to? Because vaginal birth is a lottery when it comes to outcomes for the mother; because I didn't want to risk being permanently scarred by giving birth, physically or emotionally (I can handle a single 3.5" scar on my body, I have worse from surgery on my leg) and that's a lot less likely statistically with a c section than with a vaginal birth; because I'm extremely lucky to have access to excellent obstetric care where long-term repercussions of a c section are far less likely to occur and to be far less serious if they do occur, than an unpredictable vaginal delivery.

I'm sorry your scar still gets sore 30 years on. Things have changed. My horizontal scar is 3.5" long and very low down. I can't even see it (not being one for brazilian waxes etc!) and I don't ever think about it. I have a shorter scar from back surgery that gets extremely itchy from time to time, it's become keloid (and another elsewhere which doesn't). That causes me more irritation than this one, which I can't even feel.

As with anything there are pros and cons. I had cat 1 EMCS followed by ELCS. I wanted a VBAC but didn't want an induction due to higher risks associated VBAC, so opted for ELCS to manage the risks as baby needed to come out by 39 weeks for medical reasons.

As it happened, my second surgery was much more complicated than expected as I had already had surgery once. It was a good experience but I will definitely not have any more children as I will not want the anxiety of knowing that another CS will be even more complicated.

In retrospect I was glad I had the ELCS as if I had gone into labour and had an EMCS this time, goodness knows what the outcome would be, as the surgery under calm circumstances was so complex. But if course, I may have had a normal VB and it would have been fine. I'll never know.

I was told by the doctors that the more surgery you have, the more complex subsequent surgeries become, and subsequent pregnancies are more likely to be riskier. If you have CS and go into labour early with any subsequent child then there are some higher risks associated with that birth

Baby's microbiome is different with VB vs CS which may lead to differing health outcomes later in life. Breastfeeding is meant to be statistically easier with VB, and if VB goes well, recovery is easier.

However, everyone is unique and values different things, and every circumstance is different. You may never get to make the decision of what birth you want - your body and your baby may dictate what happens!

Congratulations on your pregnancy and good luck with your decision making.

One other thing to add is that my body looks so different after surgery - I have the dreaded c section shelf that will never go away. I don't know what happens to your body after a VB but it took a while to accept to my new body, especially as I had had EMCS. I wasn't expecting it.

I pregnant with my first and am going to ask for an elective and owing to my age (over 40) I suspect I may not get too much negatively. Interestingly, my area only agreed to electives fairly recently in 2021.

Yes, two, no regrets and two great experiences. Still felt totally ‘prepared to be a mother’ (don’t know how to do an eye roll emoji on these posts or there would be one here!).

You really do need help with even very simple things like picking up the baby in order to feed them during those first couple of weeks

This just isn’t true for everyone, I had my catheter out on the first night and was left to fend for myself with my babies as DH wasn’t allowed to stay. I was fine, it was painful but I would imagine the woman next to me who had a massive tear from her natural birth was probably in just as much pain.

Sorry what are my ridiculous claims?

That a c section is major surgery- um does that really need proof?

That it's morally wrong having surgery that isn't life threatening? No need to prove that either.

Anyone that has had a section always gets on their high horse when people say a VB would be better. You are within your rights to do that if you wish. I couldn't really care less.

Your claims of "morally its wrong and the easy way out". Which are both untrue.

Haha I don’t think having a section is the easy way out! And even if it was, does it really matter? Why choose the hard way if you don’t have to? I don’t get why some people seem to think a birth is better if you suffer?

And what if I already feel confident to be a mother and saying no to things, can have a section then?

I don’t know anyone who chose to have a section that has been badly affected mentally. But I do know plenty left traumatised from having intervention.

I had an elective C section. I was 43, an 'elderly primagravida'. Completely phobic about vaginal birth.
Prior to the Section, 2 separate midwives came out to see me to get me to change my mind.
One asked me if I knew what a Section was. She was very patronizing. Or tried to be.
The Section was fantastic. Couldn't have gone better. Calm, relaxed etc.
My recovery was uneventful and quick
I would recommend highly.

I would certainly choose one over an induction since most people I know who had an induction ended up with an emergency C-section. In the end I went into labour naturally but my baby was breach so ended up with a section anyway.

I had placenta issues and wanted one; the consultants were adamant an induction at 36 weeks would be better and wouldn’t book me in for a section. It’s not always easy to request one.

As it turned out, when I turned up for the induction, the consultants weren’t happy I’d been forced into an induction and I got the section anyway.

The recovery wasn’t easy - however I did have issues and lost a lot of blood which won’t have helped

As people have said, the experience itself was relaxing - I had no idea things were going wrong and I know I’d have panicked if I’d realised.

I actually didn’t have massive amounts of abdominal pain, but back pain which lasted for months following - I struggled pushing a pram, I struggled getting the pram in and out of the car.

I don’t regret it due to my situation, but my preference after experiencing it would be Vaginal > Section > Induction

After a VB for DD1 I had an elective c-section the second time round, although it was brought forward to 37weeks as I was ill. Recovery was incredibly straightforward and I felt so much better after the CS than VB, where my waters went 4 days before delivery, followed by failed induction, and essentially no sleep for days, plus a totally mashed fanny by her massive head.
It is not unreasonable to request a CS. I wish I had done it if I were only going to have one. Some reservations if planning more children as risks do go up.

I had to have c sections with both of mine - both were breech with their feet straight down and my second was very premature so gave him the best chance.

The only thing I will echo as a potential downside if this is something that is likely to bother you is that a lot of women end up with a 'shelf', an over hang over the scar. I do, no matter what size or weight I get down to my stomach will never be totally flat again.

Some people manage to avoid it - I guess it depends on how well the surgery was performed and stitched or maybe just lucky!

I’ve had one cs and a VBAC.
there are numerous advantages and disadvantages to both. The main choice is pain during or pain after.

I would choose a cs over induction as that’s agony ime.
My cs was straightforward and I healed well but suffered double incontinence and agonising sex for months afterwards.
The VBAC was unplanned and I had an episiotomy as the skin wouldn’t give but it healed really well. No issues with incontinence or sex afterwards.

If I had another I would ideally VBAC again

I actually understand that when you take into account the subsequent NHS resources used to fix the problems created from natural births the cost equals the cost of an ELCS @NoKnit

Also I don’t have the ‘shelf’ after my ELCS

I’ve had 2 children. The first was born by emergency C section, the second was a natural birth. The C section was the hardest to recover from, it is a major operation! I was also left with a nasty scar and a tummy that kind of sits on top of the scar. I had a lot of stitches down below after the natural birth but everything went back to normal. Given the choice I’d opt for a vaginal birth with a shit load of drugs. And ask for drugs as soon as you have contractions. They were very slow to respond to my request for drugs and in the end I gave birth with zero pain relief and I would not wish that on anyone.