If you chose an ELCS without medical reason, why?

[Sparksi]

I’m a FTM to be in my 20s, currently very low risk.

I am considering opting for a ELCS. There is no medical suggestion for me to have one but I have been reading up on local stats and month by month, it seems under 40% of women have an unassisted vaginal birth. This seems really low to me. Nearly as many people (circa 30%) had an EMCS.

I want to avoid an emergency situation where possible. I sway between wanting minimal intervention and birthing in the birth centre attached to the hospital, and just wanting a controlled, planned ELCS despite the longer recovery. We only plan for one, possibly two DC.

If I could guarantee a straightforward vaginal then that would be my first choice but it seems that the odds are actually against that, notwithstanding in the 40% who got it that will include women with birth injuries and tears. It just seems like a coin flip situation. I am risk averse and like to plan things, but I know childbirth is probably the most un-plan-able thing in the world!

If you picked a ELCS, why? Did you regret it?

I've had 3 babies,

1st was a spontaneous labour with an unassisted natural birth although there was meconium so it did get very close to being an EMCS no tears or injuries though.

my 2nd was a failed induction, took 5 days and eventually my waters were popped at 1cm dialated. I had a epidural and my DD's heart rate dropped so low that I had an EMCS

3rd time around I opted for an elective c-section at 16 weeks because I was not up for another emergency. She ended up being breech anyway and would have been extremely difficult to give birth naturally. It was definely the right choice.

having given birth in 3 very different ways id say natural delivery is definetly what it be aiming for, although I know it's a lot to do with luck the recovery from a c-section emergency or elective is hard. It takes about 3 solid weeks to feel human again. With my 1st I was ok after about 2 days.

best of luck whatever you choose to do 😊

I have the opposite experience of knowing lots of people who had straightforward vaginal deliveries and multiple people with complex c section recoveries. My SIL had infection after infection and wound took forever to heal. Her friend they inserted the spinal block wrong and she couldn't pick up her own baby for months. I was terrified of a section but ended up having an 'emergency' one with baby 3. There was a woman in the bed opposite me that had a planned section and they damaged her bladder. She was screaming in pain all night and she got to the point she sent her baby home with dad because she couldn't cope with looking after him.

So unplanned section with baby 3 and VBAC with baby 4. C section recovery was straightforward, no infection, no pain relief needed after a couple of days, driving a few weeks later but my VBAC recovery in comparison was incredible. I did have a couple of tears but I still felt incredible afterwards and back to normal almost immediately. Breastfeeding was easier as I didn't need to worry about positioning and baby on my wound etc. I lost less blood so didn't feel wiped out. I would choose vaginal delivery again. I also felt completely listened to, no coercion, just respected.

Statistically home birth carries the lowest risk of intervention. But if you want a C section then they should be able to provide you with all the information needed for you to make an informed choice.

You yourself have already outlined the reason(s) why i chose an ELCS. 🙂

I have had 2 and both were great but i had good at home support for both. I had no pushback from my hospital consultants, if you want one absolutely go for it...

I did have one for medical reasons. Bicornuate uterus and my son was footling breech. I was unable to have an ECV manoeuvre because of my anatomy.

However, I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

I was up walking within hours, my belly did feel like I'd done an intense ab workout at the gym but was manageable, and I didn't find recovery terrible at all and I have a really crap pain tolerance.

Obviously every one is different and my friend who had an ELCS 3 weeks before me was really struggling in those first few weeks but was fine by the time she came to visit me in hospital.

They did discharge me with paracetamol and codeine, but I only needed the paracetamol and took it as instructed on the packet.

By 10 days post surgery, I was pain free walking up and down stairs.

I had terrible anxiety in theatre though, but can't thank the staff enough for helping me be brave, and giving me the best start to the rest of my life with my little boy.

While I'd agree a lovely natural birth with no complications or interventions would be great, I can't control whether that happens. The odds of it happening without a hitch are also not amazing.

An ELCS gives me much more control, and that's what I'm planning on. I'm not saying nothing can or will go wrong, and there certainly are risks, but I feel it is much more predictable (if that makes sense) and there is less chance of something going wrong.

I had a maternal choice ELCS. Young, fit and healthy but like you I found the stats for vaginal birth injuries horrifying. I didn’t have to fight for an ELCS, just asked for one at my 10 week midwife appt. I had to do a couple of sessions with a perinatal mental heath midwife to adress my fears but never once did she try and change my mind. Had an appt with a consultant at 35 weeks and she said “I had an ELCS to avoid birth injuries too (!), what date would you like”. Had an incredibly positive ELCS, have recovered extremely well - no overhang, pelvic floor still super strong, back in the gym after 6 weeks (gently!) , no baby blues and breastfed with no problems.
the rest of the ladies in my NCT group all tried vaginal deloveries and 4 ended up with EMCS and 1 had a forceps birth. 5 months down the line the forceps birth lady is the only one still in pain and the only one who couldn’t establish breastfeeding 🤷🏽‍♀️. 2 of my friends outside of nct recently had vaginal deliveries and both have ended up with prolapses and one didn’t want her baby near her for days afterwards as was so traumatised so never got breastfeeding going.

ELCS.every.day.of.the.week.
well done for doing your research!

That doesn't add up though - Where's rhe induced vaginal? They will have a much higher proportion of instrumental/intervention than vaginal deliveries where no induction was required.

OP, because I'm early 40s FTM (despite no other risk factors) my trust approach is to induce between 39 and 40w unless I opted out of that. Induction has a much greater chance of leading to instrumental delivery. For that reason, and because I was more nervous about pelvic floor recovery than abdominal recovery, I was leaning towards an ELCS. I ended up having CS for medical reasons.

If I were in my 20s and no indication for a CS I'd try for a vaginal birth and try to avoid induction, and do as much good stretching and hip opening, forward upright and open activity as I could.

Recovery from 1st C section has been OK but definitely slower than mums I know who had a vaginal birth, and I'm nervous about caring for a toddler and c section recovery if we have another.

Oh - my non-emergency C section required forceps to get my baby out anyway, so we still had that angle to contend with. Not as forceful as a V birth, I believe, but not an eventuality I'd been prepared for.