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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To love the lovely lovely c-section bliss

181 replies

mummyanonymous · 23/01/2012 18:54

Natural labour: bad
Major abdominal surgery: good

OP posts:
lockets · 23/01/2012 19:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ragingmull · 23/01/2012 19:49

Well "bliss" may be your experience but it's not always the same for others. So yes yabu.

olgaga · 23/01/2012 19:50

I've never known anyone to describe their childbirth as blissful. However you end up doing it, it's (literally) a bloody miracle.

Seeing mums struggling in pain at the clinic afterwards, husbands/partners/mums in tow because they couldn't drive/push a pram/hold their babies, that did make me feel relieved I didn't need a CS.

KittyFane · 23/01/2012 19:56

YANBU OP

Original poster
mummyanonymous · 23/01/2012 19:57

Ah, ragingmull I think not.

OP posts:
G1nger · 23/01/2012 19:58

I gave birth naturally. I only used a TENS machine and 4 paracetamol. Despite this, I thought it was a bloody lovely experience, as well as having been bloody hard.

BoysAreLikeDogs · 23/01/2012 19:59

cmon OP, tell us what your point is, tia

shagmundfreud · 23/01/2012 19:59

The week following the birth of my 11lb ds at home were truly, truly blissful.

The 7 hours leading up to the birth weren't.

On balance though, I've had good 'value for money' from my homebirth, given that even 8 years on I catch myself mulling on in and thinking 'Shag - you're fucking HARDCORE'. Grin

Have had surgery on my cervix during both of my last two pregnancy. I had them both done under a spinal so I know what it's like to be awake during an operation. Obviously if there'd been a baby handed to me at the end I'd have a lot of happy memories of it, but only because there'd been a baby handed to me at the end.

Can't remember anything that was remotely pleasurable about having surgery apart from the fact that in one of my operations the doctor was bloody fit and played a song I liked.

lockets · 23/01/2012 19:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

otchayaniye · 23/01/2012 20:00

i loved both my planned sections. was on cloud nine, felt rested and recovered amazingly quickly went straight to carrying baby in wrap from day one and fed very easily. was out in 24 hours. with the second i went into labour a few hours before i was booked in and they asked several times if i wanted to continue...er, no, i'll have the section.

but granted, i can take or leave childbirth. breastfeeding, parenting etc important to me, mode of delivery but a minor blip.

i fully respect that it's a big deal for other women.

otchayaniye · 23/01/2012 20:03

they can affect people in very different ways. i don't use a pram and could carry my baby straight away, feed in a sling on a walk to the zoo on day five, whereas my homebirth friend didn't leave the sofa for 2 weeks.

Original poster
mummyanonymous · 23/01/2012 20:10

4 paracetamol??? Give me strength.

OP posts:
AitchTwoOhOneTwo · 23/01/2012 20:10

yup, otch, i was AMAZED at how quickly i was up and about after the cs. day 3 and my doc found me sitting on my bed cross-legged and reading the paper. didn't need painkillers either, only took paracetamol to shut the nurses up.

however the shoulder tip pain... YOWZA.

OTTMummA · 23/01/2012 20:10

YANBU, section for me all the way, i am sure others haven't had it so good, but i did, so yes i agree with you, bliss away! Smile

Scheherezade · 23/01/2012 20:13

Mine was horrific. The following night after he was born dp wasn't allowed to stay on the ward so had to leave, and I was faced with a screaming newborn I couldn't get up to see to.

KittyFane · 23/01/2012 20:13

V births don't always have a painfree recovery period at all

:(
I would opt for C section every time.

Procrastinating · 23/01/2012 20:14

YANBU.
I have had three. They were lovely.
It is refreshing to see this view OP.

rednellie · 23/01/2012 20:14

My natural labour: frigging amazing
Generalizations: bad
Grin

shagmundfreud · 23/01/2012 20:15

Was the surgery 'bliss' OTT, or the getting the baby the nice bit? Or it's just 'bliss' because it's not labour? A bit like describing a holiday in cheap high rise in Benidorm as 'bliss' because you know the alternative is a week in a Travel Lodge in Leeds? Grin

It's just that I've had surgery, and I can't remember having any pleasurable sensations.

Have I missed something?

Tiredmumno1 · 23/01/2012 20:15

None of them are exactly a walk in the park

otchayaniye · 23/01/2012 20:17

the only thing i didn't like was the catheter, but i was on such a high feeding my babies that i didn't care too much and could get up and hold the baggie.

i was very lucky with both. of course, for many it's not smooth sailing. but i think it is worth hearing from women who did find the experience uplifting, calm and exhilerating, as a smooth natural birth is touted. i had one section in a country where they are the norm (asia) and there wasn't the judginess associated with the mode of delivery.

oh, and OP congratulations!

cubbie · 23/01/2012 20:18

i had an em c/s with ds1, it WAS like someone doing the washing-up haha, then a huge sense of relief/lightness as he was lifted out.

Was going to have a VBAC with DS2, but changed my mind and had an elective c/s due to severe SPD, couldn't walk, didnt see how I was supposed to give birth.

I have to say, for me, it WAS a blissful experience, so calm and the drugs were quite literally out of this world!! I'd do it again just to feel like that again> Even Dh said it was relaxing. I suppose it was the contrast as well with my first birth, 29 hours of excruiatingly getting nowhere, with all sorts of interventions, then the em c/s.

2nd time round, I was up and about quicker, nobody told me the first time that you should try and get on your feet as soon as poss. I was back driving very soon as well, way before 6 weeks. (insurance and GP approved decision).

I won't be having any more and whilst I did want to give birth naturally, am grateful that I didn't have to IYKWIM, no disrespect to those who have, I just mean I'm glad my bits weren't put through childbirth.

Still got SPD though, and DS2 is 3 and a half, so that's best part of 4 years. (maybe if I lose 4 stone, it might help).

OP, YANBU and good luck, enjoy the drugs. Just don't look up at the overhead light as you might see the reflection of what's going on behind the sectioned-off area!!!

shagmundfreud · 23/01/2012 20:18

"It is refreshing to see this view OP"

Funny though - because when someone suggests that those women who opt for a c/s birth are taking the easy way out (too posh to push dontcha know!) it tends to elicit gales of hysterical howling on mumsnet.

scotsgirl23 · 23/01/2012 20:19

Nothing to compare to but had a planned c-section with DD, bliss is an appropriate description.

And I say that as a needle-phobic.

I seemed to be in a lot less pain than a lot of the women on my ward who had had VBs, except the nurses/midwives seemed to be a lot better at giving drugs/assistance to the post CS mums for some reason. Was out of hospital within 48 hours, soluble stitches so no removal issues, scar damn near invisible, had no issues at all carrying or pushing her either. I walked around Tesco with her in my arms the day after I got out (didn't want to put her in the trolley seat, it looked cold!)

AWimbaWay · 23/01/2012 20:20

My 2 natural births were a million times better than my c-section, but it is different for everyone.