to just want to say having a c section for me was a wonderful experience

[diamondlizard]

when i was pg alot of people told me i didnt need a c section, not drs no, they recomended it,due to previos 4th degree tear and birth injury, just aquantances etc
mums on the schol run etc
even though they do not know my medical history

i was told i wouldnt be able to bond sowell etc

but for me and my baby it was a wonderful experience
Calm in control nothing went wrong, he came out pink and crying at 37 weeks
He was placed on me while I was stiched up

Then we spend the whole entire rest of the day, he was born before 10am
Having a massive snuggle in bed skin to skin, the whole day, it was bliss
Really really lovely day

And a very very positive experience for us

in fact i still need to write to the hospital to thank them

anyway it just annoys me that noone ever warns you of the dangers of vaginal birth like i never even knew what a 4th degree tear is
let other things that can go wrong

yes neither way is without risk
i just feel all risks should be pointed out so women are actually making informed decsions

[MylesKennedysVocalCords]

My elective CS with DC2 (DC1 was EMCS ) was wonderful. I was up on my feet 5 hours later, catheter out, doing everything myself, and I was home the next day!

[NobodyLivesHere]

It's not at all unreasonable to say for you it was great. No type of birth is without risk, and for people to 'tell' you what you 'need' is stupid. I had a horrible emergency and a horrible elective section so had a home vbac with number 3 and the number of people who told me I was at best 'crazy' and worst 'risking my babies life unnecessarily' was unreal. I am not an idiot, I took ALL the information from my previous experiences and educated myself and made an informed choice about what was best for me and my baby and I get the rage when others feel they have the right to an opinion on Anyone else's choices.

[Booboostoo]

zebbidy I am in France and had to try three different hospitals to discuss a CS. The first doctor patted me on the head and said all will be OK with a VB - no information either way. The second said their hospital did not do ELCS and would not even discuss the possibility, they would decide if I needed EMCL otherwise VB for me. The third was willing to discuss the options after I pushed and found herself hard pressed to explain why they did not offer ELCS but in the end apologised and said that's how it is in France.

I took a plane to Greece where I chose a doctor who offers ELCS. As it turns out DD was transverse to the end so I assume that most docs would have offered a CS for this, although my doc agreed to an ELCS (after I had explained my reasons and risk assessment) before any examination. I later found out that his first child had been deprived of oxygen due to a complicated VB finally resulting in a late EMCS and had severe disabilities as a result which was what changed his mind about ELCS.

[HungryHenryNeedsToSayPlease]

I had to have a GA for a crash section as DD was discovered breech and was stuck when I started to push, when I came round she was in nicu as she had inhaled meconium and was on an antibiotic drip.

Although I didnt enjoy my section I am very thankful for it as otherwise dd may not be here which is a very scary thought.

I wouldnt hesitate to have another one, although I would like to be awake for the next one

[zebbidy]

For the ladies who had elective c sections did you have to fight for this or was it offerrd? I had a terrible birth experience and recovery first time and know if I have to go through it again I simply will be having no more children . It panics me now thinking about it and I only had my baby 4 months ago! I'm a long way off another baby as I don't even dare let my husband anywhere near there but I am so bothered already at the thought .

[stickystick]

blueshoes: Reluctantcamper, I would happily wait 2 weeks for Alton Towers if it would guarantee an intact perineum. smile

I regard not being able to go to Alton Towers two days after an ELCS as a major advantage, which the NHS needs to start putting in its pamphlets.

[thinking101]

My two were brilliant to, calm orderly and recovered very well.

I dont know any different, it is the only way I have given birth. No I do not wish I had done it different. Im fascinated with vaginal births cos they seem so hard and scarey to me.

I have two healthy childrens thats what matters. I dont know why people ay you cant bond, I bf both mine, hugged and changed them plenty, you just have to be careful how you move for the first 24 hours.

[Mignonette]

Really pleased I had two sections and retained the integrity of my pelvic floor.

Wish that schools of Midwifery would stop using and teaching terms like 'normal birth' and 'natural birth'. Describing it as 'minimal intervention' is less loaded with judgement. I discussed this w/ my stepd who is training as a MW and she said her tutors used it despite being told that some women find it irritating and judgey.

[fruitpastille]

Mine have all been fine although not my initial choice - breech, failed vbac and another breech. My scar tissue was so thin at the third though that tge surgeon didnt need to cut it. I am lucky I didn't labour as it would have ruptured. A fourth pregnancy would be high risk. Something to think aboutbif youcwant a larger family. My 3rd was just over a week ago. The first few days were tough but I am improving rapidly. My boobs hurt more than my stomach!

[snowpink]

Nope, didn't like my ELCS. Baby ended up in NICU with breathing difficulties and I really suffered with the pain and immobility (and had to have a D&V afterwards for remaining placenta pieces, same as after my VB). BUT we both came out alive whereas before c sections we wouldn't have made it (had placenta praevia) so that's the main thing. My VB wasn't great and had lots of health issues as a result for some months afterwards but I'll definitely go for VB again (unless there were any medical concerns). Great positive thread though!

[Topseyt]

My first two children were vaginal births, the first of which was horrendous. I had an episiotomy and still tore badly. It was six months before I could really sit down comfortably again. The second birth was better, but I can't say I enjoyed it either.

My third baby was am emergency caesarean at 35 weeks (waters had gone prematurely, and she soon became distressed). It was the best experience of the lot and I was so relieved not to have to go through another vaginal delivery. My baby was fine and bonny, I recovered well, and we had no difficulty in bonding. She did have to spend a few days in SCBU as she couldn't keep warm and her blood glucose levels were continually dropping, but beyond that we were fine and never looked back.

I LOVED my caesarean. I am glad to hear the OP and others also had good experiences. I can't stand hearing people who bang on and on about the risks of having a section without balancing the argument by admitting that so-called natural delivery also carries many risks.

[GimmeDaBoobehz]

I don't know about vaginal birth as I haven't had one yet but I can honestly say my c section experience was amazing and it wasn't planned and it was a partial emergency (grade 2, I think they call it).

I had pre-eclampsia. But it was amazing. Hearing her cry the first time, having DP hold my little girl, seeing her in his arms and him smiling and looking so proud. My parents meeting her afterwards, the midwives so proud of the situation and said what a wonderful couple to work with and although the first 5 days I slept an hour each night, it was just the most amazing experience ever.

I wouldn't change it for the world to be honest with you.

I wear my c section scar as a badge - a badge that got me my little girl. Soppy I know, but so true.

[Writerwannabe83]

This thread has really cheered me up. I'm booked to have a C-section in 3 weeks and am feeling sooooooooo nervous!!!!! It helps to read such lovely stories

[MammaTJ]

I managed a vaginal delivery for DD1 and it was text book. DD2 was struggling so was whipped out by CS with an epidural, fine, it was what was needed!

DS got stuck. Really stuck! I had to have a CS under GA to get him out. I was in ITU overnight, he was cared for by the MWs on the ward.


I still didn't have a problem bonding with him!



I bonded with my babies while they were actually in the womb!

The main point is we are all alive and well, with DD2 we came very close to losing her and with DS I was very poorly!

[MyDarlingClementine]

Although I can't believe that no-one ever discussed the potential complications of a natural birth....surely every woman going into that knows the risks?

Oh goodness no and there are so many risks.

Women who tell their nasty stories are accused of scare mongering, others keep stchum not to frighten others...then there is the whole NCT thing.

I would say CB is brutal and un predictable.

[MyDarlingClementine]

A wonderful ELC for me, it really healed me after my first birth.

It was so calm, and relaxed, over quickly and painless.

I was able to bond far far far better with this baby, I felt like I had come to her fresh, not frazzled and phsycially exhausted battered and bruised. Mentally and emotionally I was so much better and strangely hormonally too.

I established BF within 20 mins of birth and am still going months on.

It was a great experience and one I think that should be more open to women that want one.

It deeply upsets me to read about ladies who are terrified of labour, usually having had an awful first labour, who are being dismissed by consultants or MW or those with nasty physical ailments being brushed off also.
After my first labour I had fears and flash backs for 5 years. I barely even think about the operation at all.

[LadyRabbit]

Another one here with a positive c section story. Didn't plan on one, but fortnight before birth consultant felt it was the right thing to do due to complications from my previous medical history. Feel it's important to share these stories because before mine I felt c sections were the last resort and not a 'proper' birth. Nonsense! Recovery was no big issue either, I was out walking four miles a day within a month, running my usual amount within two months. However, this was a c section that was planned - I feel bad for those women who have to go through very long labours only to end up with surgery in the end.

Also had no problems whatsoever with bonding and milk coming in etc. was also quite pleased I had no problem sitting down - I remember my mum not being able to do that after she had my sister with a forceps delivery.
Should we have another, I will have to have a c section but this time round I will be much less worries about it.

[StatisticallyChallenged]

That's interesting Bemused33 - I've previously broken my coccyx (not in childbirth), and one of the issues I highlighted when I was digging my heels in was that the pressure on it was become very painful and I was concerned it was going to break again (especially as I had really limited movement due to SPD so couldn't even get in to many of the gentler birth positions)

Was pretty much told to stop being a silly little girl...

[Bemused33]

Dd1 - natural hospital birth. Was ok but terrified to poo afterwards

Ds1 - home birth. Empowering, quicker but broke my coccyx.

A very horrible injury to deal with

Ds2 - elective c section as my coccyx would need to break again. A great experience and best of them all.

[blueshoes]

Reluctantcamper, I would happily wait 2 weeks for Alton Towers if it would guarantee an intact perineum.

[tak1ngchances]

.

[ReluctantCamper]

StickyStick, I think you've got a good point. When I demanded a CS to bring my endless induction to an end, a bumptious junior doctor told me that I was making a mistake 'for me, for my baby and the for my future babies'. When I asked him to justify this he umm-ed.

However...I had a great CS and was walking about the next next day, but a friend who had a VB with her second was at Alton towers two days later for DC1's birthday. You don't do that after a CS.

[stickystick]

Statisticallychallenged Yes they always do that...very selective use of stats. Like they will always give you the overall c-section stats (which include dire emergency situations like premature birth and VBs gone wrong where there are lots of other factors going on etc) to try to scare you about complications and mortality. If you ask for the stats for just ELCS they either stonewall by saying they don't encourage ELCS, or say they don't know. My guess is that ELCS has the lowest complication rate of all, particularly for the over-35s, but the NHS, the RCM, RCOG and NCT would go to hell and back before admitting it.

[winterhat]

YANBU. It sounds like it was definitely the right thing for you.