Would you have a C-Section or natural birth if you were me?

[roseunicorn45]

I’m 22+3 and my whole pregnancy I have been told I’ll need a C-Section. I have had two major abdominal surgeries to remove my large bowel, to give me a stoma and then I have been re-opened by the long scar from my ribs to my pelvis to rejoin me small intestine - rectum to go to the toilet the ‘usual way’ again.

In this time I also had my appendix removed by keyhole. I have inflammatory bowel disease.

I have a hell of a lot of scar tissue (to the point the anomaly scan was even difficult because it was just blackness on the screen) and I’m struggling with cramps a lot already from the tissue stretching.

I saw a doctor today as part of the obsetretics team and she said I could have a natural birth if I wanted to and it’s up for me.

The risk with the C-Section is obviously the fact I’ve already had multiple surgeries, but the risk with natural birth is that I might lose the function of my anal muscles (because I already suffer with incontinence and using the toilet 6-10 times a day with chronic diarrhoea). I’m not sure I could manage losing function even more.

What would you do if you were me? I don’t know how to go with this!

I haven't read the thread OP, but I have been in exactly your position, we may be 'operation twins' I had a C-section.

Think about how many kids you want and how feasible it will be to space them out. I had bad adhesions prior to the c-sec and now have many more; a planned op to remove an ovarian cyst had to be abandoned as the surgeon couldn't access the area using keyhole surgery. I was unsuccessful in conceiving a second child and now think that if I had, I would have run into difficulties.

On the plus side, my Crohns disease has been the best/most manageable of my adult life since my pregnancy and I suffered no ill affects around continence. So I think I got off fairly lightly!

I forgot to mention, the obstetrics team were trying to nudge me towards a natural birth even giving the example of a staff member with similar medical history who had a natural birth. The IBD team said to have the c-sec though. Common birth injuries such as tearing and fistulae are awful for any woman but truly disastrous for those who have had lower bowel surgery. I didn't want to take the risk.

I’ve had one of each (natural delivery and ELCS). I had a severe tear from natural delivery resulting with incontinence issues and was very unwell after for a long time. Had an ELCS with DC2 and no problems at all. Sounds like you need to ask a few more questions. For me it’s be a CS any day as the incontinence would be a massive no for me. Natural deliveries are so unpredictable and even a small tear could give you a lot of problems by the sound of it, for me that would make that a categoric no.

I cannot imagine being in labour, in immense pain wondering, what was going to rupture or split!

C section, if something goes wrong it should be transparent and obvious, and quickly dealt with.

Any amount of damage could go on whilst baby being birthed and no one would no.. Your in incredible pain anyway...

That's with normal birth, what if baby gets stuck, has shoulder thing... So many variables! What if that's fine but you end up tearing, episiotomy... Could you cope with the more damage below?

C section. I've had both, planned c section, and a vaginal delivery, narrowly avoiding am emergency c section.

The after effects of the vaginal delivery are still with me 3 yrs on. "Mild" prolapse of bladder, bowel and womb. Piles. Tight episiotomy .

The c section was fabulous. I knew what was happening and when, no ill effects after other than soreness for a couple of weeks. The pain of the piles and episiotomy was FAR worse

I don't think you can over estimate quite how much you push through your bum in labour. When my first baby got stuck the midwife was literally telling me to push through my bum like I was doing a big poo. I definitely lost some of the function of my anal muscles temporarily, and have permanent piles (so glam), plus 3rd time round I managed to tear my anal muscles. I would say c-section given you current anal issues.