To think C section is the best birth option?

[LilacSky95]

I've had 3 vaginal births and 1 c section. The recovery from the vaginal births was a breeze, but I've been left with a host of issues from those that will last a lifetime.

My c section recovery was harder, but after the initial pain etc were off I was ok, and it was so nice to be intact 'down there' afterwards.

AIBU to think surely it's better to risk any of the problems that can arrise from having a section, over all the awful things that women often have to deal with for a lifetime after vaginal birth?

Yes I know c section is major surgery, but loads of women end up needing surgery to correct the damage done by vaginal birth too, and even then will never be the same again. At least your problems that come with a c section will be sorted out at least 12 months after delivery, and tour vagina is unscathed.

I've already had one lot of surgery to try and fix my prolapses, and will need more surgery in the future. I cant help feel jaded that if I'd had c sections I wouldn't have to go through all of this so maybe my views are skewed. What do you think?

Correlation is not causation and further/more recent studies that looked at other factors - in particular the rates of autism and ADHD in siblings - found that there was no increased risk.

Why would a c-section have any impact on autism

Just have a think about it and you'll see how ridiculous that is

Age of the parents and genetics are what matters with autism

@ancientgran I've got propper monkey feet with wide gaps between the toes, can spread them so wide I can hold hands with my feet, yet I still suffered badly with prolapse and incontinence. Maybe I'm just unlucky!

And that is the crux of it. Rather than battering each other we need to get angry at the medical profession (not medics themselves who are working bloody hard I know!) that does not centre women at the heart of healthcare. And never has done.

@ancientgran do you honestly not comprehend the difference between an EMCS and ELCS?

You stating your forceps delivery was better than your EMCS doesn't mean it's better than an ELCS

So a study of two doesn't help. Would be useful for someone to study it though. As my obstetrician said they don't have a crystal ball about how a delivery will go but something so simple could help women make the best decision but obviously it can't be 100% as you prove.

Do you mean to be so aggressively rude? Obviously I know there is a difference but in all honesty I'm not sure that it is only EMCS that leads to a loss or alteration of sensation in the scar. I do know categorically that a difficult forceps delivery can end up with no issues to the mother as I am the living proof. I'm sure that isn't what you want to hear as it really doesn't fit with your narrative so apologies for that.

@ancientgran

It's not my narrative

It's factual data - foreceps are worse for the babies and mothers compared to a c-section when looking at data, over your anecdotal stories.

in cases where there were no signs of distress, infants were five to 10 times more likely to experience severe, potentially debilitating birth trauma when forceps or a vacuum were used at the mid-pelvic stage compared to if they were delivered via Caesarean section. Those traumas included brain bleeds, palsies that created permanent damage, and severe damage to the spleen or the liver.
Among mothers who had mid-pelvic forceps deliveries, 19 percent experienced third- or fourth-degree tearing and, for those who had vacuum deliveries, 12 percent had the same result. “These are severe tears,” says Muraca. “They’re the kind of tears that can cause long-term pelvic floor disorders like incontinence, pelvic pain, sexual problems and pelvic organ prolapse.” These delivery methods also resulted in higher rates of other types of obstetric trauma, including lacerations in the high vaginal tract and injuries to the pelvic joints or organs. And both mid-pelvic forceps and vacuum deliveries were associated with increased rates of postpartum hemorrhage compared to C-sections.

I wish I could vote twice. I completely agree. It's scandalous that the medical profession is not more honest with women about this

👏👏👏👏 my feelings exactly

When I was at school, many years ago, every term we were checked for athlete's foot. We would have to put our feet one by one on a bench in front of the PE teacher and spread our toes, most people used their fingers to separate their toes and people found it hilarious to watch how wide I could spread mine. I can also roll my tongue and wiggle my ears, I'm not sure what all that indicates but as I said my husband reckons I'm closely related to prehistoric humans or monkeys. I must google my strange abilities.

I had c-sections. The problem with them is often the issues don’t arise until later. For example not being able to have key hole surgery and an abdomen full of scar tissue which can cause issues later on, especially of you need any form of surgery or have any other issues in those areas.

Sorry about my anecdotes, obviously no one else on here has referred to their own experiences.

Is your issue that my experience is different to yours or is it just ageism, you get a lot of that on here.

Maybe have a look at the link I posted which disputes the link with birth trauma and incontinence. You can find a study to back up most things if you look.

I think my c-section has contributed to my secondary infertility. Also, I think there's a limit to the number of c-section before pregnancy becomes much more risky. I don't think 4 c-sections would be that safe. I did love my c-section at the time, but after trying for dc2 for over 4 1/2 years I'm not sure if my feelings have changed! It might be unrelated, no way to know.

Hope you are successful in the end. Infertility is so difficult.

C sections don’t eliminate the risk of prolapse! Most of the damage to the pelvic floor is due to the weight of the pregnancy on it for nine months.

@ancientgran

Your experience doesn't bother me

I'm merely countering your weird view that your experience is the norm

When there is factual data that says otherwise

You don't seem to understand how studies work so will leave this here

I haven't said my experience is the norm anymore than anyone else on here has.

I'll leave it when I like thanks.

I had all ELCS decided by my ob. Nearly died in my first, they were carting me down for a hysterectomy whilst packing, when the blood stopped. Watched V.carefully after that when I had more. Others were not so bad, the more you have the harder it is to walk afterwards and they take longer. Just a “mild” haemorrhage and anaesthetic reaction for the others.

Multiple ELCS will caused fibrous scar tissue legions in my stomach (all normal) it’s why the more you have, the longer they take. So key hole surgery anywhere near the abdomen is ruled out. That causes issues from the bladder, heart, bowels, etc, etc. This also means that if I get sick in that area I could face more issues than someone who didn’t have as much abdominal surgery.

So yeh, so much better.

You’re just being rude and if you don’t want people’s opinions or experience maybe aibu isn’t for you.

@Whyareyouasking

When people conflate their opinion with facts I will counter them

It's kind of how most AIBU posts go

I find it quite ironic that some of the main points that have been addressed is that the NHS do not warn women about the risks of VB yet they also don't warn those opting for a CS that they can still be impacted by prolapse and issues with their pelvic floor. Or at least they don't seem to warn them as there have been quite a few comments suggesting that only those giving birth vaginally can suffer.

I had 4 homebirths and haven't got any "damage" and recovered quickly each time. I am sorry that wasn't the case for you, but we are all different and for a lot (I presume most) women a VB is the optimal and most straightforward option. Although obviously if a women wants or needs a c-section for any reason then that's is what is best for them.

When people conflate their opinion with facts I will counter them

And that’s fine but you have done it in a spectacularly rude and aggressive way.

Couldn’t agree more. Things have never recovered ‘down there’ after a 3rd degree tear. The midwife immediately said after DS was born that had they actually know how big he was going to be I’d have had a C section for sure.

Incorrect regarding pregnancy doing most of the damage. Pregnancy can cause prolapse, but as this is chronic strain rather than trauma you can reduce the risk of this with pelvic floor exercises.

There is a massive wealth of evidence that vaginal birth, especially instrumental, is associated with an increased risk of prolapse. And in my case, it wasn’t the pregnancy that caused it, it was my baby being yanked from high up in the birth canal and the force of this ripping my pelvic floor muscles from the bone.