To be freaking out about emergency C-sections - help! Will a planned c section might be best?

[notaurewhatusername]

I swear, every time I turn around, another friend is telling me about their emergency C-section. It's like everyone I know who's a first-time mom ends up in the operating room!

I'm starting to wonder if I should just ask for a planned C-section from the get-go (I have a family member who is a midwife so appreciate no guarantees unless I go private ). The thought of things going sideways during labor and ending up with an emergency procedure is freaking me out. At least with a planned C-section, everyone's calm and prepared, right?

But then again, I know C-sections come with their own set of risks. Ugh, why is this so complicated?

At the very least if no c section I know I will need an epidural, I just don't want extreme pain and trauma if I can somewhat try to avoid it. Again, I appreciate no guarantees but I'm willing to try.

I'd love to hear from you all. Did any of you end up with an emergency C-section as a first-time mom? If you've had both planned and emergency C-sections, how different were they?

Same!

Well we went on a trip 45m away in the car to see a friend (and 45m back obviously) on day 5, it didn't even occur to me that it could be uncomfortable as I was fine, but I was happily in the car from day 2 coming home. I'm normally such a wuss about pain but got some reason it didn't hurt at all. Obviously I got lucky though.

It has NOTHING to do with not being able! It is about your insurance and the fact that if you do crash and your wound hasn’t healed your wound can easily split open. I spoke to several insurance companies and they all said the same.

Aaarrgghh for not knowing the real reason.

And unfortunately you may not have been insured. Insurance companies deal in risk and while you are fine to drive, you have a healing wound that may open. They won’t cover you if you are in an accident. Hence the six week timing. Nothing to do with being able to drive at all.

Sure. How about Subacute bowel obstruction caused my c section scar tissue adhering to my bowel. Outcome if not dealt with? Death.

The pain of that was many many times exponential to labour pains.

Still have ongoing digestive and bowel issues.

i would have given anything to have a vaginal birth and then VBAC. It wasn’t to be and I am so glad my kids are healthy and fine. I would never elect to have an unneeded surgery.

I called my insurance company because I heard mixed messages about waiting six weeks.

The insurance company said it was an urban legend. I would covered as long as my doctor had said I could drive.

I called my doctor. I was told as long as I felt capable of driving and performing an emergency stop, I could drive.

Everyone should check with their own insurance company.

Your insurance says speak to your doctor. The doctor says whenever you feel
able. There is no six week rule.

😂😂😂

I was a passenger.

But even in urban legend land does it say that you can't be a passenger for 6w. I guess its walking or private jet back from the hospital for new mums then 😂

I was responding about ability to SIT in a car.
In any event, as others have said, your insurance company are fine if your dr says its fine, and they say its fine if you feel well enough and can do an emergency stop. Therefore if you're feeling well enough (and can do the emergency stop) you are insured to drive.

I had an emergency c section with the first but actually a lot of these "emergencies" just means "unplanned". The surgeons said that the category 1 emcs was only 5% of either their total births (where baby has to be out within 30 mins I think).

Actually it was fine - after 10 hours of labour I was glad it was over and I trusted the surgeons to do a great job (which they did). The surgeons also had plenty of notice that this may occur - they had held a theatre for me as my labour progressed because they thought there was a chance I would end up in it.

It was completely fine in hindsight but you need to be mentally prepared it might be an outcome. I just tried not to think about it and hoped that I wouldn't end up in that situation so that was tough.

As a consequence though, due to how my body works, my second baby was a more complicated c section (planned) and as such I won't be having a third.

Good luck with your decision!

I had a planned C section with my twins (I had no choice as the babies were not growing)

It was the worst physical experience of my life. I'm still not totally over the trauma six years later.

Personally I don't understand why anyone would elect to have a section. They are horrendous.

@Iaminthefly why was it so bad sorry to hear

I am really sorry to hear this but the problem with OP relying on anecdotes is that I've had two labours ending in vaginal (ventouse) births and I would say they were both the worst physical experiences of my life! So it's never really possible to compare like for like. I'm still planning a vaginal birth for my third (due imminently) but my pelvic floor is definitely fairly weak and I'm having therapy for birth trauma and fear of childbirth. My birthing experiences (and the long, painful recoveries) are one of the reasons why we definitely won't be having anymore kids after this one.

This.

I know I’m in the minority, but my two births were the best experiences of my life. I felt safe, strong and powerful and it went exactly how I hoped. Two waterbirths, one at home, I never felt like I might die but yes there was some pain. I had a TENS, gas & air, the water & my husband and I did hypnobirthing. I went to the midwife led unit the first time, and my care was impeccable. Small 2nd degree tear (muscle and skin) that healed fine no long term issues, no tear second time round.

I have friends who had planned and unplanned caesareans, one had a wound infection and cellulitis and was in hospital for a week. The other had a huge haemorrhage after she came out of theatre and was again in for a week as she needed a blood transfusion and could hardly walk.

All that to say, birth is unpredictable and if you would prefer a planned caesarean then do it and don’t give a second thought to anyone else’s opinions or versions of birth. Your gut instinct and intuition is strong, trust yourself.

I think everyone is different. Even though my planned c section was complicated, I recovered more quickly than my emergency one, and it was a great birth.

OP, there is no right answer. I would try to say don't overthink it and go with your gut but I know that is close to impossible.

Birth is unpredictable. Breastfeeding is unpredictable. Babies are unpredictable. Everyone's story is different and incomparable, and what makes a difference is how much control you feel about your choices during the birth.

I just advise to mentally plan for each eventuality and when it comes down to it, go with what makes you feel least anxious.

Same :-)
Though mine were planned sections.

I thought it was something just to endure, but it turned out to be the most amazing experience.

I had an emergency C-section with my first and a planned section for my 2nd. The planned one was horrific but that may be down to who does the procedure. Barely felt a thing with the first, the second I cried the whole time and could literally feel myself being lifted off the table as they tried to pull the baby out. Dd also had a hematoma(luckily outside the skull) from the rough delivery. Recovery was awful. I think it's all a roll of the dice for c-section or natural.

Yeah clearly you will have missed the imaginary steering wheel on the PASSENGER side. That’s why you can’t DRIVE. Honestly. Clearly you can be in a car. It’s the possibility of the steering wheel onto your wound. You can also sit in a car and yes it’s up to your insurance company so maybe it’s worth checking.

This is great to hear when I have a planned c section due to breech presentation.

What was so awful about it?

I had an emergency C section with my first as I had severe pre-eclampsia and she was delivered 6 weeks early. It took me a while to fully recover physically and mentally from the birth but I soon got back to my pre-pregnancy weight and was wearing jeans by the time she was out of the NICU where she stayed.

My second was an elective as they were closely monitoring me for pre-eclampsia and they managed to act in time before it became an emergency situation. It didn't take me as long to recover although I was sore and tired for the first few days, especially with having 2 children to look after although my family and friends helped out in the early days.

Maybe for you not for me. The rule doesn’t not exist because it didn’t for you. It did for me - I called and changed insurance companies. But always worth asking. It’s about risk and the insurance company rules. It isn’t a universal ‘rule’.

The possibility of the steering wheel onto your wound
No. Just no. If you sit that close to the steering wheel when you drive, you would be physically incapable of driving. First, because you are too close to actually turn the wheel, and second, because you are too high for the wheel to turn. Not to mention the steering wheel would be crushing your thighs and pelvis if it were touching your wound!

The seat belt should keep you well away from the steering wheel if the driver’s seat is in anything remotely close to a decent driving position. And I say this as someone who is told that she sits too close to the wheel.

Have you actually had a c-section because you don’t seem to know where the incision is?

The real reason for not jumping straight into the car and driving after a c-section is to protect the wound. But not from contact with a steering wheel!

A c-section cuts through skin and several layers of muscles. The incision is then glued and/or stitched together. Sudden movements, such as emergency braking, can cause those muscles to tense which is extremely painful when they are healing. It may also open the stitches or glued wound which would slow healing, and, again, be painful.

Even when driving a car in normal conditions, you will twist and turn your torso and abdominal muscles. That can hurt and slow recovery.

That is the reason doctors say you can drive when you are ready rather than saying there is a six week rule. 🙄

Quite 😂

I sit close to the steering wheel as I have t rex arms, but there is no position the wheel could be in that would put it against my incision.

It's so low that if I was wearing anything low enough to show it I might be arrested. It's top of pubic mound not my tummy.

I really wish the 6w myth would die. If you've got repeated infections and feel pants then you shouldn't be driving at 6w. If you feel fine at 2w and can do an emergency stop then it's silly to restrict yourself for another month for a mythical rule that the majority of insurers moved away from decades ago.

I had two vaginal, no intervention births. Both planned as assisted home-births (very common where I lived at the time) but the first one ended in hospital because I was past my due date. No pain relief with both.
Very straightforward births and overall fantastic experiences. Yes, I was in pain but the pain had a clear purpose so it felt much more manageable than pain from injury or infection.
I was very much against an ELCS and still am, had major surgeries in my life and would never opt for one without medical reasons. Also, to be quite honest, vanity reasons - I’ve always had a nice flat stomach (still do, I’m over 40) so I didn’t want to end up with an overhang.

I was already classed as a “geriatric mother” (35 and over) when my first was born but I stayed active, ran and exercised in my pregnancies and only put on 8 kilos both times. Had no injuries, no tears, walked out of the hospital two hours after my first was born and buzzed around the house like a duracel bunny with my second (had him at home) straight away after the delivery.

I felt in control and cool-headed both times, was very clear about wanting to move around and I also ate (and fixed myself a couple of sandwiches) during labour. Refused to be plugged permanently to the equipment in the hospital so they magically found some portable monitoring.
No water births for me, I hate water and told my home delivery midwife that I would sue her and swore at her after she very gently cornered me into a shower.

I’m pregnant with my third now and I will accept an emergency c-section if they give me good arguments supported with good enough evidence, mainly because of my age, but I still don’t want an ELCS and home birth will be my first choice. As with my previous pregnancies I am active, exercise (including pelvic floor exercises) and I watch what I eat.

Fine. But everyone else who commented said the same as me. No six week rule.

Anyhow, moving on. Hope you feel like you are in a better place to make a decision OP.

Yes..? I didn't say otherwise. I was just saying it's not correct to say "the 6 weeks off driving thing isn't true", because it absolutely is true for many women, so it would be unwise to go into a c-section assuming it won't be true for you (better to plan for it to be true and be pleasantly surprised, than assume it won't be true and end up screwed).