Would you judge someone for choosing to have a c section?

[ProudOtter]

I’m just curious as to why you would judge someone for choosing to have an elective c section?

For background I’ve decided I’d like to ask for a c section for baby number 2. Some people have made comments about me being insane, or that I’m missing out of giving birth “properly”

I am curious as to why some people have this view.

My first born was semi elective c section, was rushed into an induction due to minor fetal distress and escalated a bit so had to choice to attempt vaginal birth or go for a C-section and I chose the c section. Positive experience and no regrets.

You mean skin to skin? And ehat makes you think I haven’t had a cs? I haven’t passed comment on that as it’s irrelevant. Skin to skin rates are statistically lower for surgical v vaginal deliveries. So yes, it isn’t the norm.

Do the best for you and your baby. People that judge have no right judging your choice.

God no - l would have chosen one all day long and was delighted when they said l was having one. Couldn't care less what other people think.

You've already said that. We know what the statistics say.

Obviously it's possible to have skin to skin after a c-section so we need to make sure that women are aware skin to skin is possible after a c-section.

If the statistics also throw in emergency c-sections with elective ones then it's also no surprise considering some of those babies will need to be whisked off to NICU and the such like and skin to skin wouldn't be possible in those cases.

I'm going to apply this thinking to all those who try to minimise pain.

You take painkillers, it's because you're a wuss. You get an anaesthetic at the dentist - wuss.

🙄

In Isreal.
A totally different country with a vastly different healthcare system.
I think it’s fair to say the vast majority of the posters here are discussing the UK and you’ve had numerous women reply and tell you that in the UK the baby is placed on you almost immediately after a c section.

Which country are we talking about here? The authors appear to be working in Israel and the US, no suggestion of where the research was carried out. I know skin to skin costs more in the US (or at least it's listed on the insurance as a cost), which is completely insane but would have an impact on rates.

Not defensive at all, just informing you that it wasn't my experience and didn't seem to be unusual. Perhaps the UK is doing better than other countries on this one.

I had two C sections and skin to skin immediately, both times

Pain relief isn’t the same though is it? Pain is an intrinsic part of labouring, and therefore pain relief is necessary. You’d have to remove pain relief from everyone for every medically necessary procedure or make it payable. Just because you can survive an amputation without pain relief doesn’t mean that pain relief isn’t necessary for most amputations.

I agree though that home births, water births etc are technically “elective” so by that token, could be chargeable.

I personally don’t think that elective sections should be paid for, but I don’t like that pain relief is being lumped in with all these other things as though it isn’t required and is simply “elected” for.

I’m not judging you. I’m just curious as to why you’d openly say you’d judge someone on a personal medical choice which has no bearing on your life. I honestly don’t understand why anyone would care what someone else chooses to do.

You don’t agree with elective surgery - great don’t have one. But how can you not agree with someone else having one?

I am not having a go at you. I just don’t understand your mindset. It doesn’t matter to you what others chose to do.

I had an epidural for both my vaginal birth and c-section. I'm all for pain relief and I'm also for women having a choice when it comes to their births such as home birth, water birth, c-section and pain relief.

Some people would say that those who want pain relief during a vaginal birth is also elective as plenty of women manage without. I disagree.

@Rainingalldayonmyhead I have my reasons and since I dont agree with any elective surgery I am entitied to that feeling.

You don’t agree with vasectomies, tonsillectomies or hip replacements?

Absolutely not. Info people trot out clichés without knowing about something.

It's an absolute disgrace that we can't choose how to give birth and how we want to die

I remember years ago radio 4 said the biggest cost to the NHS was for paying out to mum's and disabled babies from botched births

From what I've seen, this is true. I've been present during many c-sections, and with the mother and baby immediately after. Sure, the baby may be put on the mother briefly but when they are taken into the recovery area there is rarely ever any skin to skin, and they are in recovery for generally 20-30 mins and there is never a midwife present to encourage this. Of course this is just MY experience in my trust, but still. Compared to my two 'natural' births where my babies were immediately put on my chest and began to latch immediately and we had sustained skin to skin.

Home births are no more likely to go wrong than hospital births In fact generally they are lower risk pregnancies.

If there's not a home birth team then they will still need the midwives at the hospital to deal with the women going there instead. So can't see how that's a saving

Isnt pain a medical reason?

I had skin to skin.

More so than the vaginall birth actually.

The other thing is people conflate a planned section with an emergency.

I managed without (requested but not given) and it hurt like hell. I think it’s barbaric that with “women’s issues” pain relief is treated as elective. My dad got gas and air for an endoscopy (no problem with this) yet I couldn’t access it to push a bloody baby out.

It's beyond barbaric the entire culture around this.

I judge people who judge. I judge people who are against ELCS, or who don't think it should be funded, and I do it much harder than they could judge anyone for having an elective section.

We need to reframe the discussion, make it so those opinions are the sort that people are ashamed to admit to holding.

Exactly, it must be A jealousy.
I had CS too as baby was breach, the CS was fine, elective, pre planned.
When few months later I was up in hospital with my child, I made some friends with other mums on the ward, we sat in one cubicle when babies were asleep and chit chatting. A birth theme came on and I said I had elective CS.. they made a such snarky ugly faces and literally started avoiding me since that..
I couldn’t believe it.. literally we were all friendly and since that I was totally ignored and actually one of them reported me to the nurse when I popped downstairs into the hospital shop to get some food.
Luckily the nurse was lovely and I said that of course I can go to pop out to get something to eat..

Neither of my children were in the recovery area for 20-30 minutes. They were weighed, measured, checked, cord cut and brought to me after. It was minutes and I know that for a fact both times because the anesthetist who held my hand during surgery filmed the baby being checked and then moved my gown and helped me position for my husband to place the baby on me.
Both times my baby has been in my arms while they stitched me back up and I know many mums who had the exact same experience.
It sounds like your advice is quite out of date. Midwives are not the only professional to recommend or encourage skin to skin or immediately holding your baby.

No.
I didn't even bother reading your OP because I couldn't think of any circumstances I would judge someone for choosing a c section. Well, maybe if they wanted the c section at 30 weeks or something so they could go on holiday. That's about it though.

Well I got to 9cm on 2 paracetamol, and was then too late for anything other than gas and air, so yeah…

I genuinely can’t understand why anyone would OPT for major abdominal surgery if there wasn’t a medical need for it. Not to mention the cost to the NHS for unnecessary surgery

@TotallyAddictedToCoffee I genuinely can’t understand why anyone would OPT for major abdominal surgery if there wasn’t a medical need for it.

You don’t need to understand, a woman’s birth has nothing to do with you.

Hope that helps.