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.

I don't judge people badly for having sections.

But you asked why people do, and I think the answer is just that it's women who have grown up in a misogynistic culture, who judge women for anything and everything. We all do it, no woman is immune. (I judge women for overfilling their lips and painting their faces brown.)

Birth and parenting feel much more 'judgeable' to some people because they're massive events. And because they're big events, people want you to know what their opinion is. Whereas if you just overdid the foundation, they might not bother.

I post this on every C section thread, but current C section stats are not fit for purpose as almost nowhere separates planned sections for medical reasons from purely maternal request sections in the record keeping.

When researchers looked at outcomes in Ontario where these stats were separated, they found that maternal requests C sections (ie. those with no underlying medical reasons for baby or mother) had better outcomes than vaginal births.

So maybe, PP, I can judge you for having a natural birth when there’s evidence showing that a maternal request section is actually safer

I got the impression they were scared of vaginal MCDA births because so much can go wrong with only one placenta and none of them had actually seen one.

We comprised and I gave birth in theatre with so many staff there wasn’t room to turn around 😂

Here’s a link to the article, which contains a link to the study itself too.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/feb/13/caesareans-or-vaginal-births-should-mothers-or-medics-have-the-final-say

It’s very interesting. Yet another failure in women’s healthcare, where women are fed out of date and irrelevant statistics and information on things that affect their bodies (and their babies).

Of course you should have. Far better to starve than to be fed nasty formula. I thought everyone knew that?

Wouldn’t bat an eyelid at it, it’s very common now

😂

Mine are of the bog standard di/di variety.

Exactly.. some people think we have to suffer in life.
We are the only ones who live in our bodies, 24/7.. dealing with the immediate pain of birth and longterm effects.. compare that to the opinion of shitty smallminded people and it fades into the toilet where it belongs.
Imagine if someone had longterm incontinence from a hard birth that could have been avoided.. wetting themselves for life while that person/doctor who judged them and put them off choosing a section didn’t give any more thought to it and got on with their lives.

I’ve had two elective caesarean sections

Both for maternal request and at 39 weeks

No regrets, left hospital within 24-48 hrs with both, no complications with either of us, pretty smooth recovery, breastfed for several weeks with first then a few weeks less with the second.

Back to playing my usual sport/going to the gym by 4 months post partum

It was the right decision for me, how I gave birth to my babies, really did not feel I was ‘missing out’ on anything as a few other women did comment

So in summary, elective CS for maternal request first time around- not scared of pain/being a wuss. More that my concern was potential birth injuries or being left in pain by the midwives…friends/aquaintances have experienced both.

Yes, I realise a CS involves a surgical incision…but I’d rather a planned/controlled incision rather than an episiotomy turning into a 4th degree tear with double incontinence as one of my poor friends experienced…for her she was ‘happy’ to have a vaginal birth as this was her preference. For her second she had a CS as advised by the consultant so as not to undo all the surgical repair or permanent incontinence

At the end of the day, I couldn’t give a flying one about how another woman chooses to give birth.
There are those out there who will always judge, often it’s other women doing the judging

Meh honestly choose to give birth how you wish, that’s my take on it all

But why? What are you actually judging?

No I wouldn't judge at all. I had planned c section and it was very calm and pain-free with little.discomfort afterwards. However I do have an overhang which I might not have had had I had a vaginal birth

A few very outdated, uninformed, and frankly moronic posts here.

I cried with relief at what a breeze my elective c-section was. It was calm and joyful compared to my vaginal birth years earlier.

Recovery was easy, breastfeeding a walk-in-the-park because I wasn't in any kind of trauma, pain or shock... and I was driving 2 weeks later!

I cannot believe in 2025 there are still idiots women judging other women for their birth choices.

Yes surely whatever is easiest on baby and mum is the best? Physically and mentally instead of trauma and panic and pain.

Cut from hip to hip….

What you tube videos have you been watching?!

Spectacularly uninformed and a pretty moronic statement

Jealous?

Seriously? Jealous if a major surgery, jealous of not being allowed to drive for 6 weeks? Jealous of having layers of muscle sliced through and stitched together, jealous of the scar you'll end up with?

Trust me love, so not jealous

Why is everything that women (mainly) dislike or judge because of jealousy? I judge caterpillar eyelashes, but I'm sure as shit not jealous

Na! An elective c section is amazing ! You know the date, can head in nice and chilled, organise childcare of older kid in advance

I loved mine and don’t give a shit what anyone thinks.

i was back on my feet in a few hours and was out and about in a few days

Not in a million years would I judge this.

My scar is tiny, I was up and walking 4 hours after my elective section and home the next morning. Felt fine within 2 weeks.

It didn't hurt when I coughed or sneezed either. My mum on the other hand gave birth vaginally. I'm 35 and she still pisses herself when she coughs or sneezes, so I'm quite happy with my choice!

Absolutely not!

Nothing worse than judgmental Mums who think they're better because they didn't have meds or birthed at home or had a natural birth etc.

We are all mothers and our birthing plans are literally nobody else's business.

Honestly, some of these comments 😂

I had a semi-emergency C-section; I struggled through six days of non-progressing labour with all kinds of horrific and intrusive interventions because I didn’t want a section as I didn’t want to feel like I’d ’given up’. DS’ heart rate kept dropping off the monitor and then went very erratic, I was absolutely exhausted and couldn’t take any more painful vaginal examinations (I’d had 4 or 5 a day by that point) so I said I had had enough and was in theatre within 30 minutes.

Yes, I have a ‘mummy ledge’, but my son and I are both alive. I currently don’t want any more children but if I did ever change my mind, I would have an ELCS without hesitation. I didn’t win any extra prizes for suffering for six days.

💯👏 YES to this! ^

In much the same way that I’m judging you for such a cunty and ignorant post, for example….?

I have had 3 sections, 2 emergency and 2 planned. If I hadn't had the first 2 sections then I dread to think what would have happened. The 3rd I was told because I had had 2 already it would be easier on me to have the 3rd. I don't regret any of them as they are here now healthy and well

People will judge about anything when you have a baby - your weight, your age, how long you have been with your partner, whether you breast feed or formula feed and how you delivered and countless other things.

Women are horrible to each other at a time when we should be celebrating how amazing our bodies are for growing a baby. Meanwhile the male contribution to the process is quite small and you don’t see them all criticising each other over how much time they spent on the maternity ward, what their babies are fed, whether they stayed up for the night feeds regular enough etc.

I don’t understand people’s need to judge others about things that are absolutely nothing to do with them and effect them in no way at all.

I wouldn’t judge another woman’s choices over her own body.

Why? In this day and age any woman in any country should have the choice of least pain as long as all risks have been assessed individually.
OP I wouldn't judge. If the option is available, and you're comfortable with the idea, then do it.
I don't know why in the UK there has been such a lot of official preaching pro natural birth and against caesareans.
Whichever method is less painful for the mother and less stressful for the baby is the ideal situation.