Mums who have had both vaginal delivery & a c section?

[unsurebear]

So during my last (2nd) pregnancy I suffered from a UTI which resulted in my waters breaking at 36 weeks, getting infection upon infection, and also requiring a blood transfusion following a PPH.

We are now trying for a 3rd baby.

I spoke a midwife at the Birth After Thoughts team about the whole experience and she advised me I would be able to ask the consultant about a c section due to the complications with my last pregnancy.

Both births were vaginal and I find the idea of a c section quite scary and I know the recovery tends to be longer.

I know I must sound so shallow but I don't really want a scar on my belly, I have really bad stretch marks from my last 2 pregnancies.

I just wanted thoughts from mum's who have experienced both vaginal and c sections.

TIA

I've only had a c section. Planned, not emergency. It was great! So quick and calm. Recovery was good. 2 weeks later I was pushing the pram for short walks. We had to take baby for his checks and my checks as well and I managed a full set of makeup and blowdried my hair, my ob gyn thought it was hilarious. By 3 weeks we were going out to restaurants. By 6 weeks, I was actually pain/discomfort free.

The scar is well below my bikini line and very smooth.

I breastfed without any issues whatsoever, my son never had an ounce of formula (in case this is also worrying you, I was very very worried as I was keen to breastfeed).

Friends who had emergency c sections had horrible experiences. Planned ones are a total different kettle of fish it seems.

I’ve had 4 VBs and my youngest was a EMCS. I had a traumatic birth with my first and needed transfusions, theatre and many stitches. I still went on and had the others vaginally. My youngest was horrible. I know my own body and knew he was back to back. They wouldn’t listen to me. As it happened after a very long Labour ( longer than the other 4 put together!) we both ended up in trouble. Hence the EMCS. If you are genuinely thinking of a section id go for it elective rather than emergency, so if it’s something you think you’d want, 100% go for it!! My friend had her first as an EMCS and like me, recovery was horrific!! Her second she had an elective and was out shopping in Asda (with support like) 4 days later!!! There are pros and cons and every woman and every birth is different. Don’t let previous births put you off going for a 3rd!! My 3rd was born with one push 16 mins after my first contraction!!! And all my babies were pre-term. Good luck!

Only had a c section. It’s not superficial- I hate the overhang from the scar (I’m not overweight & have a fairly flat stomach, but the way the scar pinches in & have a little bit of loose skin/ stretch marks) causes a saggy overhang that is painful if I try to run. Also had a really long & hard recovery so I am hoping for a Vbac (especially with a toddler!)

either way, you will be absolutely fine & one day soon will be a distant memory x

I had emergency c section, then 3 vaginal births. Prefer vaginal to emergency c but a planned one would be calmer and easier, maybe take a bit longer to recover from but less work at the actual birth I guess.

Honestly, what is the likelihood of you needing a C section this time , that is the million dollar question.
The scar heals very well imho .

i had an emergency section with my first. It was a shit show. I ended up with sepsis and a very long painful recovery.
vbac with number two was great. Recovery was much quicker.
i think elective sections are less risky so youre probably fine if you prefer that.
i do have a scar. It’s quite low so covered by pants.

I've had both

I would choose the c section every single time

Can't even see the scar now

My first was an emergency c-section. I found recovery very difficult, and it took a long time to get back to my normal strength. My scar sits right on the line of normal underwear and it’s gone keloid, so now I’m stuck wearing really big pants or they rub and are uncomfortable.

My second was a vbac, and even with an episiotomy and forceps, my recovery was far, far quicker.

It’s so variable woman to woman, but personally I would never choose to have a c section.

I’ve had one of each. My vaginal birth required stitches which got infected and the recovery was slow and painful. By contrast, my elective c section (for breech) was a walk in the park! My youngest is 9 now and I can’t really find my scar tbh. It’s a very thin, invisible line below the line of a bikini. I was walking around the same day of the section and think I was pretty much back to normal within a couple of weeks.

I’ve experienced both and I would choose a C section if I were to do it again, no questiom.

I had elective section, and then VBAC with PPH and blood transfusion. Honestly, I found the recovery time fairly equal for each. C section was more consistent pain for a couple of weeks, but VBAC with PPH it took me longer to recover my strength and be able to function outside the house.

Scar from c-section I honestly don't even notice any more.

Basically... birth is a lottery, but don't be afraid of a c-section if that feels like the best option for you.

I’ve had one of each. Elective section with my second. It was an easier recovery than from the vaginal birth with my first. But that was a long, difficult labour, with a not insignificant tear.

2 vb and 1 emcs , I found the recovery after the cs straightforward and not too painful. I actually found it a better recovery.

I had a vaginal birth with my first and a crash c-section with my 2nd, I recovered significantly more quickly from my c-section and you can barely see the scar now (it’s absolutely tiny - it’s hard to believe a 10lb baby came out of it!)

My stretch marks are much more obvious than my scar. I do have an overhang though.

My sections were surprisingly pain free, though I took painkillers just in case. I was out shopping on day 3, and with my second, was out for a pub lunch, literally chasing my toddler round the pub garden on day 5. I recovered faster than most of my friends with vaginal births.

I don't have anything to compare it to though, but having a baby pain free was pretty awesome.

I had vaginal, emergency CS then vaginal. I was desperate to avoid another CS but nearly ended up with one. Dr promised to try one last time with forceps and managed to deliver him.

Everyone is different so what suited me might not suit you. In the end the worst thing with the scar was a deep itch in the scar that I couldn't scratch, it lasted years and nearly drove me insane it eventually resolved when I had a hysterectomy and the scar was redone looked better and the itch ended.I don't know anyone who had the itch so maybe I'm unique.

Question: with a c section do you still get the after cramps of the uterus shrinking, and the night sweats and all that fun stuff?

I'm not that daunted by the upcoming labour (#3) but I'm dreading the after pains. They were fricking hideous.

I had my scar cauterised to stop the itch . Tiny procedure but my ( male ) manager was traumatised by my saying why I needed time off so gave me a week :)

I have a very small smooth scar - noticeable stretchmarks from all three pregnancies though! 2 vaginal, last one was emergency c section. I thoroughly enjoyed the section compared to traditional birth, you can sit down and stand up without feeling like your insides are falling out!

Nope I have the itch!!! It’s so weird and at first when I’d scratch it would feel numb so no matter where I scratched it didn’t satiate it. However scar therapy helped but this definitely hasn’t put me off.

I had an EMCS and I have no plans to ever have a vaginal. I was walking a day after. A week later I was walking and up and down fine. I was in a restaurant 6 days post CS, and I had no repercussions beyond hating the weirdness of the scar.

You can’t even see the scar in a bikini, only naked and it is tiny.

I have had both and I would say that it depends on how your previous births went. I had really long, drawn out induced labours, very painful and traumatic physically and psychologically. I had an elective c section with my third due to the vaginal damage I got from the forceps during my second delivery.

The c section itself wasn't much fun but it wasn't that level of wanting to eat your own head when you're in the thick of labour. The recovery is painful, but just like you've had an operation amd not that you want to throw yourself out the window because you feel like youre being tortured by the pitocin. With the c section I liked how I was in and out with a baby in under an hour but obviously the first 24 hours afterwards are really raw. Nothing in comparison to labour, in my experience though, and the last time I had a natural delivery it took me MONTHS to recover. I still have scar tissue down below that flares up every time I get my period.

You cant see my scar.

V birth so much better for recovery. I wanted a C section first time but after I had to have one I think o was very very naive

I'm not sure what the AIBU is?

I've had nothing c section and vaginals. 1 emergency section with my first and 2 vaginals. I found recovery after my second which was a straightforward birth to be much easier than c section (but it was an emergency one). However I found recovery after my third to be worse than my c section because I had a retained placenta and had to go to theatre to have it removed which was frankly hideous. I still don't have 100% feeling as a result. My c section scar is barely noticeable but I do have the overhang belly which i believe is very common with sections. I wish I didn't have that as I really hate it. I would do almost anything to get rid of it. I am generally slim but it looks awful. Having said that I also tore externally with my vaginals so it's probably not a perfect picture down there either 😅

I suppose the answer is: it depends what your labours are like, what your birth is like etc. There is no way to know if you would have an easy third labour or a long and complicated one. You may end up with an emergency section anyway. Or you may not. C sections are not a walk in the park to recover from though. I hated the post op injections and I hated not being able to move or sit up etc properly afterwards.

I had an emergency section for my first then vaginal deliveries for the next two. Honestly, just get your baby here safely. I had forgotten I must have a scar and I'm just glad we are all here as I nearly died having the last one and the baby was the same.

There are things you can put on to minimise stretch marks and scarring.

I had a medically planned section for my 1st due to complications. I also had a VBAC within the last year. Both ended in a PPH and my 2nd delivery needed an MROP and several stitches. Hands down would take the recovery from a VBAC over a section.

Section pain was manageable from day 3 and I had far more mobility than I expected. I bled for longer afterwards.