opinions pls - vba2c or elcs?

[missp2010]

I am only 18 weeks so I have plenty of time to decide, but I have found myself thinking a lot about how to get this baby out. I have told the mw I'd like an elcs which they are fine with but I know they would be equally supportive if I decide on a vbac.

I was induced with DD at 40+10, labour was horrendous (she was back to back, and I had the awful syntocine(?) drip) I got to 7cm and then cervix swelled so went back down to 5cm. DD then became distressed and had mecconium (sp) in waters so after almost 24hrs we were taken down for an emcs. Turned out she was 10lb! So with her size and difficult position there was little chance of her coming out easily. At the time I felt the recovery was hard and slow, but when I think about it now it probably wasn't that bad, I think I was just a bit shocked by it all. We went on holiday when she was only three weeks old and I was fine then!

DS was an elcs at 39 weeks. The whole experience was terrifying. I still don't understand what happened, I felt very poorly during the operation and then when I was in recovery I was still vomiting. After roughly 30 mins the epidural wore off - I could feel EVERYTHING, the pain of using my stomach muscles trying to be sick honestly felt like I was going to tear in half. As far as I am aware I wasn't given any other pain medication - I don't know if this is normal though? DS was 8lb9oz. I asked if I could see the placenta, the midwife who showed it to me commented that it was a very healthy placenta and she thought he would have stayed in for another two weeks at least if left to his own devices!

The recovery with DS was much worse, but this was more to do with having an anal fissure (I have no idea how this happened at all) as I didn't sleep for more than thirty mins at a time for two weeks. I was also very anaemic and had two transfusions.

So for some reason I thought it would be a good idea to have a third DC :o But having had difficult experiences both times I really don't know which is the best option. The size also really worries me. I am frightened that I may end up pushing out another 10lber and tearing badly.

So any opinions/advice to help me decide would be much appreciated :)

I was told today at my consultant appointment that if i have an elc this time (emcs last time) that i would have no choice but to have another elc if i wanted a third child. So would they allow a VBAC after 2 cs?

roulade - it is not their decision - it is ours. I had three emergency sections and then insisted on trying for a vbac. They were a little concerned and gave some tight parameters but it was my choice. And I got my vba3c .

Missp, I don't have any answers really but just didn't want your OP to go unanswered.

It's such a difficult decision, and there are so many factors to consider. You don't say how heavy your 2nd child was - I take it quite large? This doesn't necessarily mean your third will also be large, but it is more likely as birth weights do run in families to a certain extent. All the babies in my family are 9 or 10 pounders and that was a big factor in my decision to go for an elcs after my first emcs with a 9lb8oz baby.

Also, I think you were very unlucky with your elcs experience. They are not normally that bad - at least judging by my own and my friends' experiences. The next one needn't be like that, so don't think you have to go through that again.

Look at all the statistics, bear in mind the long- and short-term effects of both birth methods and then make a decision on what's best for you personally.

Thank you for your replies.

roulade I have been shocked by other posts that have mentioned women not being allowed to have vbac's. Perhaps it's more acceptable where I live (Brighton), I haven't had a specific discussion about it with my midwife or consultant but the midwife did say they're happy to go with whatever I decide. Also, nobody can force you to have a c-section!

Arizonagirl how did you find your vbac? Was it a positive experience?

tuttifrutti DS was 8lb 9oz and a week early. I do know other people that have been up and about within a week of having a c-section, so I agree with you that it may be easier this time. However, I also have some friends that had vaginal births with babies over 9lb and they have had even quicker recoveries.

Riven why is it that you wish you'd had a section with your 4th DC? Was it awful?

I am very aware that this is definitely our last baby. Although I don't feel I've failed by having sections, I do sort of feel that I'm missing out, I want to know how it feels to give birth the normal way and not to have my baby handed over by a surgeon....

I aimed for a VBAC after an emergency section first time around, but ended up having another section. For me, I would never attempt a VBAC again. I just feel that my body has told me twice that it isn't up to the job. But then, I have had very straightforward sections with no complications, so my experience is quite different to you.

It is such a personal decision, as nobody else has the exact same set of circumstances as you.

Keep researching, talking, thinking it through. Good luck x

"Up and about within a week of having a c-section" - yes indeed! It would be very unusual not to be.

With my second (elective) I had the section at 7.30pm and was up and about the next morning, to my surprise - I had expected it to be like my first (emergency) when I was bed-bound for the first 24 hours. I had terrible pain with the first and needed morphine and stayed in hospital for 5 days. With the second, there was no pain at all, just mild discomfort (to give you some idea, period pains would be much worse) and the hospital wanted to send me home after 24 hours but I asked to stay as it was a respite from looking after my toddler!

I think that shows the difference between elective and emergency sections, which have different clinical outcomes and different rates of post-natal depression.

I've had 4 sections, all planned. After number 4, I came home about 9am the next day, so was in for less than 24 hours. I just made sure I knew what to ask for (soluble stitches, drip in wrist not hand, etc etc) and it was fine. I think it's a bit odd that people feel the need to 'experience' birth. A lot of our experiences are no longer as nature intended, so feeling a baby come out one bit of you or another shouldn't really make a difference in the long run...

Riven I'm sorry to hear that you had such a bad experience. I hope things are ok now, and you're both happy.

Wow, sounds like I've been very unlucky with my two sections then. I was certainly walking about with 12 hours of each, but I was in a lot of pain for a least a week afterward, both times, and felt very, very uncomfortable for at least a further week.

I'm not against sections, they certainly have their place. It's hard to put into words how I feel, I'm not bothered as such about which bit the baby comes out of, it's more that a section is so very medicalised. I also feel that both my dc's have taken a few weeks to recover - surely it must be a shock for them too. I watch those birth programmes on the discovery channel and want to cry with jealousy, the whole thing looks so calm and something to really enjoy (despite the pain, obviously) whereas both my birth experiences have been frightening and very difficult to recover from, physically and mentally. This time round I want to enjoy it, it's just a matter of choosing which method of birth is most likely to make that happen.

missp2010 - I had a vba3c a few weeks ago and it has been a very healing experience after three horrible sections. I met with a lot of opposition but the consultant was lovely and agreed to support me. In the end I got to 10cms within an hour and then was pushing for about 3 hours (I know, not ideal but all was fine). In the end I needed an episiotomy and a kiwi ventouse which I was slightly disappointed about. However, I had no pain relief at all so felt everything and baby was so alert when he was born.

So....how was it all. Well, the moment he was born was wonderful - knowing he had been born naturally and being able to hold him straight away, cord attached. I was actually ecstatic before he was born - perhaps realising I wasn't going to have a fourth section was my most amazing bit. And then holding baby was amazing!!! But....I did feel after the whole thing that the sections hadn't been too bad in retrospect and I still got the same result - a baby to hold. If anything I got more of a swell of emotion after the sections. I think it was the huge roll of emotions from fear, frustration, pain, regret right through to ecstasy at hearing my newborn cry. The feelings were more calm after the normal birth - just an overwhelming sense of love and protection. The recovery hasn't been the walk in the park I expected - stitches still sore and wondering if I have a slight prolapse. I think the recovery of the section was more painful at first but quicker.

So, would I do it again? Yes, absolutely. However, I would not have the same sense of dismay if I had to have a section. I think an elc could be made lovely - would never ever have said that before. BUT it was so so important for me to have a natural birth. I was so frustrated at not getting there three times and thought about it for five years with sadness. It would have been the biggest regret of my life. So it was very healing for me and actually made me realise that the births of my other children had been more similar than I realised. But I would never have known this without having a natural birth. Don't know if that makes any sense? Good luck!