Who has had normal birth and a c section

[elizaregina]

I wondered if anyone who has had a long and traumatising labour and a c section could tell me what they think about the compared experiences.

i had a traumatic first labour that still make me shudder 5 years on, i am about to have second baby - and i am thinking about pushing for a c section. a friend who had contractions for 10 hours before an ecs, told me the pain of the wound is nothing compared to the pain of labour but that it was the after effects. another told me her c secton was far more civillised experience.

LoonyR Was the first cs an emergency cs or a elcs?

Really pleased to find this thread. I am due to have an ELCS in just under four weeks time. I had a long labour and a 3b tear with DS (despite him being only 6lb and perfectly positioned) and was advised by the midwives and doctors after not to attempt another natural birth due to my physiology. I found it really hard recovering from the birth, compounded by the fact that I could only take paracetamol for the pain of the tear due to allergies (no codeine allowed after a tear due to potential constipation). I still feel pain in my scar, especially now I'm pregnant. Thankfully I suffered no continence issues but I have always been careful to do my pelvic floor exercises, however it did take over a year for pooing to feel 'normal' again.

I get so fed up with people patronisingly telling me how hard a CS is and how this birth might be easier. Do they really think I don't understand the risks of surgery or think they know better than the doctors who treated me before?! The obstetrician who agreed my ELCS for this birth said she should warn me of the dangers of major surgery but from my notes it looked like it probably end up with an EMCS anyway if I tried to give birth naturally!

As it is, this baby is transverse at 36 weeks and has been for sometime so even without my history I would probably be heading for an ELCS! But thank you all for your positive stories as it has made me feel a lot better about what's to come.

Hi Ushy it was the Consultant Obstetrician at the hospital where I'm due to deliver. He told me this when we (DH and I) went to see him at our initial visit to talk about CS. It was frightening; the risk of hysterectomy and maternal death were mentioned, but the comparative risk with VB was left out (comparative risks are in the November NICE guidelines - I have the link somewhere - and in East's book. There isn't much differnce in the stats: mercifully rare in VB and ELCS).

Nonetheless, this is really scary stuff and if i hadnt chosen to investigate further, then we would have been frightened off there and then. A part of me thinks that the OB's will to persuade me to go for VB is down to statistics that need to correlate with WHO recommendations: the CS rate should be about 15% (according to my OB) whereas at the hospital where I'm going to deliver, last month alone their rate was 34%. We were informed of this at our second meeting with him, and inferred that this might be the reason for 'putting me off'.

I have felt that as I had a 'successful' VB with my first daughter, then this is the reason why I have been heavily encouraged to go for VB again. Yes, I successfully delivered her, but damaged my back in the process. It took weeks of physiotherapy and months passing by to get almost back to normal.

I felt my tailbone 'go' in the last hour of pushing (I pushed for 2 hours before DD was delivered by ventouse). No tailbone problema before that, yet OB insists that my pain with this was a symptom of late pg, an would have happened anyway and might happen aain this time irrespective of mode o delivery. If I damage my back again then this is something that can be dealt with via pain meds after the birth, according to meical staff at the hospital. I have seen a chiropractor who has said that I am highly likely to damage the coccyx and it's surrounding ligaments again ( as the tailbone anchors the pelvic floor muscles). And that I something that really worries me.

It's interesting what ChoosingCaesarean said about a trial of labour. Both my community MW and a consultant MW have suggested this to me before going for CS. In my mind, this is too risky: I might be fine, or I might have another extremely painful VB or, this would lead to an EMCS situation.

I think that it would be wiser for me to choose ELCS due to my history, but I has been a hard battle in having this agreed. Also, I still don't feel that my coccydynia is being taken seriously by the hospital, which has been incredibly frustrating and has, quite frequently, made me feel like I'm losing my mind!

Sorry for the slight hijack, btw [makes a very sorry face!]

Luna what they don't take account of is that elcs gives you a degree of certainty. As you say, you could go for trial of labour but if it all goes pear shaped at 3 o'clock in the morning with only a junior doctor on duty, you could end up with a risky emergency c/s or a long and traumatic delay while they call a consultant in.

Stick with what you feel is right - good luck

Lunarlyte - Just read about your awful dilema, as havant had ELCS i cant say which one of course, but I would say protect the spine. cutting into muscle weaken core but that is only temporary? whilst you have no idea what untold damage you can do if in labour with people who dont know about your condition and are even now not showing much symapthy with it. how much pain is labour, i simply cant imagine adding to it.

PLEASE POST and tell us how you got on and good luck.

herethereandeverywhere - you have reminded me about also being scared to drink water! I was scared to go to the loo for about two weeks, scared of drinking liquids, showers etc.

Lunerlyte, thanks for all the other info about hosp stats like them trying to keep the cs rates down etc.

I think I am going to have a huge battle on my hands. I cant belive with your probs you have had such a hard time. I wonder are you seeing same consultant are you allowed a second opinion?

i am interested in anyone who has had any type of surgery lik plastic surgery compared to c seciton

I am 30wks with dc2 after a 3rd degree tear with dc3. I have this week been recommended a c-section after an appointment with consultant. I didn't even ask - talked about how worried I was about it happening again and the potential consequences that that might have. I had also done some reading of the NICE and RCOG guidelines and talked about the recommendations. I was really nervous, but he immediately said that he would be happy to do c-section and booked me in straight away.

I was really surprised how quickly he agreed. So - go in to appointment and be totally honest - have some guidelines in front of you - and you should get your section. If the first consultant doesn't agree, you can then ask to be referred to a second. Good luck

Reading with interest. I had a horribly long, traumatic, vaginal birth with my first DC. It left me with PTSD and I have never felt the same since. I am now preg with DC2 and have been recommended a ELCS. So many people have warned me about how hard a CS will be. I am daunted but find it hard to imagine how anything could be worse than my first VB.

Sunshine, I suppose the first step is to work out why the birth was long and traumatic and that might answer which is best for you. I'm not an expert of any sort, just thinking out loud really so don't take it as gospel .

If it was difficult because of the baby's position, if you were induced and baby wasn't quite ready or another reason particular to that birth you might want to try some sort of hypnobirthing and counselling to get past what happened and try to make for a more relaxed birth. Then if there are any issues that come up in the meantime you can ask to switch to a CS.

If the birth was difficult due to something that might affect this birth too (for example I was told I have a very narrow pelvic arch and am very small down below ) then an ELCS might be the better option.

Talk it through with your midwife and consultant so you can come up with a solution that suits you. People do seem to like scaremongering about CS births, they always quote 6 weeks recovery when speaking to people who've actually had a ELCS they say they recovered more quickly. There's no doubt that an uncomplicated vb is the safest option, but you don't know what will happen and an ELCS is safer than an EMCS.

DS1 back to back long labour with EMCS and I couldn't walk for a week after - felt quite traumatised and cried for weeks after. The next three were VBAC (last 2 waterbirths) and I was literally walking 20 minutes after and home the same day to put the others to bed. Agree with cutegorilla though that you just can't predict how it will work out. Very tough decision to make but I would advocate a VBAC as long as you are fully prepared to not beat yourself up if it ends in section again.

Hi all, many thanks for your replies :)

Ushy: Many thanks for your thoughts - they are parallel to what I (DH and my Mom) think about a trial of labour. I think that, regardless of how I choose to give birth, I am going to have a degree of worry i.e. With VB, I am going to have the worry about my spine (plus all of the other nuances of anything other than a 'normal', uncomplicated vaginal delivery. Aside from coccydynia, my beautiful girl just wasnt coming out. After a 24hr latent stage, 7hr active stage, 2hrs pushing, we were both knackered! An episiotomy for me; ventouse delivery for her. All healed fine 'down there' but took several months for my fanjo to feel normal again!)

And with CS, there are the risks that surgery carries. However, all risks must be taken into consideration in context: I certainly feel that this was not presented to me during my consultations with the OB. I feel from my personal experience that anythin other than te obvious health complications that usually qualify a woman for ELCS (such as breech, placenta praevia, etc), and your are encouraged to have VB. Prophylactic choice (that is, taking on another set of risks to avoid other complications) isn't quite fully on the cards just yet.

Elizaregina: You're completely right about the temporary weakening of the abs (transverses abdominus) and therefore, weakening of the core muscle area (and this meaning less support for a while to my back). I have been informed of this both by my physio and chiropractor. The chiropractor, though, said that the way that the surgeon cuts/tears and then sews back together again means that those muscles should eventually knit together again. I have been advised by both to take up yoga and/or pilates to strengthen the entire core area once recovered from the CS. I think I'd need to do this with VB anyway, as the pelvic floor is anchored to the coccyx (and so provides support there) a second strain with a VB could mean that any more weakening there could be troublesome to say the least, in terms of coccydynia, bladder/bowel function. Ha, wasn't told that by the OB!

To be fair to him though, he has now agreed to the CS. If he'd refused, then I would have requested to be referred to an OB who would agree. As I've already jumped through many hoops, I am relieved that I didn't have to do that. It's not what you need at this (or any) stage of pregnancy. My OB is Lead Preceptor in Maternal and Fetal Medicine at the linked university, with 25 years experience. If anyone knows how things should be done, it's him.

For you, you just need to be clear and calm in expressing your worries and what you would line for this birth. Yes, you nay need to work hard/battle, and jump through a few hoops (meeting with a Consultant MW was one of my conditions), but if you inform yourself beforehand and know your rights (new NICE guidelines are a good place to start, as is Leigh East's book Caesarean Birth: A positive approach to preparation and recovery. It's full of useful information and statistical data that puts CS and VB into vital context together.

I'll keep you informed of how things go for me, and I wish you the very best of luck in getting the birth that you want xx