SHOULD I opt for a section...opinions really needed please??

[pucca]

Ok, i am 17 weeks pg with no 2, i am going to discuss mode of delivery with my consultant in a few weeks and i need some opinions please?

My dd was 9 lb, and i suffered a top of the scale 3rd degree tear, the pain of the tear wasn't so bad but it did take me 4/5 months to be able to control my bowels again (sorry TMI) andi am quite frightened of ending up with no bowel control at all or a 4th degree tear if i go vaginal again, even i really don't like the thought of a section.

Now obviously no one can predict if i will get a severe tear again so i am in limbo...

I will go with what ever the consultant thinks best, but i will also have a say too, i am quite likely to go over EDD as i did with dd, and obviously the weight of dd, and possible weight of no 2 is also a factor.

What do you all think?

TIA

Also, can ladies who have had elective sections let me know how bad/ok it was? i have no clue at all, apart from the thought for me isn't a nice one.

For me it would be a no brainer,I would request a section.

My work colleague who had a cs and then a VBAC said the other day that the cs was the better of the two. However, she had a very long labour something like 36 hours with her second....

My labour with my dd was 28hrs, i guess i am just a little scared of the unknown (section).

I don't think I would want another injury like that .maybe you should talk to a consultant and consider the c section as, if you got injured agin like that it might take longer to get back control or may be even worse, would not want to risk that.

i've experienced both - both have pros and cons. There is absolutely no pain with a section, you will know when it's happening, you can plan it, it's quick. But recovery time is obviously longer. I had a section 4 summers ago - and had hayfever - every time i sneezed or coughed or laughed it hurt like buggery for a while. But you will be given pain killers and it's not too terrible. But you won't feel 'normal' for a long time I think. Can take the body a good 6 months to really get back to normal.

You know what natural feels like - pain like nothing on this earth but euphoria like nothing on this earth and ability to walk around feeling 'normal' pretty quickly.

sorry, not much help.

I am really crap at making decisions, thats the problem, i wish they would just tell me what to do, but i have to think it over too as i will have help make the decision....

Thanks for all opinions so far

an elective c-section is meant to be much better than an emergency one. I have never had a vaginal delivery due to needing emergency section but I am going to try and opt for elective in a few weeks time.

I think I would go for the section. I was offered one second time around because of very difficult first labour (large baby for my frame, head got stuck, very long labour etc) and wish I had gone for it TBH (although if I actually knew what having a c/s was like I might not think that IYSWIM). First time had a big episiotomy and second time I tore along line of epi and the tear went further, almost as far as my anus so I was quite lucky to avoid a third degree tear. I would not want to take the risk of tearing along the old scar if I were you.

well, i had a bad tear - not as bad as yours - DD was 13 days over and weighed 9lb 13oz. She was a long labour and ended up being a ventouse delivery with episiotomy and i still tore.

Second time around i was in and out with bp problems towards the end but worried about the birth as i knew that this one was as big as if not bigger than DD.

However, after being taken in to monitor my bp and possibly induce 6 days before edd - i went into labour on my own 5 days early DS was born without any complication and all i had this time was a "graze". He was 8lb 12oz. He would have weighed the same as DD had he gone 13 days over so no bigger in fact.

I cant help you make a decision as to what you choose but i would say that my experience was very different second time around for lots of reasons.

i certainly wouldnt discourage a c/section BUT i would think long and hard about having such major surgery that will, without doubt, take you 5 to 6 weeks to recover from obv bearing in mind you have another child to care for.

Maybe there will be options to induce you 2 weeks early if baby is big too?

Sorry, ive been no help at all have i!

well, i had a bad tear - not as bad as yours - DD was 13 days over and weighed 9lb 13oz. She was a long labour and ended up being a ventouse delivery with episiotomy and i still tore.

Second time around i was in and out with bp problems towards the end but worried about the birth as i knew that this one was as big as if not bigger than DD.

However, after being taken in to monitor my bp and possibly induce 6 days before edd - i went into labour on my own 5 days early DS was born without any complication and all i had this time was a "graze". He was 8lb 12oz. He would have weighed the same as DD had he gone 13 days over so no bigger in fact.

I cant help you make a decision as to what you choose but i would say that my experience was very different second time around for lots of reasons.

i certainly wouldnt discourage a c/section BUT i would think long and hard about having such major surgery that will, without doubt, take you 5 to 6 weeks to recover from obv bearing in mind you have another child to care for.

Maybe there will be options to induce you 2 weeks early if baby is big too?

Sorry, ive been no help at all have i!

Had an elective section 12 weeks ago, reasons behind it were preaty much same as yours, had a nightmare natural delivery 5 years ago with DS, episiotomy and ventousse delivery, baby over 8lb which apparently was too big for me and also 10 days late. Was terrified of having another big baby and also of the final weeks of pregnancy as with first i was constantly having to be monitered due to lazy little boy!
Opted for section 12 weeks ago and TBH it was SO much better than my first delivery. Am not going to lie to you, was agony for the first 36 hours BUT once i was up and moving i felt ok. After a week i was only a little bit sore and after 3 weeks i was driving again!!!! 12 weeks on and i feel fantastic, infact after 4 weeks i forgot i had had major surgery!!!! Definately took alot less time to recover from my section than it did from my natural birth.
Advice would be to go with how you feel! Dont let the consultants bully you with horror stories, YES sections hold some risks but then so does natural birth. I felt it was more important for my baby to have a calm mummy rather than one that was terrified of it all going wrong and being rushed for an emergency section!

Gingernut..That the problem, MW said i can ask for a episiotomy but it could extend into another 3rd degree, or go along the line of weakness (scar tissue).

VVVQ...All opinions help very much i need all the help i can get lol.

donot even think about it-no brainer-your consultant would be bordering on the negligent to allow you to risk double incontinence.

I too had a third degree tear first time around-not as bad as yours-at a follow-up ultrasound two consultants advised me against any future natural delivery. I stuck with this advice even though when pregnant with my second, my consultant was wishy washy as to the risks.

I had elective section-fantastic experience-yes I was sore for a few weeks afterwards-but if you plan for this and have help when you leave hospital you will manage fine.

Please don't take any risks

I can totally recommend scheduled c/s. I had one for dd (she was breech) and I can honestly say I had a great birth experience. The OP was very quick, I felt no pain or fear at all, the staff were very competent and kind, the atmosphere was very relaxed and happy. My recovery was much much quicker than I thought. I was up visiting my baby (she was in the neo-natal unit because she was 5 weeks early) 12 hours after surgery and I was up and about the next day. They offer you tons of different painkillers, all of which I chose to take, lol, so I didn't feel any pain at all. I felt 'back to normal' and was driving after about two weeks. Oh, and I also managed to breastfeed successfully even though dd was so premature and we had the section. My scar is tiny, about 1 inch below the hairline, has now (8 months after the op) completely faded and I can't really see it anymore.

So, I'm a total fan of c/s !

Also, having a scheduled section not only takes away the uncertainty but also the chance of having an emergency section or an instrumental delivery.

Good Luck !

I'm normally v v pro natural but in yourcase I would definitely say c-section; why would you risk the incontinence?

Same as desperatehousewife- had both, and although the "natural" (ha) birth was more painful at the time I recovered far faster from that than from the section. I can see why it's a hard choice though, really.

Given the problems you had with recovery afterwards, I'd go for a c-section.

I had a 3rd degree tear with DS1 (10lb 1!) but opted for normal deliveries with DS2 and DD. Had a small tear and episiotomy with DS2 and a 2nd degree tear with DD although not in the same place as the original tear.

Pucca, I had an emergency c-section after 23 hours of labour, and I can honestly say that the c-section was a breeze compared to the "natural" labour which preceded it. If you've had a bad tear, I wouldn't even consider a vaginal birth.

I know c-sections are major surgery, but don't be scared about them, they are pain-free at the time and the pain afterwards is quite manageable and much less than the pain of a natural delivery. I was up and walking the next day, and driving a car 4 weeks later. All these scare stories about "you'll be immobile for 6 weeks" are just not true.

Not sure how much I can help - had two emergency sections and one elective (finally, worked that one out!). For me elective section was lovely (in comparison) and even though you are sore and a bit useless afterwards, having a planned one certainly meant that recovery time was less. Not a frightening thing to do, I promise, and can't help thinking that despite all the chat about natural deliveries etc, the bleak truth is that birth is just a means to an end, and you need to arrive at that end in the most healthy and easy way possible.

I've had 2 electives, recovered fast from both and they were calm and straighforward experiences.

Potential faecal incontinence? No question: I'd go for a section.

You could always wait until you have some idea how large the baby is, have a scan closer to term and see if you're expecting another whopper. If I were you, that's what I'd do.

Just remember that whilst those women who have positive experiences with their c-sections do make it sound a very appealing, complications are also possible with a c-section too.

Check out \link{http://www.caesarean.org.uk/\this c-section site} which has some information which could help you decide and an interesting gallery of c-section scars.

think of your future health and comfort, look at all the pros and cons and do what is safer for your future health and happiness and comfort