Natural delivery Vs C-Section

[stacylouise1]

I had a really bad birth experience with my DS four and a half years ago. Its a long story but pretty much everything kept going wrong. He'd poo'd in his waters, heart rate kept dropping and my labour wasn't progressing because he was in the back to back position and was a very large baby for my size. I ended up having a forceps delivery and episiotomy and still got a third degree tear. With internal and external stitches needless to say I was in a lot of pain and discomfort for many weeks after.

Looking back at my previous labour experience one thing that made everything so much worse was the whispering and no-one telling us what was happening before or after the birth.

I am currently pregnant again and was referred to a specialist by my midwife to discuss birth options for this time.

I went yesterday thinking I would go in and they'd tell me what was going to happen but basically they've left the decision to me to make.

The doctor said because theyre happy with the way my scars have healed then I could go for a natural birth but ultimately the choice is mine and if I feel I would prefer an elective caesarean because of my previous experience then I can.

I have to go back in 3 weeks to discuss my decision and ive no idea what to do!!

Giving birth and having to go through what I did last time scares the life out of me but I also know that a C-section is surgery and does not always go without complications.

So I guess my question is has anyone had both and if so what are your experiences of both? which would you say was the better option in terms of recovery time, emotionally and physically?

I'm in a similar position, had a bad birth with my DS and ended up with a 4th degree tear. I've seen consultant and have in writing that i should be offered an elcs. I'm now 8 weeks pregnant and have already decided that i will have an elcs. I think if i was to go for a natural then as soon as the proper contraction pain kicked in it would brin back horrible memories, for both me and my DH.

Having spoken to a good friend who had similar first birth then an elcs she said the elcs was such a good experience, and she recovered quicker than she did with a natural birth.

It is a personal choice and you can change your mind as you get closer to the birth.

Yes, I've tried both ways (more than once) and would agree elcs is great - far far better than a traumatic vaginal birth - in fact a good experience all round. I found recovery very quick and unproblematic.

Elcs gets my vote. My first was emcs, 2nd was elcs and 3rd, unbelievably and unintentionally was a "natural" delivery but with forceps, 3rd degree tear and stitches galore. My recovery was unquestionably longer and more painful with the 3rd.

I don't have experience of a cs but having had a traumatic birth with ds that involved the works; induced, hormone drip, waters being broken for me, epidural, episiotomy, forceps, tears, hemorrhage (sp?), blood transfusion, I was considering asking for an elcs instead of having to be induced again. Ds took three days to come into the world.

Dd was born 4 days ago, 3 days before induction was booked and arrived in three hours, in the pool, no tearing at all and all I needed was fad & air.

So you never know, your second birth could be a totally experience. Mine was. Probably not what you're looking for, just wanted to let you know that positive experiences can happen :)

Good luck with your birth, whatever you decide.

Fad?? Obviously that meant to say Gas!

Had elcs with my first baby and I can't recommend it enough.

Had a similar experience to cravingcake. Was not allowed anything but ECLS for second birth.

In my experience, the c section recovery was infinitely worse, more debilitating and more painful. But the actual birth part was very calm and not stressful.

Having experienced a bad vaginal birth and a c section, I would take the natural route if I was allowed. Simply because I hated being so inactive and in pain after the c section when I already had a toddler. I was shocked that anyone would elect to have a section.

But neither I or the doctors were prepared to risk damage from a natural birth that might leave me incontinent so that was a really good reason to have the c section. And despite my injuries first time, I obviously had a great recovery, while others might have found it awful. And I had a bad ECLS recovery whereas others found it fine.

Ultimately I have decided that however you have a baby, it can be hard work and you don't know how you will recover. So just pick whatever seems to be the best option for you and enjoy your new baby.

im currently 33 weeks pregnant so don't have loads of time to decide, because I thought the decision would be made for me ive tried not to think about it too much up til now!

I know people have good and bad experiences of both and everyone is different just wanted to get an idea of what people think from people that have experienced both.

I know whatever I decide when it comes to it i'll be thinking what if id done the other!!

I had almost the same experience as you with DD1, but didn't tear badly though. DD1 took about 40 hours, DD2 was out in 5 hours and within 25 mins of waddling out of the car once we got to hospital.
I had two natural births but my friends who've had both say that CS is much harder to recover from.

I also tried to pretend the birth wouldn't happen stacylouise.

Good luck whatever you choose. Not long to go, how exciting!

I had elcs for DS and it was great. Hardly any pain, plus 3 days in hospital with lovely midwives helping me learn the ropes. I was amazed how little pain I had, especially compared to having keyhole surgery for ovarian cysts a year prior which was horrendously painful for 4 weeks after the op. I was forgetting to take my painkillers by about day 6 after the cs! Good luck with whatever you decide

i've also had both. DC1 was a VB with a 4 hour pushing stage resulting in a third deg tear, two hours in theatre and months of agony 'down there'. was offered an ELCS for DC2 which i declined, as i felt it wasn't 'the right way' which i now realise was completely idiotic.

however DC2 had other ideas as was footling breech and so i had no choice but to have ELCS at 38wks (hospital do not like to deliver breech vaginally, let alone a footling). i was terrified of the op, but was home the next day, out and about 2 days after (nothing strenous though), and recovery from the section was far easier than from my VB. but thats just my experience and maybe i was just lucky.

i am now 38wks with yet another breech and so another CS is looming. i do feel apprehensive about the op and the recovery with 2 children but fingers crossed it will be ok.

good luck with your decision - i agonised for months aout VBAC / CS - until this one decided for me!

A planned c/s that goes smoothly is always going to be a better experience than a traumatic and complicated vaginal birth. But what you have to factor in is that forceps deliveries are vanishingly rare for second time mums. First births are almost always much more difficult. Most second time mums have a straightforward birth.

Emergency section first time- fucking horrific. Elective second- not pleasent but being awake for surgery isn't my idea of fun but an entirely different thing from and emergency. From what you've said I'd go for the section. Recovery was totally different from the first. How much help would you have at home for the first 3/4 weeks? I think that plays a part too.

Hi there,

I recently had to make a choice like you. And its really tough.

In the end I went with elcs and it was completely different to my emcs. I put a lot of effort in to ensuring that I would have a lot of help post delivery because with my emcs I was in hospital for four days. It really was very painful and I bled a lot for six weeks after.

However...after my recent elcs I was out of hospital the next day and two weeks later I am not on any pain killers and am functioning very close to normally. (I won't be doing any core exercises just yet). The actual birth bit was very calm and it was great.