Would you choose to have 3 c-sections?

[Ellen7]

Hi all,

So basically I am only 22 weeks gone with my second, my first was an emcs two years ago. Had appointment today with midwife to discuss birth options elcs/vbac. Obviously she was gearing me towards vbac and I said I wanted elcs which I'd already decided upon after DD was born. However even though we are not planning on a third DC (may never happen anyway) it's in my mind that if I had two c-sections what if we do want another, I think two I could do but not sure three. Anyone had three cs? was the second or third harder to recover from? And was third pregnancy any different to the second with the scarring?

Obviously thinking way ahead but I do wonder for any future child if having a vbac this time would be better?

X

Hi Ellen7,

I could have written your post. I had an emcs with dd and then opted for a elcs with ds 2 years ago. We would love a 3rd dc but I just can't have another C-section. Don't get me wrong, I recovered well and the doctors haven't told me otherwise, but I feel like I can't put my body through that again.

Saying that, my lovely friend has had 3 sections and didn't have a problem with recovery with any of them. She'd probably tell you the 3rd was the hardest but I think that's because she had a 5 and 3 year old to entertain along with a new baby!

I'm no help at all but wanted to say, I know where you are coming from.

Hmm. This probably won't be much help but I have just had an emcs (well 4 weeks ago). Any thoughts I may have had about dc4 are now firmly out of my mind.

Recovery is terrible this time round, and the section was straight forward with no complications. Have had vb and elcs prior to this, so second section. There's no way that my body could go through this again, and if circumstances had been different (both sections were indicated for breech presentation) a vbac would have been preferable for me as I'm feeling seriously debilitated with a 5 and 3 year old to look after as well as the baby.

Saying that I have a friend who has had 3 sections and didn't have any problems at all with recovery. I guess if you think you might want to vbac for whatever reason then research it carefully and get all the support you can. A straight forward vbac must be easier to get over. Trouble is, no one has a crystal ball to see how a birth (or the future) will pan out.

Good luck with your baby!

Thank you for the replies it's always a help even if you don't think it is. It does seem for every one that found/would find it hard there's another that found it a relative breeze. Just not sure i really could do it three times now i know what it's like the once but not sure i could really vbac either . Seeing consultant at 36 weeks so have a bit of time to think.

hi, I had an emcs with my 1st and then a vbac and am now 10 wks with dc3 and have been thinking about whether I want another vbac. (my main fear with a vbac is the after pains which were bad with dc2 so will be even worse with dc3 which I know isn't particularly a good reasons to want a cs!)
my vbac was fine although I did need forceps but that was mainly because id had an epidural and I couldn't feel when to push and was therefore not pushing effectively.
what are your reasons if you don't mind saying for not wanting a vbac as maybe if you can unpick that then you might hae more of an idea of what you want and why when you go for your consultant appointment

I've had an emergency section & then three electives - all the recoveries were fine (even the emergency), vbac was never an option for me since the babies needed to be out by 38 weeks. The only real difference from first to last section was afterpains which got far worse each time (suspect would've been the case with normal deliveries too). No-one really treated it like a big deal tbh - I have very complex & difficult pregnancies so the sections were pretty low on our list of things to worry about!

ah FloJo151 - cross posted with you - I had bad afterpains with my 3rd & 4th [actually after my last one they were horrendous] sorry but I don't think a section means you'll avoid them :(

I've had two EMCS. If I wanted another baby I would definitely go for an ELCS.

My 2nd section was done quite soon into labour and was so easy to recover from compared to the first.

I've had 3 sections. 1st emergency then 2 electives. I found the 1st hardest to recover from, the other two were a breeze. With the third I was also sterilised at the same time so expected it to be a longer recovery. It was actually great. I was able to get out of bed on the first night, home when baby was 2 days old and on the 3rd day was doing the school run (walking) for my older two with my newborn! No afterpains and no problems at all with the scar.

8 weeks ago I had my second c section (only 53 weeks after having my first c section) I was told by the doctor that if I had a third child I would have to have another c section the risk of giving birth naturally is too dangerous apparently.i can honestly say that my recovery from the second c section has been hard,a lot harder than the first pain wise-I would say the pain stopped about two weeks ago but I did have SPD during my pregnancy and had a real bad infection when I got home.hope this helps-first time I've ever posted x

Bexlar only just started posting on here myself recently and yes any experience to hear is helpful .

FloJo151 my main fear of vbac is the whole scar rupture thing, which apparently isn't common although you wouldn't think that when there seems to be plenty of birth stories that say otherwise. Three or more sections seems like quite a common occurrence, with recovery either way. I definitely want that crystal ball .

To be honest I'm scared of making the wrong decision, I almost wish it was out if my hands. If they said to me you have no choice but a c-section I would just think okay that's that then and worry about a third later. It's having the responsibility of the consequences I can't decide on . Good to hear of all your experiences though x

after my emcs I was advised to have elcs but I knew I wanted more dc so I asked for a vbac they were a bit reluctant but understood my reasoning and supported my decision but when the time came I was overdue by almost 2 weeks so they booked me in for another cs but I went into labour during the night so they let me carry on. I ended up with a 3rd degree tear and a failed ventouse which resulted in a forceps delivery. it did however mean that I could have an elcs for ds3.

Have to say both cs were far easier to recover from than the tear.

OP, I think you really should concentrate on what's best for you in this pregnancy and try not to think about what might (or might not) happen in future.
After pains do tend to get worse with each pregnancy, cs or not, as the uterus is more efficient at contracting back down.
I knew someone who had 5 sections for various reasons and she was offered (and declined) a vbac for the last..

I have had 4 sections. The first two were emergency, the third was elective and the last one was emergency. I recovered with no problem at all for the first three. The last one I had rupture on my scar whilst trying to be induced, and ended up with a punctured bladder and was a mess for a while after. I think the risk of complications rises with each section. Every woman is different though and some can have many sections with no problems at all.

phlebas - that's interesting I suppose I just assumed that id prob be on stronger painkillers like after my emcs so I wouldn't necessary feel them as much. (they just offered paracetamol after vbac which didn't tough the sides and I cant take ibrobrufen!)

Ellen7 - I was monitored constantly in labour with ds2 and they were ready to switch to a cs if anything started going wrong. im sure they said to me that the risk % goes down if there is a t least 1 yr between births.

I don't think anyone can predict how any birth will go, just cos 1 birth went well/didn't go well doesn't mean the next will be the same.
that crystal ball would definatley come in handy!!!!

I have had 3!

Emergency after a long final stage but then failure to progress the first time- told the day after that I would need an elective for further pregnancies but moved to a different area and they said to try for vbac second time around, which didn't work. I would say this second one was the hardest one to recover from as i had an attempted ventouse delivery and then baby was manually pushed back up the birth canal in preparation for section- in saying that, I was glad I tried.

Pregnancy number three was always going to be an elective but I had such a horrendous end to the pregnancy with real pain that made it difficult to move about- partly due to a urine infection but they also queried womb adhesions from my previous scars. The elcs was brought forward as I was in agony- totally gone a soon as I has the baby. So not a more difficult recovery but it appeared it contributed to a more painful end to my pregnancy.

Hth

My DSil had 5 elcs (she can't give birth 'vaginally', good god is that even a word?!). I think she had an infection once, or twice, but gneral recovery was fine.
Wish I could give more details!

I think after reading through all your experiences really I should just concentrate on one at a time. I shall weigh up the old elcs v vbac debate, I know there are plenty on here that have done the same and i'll try not to make things too complicated for myself, I do over think sometimes

I had emcs followed by elcs and chose a elcs for no.3, baby had other ideas and came too quick so had an unintended vbac assisted in the end with forceps and a cut

Tbh my worst recovery, slowest, most painful and most emotionally difficult was the vbac. Pelvic muscles shot to pieces, awful piles from pushing and complete shock at the speed of everything. (I also had a very refluxy screaming baby , now a little joy!)

My choice, if I wear to go again, would be a elcs.

Oh the idea of forceps makes me wince HappyHugs, hope you are all recovered now, emotionally I can see how hard that would have been for you. Hope I can avoid an assisted birth if it really has comes to that x