Caesareans - Interesting Perspective...

[eidsvold]

saw this today in paper over here in Aus...

( also posted in the news...)

here

Also I think there is a misnomer here, where people talk about natural delivery versus caesarian. Many vaginal births are not natural at all - ventouse, forceps, inductions, etc., are all as horrific sounding as major abdominal surgery, so it's not surprising that lots of women prefer the major abdominal surgery! I had a caesarian for my first child and was told by the hospital that nobody who has had a caesarian should ever be induced. At a different hospital with my second child, they gave me the choice of induction or caesarian. Frankly, caesarian sounded like a safer and less damaging option!

I am not a fan of intervention as those of you who know me on here would confirm... but I have been at births where women were induced or where women had ventouse... it does NOT have to be horrible... actually to my surprise the 2 ventouse I saw were great! One had an episiotomy, the other didn't tear! They both recovered well... so it doesn't necessarily end up as a big trauma.
MeanBean - induction for previous caesarean is differently handled (you would not get the gel but you would get a rupture of membrane and maybe the drip). It is always better (of course) to avoid an induction.

wish my sodding episiotomy and ventouse had been easier, dammit.

Oh well, had dippyhippy waterbirth second time, thank you pupuce

The funny thing was, I always considered ds' birth to be "natural", which is what my automatic response was to the physio who was asking me questions about my damaged plevic floor (thanks to Pilates, damage which had never casued me any of the "usual" problems, which is why I'm only now being treated and ds is nearly 4!).

It was only as an afterthought I said - oh, I was induced, had an episiotomy, mid cavity forceps and a tear!

To me it was still "natural", as it was vaginal and I REALLY didn't want to have a caesarian.

Hi JanZ. I had to laugh at your post, as exactly the same thing happened to me recently when my midwife was going through my history and asked had I had any problems with my first delivery. I said no, it had been a natural birth, as had my second, although it had been a lot more relaxed due to not needing the epidural, ventouse, forceps, episiotomy and stitches second time around!!! She just looked at me, crossed out 'no problems' on my notes and started again!!!

I think it's a good and valid article. My cs was lifesaving for me and my ds, and I know it isn't for everyone, but I still think I was lucky to have quick, painfree childbirth as opposed to the agonies and indignities of labour, I truly do. I do think the anti-section movement and the NICE report are the enemies of womens freedom of choice. Glad to see some medical support for the rights of women.

Anyone who thinks ventouse is natural is welcome to look up my bottom.

Just want to say, I also support the right of women have homebirths, waterbirths, epidurals, pretty much anything that feels right for them. For some of us, cs is what feels right and safe and infinitely preferable to any of the above.

Not often you get invited to look up someone else's bottom.... how does one politely decline?

Half of King's Hospital got a good look with dd1's delivery, MeanBean!

Reminds me of that line from AbFab, where Patsy declares that she can raise hemlines so high, the world's your gynaecologist! Must have felt like that had happened already MI - without the benefit of up to the minute hemlines...although the whole of pregnancy vaguely feels like that... Pupuce, interesting that you should say that about post-caesarian induction being different; I got the definite impression that the policy of the hospital (or perhaps consultant) that I was at was never to do an induction after caesarian - he was quite definite that he would always recommend a second caesarian rather than an induction (if trial of labour didn't work). Did I understand him wrongly, or is it different depending on hospital/ consultant?