On a scale of 1-10 how much does a CS hurt in comparison to a Vaginal Birth?

[dejags]

Our third DB is due in just over 7 weeks time. She is breech atm - I saw the Ob yesterday and she said that although we can try an ECV at 36 weeks that DB seems very happy in her current position and that I should start preparing myself mentally for a CS at 38 weeks (oh shit, that's five weeks away ).

I am absolultely and totally terrified of the whole procedure. Mostly I am scared of the anaesthetic not working (I had two failed epidurals when I was in labour with DS1) but I am also afraid of the pain afterwards.

So, give it to me straight. For those of you who have had both, how much more painful is a CS than a vaginal birth? (before, during and afterwards).

I've had a section and a vbac. Both very different. C-section was painful/uncomfortable in the days afterwards but I took it very easy and had a quick recovery. I avoided looking at my scar until it was healed (quite easy with an overhang!) VBAC was more painful in the long run (big tear and lots of stitiches) and it took me months to feel ok "down below".

Oh, and it's much easier to poo after a section than after a vbac with stitiches!

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do you have people around who can help you out if you need a section?

as I said, heavy lifting will be out so you may want to organise now just in case

do not worry re pain, honestly I am a major wuss and I was up and out of bed the same day and walking around etc

Have no idea about CS, but DS was not in any settled position at about 34 weeks and then moved (and stayed) head down until he was born at 38+3.

I've never had a c/s, but I have had a baby who was breech until after 40 weeks - even if you did consent to a c/s for breech why do it at 38 weeks? Just for the convenience of your doctor? There's still plenty of time for babies to turn at any time until you're in labour. If you wait till you're in labour, you may well find that the baby has turned, if not you could then have a c/s if you chose to.

Have no clue all I know is it worked LOL They gave it me after I had the max dose of the epidural stuff. So it must be a different drug to an epidural. Not sure.

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I rememeber being that numb with it I thought my legs were on the bed after they had finished stitching me up down there, to find that they were actually still in stirups (sp?). I distinctly remember for a brief moment, thinking where are my legs?

I've not had a C/S but I had some pretty major knee surgery under spinal and I didn't feel a thing.

It was SO fast acting, too.

I've had a vaginal birth with episiotomy and ventouse, an emergency section after a homebirth, and a vbac nine weeks ago. They were all painful, but the section was painful for longer, so I wouldn't choose to have one. However, if you have to have a section, it is managable. I breastfed, had baby in bed with me etc and the recovery was relatively quick, you just need to rest. You certainly don't have to always have a section with future births, but the medical profession are a bit uncomfortable with it and you have to have some resolve. Plenty of mnetters achieve one. Hope that helps, and good luck.

Of course with an elective section yu won't have labour pain, I mean the recovery

only had emergency cs. if it is a planned one i imagine it would be relatively stress free. you will receive a spinal which is a wee bit sore then nothing. you will have a catheter for a few hours after until the sensation comes back in your legs. the scar does hurt like buggery afterwards but if you take your pain relief when you are told too and not wait until it hurts it is manageable. good luck, i totally understand your fear i was terrified but hopefully if you have enough time to prepare yourself it will still be a lovely birth.

I had an emergency section with my first before labour started - had spinal - no problems at all. Had cracking pain relief in first two days then onto voltarol suppositories which are brilliant. Had VBAC with ventouse and huge episiotomy for second and I have to say that the labour pains were truly hideous (OP baby) and they suggested an epidural at 3cm! I would say I had more problems after the VBAC - pelvic infection caused by catheter, sore stitches, short lived but scary incontinence etc etc and swore would have another section over a VBAC - but lo and behold no.3 due in 2 weeks and planning natural delivery!!! Don;t ask me why - I must be nuts!

If your baby doesn;t turn I would go for section when they say and have a nice calm delivery.

I have had two VB's which were absolutely great - no stitches, second baby was four hours from start to finish. I was out of bed within 30 minutes of the birth for a shower.

I think I am going to insist on being left as long as possible to see if the baby turns and then take it from there (the gynae can shover her insurance where the sun doesn't shine).

If I end up with a managed CS I'll just take it as it comes and hope to hell the spinal works.

Thanks for all your responses.

I had Vb with stitches which I found a million times worse than csection.
I didnt experience any pain at all with my CS,took regular painkillers for 3-4 days then just paracetamol when needed.It was great compared to not being able to sit down for weeks with stitches.
I drove earlier than 6 weeks,phoned my GP who said it was fine ,then checked with my insurance company who said it was fine aswell.

I too was scared that I would feel the incision but it was over before I even realised theyd started!

I think if medical practitioners were more comfortable with CS in these situations I would be tempted to go along with it. You do need the right experience and support to go for a VB if the baby is breech. So although it is possible, I would make sure the doctor was experienced at it and fully happy with the decision.

I wanted to say that CS, especially planned, is probably going to be nowhere near as bad as you are thinking. I should think reading the comments here that pain is avoidable with the right approach. In the UK a lot of mums are left in a room with the baby after CS and not given adequate and planned pain relief. But if CS is more common in SA, they probably are a lot more geared up for it than here.

Good luck whatever happens.

hi dejags, I feel for you, I too am in exactly the same position. I am 33 weeks tommorow. Baby is footling breech, whilst I KNOW there is every chance baby will turn I am trying to mentally prepare for the posibility of a CS.
I am in France and I believe they will plan cs for 39 weeks here? Although I am not positive on that. I can't help feeling gutted that after two, natural, normal, easy births I may have to have major surgery to deliver my 3rd dc.
Please don't anyone take his the wrong way, I have nothing against c-sec's if thats what people want, but my point is I don't want it.
There is NO way here they would attempt a foot first birth. To be honest with the language barrier I have I would not want that anyway as I don't think I would feel confident about being in control. I just have to believe that this baby is going to turn and all will be OK, if not I have to come to terms with my feelings about having a cs. For me it's not the procedure, I have complete faith in the medical system here, it's brilliant! It's how inhibiting I hear a cs can be after thats scares me. I'm normally back to normal within a day or two and having a 4yr old and a 20mth old it could be difficult.

Positive turny thoughts for you djags. xxx

Pain after CS was mainly due to being incapacitated - it was hard to get in/out of bed etc, but fine when resting. Took lots of painkillers. Pain during VB was fine with gas & air, afterwards was bearable, literally a pain the the ar*e. I would definately prefer VB simply because i found it much easier to get on with normal life immediately afterwards.

I had my first DS by emergency CS after 26hrs of labour in 1988, DS2 was a planned CS in 1991, and DS3 in 2006 also a planned CS and my how times have changed. The spinal block will work they check this by spraying you with a freezing cold spray. There is a lot of tugging but no pain, the only down side to it is you feel very sick during the operation, i think its to do with the anaesthetic, they kept putting something into my drip and it did go for a little while. The baby may not cry when its delivered (i was frantic, nobody told me this. I was driving after a week, the best advice is get out the bed and get moving asap.

I don't think you can compare the 2 different pains because they are so different.
You certainly won't feel any pain during the op.

I have only had a planned c/s and I can honestly say that I felt no pain whatsoever either during the op nor after. Admittedly I took all the drugs going. I drained almost two pumps of morphine (patient administerd) and then took paracetamol for another three days. No pain at all and I am a total wuss.

Don't be afraid of a c/s. It's a very quick procedure, the anethesist [sp] made absoloutely sure I was pain free and afterwards the mw made sure I was comfortable. Getting the spinal in isn't much fun but it doesn't hurt, it's more the thought that freaked me out. My c/s was a lovely procedure, very calm everboyd congratulated us when dd was born. It, honestly, was really lovely.

One more thing. I recovered very quickly after my c/s. I was up and about after two days and at a BBQ after a week. I drove after 11 days, my car insurance had no problem with that, in fact they had never heard of the 6 weeks rule. They basically said that if you mw if happy and you can do a emergency stop then you can drive.

...ah yes, and the morphine pump was brilliant. I had never been so high in my life.

me again, if the spinal doesn't work (which is won't, they test you to see if it has taken), the anestathist [sp] how the heck do you spell that - will put you under with at GA immediately, so don't worry.

Pain? What pain? I never felt any pain at all - just discomfort varying from reasonably strong to very mild. The pain of labour was the most horrific thing that ever happened to me.