Experiences of elective c sections (not interested in responses from the natural birth cult thanks! 😂)

[Lauratwelve]

Hiya ladies,

For those of you who have requested c-sections for your first. What are your experiences? I don't want to give birth vaginally so i'm just looking into requesting a c-section. I have nothing but respect for all woman and how they choose to give birth but vaginal delivery is just not for me. Ive had abdo surgery before so I know what to expect. Thanks guys 🌺🌸🌺

My friend is a specialist Gynae Physio.

She had an ELCS....

Only1scoop my physio (who focuses on pre and post-natal) doesn't have children but she says if she does she will have ELCS. But she admits she is biased because only women with birth injuries and trauma see her for rehab so she doesn't see the normal cases!

Episiotomy concerned my friend.

I guess they see the extreme cases. Interesting.

I have had 3 sections, the firest was an emergency, then 2 electives.

For the 2nd birth I strongly requested one, I had to see my midwife, a consultant and a specialist midwife before I was allowed. I have a certificate background and I found it very hard to get the cruel stats for pros and cons of each birth type. Even the data the hospital gave me was biased towards natural birth.

I had ELCS for my first baby. No issues requesting as I live abroad and just requested it and paid extra (in the end it was medically necessary so insurance paid out).

The op itself was not a walk in the park for me. I had a spinal plus epidural but the coverage wasn't complete so I never went totally numb. I felt it all - it began with just feeling weird but not painful eg when they put the catheter in, it was like being thumped dully. But as the op progressed, it began to hurt. Not gonna lie, I screamed at one point. They topped up the epidural twice but I could still feel the pain so they put something in my hand to knock me unconscious for a few minutes so they could get my baby out. It wasn't a GA, my husband stayed with me and I came round in time to kiss my baby's cheek. Whatever it was, thank god for it. They stitched me up and again, I could feel the pulling and tugging but it was only uncomfortable. The doctor (who I knew from prenatal appointments) said that the block hadn't worked on my deepest tissue layers. Apparently it happens, just bad luck. She left the epidural in for 24 hours to ease my recovery. DS had an hour in the incubator as a precaution for fluid on the lungs but was fine. BF right away, milk came in day 2, no issues.

I was in bed for about 20 hours: first time to the bathroom/ loo was really painful. I couldn't pee at all and had to limp back to bed and try again later! I got a sharp twinge of pain if I tried to twist or sit up or laugh for about 36 hours. But could walk a little and shower by end of day 2, home day 4 and walking to a coffee shop by the end of the week. Still hard to get off a low chair or in/out of bed. But by two weeks, I felt pretty much ok and by three weeks after, totally fine. Scar is neat, no overhang, no numbness or pain around it. Fanjo exactly as before - hurrah!

Although mine wasn't a great experience, I would still choose it again. Yes, it hurt to fuck but only for 10-15 minutes, compared to hours of labour, and then manageably sore for a couple of weeks; now I feel totally normal. And I'd much rather have pain in my tummy than in my most sensitive areas, let alone risk a serious tear!! I'm just sharing this to help you prepare mentally for the possibility it may not be straightforward- although I know the vast majority of sections are. I certainly hope my next one is! Good luck.

I had an EMCS and I swore that I'd never have that done again,it was a nightmare I felt like I'd been crippled

Following horrific 1st birth, I requested an elective CS for the 2nd.

Prepare to cry buckets to the maternity psychologist, saying you are terrified & you can’t do it, etc.

CS was bliss. It was the best decision I ever made, and I’m eternally grateful to the doctor who did a stellar job of it.

op I had an elcs with my first due to tokophobia. I was referred to a psychologist who agreed it was a genuine phobia. I had to be insistent but it wasn't too difficult. It helped that my midwife was very supportive, and when the first consultant I was due to see was not prepared to agree she arranged for an appointment with a second consultant who agreed immediately. Even though anxiety/mental health reasons are both medical reasons for a c section I believe mine was recorded as 'maternal request.' But meh. I got what I wanted and it was a brilliant way to give birth. I'm doing it again in January! Best of luck to you.

You can have an elcs for mental health reasons on the nhs, and those reasons are just as valid as physical health reasons. I have had an elcs due to birth anxiety. I did have to jump through some hoops to get it agreed but got there in the end. If you don't have any anxiety and would just like a cs, it will depend on your trust as to whether you will get this agreed as far as i understand there's no obligation for them to perform cs for maternal request and no other reason.

My cs was brilliant, totally calm, recovery extremely easy, I have no visible scar and no other health consequences.

You are completely entitled to give birth how you want, it is your body. My advice would be to research fully the statistics (rcog website and birth choices are good resources), ask to be referred to a consultant asap and be very clear on your reasons for wanting one and that you understand all the risks etc.

Pp is right a planned cs at 39 weeks is safer for baby than a vaginal birth.

Csections come with risks. I didn't think it would happen to me but it did.
I take comfort in knowing that I had no choice as DS was so big the risk to his life and future health from trying to have him naturally was far greater than what has happened to me.

Yes apparently I'm a fucking idiot...but in a fucking idiot with a severly disabled child .... Waiting for an operation for my son so he can open his eyes in the mornings.
He sleeps for 3 hours per night as his sleep drugs have been cut.....
Why on earth should the NHS pay to cut your child from you , when you can do what most women in this earth do and push it out of the same hole it got in there!!! It's okay to have a penis enter but not a baby exit ...
Entitled is a bloody understatement.
Yes if my ECVs would have failed I would have needed an CS.... But I did all I could to stop that happening!!! If it Had to happen then so be it!!!

I’m not sure why vaginal birth is being described as ‘torture’ by some in here. Yes it bloody hurts and isn’t fun but there is pain management available and I imagine that a cs isn’t a walk in the park either. Whichever way baby arrives it’s going to hurt!

You got pregnant knowing baby was going to have to come out and vaginally is the most common way.

There seems to be a lot of vitriol on here against women who had vaginal births which is uncalled for.

OP you need to talk to your midwife/consultant and they will be able to advise the best course for you.

I have had both, a Elcs with my first and Vbac with my second and cs are definitely not the easy option! My 8 year old has asked me and this is what I tell her

The elcs was calm and controlled I missed the first minutes with her and I found it harder to move around and look after her but she was my first so I could relax

My vbac was far more dramatic (3 hour labour) and far more painful (constant contractions) with second degree tear but (and I miss this bit out for my daughter!) the eurphoric high when he was born was amazing. The recovery was far easier which helped with a toddler (it was drug free so had complete movement). I was at a theme park 2 weeks later

If I were (accidentally) to fall pregnant what would I prefer, honestly given how much older I am now I don't know.

I had a maternal request c-section for my first (no medical or psychological reason), section for my second and I have a section booked for my third (currently pregnant). All NHS.

The first was a battle. I echo what a PP poster said about demonstrating that you understand the risks. I also had to know the NICE guidelines and persist in asking them to follow them when I was told "no" repeatedly. I also raised the issue at every appointment starting with booking appt!

Vin
Your harrowing situation is unrelated to other women having c sections. You sound furious and rightly so. Please seek mental health support and complain using SEAP to access the medication and help he needs.
Take care x

I also wanted the best outcome for my baby above everything else and even the consultant midwife I had to see admitted that in terms of death and permanent disability of the baby, a section is the safest option. A problem with many of the statistics is that they don't differentiate between sections with no medical indication / emergency and emergency sections / those carried out due to th health of the mother or baby.

Most importantly, if it's something you really want, don't let them fob you off. If they don't want to do it ask them to refer you - per the NICE guidelines. I think they know that most women will give up when they're told "no"...

I could go on about this for hours but have to do some work

I had an elective for my first.

I did not want a VB. I did not want to go overdue and be induced, increase risk of still birth etc.

I first brought it up at booking appt with midwife. I told her I had thought about for a long time even. Score pregnancy ad I wanted a discussion with a consultant. She tried to talk me out of it but I persisted so had appt with consultant. I haven't a rational, non emotional, fact based chat with the consultant an they agreed.

Do your research, soak the facts and they can't disagree with you. Don't go in there all emotional and raging.

Good luck.

VinIsGroot you are very angry. It must be the worst experience having a disabled child and i'm so sorry you are going through that but your anger is missplaced and directing it at woman who choose to birth differently from you is unfair. Who do you think paid for your birth? The NHS (ie taxpayers) which in my opinion is a good thing. Vaginal births do not cost much less than a c-section and in an awful lot of cases end up costing much much more. For example my friend wanted a water birth at home. Which the nhs paid for, this included all the pool equiptment, gas and air and two midwives all to herself! But it didnt go to plan so she had an ambulence take her to the hospital, loads of drugs, a consultant to cut her vagina and drag the baby out with forceps. She then needed stitching up, stayed in hospital for 3 days, ended up with infection, needed two further surgeries, needed pysio for a year, needed councelling for two years. Oh and she ended up sueing the NHS for a few thousand because of the botched job on her fanny! So her 'Natural birth' choice ended up costing the NHS thousands more than a c section. So in answer to your question 'why should the NHS pay for my sex?' Well why should the NHS pay for your sex????? How much has your sex cost the NHS? Should women stop having babies?

@VinIsGroot - you sound incredibly angry but your anger is quite misplaced. I'm sorry about your son and I hope you get the help you need to support him.

The costs of CS vs vaginal birth over a period of time aren't significantly different - it isn't about the NHS paying any of us to have sex. This is a fairly standard operation that has been performed for thousands of years to get babies out safely in a variety of situations. Last year alone there were over 25 million c sections performed worldwide, and 1 in 4 deliveries in this country is via a section.

It is a medical necessity or sometimes a medical choice. For physical and mental reasons. It is not really a "moral" choice to get so worked up about.

“Whichever way baby arrives it’s going to hurt!“

I had a VB with 4kg DD. Requesting elCS with DS (est. 4.3 kg at birth) wasn’t about painful childbirth but about never again allowing a scalpel near my genitals, following fucking horrific 3-week recovery from huge episiotomy during which I was a crying, blubbering wreck in bed, unable to walk, unable to sit, unable to care for the baby, unable even to have a frigging conversation because I was in so much pain all the time. DD was 3 weeks old when I managed to get up from bed & learned to change her nappy

There is no comparison with that exquisite torture I lived through and the 2-day recovery from elCS. I got to hold DS, calmly breastfeed him, enjoy those precious 1st days. I felt fine from Day 3 onwards, never even needed a paracetamol.

If all you can think of is “birth is painful whatever you do”, consider yourself lucky.

I think women should absolutely be able to choose how they give birth. It is our body after all.
After I gave birth (vaginally) the first thing I said to the midwife was that I'm having a section next time. She said no are not! Proper telling me off that I would dare to think it. But child birth is bloody horrible, why shouldn't we get the opportunity to make it easier?
If it was men who have birth then c sections would be the norm I can guarantee.

Anyway, I've not had a second yet so have no experience of asking for an elcs, however I do have a friend who had one with her first.

She had a brain hemorrhage when she was younger, and was told by doctors that she should never have a natural labour as the pushing could cause another hemorrhage. However this happened in another country, which is where all her medical records are (she was travelling at the time) so when she became pregnant, she had a really hard time convincing the doctors to allow her to have a elcs.
She saw several consultants and none of them seemed to understand what she was telling them and as they didn't have access to the medical records they shrugged her off. As if she isn't capable of giving them the information herself.

Anyway, she did get the elcs in the end thank god or a vaginal birth could have killed her, but it wasn't easy.

Bloody ridiculous rules we have in this country.