Mums who’ve had both: is ELCS really different to EMCS?

[LeFluffyPants]

Hello wise mumsnetters 💐 I’m sorry, I know this has been done before (not by me though 😃)

Warning: I’m sharing a bit of my birth story here (hopefully just facts, no added drama!) and it was bad. If you’ve not given birth yet maybe don’t read on, I do think I was VERY unlucky and this is not the norm!

I’m booked for ELCS with DS1 next Monday. Just over 2 years ago DD1 was born by EMCS after 48 hours of labour, failed induction and total rupture of membranes. It was a struggle to get her out (turns out she was well and truly stuck), I had a major PPH, followed by severe sepsis that landed me in ICU and finally a hematoma that burst my scar open on day 7. (DD was absolutely fine though 😊)

Anyway, due to how it all panned out, I’ve been consultant-led this pg and an ELCS has been recommended the whole way through. I’m happy with this as just want to avoid a repeat of last time!

But here’s the thing: I keep hearing friends/acquaintances tell me an ELCS can be a really lovely calm experience. Not at all like an emergency one.

But I literally cannot imagine it. All I can think of is how scared I was, how unwell I was with sepsis, how much blood I lost and how stressed the doctors were trying to yank her out.

So I’m feeling pretty bloody scared at the mo. To the point that actually I think if I hadn’t had a “surprise” pregnancy this time, I’m not sure I’d have chosen to do it again. Sorry, I know that sounds shitty, I AM bloody grateful to be having a second healthy child. I just can’t imagine giving birth in a way that isn’t really scary.

So: mums who have had both. Can ELCS really feel that different? Did you find it calm and did it even put to rest some of your EMCS memories (something else people tell me!)? Or was it pretty similar, all told? No sugar coating needed, best to be prepared I think!

Thank you so, so much in advance for any of your thoughts. 💐

Bloody hell that was long, sorry!

YES! Both my c sections were bloody glorious. Calm, chatty, happy with a playlist in the background skin to skin and delayed cord clamping. Home the next day.

Sorry I needed to edit - first was an EMCS but wasn’t a crash super emergency just induction failed and it was our only option. Next was an ELCS.

Yes utterly calm, blues music playing in the background, staff singing along, totally civilised and upbeat.

Yes it’s like a different operation, less brutal and rushed in an ELCS. My first was an EMCS (with a spinal but still a category 1) and my second was an ELCS. With my second I also wasn’t knackered from labour with the ELCS so I felt so much better afterwards. Still not easy but I don’t even think EMCS and ELCS can be compared tbh!

I didn’t find my emergency section that bad. There was a lot of shouting initially that the baby had to get out but then I was put to sleep and didn’t wake up til a few hours later. If I hadn’t been under general maybe it would have been worse.

I then had a planned section and I really didn’t like the tugging sensation, it was very odd and I would have preferred to be knocked out. It was very calm other than that though.

Yes - I had an EMCS the first time and ELCS the second. The ELCS was so chilled out - I wasn't exhausted afterwards and went home the next day too. The wound was sore but manageable with painkillers. I had a lovely nap while I waited to go to theatre and my husband drank coffee. Very different to the first time!

I’ve had one emergency and two planned. They were very different, no stress, no worry, etc. I was very ill after the emergency one and in hospital for nearly a week but with my planned ones I was home after two nights

There can be stresses involved in an ELCS, which are worth knowing before the day so you're not surprised by them. There may be a wait of several hours depending where you are on the list, so take a book or have games on your phone to distract you. Also there is a teeny, tiny, like 0.2% chance of not having it that day - that happened to me as the hospital was so busy they had to bump me two days, but it really is vanishingly remote and I think I was just very unlucky.

However the actual experience was very calm, everyone was chatty and friendly rather than stressed, and the recovery was so much better because I wasn't exhausted after a long labour.

You'll be fine and it will be so much different x

I had an EMCS after a very short labour due to foetal distress. The rest of my labour was unusual though. Waters broke before I felt so much as a twinge (had been due to go into the hospital that night to start induction), when contractions came i went from 0-60 very quickly, yet I was hardly dilated at all. So I can't say I had a traumatic first labour. All over in about 7 hours.

Anyway, they had been reluctant to agree to ELCS with ds2, but couldn't force me to go vbac. I had a huge fear of giving birth and I think that might be why my whole body clamped up with the first one. I don't know if that's even possible .

The ELCS was nice. Calm. Maybe a bit of an anticlimax actually.

Poppy Dinsey posted about her (twin) c-section on YouTube. It is a really positive account.

Hello - apologies don't mean to hijack op thread but am in a similar boat. Horrible previous emcs and elcs in a month. Also terrified after prev experience, so can really empathise op.
Can I ask those who have posted to add a little about recovery? Recovery was so painful with emcs and now have ds1 to take care of. How long until feeling human again? Cheers

Like day & night.

First one ended in me having a general anaesthetic because I assume there was no time for a spinal.
I was in for about 10 days, not good at all.

2nd time I was given a date and time, turned up, staff seemed as excited as we were at the thought of our baby, music on in the corner. Chilled, quiet and fast.
Within 30 minutes I was cuddling my new baby, eating hospital toast and drinking a mug of coffee.
Then, home in 24 hours.
Brilliant.
Can’t recom it enough. Lovely experience.

BTW I’m not surprised you are scared after that experience OP! Have you had a debrief or talked it through with your consultant/a senior MW?

Baby is unlikely to be stuck for an elcs, so less rummaging around. I found my elcs frustratingly slow, everyone was too chilled out for my liking the actual recovery wasn't hugely different, but I was walking 4 miles with the double buggy when DD2 was 4weeks.

Wow, thank you all SO much. Will reply to individual posters shortly, just wrestling DD off my belly!

Mishmash: not at all hijacking, it’s actually nice to have someone in similar boat, though so sorry you had a rough time last time too 💐

Yes, much calmer experience all round (first one was a crash section, second was a ‘well, this is all taking a bit too long, let’s give up on the VBAC but there’s no hurry’). I did find I had a few flashbacks over the first few weeks of dd2’s life to dd1’s traumatic start, as it was the same hospital, same theatre etc. So you should probably be prepared for that.

But the experience itself was so different - no panic about getting the spinal in fast, no threat of a general if they couldn’t, no crash team called for the (silent) baby. The baby was fine by the way, she just had a very slow start and was rather titchy.

I think you had an exceptionally bad experience. I’ve only had emergency caesareans but I’ve had three (including needing a blood transfusion, membrane rupture, severed womb and another where my baby died) so I do understand the urgent need to get the baby out asap but apart from the worry in the faces of those concerned, all the experiences were relatively calm and my physical recovery very straightforward.

IT took me seven years (and three years of counselling) to pluck up the courage for a second DC, so I'm sure you can imagine how dreadful my emergency cs was!
The elective was a dream in comparison, but I think what made the most difference was that everyone involved from consultant to HCA knew my history - the head of midwifery had met with me a couple of weeks before the date, walked me through the theatre, recovery and the side-room they had earmarked for me. Everyone was primed and when my consultsnt's return train from Leeds was delayed and it didn't look like he'd be back in time (he'd agreed to do the op himself), he spoke to all of us on microphone before the op started.
Mind you, with my emergency cs it was found a couple of minutes in that the epidural wasn't functioning properly so I had a - shall we say - uncomfortable time. But I still had an epidural with the elective and it worked great!
The worst part of my elective was having a catheter in for some hours afterwards when I wanted to sit in the chair and cuddle Her Ladyship (who is 17 now!). And the fugly pressure stockings when I was so happy I wanted to pirouette along the corridors.

I've just had my third section - which was my only ELCS. And it was such a wonderful experience.

My two previous EMCS left me with antenatal anxiety brought on from birth trauma so I was pretty terrified going in for my third section.

The control factor and the knowing really helped with fear. Talking through the odds of what happened previously also helped. The actual section was calmer, quieter, and much more relaxed. I also found recovery this time much MUCH easier!

EMCS for DD1 after a long labour which went nowhere and ended with foetal distress. All very rushed and frightening. Took a while to recover afterwards.

3 years later DS born by ELCS. Totally different experience. Very calm. Only problem was that my BP dropped through a hole in the floor (not uncommon with spinal anaesthesia) and I had to stay in recovery while my BP was persuaded back up again.

Other than that all was good. Recovery was a lot easier as the abdominal muscles hadn't been made to do a long labour workout prior to the surgery.

All the best. I hope it goes well for you.

First was a crash CS after a long labour, 8hr second stage, failed ventouse, failed manual rotation and she was dragged back up with forceps. I haemorrhaged and we both sustained injuries.

Second was an emcs after a failed vbac attempt but it was a joy. I laughed and smiled and was calm and in control.

Recovery was a walk in the park too

Had an EMCS with DC1. 9 weeks early, traumatic near-death experience that I had PTSD afterwards. DC1 in hospital for the first 6 weeks. It was a terrifying experience and recovery wise I felt like I'd been hit by a bus for weeks.

ELCS with DC2 almost 4 months ago and it was a wonderful experience. Yes I was terrified and crying through most of it, but it was quiet and calm and everything was explained to me as it was happening. Then after the birth I felt like I was on cloud nine. Home the following day and I was out walking 5 days later and felt back to normal after two weeks.

All the best to you OP!

Just like the others, my ELCS was lovely. There loads of people in the theatre but everything felt super routine and well under control. I didn’t have any issues with blood pressure or sickness. I actually felt hungry throughout since I’d been fasting for so long (while my insides were presumably being stitched up ). Had to wait 2 more hours in recovery for the spinal to wear off before being allowed up to the maternity ward. Was ravenous and eating clementines, soup and toast immediately after.

The recovery was a bit tougher than I expected, found it difficult to walk longer distances without pain so I‘ve had quite limited mobility. Luckily getting lots of help from husband/family so it‘s a matter of waiting until everything heals.

I had an emcs first time round. I was just so bloody grateful to have the baby cut out of me but I felt a bit of a failure for a while. Was terrified I would be forced to have a natural delivery 2nd time round but everyone agreed an elcs was okay. It was all very relaxed. Our choice of music playing, a midwife filming it for us. Everyone checking I was okay and understood everything. I don't think I had enough epidural so had to have gas and air when they were stitching me up. That was very uncomfortable. I remember shaking a lot and thinking it must be abnormal and someone making me tea and toast after the op. Was a very good experience overall and I felt everyone was very reassuring. Good Luck x