ELCS due to not wanting to have vaginal pain AFTER birth?

[Dexter77]

I’m currently deciding between an ELCS and a VB with epidural. I don’t believe in enduring pain that’s unnecessary and always assumed I’d have an ELCS as I think it’s a great and safe option, but now wonder whether the latter would be preferable. What’s holding me back from attempting VB is the prospect of weeks/months of pain in vaginal area after birth, as well as the fact that postnatal aftercare of birth injuries seems to be woefully inadequate in the UK with long waiting times and insufficient support.

I’d be fine with temporary pain during birth but find the prospect of having vaginal pain for so long totally unacceptable - not even to mention other potential complications such as prolapse and incontinence.
I suppose I’m asking whether it’ll be a given to have vaginal/perineal pain AFTER the birth with VB of normal sized babies (no reason to assume mine will be big).
Keen also to hear from women who had a pain free birth but pain afterwards and how they found it.

PS: And yes, I know there’ll be pain from having an ELCS after birth, but I just know I’ll cope better with having pain in abdomen than in genital area.

I forgot to say-I still have a lot of abdominal pain two years on because I have adhesions/scar tissue around my bowels and there's nothing can be done about this

@HopingForOurRainbowBaby

Surely you're also going to have pretty bad stomach pains if you have a c section considering they'll be slicing through several layers of muscle etc to get Baby out!

Yes, I’m aware of that. I’m really not sure why people keep claiming on this thread that I believe I won’t have pain if I have a c section? I’ve never said anything like it! I’ve said I would like to avoid VAGINAL pain and trauma. This is what this whole thread is about.

@hassletassle

I forgot to say-I still have a lot of abdominal pain two years on because I have adhesions/scar tissue around my bowels and there's nothing can be done about this

Sorry to hear that, that sounds really shit! I guess there will always be some people for whom things go wrong in some way, no matter what delivery route. I think for me personally the possible bad outcomes of VB would be worse than bad outcomes associated with sections. I’m really undecided still but should probably choose a section as there are too many VB scenarios I’m not keen to experience and nobody will be able to guarantee that they won’t happen.

I've had 2 VB
and 1 C-SECTION

I would rather give birth vaginally 100 times than recover from a C-section, hideous

The pain and agony I endured following surgery was unbearable. They fucked up my stitches, I needed more surgery, had PTSD and have been left with a lifetime of issues

But hey if you want surgery that's your call

As previous posters have said, and I have myself, have had vaginal pain for some weeks after my section. It wasn't nice at all. It was agony to pee for 2 weeks due to the bloody catheter, my cervix was sore and tender for weeks, it felt like I was pushing out a poop the size of Russia when I needed to go for a number 2. They are hard after a section due to the pain relief they give you can really constipate you. And as much as going for a poop after a VB can hurt, it can also really hurt after a section when you're massively constipated, have poop literally stuck in your bum and you can't push it out because it hurts to cough or sneeze, let alone tense to try and go for a number 2.

C section pain isn't just localised to the stomach.

And perhaps some people are hinting you are misinformed due to thinking a section was a 10 minute surgery.

So op in 2018 I had a 28 weeker via vb due to undiagnosed incompetent cervix, no pain relief as they wouldn't give me anything. No virginal injury but sore from catather for a few days. I've just had my 2nd son who I carried till 39 week with the help of a stitch. The labour was no more painful, again very quick about 2hr total. Sore vag for a good few weeks due to a bad graze that need sutures. But normal painkillers and a cream soon sorted it out. Looking after my extra needs 3yr old a couple of days after.

I think you have your mind set on a section which is completely fine. Just go with a very open mind as birth sadly doesn't turn out how we hope or want. Yes some lady's are lucky have no probs after vb yes some lady's have no probs after cs but others have problems after vb/ cs just no way to tell what will happen and how you will cope

I have no experience of CS, I have had one VB which was an incredibly fast, induced labour; I need stitches and had several other 'grazes'. The stitches were absolutely the worst thing about it (I am terrified of needles) stung quite a bit and that horrible violated feeling BUT it was pretty quick and once the stitches were done that was it, no pain going to the loo, no general aches or bruised feeling, I just felt a little bit swollen down there for a day or two but didn't feel the need to take any pain killers etc.
I was generally very, very pleasantly surprised at how little pain or even discomfort that was afterwards.
Unfortunately I think a lot of it is just down to luck.

@HeyManIJustWantSomeMuesli

I have no experience of CS, I have had one VB which was an incredibly fast, induced labour; I need stitches and had several other 'grazes'. The stitches were absolutely the worst thing about it (I am terrified of needles) stung quite a bit and that horrible violated feeling BUT it was pretty quick and once the stitches were done that was it, no pain going to the loo, no general aches or bruised feeling, I just felt a little bit swollen down there for a day or two but didn't feel the need to take any pain killers etc. I was generally very, very pleasantly surprised at how little pain or even discomfort that was afterwards. Unfortunately I think a lot of it is just down to luck.

Oh sorry you had a painful time getting stitches, were you not offered pain relief for that? But reassuring to hear that you had no pain to speak of after.

The poo point is a good one, @Dandy0911. Oooh the relief when that first successful bowel movement - I felt positively triumphant.

I’ve never heard of a c section being 10-15 mins. That sounds insanity fast. I think you’re often encouraged to go to sleep once the baby is out though - I was, and friends have said the same - so maybe it would feel that short.

@Elllicam

I had an ELCS yesterday. It was not that nice, it is not a pleasant operation. I’m in a lot of pain, I’m bleeding a lot. My back is sore from the spinal, my abdomen is sore from the wound. My shoulder is in agony with gas pain. I’m waiting for pain control which is not coming and I want to go home.

So sorry you’re in such discomfort @Elllicam - I wish you all the very best for your recovery

A section will never be 15 minutes either. My knife to skin to birth was 7 minutes and that was a cat 1 emergency and that's the quickest they could get her out, let alone stitch me out

@Cactuslove

I had two emergency c sections. The healing from both took significant time and the pain in those first few days was awful tbh. The second csection I felt. They had to put me under GA in the end but not before I experienced excruciating pain as the scalpel cut through me and they pried my abdomen apart. I'm not telling this to scare anyone as my first section was fine but I'm saying that birth (in any way it takes place) is unpredictable and painful. In my experience anyway.

Jesus. Did the local just not work or something?!

I’ve never heard of a c section being 10-15 mins. That sounds insanity fast. I think you’re often encouraged to go to sleep once the baby is out though - I was, and friends have said the same - so maybe it would feel that short.

I agree that 10-15 mins is not a viable time estimate. I have never heard of anyone being encouraged to go to sleep after - i mean maybe if it's an emcs and you are exhausted, but with a elcs, you'll be going into it fresh, no labour etc, and there's no need to sleep. Sewing up time is time to cuddle, meet your baby, and have many many photos taken (approx 70 in my last section, many which were taken by me effort still being operated on).

I think with one child I had a nap that afternoon, and the other, I just waited until bedtime.

Ah that’s interesting @Moonbabysmum. And logical too! In the hospital I gave birth in it was standard practice to encourage sleep on the table as you were drowsy from the anaesthetic anyway. But I am not in the UK so maybe it isn’t standard practice UK practice.

Interesting @RandomCatGenerator
I don't think they put anything in the spinal to make you drowsy as routine, in the UK. They are also quite big on allowing skin to skin contact in theatre.

My first, for example, was gloriously civilised. Dinner out with my husband the night before, a (semi decent) night sleep, baby born at 10am, back on the ward by 11am and contemplating lunch (which they wouldn't give me, bastards, so I sneaked chocolate overall). Estimated blood loss was 250ml, about half of what would be expected in a textbook vaginal birth.

I had a c section. I wasn’t remotely ‘back to normal’ for a least 16 weeks. It’s called ‘major abdominal surgery’ for a reason and is not the easy way out in any way.

@Treacletoots

Many many female doctors opt for a ELCS, I'll just leave that with you.

Yeah, my best friend is an anesthetist. She had an ELCS for her first baby. Refused to consider any other way because "I've seen too much".

I had an ELCS for a breech baby - one of the best days of my life when I found out that I wouldn't have to go through labour and delivery. I was terrified beyond belief of permanent damage to my vagina. One relative gave me a graphic description of her third degree tear and a I cried for days I was so upset. I actually threw up when I found out episiotomies and begged my consultant never to do that to me.

Anyway, ELCS and recovery was piss easy. Having my wisdom teeth out was much, much more time consuming and painful. The recovery was longer too. I also don't have an overhang and you can't see my scar because it's a) tiny and b) my pubes are in the way.

10/10 would c-section again.

I had a second degree tear that was on the cusp of a third (big first baby, gas and air) and it was definitely uncomfortable for a week but not so much so that I took consistent pain relief. I was on a dog walk 12 hours after birth, at my 10 day appointment the midwife suggested I have a look and had to point out the where I'd torn, then I was back on a horse after 4 weeks.
I had immediate skin to skin and DS was feeding well within 30 mins, I was able to shower and was fully mobile immediately after birth.
A very dear friend tells a story about how, after her planned section, she was being violently sick and was paralysed from the waist down due to the epidural whilst a midwife was trying to latch the baby in that slightly brusque way they can have about them. Friend was kept in longer than she wanted to be and found it all very tough.
I would VB again, for me it was the far smoother ride.

I think for me personally the possible bad outcomes of VB would be worse than bad outcomes associated with sections
Now I really really really don't think you are aware of the bad outcomes associated with sections are.

I've had both birth types, which several nasty second degree tears during the natural birth. The pain of that was horrible, but only lasted a few days. The pain of recovering from my c section was also bad but lasted a few weeks.

Having said that, I would 100% pick a section again. It was 1000x easier overall than my natural birth, for lots of reasons. When I hear of women trying for VBACs I shudder and wonder why...

Having had a vaginal birth with my first and an emergency c section with my second I can honestly say I would choose the vaginal birth any day. Yes it was painful but my recovery was much better and quicker than it was with my c section. If I was to have another I would be hoping I could have a vaginal birth as the whole thing was a much better experience.

[quote EnidFrighten]I find it weird how the focus here is all about your vag and not the baby.

Babies are designed to come out of your vagina and then breastfeed. That is the optimal way to have a baby. There are situations in which cs is medically indicated or breastfeeding doesn't work out, but I think women often don't understand the health impact of choices they make.

Vaginal birth means a baby's digestive system is colonised by the mother's bacteria, it gives them a lifelong health benefit and is further supported by breastfeeding which has components that support the growth of good bacteria. Bacteria in the gut are associated with all kinds of health outcomes in early years and throughout life. Allergies, Crohn's, asthma, obesity, etc - risk increases with CS birth.

It's not a convenient truth because women want to think all choices are equally valid, but the health implications of CS aren't spoken about enough. It's all about the mother, not enough about the baby imho.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3110651/[/quote]
But you've chosen to completely ignore the fact that babies can get brain damage or even die due to oxygen deprivation during vaginal birth.

Enough with this "designed" nonsense too. That's a matter of opinion. Babies and women are only "designed" if one believes is some higher power that did the designing. That's fine but it's an equally valid opinion that evolution is correct and that actually women's bodies are not optimal for giving birth - this is my opinion. My reasoning being that women need medical assistance to birth even if it's unmedicated or a home birth, they tear and have to be stitched, babies can get stuck, women and babies can die during childbirth, women need EMCS to prevent tragic outcomes, etc. The most accurate thing to say I guess is that vaginal birth is the body's natural response to the end of a pregnancy but that doesn't mean it's risk-free or a better option than the alternatives.

Haven't read the whole thread but I had an emergency c section 13 years ago. probably a very different experience to a planned one but the worst bit for me was the agonising trapped wind afterwards. Nobody tells you about that! I had to have liquid morphine in hospital for two days as I didn't know what to do with myself.

My scar is still numb on one side to this day.

@Dandy0911

As previous posters have said, and I have myself, have had vaginal pain for some weeks after my section. It wasn't nice at all. It was agony to pee for 2 weeks due to the bloody catheter, my cervix was sore and tender for weeks, it felt like I was pushing out a poop the size of Russia when I needed to go for a number 2. They are hard after a section due to the pain relief they give you can really constipate you. And as much as going for a poop after a VB can hurt, it can also really hurt after a section when you're massively constipated, have poop literally stuck in your bum and you can't push it out because it hurts to cough or sneeze, let alone tense to try and go for a number 2.

C section pain isn't just localised to the stomach.

And perhaps some people are hinting you are misinformed due to thinking a section was a 10 minute surgery.

I’m well aware that constipation is a common unpleasant side effect of a section - it would also be of a VB though for me as it’s the result of pain killers, not surgery itself, and I wouldn’t have a VB without comprehensive pain relief.

I have noted that some people have said they had vaginas pain after a section. The pain they are and you are describing though would likely come with a VB - PLUS potentially pain/discomfort from stitches and piles and episiotomy scar tissue and so on. Which are simply ruled out after a section. That’s important to me, I don’t want any of that.

I am not misinformed about sections - I meant by 10 mins that’s usually how long the birth takes via section, until the baby is out.

@Tanfastic

Haven't read the whole thread but I had an emergency c section 13 years ago. probably a very different experience to a planned one but the worst bit for me was the agonising trapped wind afterwards. Nobody tells you about that! I had to have liquid morphine in hospital for two days as I didn't know what to do with myself.

My scar is still numb on one side to this day.

Oh sorry to hear that, I actually know several people who have complained of trapped wind afterwards, I think it’s a result of the anaesthetic and the fact that your bowels are pushed around or even taken out of your abdominal cavity temporarily.