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.

@MythicalBiologicalFennel very sorry to hear about your suffering after your forceps birth - and I completely agree with you, I think my biggest concern is that problems after a VB are so often dismissed and chalked up as collateral damage.
I have only heard good things about ELCS and as I said I think they’re great. Just trying to look at all options. Thanks for sharing.

I had 1ecs and 2 vb. I would go with the VB any day. Yes it was a little sore but I was up and about on day 2 doing the usual things - running a play session I volunteered at.....etc etc. After the c section I didn't leave the house for 5 days and then struggled to walk to the local shop....then finally was allowed to drive.

(Although the creations are called Emergencies it doesn't necessarily mean the baby is ripped out of you....they are still calm and controlled in most circumstances. I do think for me the fact I had had a long labour, no sleep and lots of drugs played into the recovery though.)

@Eyesofdisarray I’m not sure what your point is?

@thelastgoldeneagle what do you mean your “vagina took longer to recover after the C section”?

I have had two VBs, one third degree and one second degree tear. I would opt for that all again, every time.

That said, having read all your posts, I think an ELCS is right for you. Go for it. Best of luck with whatever you decide.

I had a vaginal birth and not much pain down there at all. I had a second degree tear but barely noticed it and healed fast.
It's not a given you will have pain from vaginal birth at all. My baby was average sized and an induction for medical reasons. I found the pain of childbirth bearable too.

My fist birth was a VB that did not go well, I had a 4th degree tear and haemorrhaged badly. The recovery was awful, I had a catheter for 4 weeks and was in a lot of pain. As a result my second daughter was supposed to be born via a c-section, but she came early and was very quick so I ended up delivering in surgery after being given a spinal and the surgeon used ventouse to get her out. The recovery was absolutely fine, maybe some slight discomfort for a few days but it certainly wasn't painful. I guess you just can't tell how it's going to go and you need to do what feels right for you.

Watching with interest; I'm really in two minds about this...it's my first baby and I'm an older mum to be (39) not sure if age has anything to do with birthing options (due date the day before my 40

I was scared of the pain, the panic, the emergency buzzers going, people rushing in, having to end up being rushed to theatre anyway, bleeding to death etc (that’s how I imagined the whole thing would go). So I opted for a c-section almost the second I was pregnant 😂 Had it 2 months ago and I had an idea in my mind of how it would go and had geared myself up for it being relatively painful and the recovery being as awful as everyone says. It wasn’t! It was the best experience ever! The sorest part of the entire thing was the nip of the cannula getting put in. My baby was out in 1 minute from the operation starting, I was in shock! I had no complications. I did have to get my partner to inject me with the anti blood clotting jags for 10 days which wasn’t much fun but also wasn’t awful. The recovery was completely fine. I didn’t feel any pain in hospital because I asked for pain killers every time I even got any sensation in that area! The worst of the recovery was over within the first 5 days when I got home. It still wasn’t awful and I could walk about totally fine. The only painful part was going from lying down to sitting up because I had to push myself with my arms which was quite awkward. By 1-2 weeks I was able to sit up again and it was fine. I felt fully healed really quite soon after but waited the recommended 6 weeks to do most things and I still haven’t exercised yet, although I feel like I could but waiting til 12 weeks. I have full control of my bladder, as good as I did pre-pregnancy. That was one of my other main reasons for it, as i have so many friends who seem to just accept peeing yourself is a normal part of life after having a baby 🤷🏼‍♀️

Good luck, research both and make up your own mind but the section is a very very good option, in my case anyway!

I've had two CS and they were wonderful, and I fully recommend. I agree with you about the attitudes to women's health and have seen women left to struggle with birth injuries.

However, an ELCS definitely isn't a "precise little cut that’s being gently stretched", it's major surgery after which you're handed a baby and left to get on with things. I was pleasantly surprised by my recovery from my first and was a bit surprised by my second as I think I'd blocked it out! You will be in pain for days and discomfort for weeks. It's manageable and like I say CS are fantastic - but I think it sounds like you need to wrap your head around the fact that there's no easy, pain free way to get a baby out.

I would take the pain after my VB any day over the pain after my planned CS. I really struggled, and was surprised - my drug free labour and VB was much easier for me. If I have another baby I'll 100% try for a vbac.

OP I think you need to do some more research around Caesarean sections. They are major surgery and carry risks. It’s not the easy option.

@leakymcleakleak all very interesting, thanks for sharing! I think I view one thing totally differently though: I view VB as = pain after due to birth injuries. I’m not concerned about vaginal pain during birth at all - you can always have an epidural or spinal block, both work amazingly on me.
With ELCSs I’ve braced myself for some discomfort during birth - have heard there is tugging and pulling to be felt - and obviously pain after. But I don’t know, looking after a c section scar and taking some pain killers for that seems so much more straightforward to me than dealing with vaginal birth injuries. So many women report being in pain for months afterwards etc.

Thanks for your input, as you can tell I’m tending towards ELCS and don’t think I have any illusions about them, I guess I’d prefer a pain free VB with epidural and practically no problems afterwards but well, wouldn’t we all.

I had a tear that was second degree but they thought it might be third (I had a home birth and they said they could stitch 2nd degree at home but I’d need to be transferred in as they thought it was borderline). The surgeon at the hospital said it was a bad second degree tear, so I had it stitched with local anaesthetic.
I had pain for maybe 2 weeks (definitely by the time DH’s paternity leave finished I was totally fine, and that would have been 16 days later) but it wasn’t like I was in constant pain. I could sit quite comfortably which surprised me, it was when I moved from sitting to standing, or standing to sitting that the pain was worst, not sure why. And when weeing.

I would have C- section any day.

C-sections come with risks too ( I had complications on both of mine) but the recovery was much easier for me

It’s entirely your choice but the pain from my CAT 2 c section was horrific compared to my very manageable pain from my vbac.

I've had one VB and one ELCS. I recovered much more quickly from the c section even with a boisterous toddler in tow! I still have issues from my VB 5 years pp but I know lots of people who have had good experiences of VB and bad experiences with EMCS. Pros and cons to both, I liked the extra "certainty" with a planned c section. Of course you can get infections and complications after but I felt more prepared and knowing how I'd feel after whereas with a VB you have no idea what will happen. Good luck with your birth which ever option you choose!

@Dexter77 - I had more pain, tightness and discomfort in my vaginal area, both during sex and just generally (feeling that things weren't 'right' down there) after my CS than after my VBAC - and it's not just me!

See www.inquirer.com/philly/health/womenshealth/Pain_during_sex_more_common_after_a_C-section.html and www.bellybelly.com.au/post-natal/painful-sex-after-c-section-what-causes-it/

I had an episiotomy during my VBAC and had to sit on an O-shaped cushion for a few days, but the cut healed perfectly and quickly.

I also had much worse constipation after my CS than after my VBAC - that was bloody awful.

[quote Dexter77]**@BrownEyedSquirrel* and @lochmaree* I think one can’t compare an EMCS with a ELCS though, the former are almost always more brutal and recovery slower as it’s an emergency, whereas an ELCS is a calm, precise little cut that’s being gently stretched and recovery is often said to be miles easier than after an EMCS.
I’d also like to avoid a EMCS as lots of people seem to have had slow painful recoveries afterwards like you guys, but the only sure way to avoid an EMCS is indeed an ELCS![/quote]
There is a big difference between a rarer CAT 1 session and the very common CAT 2 section.

@Loubiemoo what makes you think I’m not informed about section risks? Have done tons of research and they’re incredibly safe and often preferable to VB. The very fact that I HAVE done tons of research into both options has left me tending towards ELCS as VBs end in instrumental or EMCS ca 50% of the time and come with a plethora of other risks.

You do know there are risks with an ELCS don't you? You're acting as though its a spa treatment not major surgery.
I had a VB and had no after pains. Unless you're going private though you can't guarantee an epidural so by the sounds of it an ELCS would be best for you.

I think one can’t compare an EMCS with a ELCS though, the former are almost always more brutal and recovery slower as it’s an emergency, whereas an ELCS is a calm, precise little cut that’s being gently stretched and recovery is often said to be miles easier than after an EMCS.
I’d also like to avoid a EMCS as lots of people seem to have had slow painful recoveries afterwards like you guys, but the only sure way to avoid an EMCS is indeed an ELCS!

I’ve had both, and the EMCS was far better than the ELCS.

The EMCS was quick and tidy. I was left with a scar and the obligatory overhang, but it took me longer to recover emotionally.

The ELCS was slow, they couldn’t site the spinal properly so that took nearly an hour and has left me with scarring on my back. The surgery was longer and more controlled, but I reacted to the anaesthesia so because it took longer I felt far worse, dizzy, sick, light headed, my blood pressure dropped and they had to tilt the table and fill me with fluids. The recovery was longer as I was anaethestised for longer, couldn’t stop throwing up.

The abdominal pain is pretty awful tbh. It’s weeks of not being able to stand up straight, needing help to sit up in bed, not being able to pick up your baby, not being able to do much.

A friend got a scar infection which was horrific.

Very encouraging, thanks for sharing!

[quote Dexter77]@Loubiemoo what makes you think I’m not informed about section risks? Have done tons of research and they’re incredibly safe and often preferable to VB. The very fact that I HAVE done tons of research into both options has left me tending towards ELCS as VBs end in instrumental or EMCS ca 50% of the time and come with a plethora of other risks.[/quote]
Because you seem to have a blinkered and slightly unrealistic idea about the risks and recovery of having a section. Do some more research or you may find yourself equally upset

I had a planned preterm section with a tiny baby and the pain afterwards was quite something and continued for some time (not only in the abdomen, also shoulder tip pain. I had a perfect recovery but then had a problem with the cervix caused by the delivery at 9w pp so plenty of vaginal poking and prodding.
If you have trauma, ask for advice on what to do from your midwife. Present the problem rather than jumping right in with the solution.
Even with a great recovery it is less convenient with not being able to lift, cough, laugh, drive...