Planned CSection VS Vaginal Birth?

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Just as the title says really!

After my first traumatic birth, I’m questioning the best route for my second birth later this year.

Can anyone shed some light on pros and cons for me?

I have a toddler now, maybe a planned c section would affect my bond with newborn and looking after toddler due to recovering?
Can anyone have a planned c section?
Maybe an epidural this time will make the vaginal birth better?

Had an elective section last week after a traumatic experience, ending in an emergency one, with my first.

It was really handy for planning childcare for our toddler as we had the date well in advance.

It was so much calmer than my first - the theatre team had been great with DD1 but you could see they were moving quickly to save her life.

I felt much more in control with the elective (which is possibly a bit ironic as I was really putting my body/life in the hands of multiple other people)

Recovery has so far been much easier, I was up and walking 6 hours later, catheter out later that night and gone the next day. I only experience mild pain around the scar when I stand up now and almost off all of my medication whereas the first time I was sore for weeks after.

We're not planning on having any more and if we did it would have to be an elective, but if that wasn't a factor, I'd definitely choose a section again.

I can only tell you my experience but I had a planned c-section with my second after a third degree tear and other complications with my first.

As the PP says, it was really handy being able to plan childcare for the eldest.

The surgery itself was lovely - calm and a generally beautiful experience. I bonded with my second much better than my first as a result.

I found the recovery considerably easier than the recovery from my 3DT, but that is a very personal thing. I was (slowly) walking round the local park by day 6. I was barely shuffling to the loo on day 6 after my 3DT.

The pain was quite intense for the first coue of days but I found it manageable by day 3-4 and didn’t need any pain relief after a week to ten days.

A key consideration is how much help you can get with your toddler. I had mine in full time nursery for six weeks and my DH was WFH so was around to do all mornings, drop offs, pick ups and bedtimes. (Having said that, vaginal births can incapacitate you too - I wouldn’t have been in any kind of state to look after a toddler for weeks after my first birth anyway).

Another consideration is whether you want many more children because c sections can impact more on future pregnancies.

Good luck with whatever you decide!