What would you choose?

[Mummytobe22LO]

Looking for real experiences.
I am going to speak with a consultant tomorrow about my birth plan due to the hospital wanting to induce me for multiple medical reasons. On the forms I've been given it says I can ask for elective CSection?
Does anyone have any rathers? Pros? Cons?
I've heard being induced can lead to possible C-section anyway so in two minds

I've been induced and I've had an ELCS. I'd take a CS any day of the week to be honest. Induction was slow, incredibly painful and I ended up needing tons of interventions. The ELCS was calm, controlled and straightforward, home the next day. I also found pain management was taken a lot more seriously after the CS- prescribed pain relief, whereas even though I was in a lot of pain following my VB, I got told "well you didn't have a c section so it can't be that bad" and just had to get on with it. Everyone is different though - I have friends who've really struggled with sections so they aren't unproblematic. Maybe not the most helpful comment but it really is individual.

It's very personal to you. The one thing I really didn't want was a c section and thankfully I didn't have one. I wanted the experience of a typical birth. I wasn't induced but I have 7 mum friends with babies, 6 of those were induced and only 1 ended in c section. I felt so empowered after giving birth vaginally and I really don't think I'd of felt like that having a c section. 8 months in and I feel totally back to normal. Recovery is generally easier with vaginal births. I'd do some string research and speak to your consultant/midwife before making any choices.

I was induced at 37 weeks following a small leak of my waters at 35 weeks.

It was 11 hours start to finish, no pain until the last 2-3 hours, and infinitely better than my first birth which wasn't induced.

But there are so many different experiences of induction - mine was great, but it's hard to generalise.

I was induced and it did end up in a csection but this was due to a few different things so I skipped a lot of the induction process.
I had the pessary, waters broke and there was meconium in them. Went straight to delivery suite and put on the hormone drip. I just wasn't progressing - got to 8/9 hours in on the drip and baby's heart rate had increased and they thought I had an infection brewing. Ended up going down for section and it was still a really good experience. I think I just had an unfortunate experience with not progressing but I'm really glad I did go down the induction route as experienced water breaking, contractions etc (not that I want to experience those contractions ever again 😅).

Absolutely go for the c-section. I had planned a c-section for mental health reasons that turned into an emergency c-section 3 weeks early but even so it was a very good experience.
My recovery was very smooth, 2 members of my antenatal group had natural labours followed by emergency c-sections when things didn't work out and their recovery was so much harder- I think because they were exhausted once it got to the point of section where I wasn't and their bodies were trying to recovery from both natural labour and a c-section at the same time

I haven't had a section but I've had one natural delivery and 2 inductions. Due to a blood condition I'm not allowed epidural or any opiates so was basically forced to have pain relief free births each time.
The inductions were absolute agony compared to the natural labour. The contractions came much faster, with less gap in between them.
I had no interventions thankfully, but inductions (for me) were brutal.

Honestly, I was inducted on my first and it was torture, personally I would never take the drip again, however I may be open to pessaries etc to see if my body then started labour on its own. It's a personal decision and depends on your risk factors etc

I should add, based on PP's comments - my induction wasn't painful but I did not need the drip. I only needed the gel, and then having waters broken.
Im aware that the drip is supposed to be far more painful!

It's a very personal choice and I've only ever had an EMCS, but I'd choose a c section any day over a natural birth, nevermind an induction.

A quote from friends with benefits just came to my mind for some reason while reading this.. ‘given the choice between Adam and anyone, I’d choose Adam every time’. This is like me with a csection 😅 Never experienced pushing a baby out my hoohaa but to me it’s like, do you want to have a seat on the bus or do you want to be run over by it? 🤣 drastic example but that’s how I feel. C-section all day long, best day of my life! The recovery wasn’t a patch on what I was imagining it to be. First 5 days you feel w bit pathetic and you’re obviously bleeding a lot, can’t bend down much, sit up yourself etc but I wasn’t in pain. I would do it all again in a heartbeat

I've been induced four times after waters went but no contractions. I've had one ELCS due to breech (2nd baby). I hated the C section so insisted that I was induced rather than the automatic C section I was offered. I hated the slow recovery, I like to leave hospital and get back to normal life straight away.

I've had 2 vaginal deliveries and my second was induced. I had a positive induction experience - the foley catheter was the first step and that successfully started things for me so I didn't need the drip or my waters breaking. I just needed gas and air, but had decided to myself that I would have an epidural if I needed the drip because I've heard it can make things progress unnaturally quick so can be more intense. I'm 5 weeks pp now, was out and about after a couple of days rest and felt great after just a couple of weeks, whereas c section recovery can be a lot longer and more painful. I've a toddler so it was more important for me to recover quickly than to have an easier/less painful birth, so it depends what is a priority for you!