Am I right Ito have an elective c section?

[Mumm1993]

Currently booked in to have an elective c section in 2 days time (38+6). No medical reason, pure maternal choice.

ive had a p*as easy pregnancy - no nausea, no aches and pains, no tiredness. Literally nothing. Baby measuring in 50th percentile, is in the correct position. I’m still doing cardio and weights in the gym at 38 weeks pregnant I feel so fine.

Only issue is the severe anxiety surrounding childbirth. I’ve always always been terrified of birth. I have been seen by the perinatal mental health team for my anxiety throughout my pregnancy and my midwife was keen for me to have a section based on my conversations with them.

I saw an obstetrician 2 weeks ago who didn’t even try and persuade me otherwise - just asked what date I’d prefer (had the choice of 38+6 or 40+2 as they were too booked up otherwise).

I’ve been so set on it my entire pregnancy but now I’m sitting here having just got back from the gym thinking am I mad to have this major surgery in 2 days when maybe everything would be ok?

my perinatal mental health team have flagged up I would be higher risk of PND and bonding issues with baby if a vaginal birth went wrong (fyi I have had NO mental health issues prior to pregnancy; I’m level headed, have a successful career but just have a very specific fear of childbirth).

i would definitely like a 2nd child but wouldn’t want more than that.

what would you all do 🥲?

Fear is the enemy when it comes to child birth as the adrenaline disrupts the release of oxytocin which is what you need for a smooth ride. So if you are really scared then an ELCS might be best at this stage in the game.

It's a shame the midwives didn't recommend hypnobirthing earlier in the pregnancy to address your fear. I do think you've been a bit let down there.

You could do a quick deep dive in to hypnobirthing over the next 2 days and see what you think. You can use the techniques during your section if you go ahead so it won't be a waste of time.

The positive birth company one is pretty concise.

I had a similar pregnancy and had an ELCS too. I don't think there's really any correlation between ease of pregnancy and ease of birth and it wasn't a risk I wanted to take. Nobody I know had an easy birth, especially with their first baby, and generally the people who had an ELCS recovered well. I think exercising up to the end makes a huge difference too; I certainly think it helped me - I was out for a walk within 48 hours and had pretty much entirely normal movement within a week.

I was in exactly the same position, even down to the choice of dates; FWIW I chose 38+6. I had the ELCS and zero regrets. Had another with DC2. Obstetrician said I could have a third but no thanks!

I had a super easy pregnancy and I had an ELCS at 38+6. I didn’t want a vaginal birth. I have zero regrets, the day was perfect and I have such fond memories of it.

I think the main thing here is weighing up the known and the unknown. With ELCS you know when it is happening and roughly what will happen. With a vaginal birth you have no idea when it will happen, how long it will take, how you will be physically, emotionally and mentally and you may end up needing a c section anyway.

I had a category 2 EMCS first time round, it all went wrong after a smooth pregnancy and I was pleased with how the c section went and the recovery. I then chose an ELCS with Ds2.

Your perinatal mental health team have assessed you and consider the ELCS to be a better option for you. I would still go ahead with the ELCS.

I choose to have two c sections - had my second one three weeks ago.
It was the best day ever. Walked into hospital 8 am, was in theatre at 9, baby girl was born at 9.29. My recovery has been a breeze, I was home the next day, went for a walk and back in my clothes two days later, was completely back to normal a week after surgery.
I just bumped into a friend who had a natural birth last week who is still hobbling around and has loads of stiches and had a really tough time.

The amount of people who told me to try a natural birth as it’s ‘so much easier’ and the recovery is better was unreal. All the same people who are amazed at how quick I’ve bounced back.

I understand that people have different opinions and stories, and I will admit, my first planned c section was more difficult (mainly due to not knowing what to get and the fear of the unknown such as getting up/ going to the toilet as soon as I could) but honestly my birth was perfect for me.

Do your research, but choose what’s best for you.

There are risks with all the options. At this stage would just stick with your plan.

I had a rather easy pregnancy but still opted for an elective c-section. No regrets at all. I never wanted a natural birth and while many of my friends who all gave birth naturally now suffer from prolapses and incontinence, I’m absolutely fine.

You sound just like me. I had 2 sections due to fear of birth and they are the best decisions I've ever made.
My friends/family all have post birth issues, both recent and decades later

I can’t tell you what’s best for you but I had two sections and I have zero regrets. They were very calm and I was up and about soon. I have a high pain threshold and I do know that others aren’t as lucky.

Your body your choice.

As long as you've researched it well and understand that this is major abdominal surgery with risks and a potentially painful and lengthy recovery periods.

To be fair, that's an accurate description of childbirth in general (the risks and potential recovery period)

My first section was an emergency
Second was ELCS. Had a lovely dinner out the night before. Found the day of birth very chilled and enjoyed it.
I suffered with PND after DC1 and couldn't cope with the anxiety of a natural birth. No regrets.

Everything has risks... An elective CS has a longer recovery than a good vaginal birth, but would be less risky than an emergency C-section if it came to that! In my experience the midwives will generally try and encourage you to go for a vaginal birth, so if they have recommended an elective CS there will be a good reason for it. I had one with DS (as he was breech) and no trouble with bonding / breastfeeding etc - he gave a good cry when he came out and was very quickly put on my chest for skin to skin.

I'd stick with your choice, I've had 1 natural birth and one elective section and if I'd known how my first birth was going to go and how much easier the section recovery would be I'd have had two of them!
Recovery from my elective was fine and you sound a lot fitter than me! Just listen to your body and dont try to get back at it too quickly you'll be fine.

Me and my partner did actually just finish the postive birth company. Seemed pleasant but then I joined their Facebook community and genuinely found none of the ‘postive’ birth stories on there very positive at all 🤢

Thank you everyone genuinely so much ❤️ It’s put me back in the mindset I was in a few days ago when I was at peace with my decision!
hopefully i recover smoothly and have no regrets - I imagine I have a higher chance of regret if I try a vaginal birth based on my very negative mindset about it!

I agree with you actually, but the pbc course is a very accessible format so thought easiest to recommend.

I'm a bit all or nothing when it comes to birth, either home birth or elective C-section. I think labouring in hospital is a recipe for disaster in most cases.

I think you're absolutely right to go for the ELCS. Good luck!

I did precisely this for the same reasons as you. No regrets. Had my baby in half an hour, almost invisible scar. Took ibuprofen for two days. Up and about immediately.

Go for the section.

I’ve experienced both, and now believe natural is highly overrated 😅 The elective section was a breeze and I literally would not have had a second pregnancy if I’d believed I wouldn’t be allowed to have one.

I had an easy pregnancy no sickness felt great all the way through but my labour was very difficult lasted for days and ended in a heavy bleed so easy pregnancy does not always equal easy birth. I had an elective c section for my last pregnancy it was a dream compared to a vaginal birth!! Hardly any pain recovered quickly and it felt a lot safer as your surrounded by a team of people rather than a very stretched midwife going from one patient to another! Good luck with the birth I hope you have just as good an experience as I did.

Listen to the fear free childbirth podcast - Alexia is brilliant. She had tokophobia herself and overcame it and her book & podcast have fantastic reviews

www.fearfreechildbirth.com/

All the best with whichever way you decide - exciting times ☺️

I’m here to echo what others have said. It sounds like you’ve thought carefully about your options and that a planned c section is best for you.

I wanted a c section for my first for a number of reasons, mainly because the risks of a vaginal delivery weren’t worth it to me personally and I don’t want 4 kids, but my midwife cajoled me into trying for a vaginal delivery. I had a healthy pregnancy, running up to 10 miles per week when 34 weeks pregnant, and did all the hypnobirthing and positive birth company stuff, laboured at home for as long as I could, avoided epidural and was active in labour. It still ended in episiotomy, forceps delivery, third degree tear and massive postpartum haemorrhage requiring a stay in critical care for a few nights. My mental health was in tatters and I was filled with self blame for letting the midwife bully me out of the c section that I wanted. Sex was off the table for 6 months and still painful 18 months later, I have two mild prolapses and can’t run long distances regularly like I used to.

My next birth was a planned c section. I felt so calm as a result throughout pregnancy. I ended up needing a general anaesthetic on the day and had a smaller haemorrhage, but the whole experience was still amazing and I felt so safe and cared for the whole time I was in hospital. It was like night and day compared to the first birth! I was in agony for the first 48 hours and it was harder to look after the newborn in that time, but felt fully recovered and off all paracetamol by the end of the week. It was amazing! My milk came in extremely quickly and I bonded with my baby much faster, as I was more relaxed and happy. I wish I had been allowed to do it like that the first time around!

Our third and final child will also be born by C section and I feel so happy with that decision.

I'm so sorry you went through that 😠 I had the pressure with my first, it's disgusting how they push it

Thank you everyone for your replies ❤️ @DifferentlyNextTime in so sorry for your experience - that is literally my worst nightmare :(
looks like I’ll be having my section tomorrow!