Are C sections scary, painful afterwards and dangerous?

[dinny]

probably yes, just wondered

Bubble, wow - two years!!!

mamalovesmambo this is not the time for you to vent. Horror stories will not help anyone

dinny, regardless of what mode of delivery you choose, you should address the fear and anxiety surrounding the last birth

shoulder dystocia is a complication and it can be extremely serious, but there is no reason it would recur.

but it is really important to not go into the delivery room/ operating theatre with baggage hanging over you from your last birth

there are pros and cons to each mode of delivery, i would usually go for VB , but i can understand why you would want to elect for c.s, but previous dystocia is not in itself, IMO a reason to elect for c.s

but i really thikn you need to debrief if this is keeping you up in the wee small hours x

Scary - no. Had an emcs and staff all v calm and reassuring despite needing to get dd out relatively urgently. I would imagine an elcs even less so.

Painful - no. Just felt vague sensations during the cs, no pain. Afterwards I was asked several times a day to rate my pain on level of 1 to 10 and I kept saying 0 or 1 as there was very little. I was on morphine, paracetomol and voltarine so no pain managed to get through! It does seem to vary a lot from person to person though. I felt quite wiped out if I did too much for a few months afterwards but as well as a newborn I had an infection in the scar and a bereavement in the 10 days after the birth so that probably all contributed. You just have to remember not to overdo for quite a while afterwards (easier said than done, I know).

Dangerous - agree with Pendulum, it's all a sliding scale. Vast majority of cs babies will be fine (as will vb babies). My dd wasn't getting enough oxygen so I guess the cs was the safest thing for her.

I would have no problem going for a cs next time.

Lulumama, debrief to who though?

I am such a worrier by nature anyway. dh keeps telling me I'm really good at giving birth but I think I have been lucky twice and feel it can't hold out, iykwim

you're a doula aren't you? are in London? I had a doula - DM - with ds and she was great, I'd have her again but I'll still be scared

dinny. Honestly?

I know that there is counselling available that will help to deal with any fear of childbirth but, from my bitter experience, if you end up on an overstretched NHS ward at 4am it will count for nought.

I have had the lot - spontaneous labour, induced labour, emergency CS and planned CS.

I can honestly say that, as far as recovery went, the planned CS was the best.

debrief with the hospital, they should have some sort of birth afterthoughts service, contact the head of midwifery to find out, and/or speak to your doula

am a doula, yes, but in merseyside !

i think there is always a bit of 'there but for the grace of god' if you are pregnant again after a close shave with the last birth, as it makes all the 'what ifs?' suddenly seem a lot more real and frightening

that is totally understandable

what you have to do is weigh up the pros and cons of VB and el.c.s and work through what is emotionally and pyhsically better for you.

speak to your doula! am sure she would be happy to help in anyway

Bubble - were you at Kingston iirc? That's my exact fear with East Surrey - a close friend of mine nearly died there herself

Lulu - yes, will speak to my doula...just don't feel I have the courage to do it again, will be so fixated on something going wrong instead of being positive

mamacrumble - so you would rather i gave a fairy tale? come on - I had horrific experience and OP asked - and depends on what NHS trust you are under - don't criticise me and the experience I had - it left me suicidal and depressed so what the hell do you know???? Every woman has different experiences - I have experience in the OP's question, sory for not having a text book experienece. Jeez

MLM - I appreciate your posting, I want to know the truth to help me weigh it up as I have no exp of a section

Plus all I had was horror stories throughout my pg - please do not judge, you do not know me or my circumstances. You have really pissed me off. I am not allowed to express myself on a website that is here for the sole purpose of mummy's being able to express their feelings???do me a favour and wind your neck in love.

dinny. Talk to a doula but be aware that, when my son was in hospital, a doula would have made no difference at all to the awful outcome I experienced.

Mr Bubble was advocating fantastically but there was no one to listen

If you go into labour during 'office hours' you will probably be OK. If, like me, you end up in an understaffed NHS hospital during the middle of the night you take your chances.

dinny. Yes, I went to Kingston.

thanks dinny - I am trying to expand on the overall response I freaked out - i tell it how it is. TBH no method of delivering a baby is pleasant it is having trust in the professionals who are doing it. I asked no matter how she was delivered for DH to cut the cord, poor guy never got a look in. It is like a conveyor belt down my way. Whilst trying to stick a fucking 4in needle into my spine they had the trolley of instruments laid out in front of me, insensitive bastards, i totally went off my head.

here here bubble

The whole point of childbirth, whatever the method, is to give birth to a live baby.

I appreciate that a woman can have a fantastic VB with an experience that will stay with her forever but, with the current state of the NHS, I think we should all opt for the 'safety first' method.

mmmm, yes, both mine were middle of the night deliveries, luckily with ds (SD) I had a fab midwife - by chance.

mumble if you look in your thread I posted a message for your angel. Please don't be bitter on here when so many care about you and Tia. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

DS1 was a middle of the night delivery, too. Nearly eleven years ago and I also had a fantastic midwife.

When my DT2 died, there weren't anywhere near enough staff around. The unit manager (who should have been overseeing the unit and who would have seen and prevented the car-crash about to occur) was delivering babies elsewhere because the unit was short-staffed. I found all of this out via my lawyers after the event.

When I went in to have DS4 I saw women coming into a cramped ante-natal ward, being given Prostin gel, and having to labour in a bed with the screens around them with someone else's DH/DP two feet away.

What I'm trying to say is that, whatever your birth-plan or pre-natal courses - you get what is available on the day or night with the NHS.

dinny i have tried to word all sorts of posts but will just go ahead.

i suggested bfc because at least you have something lined up afterwards to focus on.

if i'd known how fucking awful induction and how i was treated would be then i'd have gone for ecs like a shot. but equally if i'd had a bloody clue would never have gone near the hospital when my waters broke and would have had a doula or independent mw.

i haven't had another pg and probably won't now but if i did would never ever go to newham gen again.

xxx bubble.

God, isn't it just shocking

Bubble, I am so sorry for your loss, words can't express

basically what you and Fishie are saying is that rather than take your chances in understaffed NHS hospital, you may as well accept the lesser risks of a planned C section...?

Neither were scary, both were painful afterwards, both have added risks for both mum and baby. I had to have follow up surgery - not a good option if avoidable IMHO

Bubble, I just feel I had a really lucky escape with ds ONLY because midwife was a star and the community team were on call at St george's (which doens't happen at ES)

Dinny, yes.

Weigh up the (fairly well-known) risks of CS and then weigh up the (totally unknowable) risks of an NHS maternity unit and take your pick.

I know which one I'd go for.