Episiotomy VS C-Section

[pooh4utoo]

My baby is breech and I mayb I will be offered a C-Section or a Vaginal Birth,I understand it maybe need for a large episiotomy and chance of forceps needed. I've had previous normal vaginal births and not had stitches needed so have no idea if the stitches down there are very painful for long.
Which will be less painful to recover from? I've heard in longterm a lot of women have bother with their episiotomies and for many mths later if not always,as it's never seems right again down there.
Which is better option? Anyone 1 had 1 of each or care to give their opinion,any posts welcome.

"My understanding is that one's experience of episiotomy depends on what we mean by "episiotomy" - a little cut of 2-stitches or (like mine) a large episiotomy that inevitably cuts through muscle and nerve."

Well, I had an episiotomy and 3rd degree tear with 2 hours of repair work under spinal and I didn't have any problems with it afterwards. Yes, it was tender for a few days but nothing else.

You simply can't tell but choosing between major abdominal surgery and repair to my nether regions I'd be choosing the chance of an episiotomy or tear.

re "Major abdominal surgery" - I will paraphrase "What to expect when you're expecting: CS is surgery, but it is a routine and rather easy one, closer to a tonsillectomy than a kidney transplant.

It is a cut through tissue, nerve, & muscle (not abdominal), put back with stitches. So is a large episiotomy. I really don't get the demonisation of CS on MN, especially where there is clear indication for it like a breech baby.

SoupDragon - Was your episiotomy median or mediolateral?

it seems like you want everyone to agree that an episiotomy is worse than a c section, cotedazur, when some of us haven't had that experience. I can easily believe your experience that your c section was less painful than an episiotomy so how come you can't accept that some people's experience of c section is not so fantastic and they'd rather have an episiotomy any day.

maybe there's an interesting study for someone one day on which is experienced as the more painful

I'm mid google on the median\mediolateral but studies seem mixed on whether one is more painful than the other. mine went off towards the thigh rather than down towards the bum iyswim -which is that?

Well, Cote, a colleague at work died due to complications following her c-section and I've never heard of someone dying due to an episiotomy so I'd say one is definitely greater than the other and not simply a cut through tissue, nerve, & muscle. I am not trying to "demonise" CS at all - whatever works.

As to what sort of episiotomy I had, how on earth should I know? I was somewhat out of it having had a 10lb baby pass through my fanjo resulting in, as I said, a nasty 3rd degree tear and 2 hours of stitching. I still healed with no hassle or trauma whatsoever.

I am not arguing whether a CS or VB is best for a breech baby, I have no idea. I can say that I healed from a fairly major repair job quickly and easily and with none of the horrendous pain you were unfortunate enough to experience. I would hazard a guess that the majority of women would have an experience similar to mine.

It is simply impossible to tell what your experience will be. I have heard a full scale of experiences for all methods of giving birth ranging from disastrous to perfectly fine and covering every degree in between. A friend who had a VBAC for example said it was the most wonderful thing and she felt so much better after the VB than she had after either of the CSections. I've heard the complete opposite too.

I've had a lot on the last couple days and not been able to post back. Well baby as been head down for a few days now,and hoping he/she stay that way.

thanks 4 those who wrote their opinion.

No, morocco, I don't want everyone to agree with me That is not what it means to post more than one post on a subject.

SoupDragon - You strike me as someone intelligent enough to know if she was cut straight down (median) or to the side (mediolateral). I hear median episiotomies are much less painful and heal much quicker, but because of the potential for damage to anal sphincter muscle, these days episiotomies are mostly mediolateral. Not trying to prove anything. I was just curious. Since you say you had a 3rd degree tear as well as an episiotomy, it sounds likely that you were given a median episiotomy, which might be why you had an easy time with the recovery.

That is great news, pooh. I hope it all goes well for you.

Babies can turn at the last minute - the actual % of babies beech at birth is quite low (4-5%) so the liklihood isn't high.

Scrub the kitchen floor on all fours, sit in your dining chair - this generally gets them moving.

34 weeks is still early (given that it can be 2 weeks either way - only 5% of babier are born on their due date)

Ok it keeps changing position again at moment but least it can fairly move about so got a few more weeks yet and hopefully it's head down when time comes.