caesarians v normal birth

[mmm]

I was interested to read in the Guardian today an article which said that more and more caesarians are being performed and that they are being requested and would like to know what it's like having one and why would someone choose one. (I have given birth twice 'normally' )Does it hurt less? Do you stretch less/recover faster etc. The article said that in Chile 40% of births are caesarians !It also said that in a governmental report the reason given that they are on the increase are that there are fewer consultants .

I had an emergency c/section after 50 hours of labour. It wasn't the c/section that traumatised me ... it was the long labour that seemed to be going nowhere that left a lasting impression on me. I recovered physically very well from the section ... I think I was up within 6 hours of the op and my scar healed very very well ... can hardly see it and it is tiny now.
Like I say ... the seemingly futile labour is the bit that I don't EVER want to suffer again ... SO ... next time I do want a trial of labour and a VBAC BUT if I am in labour for 8 hours and am not progressing I will ask (and my m/w has implied that she will back me) for a section.
I recently stayed the night with a friend the night before she had her elective section (I was looking after her DS for her while she was in hosp) and she wandered around her house all evening saying it felt really weird 'knowing' that she was going to have a baby the next day and that the only good thing about it was that she was able to organise childcare for her son. Later, when I went to see her and the new baby in the hospital she was glad she did it ... very calm, dignified, easy going .... and she has healed really well.
Even so ... I still would like a trial of labour ...