why DON'T people want caesarians?

[HPonEverything]

Apart from the scar and it taking a while to be able to drive and lift things, what are the other reasons?

I really haven't looked into a caesarian but it now seems to be looking like a bit of a possibility, and I know a lot of people are very against it so I just wondered why.

Wow I didn't expect this kind of response so thank you, but oh my god I'm scared now having read these horror stories.

There is no way I would be even considering a CS if the hospital hadn't mentioned that it is possible due to baby being breech (currently 37+3) and pre-eclampsia. The P-E seems to be under control (touch wood) and I am booked for ECV but if that doesn't work or baby becomes distressed then I will need a CS. Having not considered it previously I knew nothing about it, hence why I posted in the first place to get some real-life opinions.

My only real concern is the baby being born alive and healthy, so the effects on me are very secondary but I would obviously prefer not to die if possible! I appreciate that the OP was focussed on negative but this is what I intended.

I have no older children to deal with, and the hospital doctor did mention that it limits the amount of children you can have but as I am knocking on a bit it is likely we would stick with one or two anyway. I am hoping to breastfeed but I guess I will play that by ear. I don't know how I respond to GA as I haven't had an op since I was 2, and have led a very healthy life so far. Like I say, I will suck it up.

I'm still optimistic for a successful baby roll, and then a probable induction at 39wks so fingers crossed.

Thanks again all :)

OMG this thread! I've had two sections (one unplanned, one planned) they were both calm, pain free and I healed with no probs. Both my dc breastfed within an hour of being born and I continued to breast feed for months afterwards.

I have friends who have had trauma during vaginal deliveries, not one of my friends who have had sections have had any major problems - yes, recovery is generally slower but it's not the worst thing in the world to have to rest, be looked after while you take time to get to know your baby.

FGS do NOT be frightened. If you asked (and I don't advise you do) you will get mners listing the catastrophes they experienced during vaginal birth. Birth is messy, whichever way you do it. I would have another section without a second thought. If you are going to need a section feel free to PM me and I can do my best to answer any questions you might have.

Bloody hell this thread has made me angry, did no-one read the bit when the OP said she may need a section before piling in with their horror stories?

OP is you are looking for information it is better to do some research. Have a look on Google Scholar for articles comparing the risks of VB with CS especially the ones that have separate data for EMCS and ELCS.

While personal stories have their place, they can also scare the life out of you for no reason (especially the way your title was phrased which invited negative experiences). Individual negative experiences don't tell you much with respect to what might happen to you. What you need is statistical evidence of risks.

Best of luck with your birth I am sure it will all go perfectly!

Please don't be scared. For every terrible c section or vaginal birth experience there will be many, many, many people who had a birth without complications. I've had two c sections - one for pre eclampsia and one for a breech baby. They were both calm, positive experiences. I suspect they were very different to an emergency c section. Many of the people who have posted here with bad experiences do seem to have had emergency sections. Your consultant wouldn't recommend a c section unless he or she felt it was the safest way for the baby to be born for both you and your baby.

HPonEverything, I am really sorry if my posts contributed in any way to you feeling terrified about the birth. I suppose I did so much research before having an elcs, but I only really heard positive stories, and in a way i wish I had heard some of the negatives, so that when I felt awful afterwards I didn't feel quite so surprised by it all. As others have said, both vb and cs can be wonderful and both can be bloody awful!

Keeping my fingers crossed that you have a great birth.

Another reason I haven't spotted on hereby definitely one of mine is that I want to give birth again, I want to feel it and do it.

I'm having DC2 and have been offered a CS following traumatic birth with DD. I have no romantic visions of what birth involves. I just want to do it.

I can never explain it without sounding like a hippy though

Apologies for my thoughtless post, posting from app & it didn't show me the OP update.

OP, you asked for reasons why not. People listed lots of negatives which is to be expected. The hospital will make you aware of the risks as part of the consent process anyway.

If you'd started a thread asking what was good about CS you'd have had a competent different thread.

FWIW my friend had two which went swimmingly. Birth carries risks whichever way your baby comes out but if the hospital is saying this is how your baby needs to be born for it's safety then that's the massive positive of the procedure.

Good luck

I would also like to add that my nightmare birth story stems from being induced, having 16 hours of hell and then a c-section. It is not surprising that my body at that point just gave up. Personally I would have a elected c-setion next time. I was told that all the blood loss was due to the all the things that my body had gone through. good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Because even reading about someone slicing me open is making me go all funny (and I'm lying down atm )
Obvs if I NEEDED one, on account of mine or baby's health/life/safety I would, in a heartbeat, but quite why anyone would WANT someone to chop them open is beyond me....

Sorry, same as kellykettle didn't see update and thought was a lighthearted thread....
OP you WILL be ok, it's quite natural to be nervous/frightened, but there are plenty of good things about cs, mainly that they get babies here safely where otherwise not possible.
My sister had an emcs under ga after failed induction and 48hrs of labour, she had no probs bonding with her ds and successfully breastfed for 9 months.
Please talk to the professionals and get as much info as you can about what's worrying you...

Not being able to drive, living where I do and having an elder child that would have been hell. Six weeks of not being able to get DD1 to preschool, swimming etc simply didn't bear thinking about.
DD2 was born at home a long way away from any scalpel happy medics

Being serious, my best friend has just had a DS by CS section and she said it was fine and that she didn't care anyway because her baby is absolutely beautiful and it's just amazing holding him.
She is, of course, totally correct

OP to put your mind at rest look at threads like this which are full of positive CS experiences:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/childbirth/1233932-A-personal-account-of-elective-caesarian

God, I loved my elective section. It pissed all over my 'natural' birth .

Amazed at the responses on this thread. Some very misadvised and ill informed comments.

I have had one home birth vaginal delivery and one elective c-section.
Both were amazing experiences in their own way, but sadly my baby died as a result of brain damaged incurred in the vaginal delivery (everything seemed fine until the end), where as my c section baby, born at 38 week was born in a calm environment, given to me for immediate skin to skin, breast fed well, immediately and until he was 14 months.

As you can imagine I have done a fair bit of research about what is the best for the baby - there are far less risks for the baby than in a vaginal delivery. Yes the risks for the mother are higher but in my situation I was terrified of something happening again during a vaginal delivery.
I was lucky and healed well from both births, and with my elcs was walking to the cafe nearby for eggs benedict on monday after the c section on the friday.

Yes, there are risks of infection in the scar, heamoraging etc etc , but equally there are risks of infection and heamoraging with vb's.

I can totally understand why people would prefer a VB, I certainly felt this way first time around, and have seriously considered a VBAC this time. However, with advise from my consultant we have decided on another ELCS as there are less risks to the baby.

I am sorry to hear of any one who has had a bad birth experience, either with a csection or VB. What I feel most angry about is the constant ability for people to be very judgemental about c- sections and also their ability to be so short sighted about what is really important in the whole process - a healthy happy baby.

Who says you can't drive for 6 weeks after an elCS?

I was driving on Day 10.

I think insurance companies dont allow it cote. Some say 4 weeks I think.

The obligation is to not drive until you are able to do it safely, rather than a set number of weeks after any particular procedure.

My thought have no medical evidence/support, it is just how I feel. And I will take time to read the whole thread, just not yet, so am answering OP first post.

I am petrified of most medical procedures and a CS being a surgery is one of them. I wouldn't refuse a CS if it was life saving , for me or baby, but I do hope I never have to go through it. I wouldn't have facial surgery unless I had an accident so why would I have a CS unless absolutely necessary? It is a surgery and I don't understand why people would choose it as a way to give birth unless it was needed. I don't think most people do anyway. Please not I am not criticising people who have had CS, I am just answering the question as to why I don't want one.

"and I don't understand why people would choose it as a way to give birth unless it was needed."

Some people choose it be aide they absolutely believe it is right for them. Fir example, if you've spent YEARS trying to get and stay pregnant, you might want to tilt as much of the risks as possible onto the mother. In CS the burden of risk is squarely on the mother, and perhaps if you've dedicated your life to getting this baby you might be minded to apply all the relative risks to yourself in order to further ensure the safety of your miracle baby. Does that make sense?

Bagofholly- point taken.

As I am not in that situation I don't want a CS unless it is due to absolute need. For the reasons I stated before.

At no point am I saying CS shouldn't be permitted or performed. I have been the first in my immediate family to five birth naturally since my grandmother was born. I wouldn't be alive I it weren't fir a CS, but I don't want to experience one.

I have had 2 ELCS for no mdical reason whatsoever (never fancied a VB) I kenew a ELCS was completey right for me and had the full suppoer of my husband. They were both fantastic completely painfree expriences with me snuggling baby within the first 10 minutes until they moved me to recovery once they stitched me back up.

I breastfed in recovery - no prob.
No scar infections.
2 nights in hospital
Drove within 8 days (no problem) - 6 weeks is a myth check with your ins co.
Could lift my toddler (carefully ) within week.
Was back out running 3 miles within 5 weeks
4 inch scar and no 'pouch'.
Concieved #2 at first attempt so probably didn't affect my fertility much (I was 40)

There is so much rubbish posted about planned/ELCS - people just cant separate them in their heads from EMCS. also all the 'bads' that are routinely trotted out have relative comparisons in VB births but no body would dare say they were ever risks. Each to their own - you make your own risk asessments based upon your own research and the consequenses/effects that would be relevant to you - Personally I am very happy with the choices I made.