C section

[Barbsta]

Pros (if any) and cons? I might need one and trying to look at the positives of either out come

I needed one the second time round. The 'pro' for me was that both myself and my baby would be safe with a c-section. The same could not have been said for vaginal birth.

The vast majority of the risks posed during a c-section are to the mother, not the baby, which also made me feel better.

In an ideal world no one would have c-sections but unfortunately life doesn't work like that.

One of my biggest concerns regarding my section was whether I would have the instant rush of love feeling that I got when I had my first baby (naturally). It was silly as I knew it was perfectly normal to not have that and it wasn't nothing to feel bad about but I did wonder whether it be completely different with a section. It wasn't and I felt exactly the same way.

There weren't too many cons for me because things like being able to hold baby straight away and being up and about quickly were things I'd not been able to do after Dc1 because I was so ill, but it is something to bear in mind.

The recovery wasn't too bad. My scar did get an infection, but cream cleared that up really quickly, and I actually felt a lot better than my natural birth!

The positives are that you know the date, rather than spending several weeks waiting for something, anything to happen. No long labour, so generally you are going to be so much less exhausted. You can plan to get family/friends down to help out for the first few weeks too.

I was secretly relieved I has a cs (though wish it hadn't been an emcs) first time and am planning on another one if I have any more DC. I didn't find the recovery very hard at all. Yes, of course it is painful and you need to take time and allow yourself to recover, but it really wasn't too bad and by the third week I was up and about and going out to meet people, just taking things slowly.

You might find this thread I started useful:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/childbirth/2028797-Cesareans-advice-and-experiences-wanted-please

I asked for people's experiences of cesareans versus vaginal births and it was really helpful to have other members talk about what the pros and cons were.

i had a planned section 6 days ago. honestly, i loved it. it was so calm and everyone was on hand being professional and yet friendly. i loved my stay in hospital (and i was dreading it). 6 days on i am settled at home with bubs, staples out (not painful!) and feeling really good. wound healing and i feel miles better than i did when i was pregnant. my first child was a vaginal birth and i had a 3rd degree tear. i agonised over whether or not to have a section this time. SO glad i did, the experiences were worlds apart.

I had a planned c-section, for medical reasons. I didn't even go into labour, so I have no idea what contractions feel like, nor what a vaginal birth is like (and I never will, now).

The surgery itself was totally fine. I had some quite severe problems afterwards, not because of the surgery but because I am a delicate snowflake who reacts really, really badly to a lot of medication, and the painkillers triggered an extreme allergic reaction in me, which was no fun at all.

The scar is barely noticeable, and there's a tiny strip of skin which is a bit numb, but no lasting problems.

And I don't care at all about any of this. I got a live baby at the end of it, and that's what matters to me.

Good luck whatever you decide, Barbsta.