c-section or natural?

[Madigan]

Help!

This is going to be my 1st baby and I can't decide whether to go for an elective c-section or try giving birth naturally. Baby due in August. Have been told it is going to be big. and am v anxious because from what I hear there is a v big chance of an emergency caesar if the baby is big - and would rather avoid an emergency caesar if at all possible, because it seems to be the worst of both worlds... i.e. long labour and then a caesar at the end of it.

I don't feel strongly that I want to give birth naturally - fairly happy either way. Whatever is best of baby and me!!

My consultant has recommended a caesar if baby if 9 lbs or over.

Any advice/comments please???

I had a emergency c/s with ds as he was distressed after a long labour that wasnt progressing.
I had no problems with it afterwards, had ds at 1.30 am Sat and was home by 7pm on Sunday.
Was out for walks by the Wednesday, had no infections or anything.
It is uncomfortable when you cough/sneeze etc but with painkillers its really manageable.
Im expecting dc#2 in Dec and im opting for another c/s.

only read op..
i had emergency c-section and can understand what you are sayig long birth and major surgery at end of it...was not fun and took ages for me to recover..

i would really try for natural birth i would much have preferred that..

btw my ds was big but they didnt know at the time they said 'healthy' size, he was 10lbs 2oz...

really discuss with medical people/ midwives i guess and others on here dont stress and make your choice

surgery and new baby is not a mix i would wish to recommend...

i didnt have choice of elective c-section so not an option offered..

good luck

Madigan, have you thought of starting another thread? Something along the lines of "did you have a big baby and did it get stuck?"

Let us know how you are getting on.

oh God .... am still in two minds, with so much conflicting (but very helpful!) advice -thank you all vvv much for all your comments

am still tending towards a natural birth, am actually doing a hypnobirthing course at the moment, so maybe that will help me feel more positive and capable about natural birth.

I reckon I have to learn to trust the fact that I can give birth naturally .... maybe because my baby did not arrive naturally (IVF ) I have slightly stopped trusting my body, and am now completely fine with medical interventions (which could include cs) if you know what I mean????

I've had both and natural was better. Miles better. I don't know why the consultant would say that about weight unless you are very tiny. A good friend of mine delivered an enormous baby (well over 10lbs) in about 45 minutes. Our bodies are made to deliver babies. Can I just urge you to think very seriously about hiring a doula? There I go on my hobby horse again. Good luck.

Not sure what happened there. Hope it makes sense.

Madigan, every sympathy with the difficulty in conceiving bit, it must have been tough.

I had a lot of intervention too, conceiving wasn't the issue for me it was getting past the 12 week scan. We had a series of unrelated problems with different pregnancies and I was beginning to think that I would never have a healthy child.

I was monitored alot with DS and he is fine. They are a bit more relaxed about me this time but have been watched very closely for the first 20 weeks.

All of this had no effect whatsoever on the birth so don't worry about it. Just because you are used to medical intervention doesn't mean thats the route you have to take, its up to you.

I think everyone on the thread just wants you to make to the best decision for you and your baby, based on informed choice and not the comments of a Dr who doesn't seem to have given any evidence to back up his statement.

Good luck Madigan -

If you go natural, this is what you were born to do, this is what every woman's body was designed to do. You are able to do this and you will do this. Positive thinking. Dont be scared, millions of women do this every day, from the youngest to the oldest, from the most medicalised in a hospital to the most natural in a forest, everyone does this.

I can't speak for sections, not having had one. My friend who had an elective was asking me what contractions felt like as she had never had any - she went to sleep pg and woke up with a baby!

Glad the hypnobirthing is going well. Are you doing anything else in preparation?

Babies born by planned cs sometimes need to go to special care due to breathing problems as they have not been stimulated with contractions and are a bit shocked to be dragged out. I am not sure of figures but it is more likely to be a problem if the cs is done before 39 weeks. I have a friend who had a cs 4 months ago and got a nasty infection, she told me the other day that her scar had only just healed which shocked me. I had a fairly large baby 8lb 10 naturally and felt a bit rough (extreme tiredness) for a couple of weeks but I did not need to take many pain killers and I felt that the whole experience was very positive.

Maxbear, funny you should say that about planned c-sections, my best friend had one and that is exactly what happened to her and babe. I thought it was awful that she had to be parted from her baby for so long. He was in SCUBU and she was stuck in theatre and then on the ward just worrying about him.

Am hoping for a natural birth with lots of skin to skin after. Had that with DS and he latched on all by himself whilst we were skin to skinning which was one of the best moments of my life

help really want to have vbac with third large baby does anyone know anyone who had vbac after 2 sections?