If you could just pick would it be vaginal or planned c-section? [Title edited at OP's request]

[Bells3032]

If you could just rock up and choose which would you choose to do? There seem to be massive pros and cons to both.

Thoughts?

I chose natural, would repeat that choice again if same circumstances.
(Obviously would choose C-section if medically needed)

Natural all the way, and asking every woman I know who have had to have a c-section, they wish they could have had natural also.
The fact that you cannot lift/drive and most cases cannot breastfeed your own baby after for a good few weeks, find it hard to sit up and move... I just would not willingly put myself through that.
Childbirth is obviously painful but after you give birth you are able to get on with things as normal. Plus, with a c-section, having a consecutive preganacy can be risky if its too soon after your first (think they said wait at least 2 years? I could be wrong here) and ups your chances of having to have a c-section with your second also.

Its the main concern for me with my second pregnancy, is if I have to end up having one for some reason >

Having experienced both - planned c-section.

The fact that you cannot lift/drive and most cases cannot breastfeed your own baby after for a good few weeks

This is absolute crap, I had a CS and the baby latched immediately. In some cases the hormones that are released during a vaginal birth that stimulate breast milk aren’t there during a csection but it is absolutely not true that in “most cases you cannot breastfeed your baby for a few weeks”

Rubbish like this is one of the reasons why women feel fearful of CS’s when there is no need to be. Of course, for many women a vaginal birth is preferable but CS’s are no way as bad as some people say.

I could have driven about 10 days after mine and could lift my after a few days.

Not sure I agree with XenaAura about being able to just get on with things as normal after vaginal childbirth. I had an episiotomy and infected stitches and sitting down was agony for quite some time and walking was difficult too. There are a lot of quite serious problems that can occur with vaginal birth. I think it’s not so helpful to debate because the reality is that most women need to choose what is medically best for their particular circumstances and feeling disappointment about not getting the birth you wanted can lead to feelings of depression. Best to focus on safe outcomes for mother and baby.

‘In most cases cannot breastfeed your own baby’?!

Wtf? That’s not true.

Elective C section 100%.

I had a planned section for medical reasons (placenta previa) and I would seriously consider having one if I have a second. It was a very positive and calm experience and I didn't find the recovery too bad. I also managed to breastfeed, although I did have supply issues. I think that was mainly due to tongue tie though. I have a very neat small scar and no real negative affects, whereas I know lots of mum friends who had vaginal births who have trouble with incontinence etc! I knew from about 20 weeks I would need a section though. I think an emergency section would be a very different experience.

Natural - 2 inductions no 'intervention/induction horror stories'. The thought of being.m cut open makes me feel queasy

Natural, I'm facing my third csection, none by choice and its just crap. Major surgery, can't drive, longer recovery, permanently itchy scar, weeks of heparin injections after it, all crap. However its absolute bullshit that "most cases" can't breastfeed, that's absolutely untrue. Mine latched straight away and fed fine, even while one was in scbu. It's comments like that that put women off breastfeeding and expect failure and difficulty to be the norm.

C-section definitely. I actually enjoyed mine, it felt really magical. The baby latched on whilst I was still in theatre, and I was moving about about 5hrs after with the catheter out. Discharged in under 24hrs. No problems lifting, neat incision, healed up really well. In the first week I had gone for walks and to the pub and a restaurant! I may have been very lucky, but I would definitely do it again.

I didn't like the idea of a section until I'd experienced a vaginal birth 😂 Having done it twice, once without pain relief (not be choice) there is not a chance I'd be having another vaginal birth.

Such bullshit about not being able to breastfeed after a section btw can think of 5 babies of close relatives/friends born by section in the last couple of years. All breastfed for as long as they wanted to (one is still going age 2), except one who didn't want to regardless of how the baby made it's entrance in to the world.

Natural 100%

But both my DC were low risk pregnancies and I was age 28/ 30 at the time

I'd possibly make a different decision if my circumstances were different

For me, weighing up the risks of both, I have chosen ELCS each time. However that was based on what risks I was willing to accept, and I think everyone is individual in that regard.

I had vaginal births and couldn't breastfeed, as did a few of my friends. In my opinion and experience it isn't the way baby is born it's the lack of support postnatally

C section. Yes it's major abdominal surgery but I found my scar healed really well. I was able to breast absolutely fine and part of me thinks the fact you have to take things slower for a few weeks is a good thing. Women are expected to give birth whether vaginally or by csection and a few days later just crack on as if they haven't just birthed a baby

Complication free vaginal birth - yes.

Birth with complications and life changing injuries (that no one really gives a shit about) is a different matter and a planned c section would be better on that case.

I've done both and I would choose natural 100% unless medical reasons meant c-section is necessary.

@PollyRoe16

C section. Yes it's major abdominal surgery but I found my scar healed really well. I was able to breast absolutely fine and part of me thinks the fact you have to take things slower for a few weeks is a good thing. Women are expected to give birth whether vaginally or by csection and a few days later just crack on as if they haven't just birthed a baby

That's great in an ideal world to get to take things easy for weeks afterwards, but when you don't have local/family support and/or a partner that doesn't get time off it's not that you want to crack on with it but you have no choice. I'll still have to do school runs from 2 weeks after a csection, if not sooner because my husband will be at work.

I actually do have this choice and am struggling to decide at the moment.

I had a third degree tear with my first birth so its maternal choice whether I want to have an elective section on my second. To be honest, my first birth wasn't that bad in the end: I had an epidural, was induced, they needed to get baby out quickly and so used ventuose and I tore through the episiotomy. On paper, literally my worst nightmare. But I had a great team do my stitches, the epidural meant no pain at the time, I had literally no pain afterwards (I realise I was unusual in this) and most importantly I was up and about almost instantly once the epidural wore off, all the niggly hip pain through pregnancy gone, entirely myself.

Unfortunately there has been some pelvic floor damage, they won't want to induce me next time due to the tear, and I have realised how unusual I was in not having pain after the tear so while my increased risk actually isn't huge I am in two minds about the way forward. My biggest fear is ending up with an emergency section, when I could have chosen a planned one - I was very overdue with my first and my body just didn't go into labour naturally at all.

The c section recovery seems to vary a lot from person to person. I would rather, especially with a second child, be up and about sooner and recover quicker. But if I am unlucky enough to have another bad tear there are potential ongoing incontinence issues which would be debilitating....

For a first birth, or with an uncomplicated history, no question I'd choose vaginal. (And as an aside I actually hate the use of 'natural' birth - a certain proportion of 'natural' births used to end in the death of the mother and baby. I prefer vaginal vs c section, and I often wonder how much inferred judgment people feel about not having 'natural' births just because most people just don't like saying the word vagina!)

Planned c section. Not traumatic, not particularly painful and I certainly don't have the problems down below that some of my friends do following interventions. You shouldn't ideally race around Tesco's and clean the house as a brand new mum anyway, not that everyone gets to choose.

I was induced then had a quick vaginal delivery with a few stitches.

I was walking around fine the next morning then out and about 3 days later.

There as some of the women in my family have had to have C-section (emergency and elective|) with longer recovery times. I was also carrying a pram up and down some steps a couple of weeks later for a mother who had to have an emergency C-section. So unless there is a medical need for a c-section I wouldn't have one.

It depends whether I could choose the type of vaginal birth I got. If I could choose a straightforward vaginal birth with no or minimal tearing, no instrumental intervention, no episiotomy, and no repair surgery or prolapse afterwards then I’d choose natural, 100%.

But I’d take 5 ELCSs over a complicated vaginal birth.

Planned c section 100%. Have experienced both, and planned section was a walk in the park compared to my vaginal birth - both in terms of the birth itself and the recovery afterwards. Was out and about within a week, hardly any pain, Breastfed easily, literally an amazing experience.

Planned c section. I’ve had 3 and about to have my fourth.

I’ve never had any issues breastfeeding after any of them, I was able to lift my baby easily as soon as I had feeling back in my legs (5-6 hours post surgery).

I was up and about going for gentle walks a couple of days later, and in many ways more mobile than many friends who suffered with bad cuts/tears/grazes from their vaginal births.

I was driving in under 2 weeks, and tbh felt physically able to do so around a week after surgery but had no need to drive as my husband was able to.

The calmness of the electives were amazing for me personally. I enjoyed every minute of them!