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've had vaginal and CS deliveries. Drove myself home after each (insurance policy was 'when you feel ready') breastfed both no problems.

Xena aura - why can’t you breastfeed your own baby after a c section in most cases? 🤔 I did and so did everyone else I know who have had one. I am picking planned c section as ended up with an emergency one last time so don’t want to risk it happening again. Of course I would love a natural, quick birth with no tears etc over c section if I could choose though 😂

Re breastfeeding, I successfully BFd my section baby, struggled and gave up with the natural one! Made no difference except the milk took a couple of days longer.

I've had an EMCS and an ELCS, I'd choose a vaginal birth if circumstances were different.

I was home with both babies after a day or so but I found the pain, especially the second time, really, really tough.

If you had another major abdominal surgery you'd be on a PCA post-op followed by weeks of rest and recuperation. When you've had a section you'd be lucky to get paracetamol plus here's a baby (and your other children) to look after.

I had a c-section without consent, I definitely didn't have a choice.

I think the breastfeeding is statistically harder with a c-section for a number of reasons. C-section babies are more likely to need neonatal care because of breathing difficulties which makes breastfeeding harder. Milk can take longer to come in with a c-section birth which means some women may stop breastfeeding because they are worried about baby not getting enough. It can be harder to get into a comfortable position to breastfeed after a c-section. Recovery can be a lot harder after a c-section so if you have a partner/helper who is happy to do all the feeding at first then I can imagine it would be very tempting to switch to formula feeding. Although I couldn't breastfeed one of my c-section babies and bottle feeding was an absolute nightmare, especially at the beginning. I remember being in agony in hospital waiting for the sterilizing thing to finish. With my breastfed c-section baby it was so much easier and I recovered quicker with less pain, even though that c-section was a more complicated cat 1 emergency with sepsis and the other one was a straightforward elective.

LittleGwyneth Unfortunately neither of those are or refer to and entitlement in legislation (i.e. statute, SIs or case law).

I agree that refusing to follow things like NICE or best practice guidelines would mean that a hospital would be likely to face an uphill battle in justifying their policies which go against then, but unless I am very much mistaken, NICE guidance is by no means mandatory, nor legally binding.

I also believe that there are no statutes granting rights to maternal request c sections (it would be very unusual for statutes themselves to dictate such specific medical practice due to the clinical nuance and evolving medical understanding) and that the lawfulness / potential negligence around refusal has never been tested in court (i.e. no case law on the point which could form a legally binding precedent).

As I say, I'm happy to be pointed towards any statute or case that anyone thinks does this, and I'd be very happy to support a legal challenge to establish the right in law, but I don't believe it has yet been established (much as I wish it were!)

I should say that journalists often play fast and loose with the idea of "rights" and rarely mean "in law"!

It often seems to translate to "someone has issued advice stating that people should be able to do X, and I agree"!

I had a wonderful calm planned c section and successfully breastfed Dd for over 2 years! The recovery was fine. I didn't need painkillers after about 24 hours and was as mobile and active as the rest of my NCT group who'd all had vaginal births, with varying degrees of intervention.

In regards to the law around rights to a c section, you'd be a brave healthcare trust to allow it to go all the way to court! In the wake of Montgomery, the focus has been far more on patients making their own decisions, supported by balanced information by healthcare professionals.

@NoNoThankYou

LittleGwyneth Unfortunately neither of those are or refer to and entitlement in legislation (i.e. statute, SIs or case law).

I agree that refusing to follow things like NICE or best practice guidelines would mean that a hospital would be likely to face an uphill battle in justifying their policies which go against then, but unless I am very much mistaken, NICE guidance is by no means mandatory, nor legally binding.

I also believe that there are no statutes granting rights to maternal request c sections (it would be very unusual for statutes themselves to dictate such specific medical practice due to the clinical nuance and evolving medical understanding) and that the lawfulness / potential negligence around refusal has never been tested in court (i.e. no case law on the point which could form a legally binding precedent).

As I say, I'm happy to be pointed towards any statute or case that anyone thinks does this, and I'd be very happy to support a legal challenge to establish the right in law, but I don't believe it has yet been established (much as I wish it were!)

Agreed @NoNoThankYou

NICE guidance is just guidance (how many CCGs offer the recommended 3 cycles of IVF? Plenty of other examples but essentially it's a postcode lottery).

My hospital was listed as Amber on the Birthrights maternal request C-section list and have very strongly worded information on their website which can be summarised as 'if you want to choose a C-section you can ask about doing so as a private patient'. However in practice I had a really good balanced discussion with a consultant who agreed to the request.

The care during and after birth needs to be improved so much, including access to pain relief, and follow up care for those who are injured rather than being left to get on with it. Those factors influenced my decision.

As it happens my mother was lucky enough to have all uncomplicated vaginal births and is horrified that anyone would choose a C-section.
I think some people are just very fortunate not to have had bad experiences.
As a few have said here a 'good vaginal birth' would be ideal (and I'd have liked that) but there are so many unknowns.