C section or Natural Labour

[Bearsar90]

Just hoping for some honest discussion.

No reason I can't go for natural labour but I've been advised by close friends that I should seriously consider opting for c section based on their bad experiences...

I've had both an emergency C-section and a vaginal birth. Both inductions at 37 weeks due to pre-eclampsia. The only difference between the two (other than one resulted in a DD and the other a DS) is that baby was badly positioned second time around, which eventually resulted in the emergency C-section. Only 3 days out from the C-section, but I'm pretty much back to normal. Some soreness, but nothing ibuprofen or paracetamol (regularly the first 2 days, as needed now) can't handle. Pretty much the same state I was in post vaginal birth.

I'd been facing an elective earlier this week, as baby was breech, and I wouldn't be allowed an attempt at ECV. And the thought of that was complete anathema to me. I think I needed to have the chance of a vaginal birth first, before the idea of a C-section became palatable. As I went through with the induction, before it became obvious baby was not coming, I feel pretty damn good about having had the C-section.

If I were to have a third, I would do the same as I have . Try for vaginal first, then if needs to convert, so be it. And that is right for me. I hope you work out what will be right for you.

@babywalker56
A blood patch for a dural puncture isn’t surgery

@FirstTimeMama848484 well that's what the anaesthetists referred to it as in the hospital🤷‍♀️ surgery, procedure whatever you want to call it. The point still stands

I had a natural labour. It took 12 hours start to finish and I didn't feel real contractions until about 2.5 hours from the end. The last hour wasn't fun (mainly as I didn't know what was going on/how far through I was), it came on very quickly, and was too fast for an epidural, but it was fast and I had a healthy baby. It was so quick that I had a very minor tear that healed up within less than a week. I am due with my second in 6 months, and based on that experience I would have a natural birth again. My sister has had 2, which were similar to mine. My friend on the other hand had a c section 10 days ago, and sounds miserable with the recovery. She cannot bend over really, is in a lot of pain, has trapped gas, and is very slowly healing. I worry too that a c section with one means another will be likely for subsequent births. As a parent of a toddler, I can't imagine the stress of dealing with a c section recovery with an existing child. People make it work, but it is not easy. Birth is what it will be, whether you have a c section or a natural delivery you have birthed a child. Things to consider are if you have enough support from family to help if you have a c section, and how you feel about surgery in general. I'd rather avoid it if I could, but that is maybe just me.

I had both. Vaginal with DD1 and section with DD2.

With the vaginal birth i had to have an episiotomy and had a heamorrage. Despite that, the c section was so much more WORSE.

It took them ages to get the needle in ny spine, my catheter kept falling out. Then i was sick from the meds.
Recovery was agony, i could barely pick DD up. I had to have blood thinning injections twice a day which DH had to do.
The walk to the car and the drive home was horrendous, every bump was agony and I cried getting in and out.
I could barely stand, DH had to physically wash and dry me in the shower.

I'm fine now 8 months later, however it took me a lot longer than the '6 week' recovery bollocks you hear of.