Completely elective c section. If you've had both VB and a C, which would you do again?

[Soundbathfan]

Hi all
I am fairly sure I want a c section, currently no maternal indication for it and so docs are trying to persuade me into vaginal birth. It's my first pregnancy and I very much do have 'childbearing hips'. Im conscious baby could pop out fairly easily but I hate the unknowns of vaginal birth and almost everyone I speak to including my maternal family had a very rough time with major tears and stitches.

I'm only 20 weeks atm so got loads of time to mull it over.
I would have a skin fold over c section scar due to extra weight im carrying which I understand can affect healing.

My question is, if you've had both which would you have again?
If you've had a totally planned and elective c, what was your experience?
Thank you!

2VBs and 1EMCS. VB was better! The recovery period was so much longer and more painful after a c-section. And, not that this matters much to me, I have an ugly big scar.

I’d do a VB with all the drugs if I were to have another child. No pain and a faster recovery.

But that’s me and you have to do what you’re comfortable with.

Plus I didn’t have any choice - my c-section saved both mine and my baby’s life, so I’m grateful for it. But if we’d be healthy either way and I were choosing…

I had a traumatic natural birth and then a planned caesarean.

The caesarean was much calmer, but recovery was an absolute bitch which I was not in any way prepared for.

I agree @Twizbe

It's such an emotive and individual experience! Each birth is different, even for the same woman

Tbf I've only recently looked at the peer reviewed articles that relate more directly to my individual situation and VB is pointing to be statistically lower risk for both me and baby @WoolyMammoth55

But this just adds to the point I made upthread and what @Twizbe also said, it's an individual circumstance! OP needs to do her own research on her own circumstances.

Also VB really goes much better with a positive mindset, if you go in with fear (which is what could happen with you, OP, by the sounds of it) then it's much more likely to lead in intervention which then could cascade into issue. Again, this is not to say positive mindsets will make birth easy, not at all, there's so many unique factors!

The good news is that either option is very safe.

The bad news is that you can't choose a 'good version' of either. A good vaginal birth is preferable to a C section (IMHO) but a C section is preferable to a bad vaginal birth. You don't know what you're going to get.

From my personal experience, VBAC was much better than CS (non-urgent emergency CS first time). Vaginal birth was painful and crazy but I felt great afterwards and could get up and about and just felt marvellous. CS I felt like I'd been hit by a truck, was so weak and shaky I could hardly hold the baby when she was out, had to rely on midwives coming to pass her to me in the ward overnight for a week after (and spoiler - they were super slow in coming so I just had to listen to her cry) the whole thing was disempowering and awful. But your experience might be different.

The thing with experiences from your family is they've not experienced CS. So they think of the negative side of vaginal birth and think, why wouldn't you choose not to have that? But they don't know what the other side is like. There are pros and cons to both.

I've had both. A section that was medically indicated but planned - I never went into labour - and then 2 vaginal births.
I would have had either again, should the same circumstances have arisen. All my births were good experiences, though very different to each other.
One thing that I probably didn't really think much about first time was the potential impact on future pregnancies and births. At the time I was certainnI wouldn't be doing it again as I had had an absolutely terrible pregnancy so I didn't give much consideration to the implications beyond recovery from that birth. I don't regret having a section. It was a good experience and I recovered well, but had I known I was going to have more children I might have looked a bit harder at options for a vaginal birth first time. Once you've had one section it does make decision making a bit more complicated in subsequent pregnancies, especially if you want more than a couple of children - personally I wouldn't be keen on having multiple sections if it was avoidable.
But there really isn't a right or wrong answer and whilst other people's experiences and views are interesting, you ultimately have to do what you feel is right for yourself.

I haven't experienced both so can't answer your specific question but I have had one emergency c section (plan was a vb) then one planned c section due to how the first one went in labour. Being planned was a different world compared to the emergency as I knew that time what to expect and what would make life easier. My recovery and general well-being with the planned c section was great. I also loved skipping labour and contractions the second time found, so I was really calm and relatively well rested.

Hi op
Congratulations on pregnancy. I am a week behind you with my 4th.

With my 1st,2nd and 3rd I have VB. However with my 4th I'm foing for a planned c section. Reson for this is because I tore really bad with my 3rd, and also had shoulder dystopia. I could have a repeat or worse so my consultant is aiming for me to have c section.
.my VB births with mt 1st and 2nd were absolutely fine never had any issues what so ever..
Ideally I would like to have a VB but for my safety and for baby's safety I'm having a planned c section

I can’t answer personally, but my mum had both, she’s very pro ELCS because her first birth was vaginal and she suffered a 3rd degree tear, a lot of blood loss and I had meconium aspiration syndrome because I was distressed in the womb (not sure why, but they told my mum this and they had my mum on a monitor during labour because my heart rate kept increasing and dropping). She was left with permanent bladder problems, a lot of scarring, a prolapse and had to eventually have a hysterectomy.

Her sister also had a lot of tearing and subsequent problems following the birth of her first child who was born with her arm over her head.

I’m open to both, but have to said I’ve heard way more natural birth horror stories and long term complications than c section ones, the only c section horror story I heard was from my cousin whose wound got infected and came open, but she’s fine now.

My choice would be ( in order of preference )

Good VD
good CS
Going through labour and then having a last minute CS
bad CS
bad VD

C section all day long for me, without any hesitation, having had a bag birth and a planned section.

but what I chose doesn’t really impact you and you’ll find positive and negative stories from all sides which might just make your head spin.

Nothing is guaranteed with birth.. so just chose what feels right for you and don’t look back. Good luck

Thank you!

I think this is absolutely key for me
a "good" vaginal birth is by far the best option and you recover so much quicker, but a "bad" vaginal birth is awful and I'd choose a c-section over that.

Also I do wonder if the baby is more at risk (forceps etc) with a VB

Interesting that everyone does only talk about the risks of C in the nhs, and that elective risks and emergency c risks seem to merge into one

There's a lot to think about but you have had a good range of experiences on here. For me the idea of an emergency section was the worst outcome, and the only way to guarantee that it won't happen is a planned one. However, I had no fear about giving birth vaginally after my antenatal classes, but a lot of fear around surgery, so that's why I decided to just roll the dice! I also didn't mind not knowing exactly when it would happen, which is something that caused my friend (who had the planned section) a lot of anxiety.

Whatever you choose I hope you get the experience you want! As another poster said, thankfully both are safe x

I’d choose a VB. I’ve had one emcs and one VBAC with episiotomy.if I did it again I’d have another VBAC with an epidural.

2 of each.

I'd choose cs every time.

I've had both. I felt more in control with my VBAC than with my CS, both during the event and also through the recovery. On paper the VBAC looked horrible and potentially traumatic but it didn't feel that way at all. After the CS, I was left in shock and traumatised due to a big cock up with the anaesthetic and the fact I wasn't expecting it to be 6 months before I'd feel like a human again after. 4 years later I still get pain from my CS incision but 2 years after my VBAC/episiotomy I don't get any pain at all (and didn't since week 3). It's so variable but that's mine. If I have a third I'll give a VB my best shot and accept defeat with as much grace as I can muster if I have to have a CS.

I've had both. First was a VB, with just gas and air. Ended up with a 4th degree tear that required stitching up in theatre straight after the birth. Second was an elective section due to breach presentation. When they scanned me before the section the baby had actually turned but I opted to go ahead with it (partly as MIL had travelled to watch DS and I had psyched myself up for it). With both births I spent a few hours away from baby immediately afterwards (VB because of having to go to theatre, and CS because baby was grunting a bit so spent a few hours in SCBU)

Both had their own pros and cons, recovery was much quicker/easier with the VB, but It wasn't awful with the CS either, and I did enjoy not having to go through labour!

Ultimately it is your decision, if you want a CS make sure you push for it and don't let them bully you into a VB. For me personally I'm glad I had both births the way they happened and I wouldn't change either of them

Like pp have said, there's no guarantee with either option. You have to weigh up what matters most to you.

I was far more scared of a VB than a section, so I chose a section. I don't like pain, I didn't have any desire to "experience" childbirth, I wanted my kids out quickly and safely, I wanted to plan, I wanted to be in a hospital. Many women would want different things and so a VB might be better for them.

I have had two ELCS, the actual op was unpleasant (failed anaesthesia first time ) but recovery easy, breastfeeding and bonding all perfect, and everything in my pelvic region functions pretty much exactly as before. I don't even pee when I laugh. I would make the exact same decisions again.

C sections are not a walk in the park an elective is still major abdominal and risky surgery, I've had 2 emergency section and the recovery was awful both times

I've cut right to the end, 60 responses in.

I had two vaginal deliveries, 24/22 years ago, in Australia (private).

If I'd had my time over again, I think I would have asked for CS. Which I could have.

I felt pressured by antenatal for VD. And the all-importance of breast. Anything else was seen as failure. All very 'au naturel'. Which is great if all goes according to plan.

My two births were okay, as in 'baby alive/me alive'. But 18 hours/22 hours labour apiece. And a not that badly damaged perineum, considering! (Tho, stitches and mild incontinence, aged 60).

I worked very hard at BF (with proper paid-for support!) - and glad I did. Convenience ahoy. Not smarter kid! Just hoover with one hand, support feeding baby with other, once I got the hang of it.

If you want and can request CS, it's 100% an option. Once your baby hits -um- 12 months? IT DOESN'T MATTER.

Having read a couple of replies, I think one needs to separate out emergency CS from elective.

The former is just that, emergency.

I had emergency c section with ds1 and the vbac with ds2 I was given the option and although only had 20% chance of vbac I managed it and would do the same again

I had elective c sectoon with DC as my previous birth was vaginal with an episiotomy and a small heamorrage.

I hated my c section experience, from the needles which struggled to find my spine, my canula which kept moving. I felt very shaky, dizzy and the whole experience was very clinical.

The recovery was brutal, i struggled to walk for weeks. It took me a hell of a lot longer to recover than the standard '6 weeks'. I also had to have daily blood thinning injections which were awful.

I am now pregnant with DC3 and will try my best to have a vaginal birth if possible. Mainly due to the recovery factor, but also the fact that holding DC1 after giving birth was the most amazing feeling ever. I still remember it 14 years later.

It's what works for you OP, you'll find a lot of stories like mine but it's your own feelings, experiences that matter.

My first was VB and second was ELCS as my baby was born at 31 weeks and in NICU, recovery for me was around a week but I was up and walking after a day. I would definitely have a ELCS again as my recovery was much quicker then my VB