C section or natural birth

[LisaSs]

Hi,

just from your own experience, what would you pick? what worked better for you?

no negative comments, please :)

Thank you x

My elective was lovely. My emergency wasn't as nice but neither was the failed labour from the attempted vaginal. If I could have been guaranteed a vaginal birth with no issues or harm to me or baby then sure. But I am happy I ended up with my sections and have been had two healthy babies and no lasting problems. I don't really have any desire to experience a vaginal birth but I understand why some people would.

I had 2 very straightforward vaginal births, waters broke just before I started pushing and both cases was home less than 12 hours after giving birth and able to get out immediately. A lot of it depends on luck whether labour establishes itself in time, baby tolerates it well, mum is ok etc. Important to remember the majority of pelvic floor damage happens from the pregnancy itself, not delivery. Tears are the damage that could happen from delivery. I was anxious about this and the midwife guided me with pushing because of it

If odds are in your favour for vaginal (ie midwives have you down as low risk), I would recommend trying for vaginal. If you have diabetes, high blood pressure or any other medical condition that means you may need intervention, I personally would have just asked for an elective c-section from the begining.

@colouroftherainbow i agree. If you are high risk or over 35 and a first time mum, I would request CS as a smooth VB is unlikely anyway.

@WAC1 are you me? Hated not been able to move, dislike the catheter, hated the restriction of movement after CS. Was elective due to breech. First dc was a intervention free VB would chose that always.

I don't understand how people can say they loved their CS? No one normally says they loved their hip replacement or insert other operation!

I'd rather save my fanny and have a c section if given the choice. I think they can do a mini tummy tuck with a c section, too.

They don't do mini tucks in the UK on the nhs. As for saving your fanny, pregnancy alone fucks it!

I imagine some of these are in comparison to when a vaginal birth has gone wrong, with birth injuries, tearing your flesh with no pain relief, midwives not believing you when you’re in labour etc. Yes a planned c section is surgery but it can take those other elements away.

I've had both and recovered well both times
My second pregnancy I wish I'd had an booked c section because it would have been more convenient with babysitting eldest instead I tried v delivery for many hours before it becoming a calm but emergency c section
Just wish I'd gone straight for a morning slot ( 9.30 I believe) c section and saved all the fannyng about

I had an emergency section and, compared to the labour before it, it was incredible when my baby was stable in theatre and when born. She was in trouble when in labour. So I imagine a lot of the posters who loved their C-section had also experienced a vaginal birth - or started what they thought would result in one - and were not as lucky as some women so had complications which made it a traumatic experience. I know far more women than not who didn’t have a textbook birth (not necessarily saying it was bad) so I’m a little surprised by your comment. Especially when first time mothers.

Because giving birth is pretty special. I loved my C-section because it was a calm, relaxed journey (for want of a better word) to meeting my child, an all round good experience. It’s nothing like a hip replacement.

for those who had vaginal birth.... how is the situation down there look like? Stitches? etc? I am 1st time mum and really don't know what to expect

Because you’re having your baby! You’re all excited, you have your partner with you. Everyone in theatre is lovely and there’s a nice atmosphere. You’re awake, you’re given good drugs and in no time at all your little baby is placed on your chest. It’s not possible to compare this surgery to a hip replacement 🙄

🤔Fine. The same as before.

I never needed any stitches.

In any case, with respect, we're not talking about your face here. Your vulva looks like a vulva before you give birth, and it looks like a vulva afterwards (although it may be briefly swollen or have stitches in immediately post birth). There's a reason there aren't many epic poems about the stunning beauty of vulvas. It may not look exactly the same as before, but it will probably look extremely similar.

Really interesting thread! I had an EMCS 16 months ago after a failed induction and I would 100% go for another c section over being induced because my experience was awful.

I am now 13 weeks pregnant with my 2nd and initially thought VBAC but the more I think about it, the more I think I may push for a planned c section as thinking about my failed induction is seriously triggering me already x

I had a really straight forward pregnancy and always planned on having a natural birth but we had to get an ambulance and have an emergency C-section instead. I was genuinely terrified of having a section all the way through being pregnant but even though in my debrief I've been cleared for VBAC should we have another, I'd go for elective section.

I didn't feel the epidural going in (you'll be on your own for getting the epidural in but once you're set up they'll bring your partner in). You won't be able to move yourself for ~12 hours so make sure in recovery they put you in a position you're happy in!

When you go home, take a pillow for the car to put over your scar, and have lots of pillows for in bed. I found the worst bit was sitting/getting up; once up it was sore but manageable. Keep on top of your painkillers - after about 10 days the pain should be nowhere near as intense. Couldn't drive for 6 weeks but that was fine.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and it WILL be okay whatever you decide x

I had super easy vaginal births which were virtually pain free thanks to gas and air so I’d go that route anyday. My longest labour was four hours.

Everyone is different. I had it agreed by the head of obstetrics that I could have a c-section on request and when DD1’s heart started dipping I asked for one and they got the consent forms ready, she was born before I’d signed them (total labour from first contraction was 40 mins) but I have no doubt they’d have done it.

I was induced twice, once was DD1 and the 40 min labour and the other was DD2 and a three hour labour from start of induction. I however wouldn’t have pursued an induction that wasn’t working until the end, I wasn’t going for a prolonged labour with early epidural and syntocinon drip, I wanted the ability to opt out early for a c section at that point.

You can’t know how birth will go for you and that goes to some extent for elective c section too although there is perhaps more control however I have a friend who had an unexpected massive haerrmohage at her elective section and others whose babies went to NICU with thankfully transient breathing issues despite being 39 weeks and the risk being very low

Remember the decisions are with you all the way through. It’s not vaginal birth or ELCS. It can be see how it goes but no to induction, if I need one I’ll have an ELCS or yes to vaginal birth if all straightforward but I want the right to opt for a CS if things get wobbly. Get a plan agreed.

I had a c section after having an early epidural on the advice of my midwife and a long drawn out labour stuck in a bed on my back and it was horrendous. Nothing progressed as it should have done and I ended up on the induction drip. DD1 ended up in huge distress and had an emergency section. I didn't see her for almost 4 hours after the birth and our first weeks were really impacted by my recovery. I was unaware of all the implications of epidurals and other kinds of pain relief so wasn't able to weigh up the pros and cons. Second time round I was far more informed and aware that epidurals can really slow down labour and lead to far more interventions. I had a lovely quick 2 hour unmedicated labour. I was able to be active and get into positions that felt more comfortable. Yes it hurt like hell, and if I could have had the pain relief without the added risks I absolutely would have done, I didn't do it to get any sort of medal or bragging rights. But the aftermath was so different and I had a far more positive experience second time round My advice would be to make sure you've got all the relevant information and weigh up the pros and cons for you as what I found better for me may be the opposite for others

Do you find it weird if someone says they loved giving birth to their baby if it wasn't by CS though? It is hardly weird for someone to love the process of meeting their baby.

I didn't feel the epidural going in (you'll be on your own for getting the epidural in but once you're set up they'll bring your partner in). You won't be able to move yourself for ~12 hours so make sure in recovery they put you in a position you're happy in!

In case it helps for next time… For electives they usually use a spinal block not an epidural and your partner can stay throughout. If all goes well they encourage you to get up and mobilise ASAP. So I had DS at 7am (first on the list!) and straight after lunch I had the catheter out and was up walking and taking myself to the loo. DD was at a different hospital and I had 4 hours of obs then I got the ok to move to private wing and that involved moving myself from one hospital bed to another as the private provider used different ones to the NHS. Being totally immobile for around 12 hours isn’t normal for electives nor is your partner being booted out for the anaesthetic. Emergencies can be really different by the sounds of it (I’ve never had one).

To be honest, for me it wasn't the "ring of fire" but at the end that hurt. You're so close to the end by then (literally the last push!) that you're focused on trying to birth your baby and excited to meet them (plus relieved labour is nearly over).

I found the contractions over a long period more challenging. Gas and air and sitting in a birth pool helped a lot.

Re healing: I admit I didn't look in the immediate aftermath. I asked the visiting midwife to check my stitches rather than get a hand mirror out! They gave me pain relief in the hospital so the first day or so I was pain free. A bit of pain after that but (1) you're allowed ibuprofen again - yay! And (2) you can buy kits for recovery (I had a Freya one) which have a peri bottle for gentle cleaning so you don't have to use loo roll, and even cooling pads! For me, breastfeeding was more painful than my episiotomy healing, which I didn't find too bad. Everything is ok now (one year on).

If you have an induction, birth is likely to me more painful and you're more likely to have an epidural, forceps etc., which in turn would mean more healing afterwards. So yeah, I'd pick a c section over an induction unless you're very wedded to the ideal of VB.

If you're very very anxious about giving birth (tokophobia) you might find a c-section is best, unless you really want to experience natural birth, in which case you can/should do some work on combatting your fears: hypnobirthing, listening to the fear free birth podcast, that sort of thing.

Also whatever you choose, have a think about what post partum support you need. You might want to explain to your partner or a family member that you'd like them to handle all cooking, laundry, bringing you drinks etc for the first couple of weeks so you can focus on recovery and looking after your bundle or joy! So it won't be a shock for them that they have a full time job on their hands. There are podcasts about recovery, although some are VERY aspirational and encourage 2 weeks in bed being waited on hand and foot (I wish!) but less unrealistically, lots of people stock their freezer with pre-cooked or ready meals in advance. You might also want to plan to stay in bed for the first few days (I didn't, but I'm retrospect I think I should have done less)

@Survivingmy3yearold I'm sorry you weren't told the pros and cons. Happens so often!

Vaginal. First one hurt but made it through with no injuries and was up doing everything next day with zero pain. Second one was over within two hours and I was out and about the same day.

Caesarian is major surgery. Nothing wrong whatsoever in having one but recovery can be tough.

C section all day long - elected

Two births. Two stitches I never noticed with first and none with second. No difference at all "down there".

I had a couple of stitches because they had cut me (literally with scissors - very surreal) to control where I tore. This wasn't fully explained at the time and I was so squeamish about the whole thing until a few days after when I realised I couldn't work out where the cut had been. I did all the pelvic floor exercises I was supposed to and everything felt just like before when we had sex a few weeks later. Didn't know you were supposed to wait until six weeks post partum 😳