Scheduled C section or vaginal birth - which was better?

[BumbleAw]

For those of you who have had a vaginal birth and also a scheduled c section, which would you recommend? In terms of the experience as a whole, the pain levels, the recovery? Anything I should know/consider?

Due to underlying conditions I've been told to consider both options and I really am not sure which option to go for. I'm a first time mum so I have no experience of either- any input welcome!

Thanks

This is impossible to answer because there is a massive range of potential outcomes with a vaginal birth from an orgasmic water birth where you’re up and about in minutes without as much as a scratch to permanent disability. Obviously the former is much better than a planned c section and the latter is much worse, but you don’t have a crystal ball.

Why is a planned c section being suggested? (as this might affect responses)

Planned c-section for me. Recovery was much quicker (discharged after 24 hours, recovery straightforward) compared to previous difficult vaginal delivery which has had lifelong impact to my pelvic floor.

Totally depends on the reason you are being offered a choice.
My first was an emergency c section moved from one hospital to another then put under anaesthetic. Had a lovely healthy child.

Second time I was given the choice and opted for vaginal as in my opinion it’s healthier for me and my child. All went well and I was discharged 8 hours after giving birth.
At the end of the day, it’s having a healthy baby that’s important.
Goid luck with whatever you choose.

Thanks for your reply!

I have kidney disease, supraventricular tachycardia and high blood pressure. So far the pregnancy has been going very well and all has been well controlled but the thinking is that during labour my bp and pulse could likely rocket and be unsafe for me and baby. Unfortunately, there is no real way of knowing until labour starts how my body will respond, so it's a bit of a gamble and for that I'm not sure which way to go

I was induced (which ended in a c section) so haven’t had a natural birth, but my c section was good! I recovered really well.

I do however wish I’d managed a vaginal birth and I really didn’t think I’d feel that way. I’m a very logical person and had no real desire beforehand to do so.

My choice if I were to have another would be a vaginal birth, but no interventions. Any sign of intervention c section.

Ah I see. A planned c section will give you much more certainty in that case. I haven’t had one but everyone I know who has had a really great smooth experience and recovered well.

It sounds like if you go for a vaginal birth you could end up with an emergency c section anyway, so it just depends on whether you feel you’d like to risk it in the hope that it goes well. How were your mother’s birth(s)?

I'd opt for a planned section in your case OP. The last thing you want is to become really unwell during labour as you may not snap back straight afterwards and that could really colour those first few hours/days/weeks with your baby. Plus presumably you're at a significant risk of them needing to do an emergency section anyway which again has higher risks especially if youre unwell at the time.

i had a c section last Tuesday. My recovery has been great. But my son was rushed away due to fluid on lungs. We were only dc yesterday. It has been really upsetting. I think we forget the implications on the baby health too vs vaginal birth. This wasn’t discussed with me at all. X

With my first he was predicted to be large and had moved to Oblique lie at 39+4. Consultant gave me option of induction or scheduled C-section. I was warned about shoulder dystocia and 3rd/4th degree tears for VB and a whole host of concerns for c-section. I opted C-section.
C-section itself was uncomplicated, was discharged home in 21 hours. Ended up in A&E 3 days later because of severe pain. Took me almost 2 weeks to get up and down stairs on my own. Took the full 6 weeks till I could drive. Didn't feel like I could walk normally for about 3 months. Had persistent infection in the scar for 2 years.
Fast forward to now and with my second I chose C-section again. Had a big postpartum haemorrhage, lost a lot of blood BUT I am home, up and walking and in less pain than before. They've revised my scar and cut out the infection and I can already do stairs at 4 days pp.
I know many people who have delivered vaginally and have been home and back to pain free within a day. The girl opposite me on delivery ward delivered her first on just gas and air with no tear and she got discharged before me. Another girl suffered 2nd deg tear but had no pain because of epidural and said it was fab and worth the 2nd deg tear.
One of my little boy's friends has to go to Physio 2 years on because she had such a bad tear with nerve damage.
As previous poster said, we don't have crystal balls. Outcomes are so different between us all and the main thing is that I have two healthy children. 😂 that's me done though! No more deliveries for me!

You're really better off getting advice from the people looking after you who have access to all the details rather than here. Depending on the exact nature of your renal/rhythm problems and how well controlled they are they'd be able to advise about the pros/cons of each mode of delivery and what they can do to keep things safe. Lots of women with high BP have safe vaginal deliveries. Having surgery isn't necessarily less likely to cause rhythm problems than having a vaginal delivery. Depending on the exact renal problem, one of the commonly used post-op pain killers may be contraindicated too.

You could end up having hours and hours of labour culminating in a rushed/emergency c-section. So I'd opt for the section personally.

Hey 👋 ive had scheduled c-sec for twins and it was very straightforward only in hospital for 4 days but that was only because babies were in hot cots- i was fine, recovery was great, able to do school runs etc again by bout week after but given the choice i wouldn’t choose c-sec- twin 1 was breech otherwise i would have chosen vaginal, even though my first labour/delivery was horrible ended up with episiotomy, forcep delivery and 3/4 degree tear which was harder to bounce back from than the c-sec if im honest, but i also have had 2 lovely labours and deliveries (one natural, one induction) with only grazes and you are back on your feet like nothing happened by day 2, its very difficult to know which way your labour and delivery will go but for me the experience and being able to just push your baby out n pick them straight up still naked n crying- can’t beat that, so worth the risk of something’might’ go wrong but thats just me personally lol xx

C-section.
The way I see it is this.
Best to worst order =
1 - easy vaginal birth no/little tearing
2- planned caesarian section
3 ventouse/ forceps delivery with probable tearing
4 emergency c-section

You can’t guarantee number 1 if you go for it but you can prevent 3 and 4 if you have number 2.

I had forceps delivery and third degree tear followed by two planned c-sections.
My recovery from the sections was easier. Could also plan the dates and childcare.

I have experienced both- there are pluses and minuses to both, long term risks either way. I don’t know how helpful it is to share my experience as I got unlucky in one respect and more lucky in the alternative birth.
I would ask what is your instinct? I personally wonder if my gut instinct when making birth ‘plans’ was perhaps informed by my subconscious knowledge of my body and baby. Of course all birth plans have hope too- you never can know, complications occur
But I would suggest you think about what is important to you- Is it to have experience of v. Birth? To Avoid pain? Increase chances of having golden hour? Etc - then ask which birth plan is most likely to give you what you want

Good luck and congratulations on your pregnancy!