Elective c section scare

[Sasharon]

I am 26 years old. I have endometriosis. I am currently 37 weeks 3 days pregnant. My OB suggested that i shouldn’t go for vaginal delivery as i have risk associated with endometriosis. Also, i have beta thelasemia trait. I don't want to take risk as i had complications conceiving this baby. But i am also afraid of c section. My senses are telling me not to take risk but i am also afraid. Baby position, fluid level all are okay. Baby has dropped lower but there is no sign of labor still. Doctor wants me to have elective c section at 38 weeks 5 days. What do you think i should do?

I would listen to the doctor's advice personally. Planned sections are very safe and calm. I had one and it was a lovely experience.

Do you have any back pain now? Or other complications? Everyone around me is just making me more nervous telling me about c section's disadvantages

I had an elective. Great experience and no lasting effects at all. Recovered well.

Just have a c section, I had an emergency one and recovery was fine. Zero long term issues. I wish I had spared myself the 20 hours of labor and just gone elective in the first place.

I had two sections and recovered brilliantly with both.

2 c sections here - one emergency and one planned at 38+2.

Very very happy with how the cards fell for me. I recovered well. No lasting side effects. V neat scar. 2 healthy babies.

Had one at 38+4, fully recovered (look up scar massage), means they get to baby very quickly in case any issues (baby out in first 10 minutes)

I was in the same situation re the endo - lost my waters at 36 weeks and then baby went transverse at 36+6 had elective c section at 37 weeks. It was a beautiful calm experience, baby was healthy and my recovery was quick and not too painful - best of luck xx

Had a natural delivery and a c section - go for a c section. Lovely calm birth and easy recovery

If you do not want one then discuss in greater detail with the doctor why they're recommending a c section. The 2 reasons they've given are not medical reasons for a c section. It's all well and good if you actually want one electively, but don't feel pressured into it if no indication.

No, none at all. Only the C-section scar and little pouch to show for it.

I had a section 3 months ago and although mine as emergency I had a brilliant experience (obviously aside from it being emergency and life saving or so they thought) but I mean the team was absolutely incredible, so calming and kind and reassuring. The recovery was brilliant - was up 10 hours later and out in town walking 4 days later! And no back pain what so ever (I had some the first 3/4 days but I think that was the shitty hospital bed🤣) I can only imagine a planned section would be an even better experience! It wasn’t the birth I planned but the one I needed!

OP if you don't want one, just refuse to have one.

Are they also telling you about the disadvantages of vaginal delivery too?

I would go with the dr’s recommendation.

Listen to your doctor. Doctors do not recommend c-sections lightly. I had 2 elective c-sections and both were excellent experiences. Very quick, up and about the next day, not painful-I was given all sorts of pain meds that I didn’t even use, breastfed immediately. The horror stories you may hear about c-sections usually relate to the reasons that led to an emergency c-section. Not the procedure itself. Electives are very calm and straightforward experiences.

I’ve had two planned sections, different underlying reason to you but similar in that I was recommended a section for medical reasons. Both were really positive experiences with no long term effects. I was off all painkillers, even paracetamol, within 4 days and no issues moving around in the same time frame. Held them in theatre pretty much immediately and breastfed as soon as I was out of theatre - I know of some hospitals where skin to skin and breastfeeding in theatre is supported. Not being able to drive and, second time round, not being able to pick up my toddler weren’t ideal but you manage.

You don't have a crystal ball to know how it will go however if it is a planned and uncomplicated section it is likely to be similar to my experience. You also don’t have a crystal ball as to how a vaginal birth will go and you are being told your risks for a vaginal birth are higher. I wouldn’t have chosen a section all things being equal but the medical advice to me was sound that it was lower risk to me and my baby - I felt that if I had gone against that advice it would have been for my benefit and I couldn’t have increased the risks to my babies for that.

I wish I spared myself from my 36 hour labor and straight went into that. I ended up in emergency caesarean and recovered very quickly. No lasting effects. Tell people to shut up, bordering toxic to scare a heavily pregnant woman like that.

I had a planned section as I was terrified of vaginal birth and ds was measuring very large. It was such a positive experience for me, I had a superficial infection that cleared up after a few weeks and all in all I recovered very quickly. Long term I have no issues but nearly all my friends who had vaginally deliveries have had some type of birth related injury.

I was able to sit down and talk to a specialist midwife about birth preferences ahead of making a decision - it might be worth asking if you have that service available in your hospital. She basically went through the risks and benefits of each with me and the aim was just to make sure I was making an informed decision.

What I would say is most hospitals are under pressure to reduce their section rates so if your doctor is encouraging a planned section then I'd be inclined to listen.

I did a lot of research trying to make a decision and I also noticed that there was a big difference in how people experienced and recovered from planned vs unplanned sections. So if you're reading things that worry you I'd check if it was planned or not.