If you could pick delivery option what’s your preference?

[Hotchocolateandsnowing]

Between natural birth (no intervention), water birth, induction, planned c section?

I have been induced…I didn’t rate it highly and have had a water birth which was lovely.

Pregnant with DC3 and thinking about a planned c section and tubal ligation…but not sure if it’s a crazy option.

If you could pick what would you go for?

I had a water birth with my first and an induction with my second. They were very different but both were the appropriate labours for the pregnancy. I'd recommend any option that doesn't take all of your energy and resources.

First - waters went at home before labour at 38+5. Contractions were 3 in 10 from the outset and 30-60 seconds long no steady ramping up at all. Laboured at home until fully dilated, 2h to go from 2 to 10 cm. Given 2 paracetamol at 2cm just in case. Got straight in the pool on arrival had some gas and air for the delivery which was about half an hour after I got into the pool. Shoulder got stuck and the emergency button had to be pressed but to get her out on the next push and gave birth as all the drs came running into the room. I needed 4 stitches for "cosmetic reasons" whatever that means

Second - I became very unwell in pregnancy, I had Obstetric Cholestasis, low platelets, hemolysis, poor liver function possibly developing HELLP and severe fatigue where I could only be awake for an hour at a time. I had been in and out of hospital for the previous month. At 36 weeks my blood results became worse and I could no longer look after myself and was losing weight as I wasn't awake long enough to consume the food I needed. I had been having contractions since 33 weeks but my cervix was always closed. I had a sweep at 36+6 which almost put me into labour with a nice gentle increase in frequency and intensity of the contractions . It didn't so they induced me the next day. I did ok whilst I could stand up but I had to sleep after being awake for an hour and then labour paused. Eventually I was unable to stand so had to lie down and the midwives had to manoeuvre the bed into different positions to help with labour to help conserve the energy I had left. Baby moved up slightly and I lost the pressure on my waters so they had to be broken as they were unlikely to go in their own. Labour accelerated quickly and he went into distress and they struggled to keep hold of his heartbeat which turned out to be because he had the cord tightly wrapped around his neck. I didn't need any stitches. I had a couple of doses of paracetamol in early labour and after that only gas and air but it was enough to allow me to sleep through most of the labour. I wouldn't have been able to have an epidural because of the low platelets. From start of the induction to delivery was 20h. In many ways it wasn't the ideal labour, I would have loved another water birth but it wouldn't have been safe because of the risk of falling asleep in the water and I got quite dizzy once I had been on my feet for a while. They did an exam about half an hour before he was born which showed I was close to giving birth if that hadn't shown this I would have switched to a c section as I was low on reserves.

I'd choose induction with a natural delivery in the pool. My inductions have all gone so fast that I just never got around to getting in the bloody pool that was prepared 😅

Induction because it works fine for me and I can at least plan childcare.

Elective C-section here.

Had an induction with my son, his heartrate was high before induction, but the pessaries and other method used to try and get me in labour cause to his heart rate to skyrocket. I was constantly being monitored with no break. Watching another woman be able to walk around and get some air, but I was told I could not leave my bed. After a couple of days, I did ask for a C-section.

I personally found my C-section really calm and positive and although I always thought I’d have a water birth with my pregnancies I couldn’t have wished for a better experience.

I’m now pregnant with baby number two and will be requesting a C-section this time round

I had spontaneous labour with dc1 but ended up in itu for a week so wasn't a good experience.
With dt as it was a twin pregnancy and my previous labour complications and the fact I was put on bedrest at home then in hospital I was induced at 37 weeks, great labour of 7 hours for both. So I'd obviously go for induction based on my experience, however I'd go with whatever is best for you and baby at that time as every pregnancy is different.

My ideal is an umedicated water birth but such is my lack of faith in the NHS and having heard many horror stories (understaffed wards, emergency C sections where mum and baby nearly died, stillbirths because midwives mistook mum's heartbeat for baby's) I am likely to go for a planned C section because it seems safer and less complicated to me.

Two inductions, first pessarys ended emcs at 8cm. Second balloon, vaginal, second degree tear.

Id go for vaginal again.

Natural timescale but with epidural.

Planned CS

Of all the options, I wouldn’t have a section just to get the sterilisation at the same time - there’s a higher failure rate and a section is a bloodier and a bigger operation than an elective laparoscopic steri at a later date. If you want a section for other reasons then getting the tubes done at the same time makes sense, but I wouldn’t plan a section just for that (am pretty sure most obstetricians would say the same).