Elective section or normal?

[tiffxxx]

Hi all I’m 38 years old with my 3rd baby due in April and im contemplating wether to go for an elective section or do it naturally again baring in mind my last child was 17 years ago

What would be your reasons for choosing an elective section?
Did you previously have section(s)?

Main reason is I don’t feel I could handle the pain even though I’ve done it both naturally before and second reason is my last child was nearly born in the corridor by just me

18 year gap between second and third, I was 44. I didn't have any pain relief and it was an easy labour. The first two were much more painful.

It's up to you and your midwife to discuss.

Thank you

I would speak to your midwives / maternity team then.
Discuss all the pain relief options, your fears, your previous circumstances. If you choose an elective, then please also discuss with them what will happen in the event of spontaneous labour (if you opted for an elective, it likely won't be scheduled until week 39ish and you may well go into labour before that).

ive spoke to my midwife yesterday who’s putting me through to the team that deal with them now it’s just a waiting game to speak to them and yeah he could come early my daughter was 11 days early my son was 5 days early

A csection is riskier and takes longer to recover from than a vaginal delivery. If I had the choice, I'd choose a vaginal delivery and will be doing so next time. I unfortunately had to have a section due to placenta praevia and I will be honest that the recovery was absolutely brutal.

Discuss with your midwife but c-sections (particularly planned, e.g, not at the end of a labour) can delay the start of breastfeeding, if that's in your plans.

No I’m not breastfeeding

My next will 100% be elective. I understand the recovery is brutal and I don’t think it’ll be any easier than labour but having experienced that already I know I never want to do that ever again.

It's a very individual decision. I chose sections and have zero regrets. Recovery was easy, quick and pretty much pain free. I don't know what vaginal birth was like but I do know that most of my friend with them found them very painful and took longer to recover than I did. But then some women find the opposite.

If you’ve had two uncomplicated births then I’d just go for a vaginal delivery again. I’ve only got one child but I’d choose vaginal delivery again even though it was a long labour.

Same and same. I have had two elective caesareans and they were great. You turn up, bang on your playlist and things are over in less than an hour. Recovery was quick and any pain easily managed with paracetamol and ibuprofen, which I only needed for about a week.

OP, I don’t have vaginal births to compare to (and I never will, as the idea terrifies me). However, I will point out that stats on c-sections being riskier/having longer recovery times tend not to separate emergency (where there are often other issues at play), elective for X reason, and purely maternal request caesareans. For the last category, it’s pretty much an even playing field re pros and cons. I’d encourage you to read the RCOG and NICE guidance yourself before further conversations with your team.

Thank you all

What is the epidural like? As I’m funny about needles and funny about my back aswel

I haven't delivery vaginally so I can't compare but I have to have another section due to previous sections. I would have loved to have given birth naturally.
Some notes on my experience:

1. my pelvic floor is stronger. But you've already given birth so no benefit perhaps?
2. having had an elective section, I was well rested and was able to get on with looking after baby (pain wasn't that bad after..just had paracetamol). I was up and about quicker than some who had natural but painful births.
3. it's not just the scar. A lot of people get the apron- a fold of skin over the scar. I really hate it.
4. any operation has the risk of adhesions later on in life.

No judgement either way, but this is my experience.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the pain relief options for labour or anaesthetics for a section then the website labourpains.org is worth a look if you’ve not seen it before - it’s run by the Obstetric Anaesthetists Association & has loads of reliable info on it.

My recovery from a section was so much easier (was the same case with all my friends that had one). It’s up to you though, loads of information out there.

I have been opened up before as I had a very large cyst removed plus one of my ovaries and my tube and I was walking the next day

The pain from my section was unbearable.

The local anaesthetic beforehand hurts a bit, but nothing major. And that’s it, really. You don’t see any of the needles, if that’s helpful!

Afterwards, you mean? Even with painkillers? I’m so sorry to hear that! Did you have an infection?

My first was a natural delivery, I was in the bath an hour after and in Morrisons doing my weekly shop with an 18 hours old baby,
Second was an emergency caesarean and it was truly horrible. The recovery was long and painful and the inability to drive for 6 weeks was really difficult as I had to rely on others for everything.
I absolutely think it’s personal decision, but based on my experience I’d do 20 vaginal deliveries over one section.

I’ve had a vaginal delivery and an EMCS. Even though it was an EMCS after a long labour, I didn’t feel that much difference afterwards. I wasn’t up on my feet quite as easily but pain wasn’t really a factor, you just feel really weak to start with. I wasn’t still doing the nursery run a week later with no issues, just those first few days were trickier. And then not being able to drive for a few weeks. I would chose an ELCS if I was to go again because I like the idea of having some degree of certainty over what is happening, EMCS was the worst of both worlds.