Choosing between induction and planned caesarean with HG and anxiety

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I need some advice, I have had an induction before and a spontaneous water birth.

Options on the table are induction or planned c section. Issues to take into consideration:

• HG sickness still on going and sick once a day. Last admission for fluids last week. Energy levels aren’t great.
• Previous losses and anxiety esp around lack of information.
• midwife mentioned induction wait at the moment is long and people are opting to go to other hospitals.

For planned c sections how much can you walk 4/5 weeks after? We have a mini holiday in the UK booked and this is also a consideration.

Just feeling overwhelmed and going to talk it through with the consultant however it’s a bit of a pit luck if you get a nice / good consultant on the day.

I’ve had both. Two inductions, one ended in an emergency c section because of an unrelated issue with the baby.

I didn’t find the inductions bad, and I had the drip. My sisters and a couple of friends had positive inductions also. However from reading some of the stories of the pain etc, I was very scared before my first. I didn’t have any interventions, didn’t tear (although chalk that up to the Aniball birth prep, as my first was back to back). I personally hated the c section - so painful, hard recovery, couldn’t have baby in a sling for over a month, and I struggled with not being able to walk far or drive. My natural birth I was up and out of hospital, walking my dog the next day, very quick recovery, back to normal in a few days

@january1244 thanks for the reply. This is my worry! I know people who have had c sections or inductions and they seem to suggest it’s ok. It seems to differ person to person.

Induction wise my biggest worry is the lack of bed space and being at a different hospital an hour away from home.

C section is that recovery period afterwards and potential the impact of our short break.

I am going to ask the consultant what they recommend and hopefully they can help?!

Only planned sections here. I'm not sure how far I could walk after 4-5 weeks because I'm lazy and not a walker, but I was certainly fully recovered.

Things I did do though, and their timeline (some were for my first, some my second):

• baby in sling, day 3
• happily walking round the supermarket and going to the cafe, day 3
• pub lunch - day 6
• hosting a BBQ for friends and chatting toddler round the garden - day 5
• full day out to see friends, including a cafe trip and carrying the pram up a few steps (ok probably not advisable 😂), day 4
• tandem carrying both in the sling and getting the bus to a playgroup and back again: 3 weeks ) second baby)
• hosting a party at home for about 30 people, which included me baking several cakes for it: 3 weeks (first baby)
• holiday abroad 6 weeks.

Obviously everyone recovers differently but I personally found them really easy to recover from with absolutely minimal pain. I had a really rough pregnancy with spd from my first trimester. I left the hospital more mobile than I entered it. It probably was why I wanted to do ALL THE THINGS straight away because I barely left the house for months - couldn't even walk to the end of my road in the 3rd trimester.

I was walking fine 48 hours after an emergency c section, remember walking around a shopping mall in day 3 or 4, pain was manageable at home with ibuprofen and or paracetamol I only used codeine in the hospital. I was driving at 4 weeks and back on an exercise bike then too (was going to gym pre baby). And that was an emergency section with 3 days no sleep following failed induction and about a litre blood loss. I am having a planned c section this time round, I am pregnant with baby 2. I am told recovery should be even easier x

@Babyboomtastic super useful info. I’ve been bed bound and missed out on so much with the sickness so I completely understand the need to feel more normal post birth. Just worried my muscle mass is a bit depleted but hoping when I can eat more / more normal this will help.

@SKLM did you have to get signed off to drive earlier or how does it work. I’ve been told this too that planned c sections are even better recovery than emergency. Fingers crossed if all goes well for you.

@SKLM yes I went to my GP as I was feeling pretty good. I had also sat in my car and practiced pressing the pedals and I had no pain. I told her I was pretty sure I could drive. She did ask me some questions, I can't remember what, but she was happy to sign me off x

A planned c section is very different to an emergency c section, because you've not laboured beforehand. So in general the recoveries are very different.

I had a planned c section at 38 + 6 and really liked it. Baby was absolutely fine no issues, out the hospital in 24 hours, I actually never felt any pain in recovery but did keep on top of pain meds. I was walking around the block 4 days later. By 4 weeks I definitely felt completely normal, probably by 2/3 weeks after. I haven't had an induction but for me personally, both my brother and I were born from natural labour at 42 weeks. I was advised to go early due to medical reasons, and was worried my body would not be ready for birth based on family history, and I would end up with an emergency c section anyway. I think you need to take your own circumstances and timings into account a bit. Out of my NCT group, I think only 2 out of the 8 ended with vaginal births, 2 planned c sections, 4 emergency c sections.

No one can tell you what's best for you, there's risks with all, but I liked my planned c section and found recovery fine.