Vaginal or c-section??

Jodiggity

I'm only 8 weeks 4days and haven't even had my 1st scan yet. I just want to know those who have had both which would you honestly do again if you had a choice?
I always said I'd have a c-section but am fairly active and am worried about the fact that they have to cut through your muscles. Now that pregnancy is a reality I'm swayed back towards a vaginal birth, quicker healing time? Both my best friend and mother had horror birth stories and both opt a c-section over natural/epidural. I'm a woman it comes with the territory should I just suck it up and do what millions of women have done for years? Oh and does the epidural work? Thanks in advance!

KateLouise

Can you just book a c-section, where you are, if there's no medical indication for one?

I've only ever had natural births (both great experiences), so can't speak to c-sections or epidurals. I know plenty of people who have had positive experiences with the c-section and epidurals.

Anyway, I don't really have advice, I was just curious about being able to book in a c-section or not.

Also if you do decide you're interested in a natural/vaginal/med-free birth there are heaps of great resources out there for working through labour.

Best wishes to you.

Jodiggity

You can't just book in for a c-section but some maternity hospitals in Dublin will do it even if you're excuse/medical reason is only fear. There are also maternity hospitals here that would only ever use it as a last result as well. But being here my whole life I have a pretty good idea which ones are more lenient. I happen to have my 1st appointment on 13nth and the hospital I'm booked with has been know to give elective cesarians.
Thanks for replying, if I'm going natural I need to start prepping asap!

erinita5

Natural is the way to go! In my opinion, of course. C-section is a major surgery that I would avoid if at all possible. Natural birth is a really awesome experience from which you feel so empowered after you're done. Of course, it is painful but after each contraction you get a break before the next one comes. I think about our birth story almost daily and think about how amazing it was. You should you tube a video of a c section and see it for what it really is: major surgery. Enjoy your pregnancy!

MWoodside

Gosh, I can't imagine electing c/s with no medical reason.  I am very biased with my answer since I've had 2 vaginal births, but I want you to know that vaginal birth does not have no be scary or awful or any of that.  If you have this tremendous sense of fear about it I would really encourage you to read books about birth. There are so many reasons I did everything within my power to give my body the best chance at a vaginal birth.  Two of the most inspiring books I read were Spiritual Midwifery and Gentle Birth, Gentle Mother.

One thing my hypnobirthing teacher said that will always stick with me is to avoid exposing yourself to negative birth stories or shows during a pregnancy.  Just because something traumatic happened to someone else that does not mean it will happen to you.  There are a lot of reasons things go wrong- sometimes it's not preventable, but sometimes it definitely is.

secretbaba

Seconding PP, I had a wonderful natural birth and I would definitely do it again - C section is a massive, intrusive operation (they have to cut your stomach muscles, did you know that? I found that enormously off-putting). And yes, avoiding negative birth stories is the way forward. I had a friend who gave birth 6 weeks before me who insisted on telling me horror stories, and I'm so glad I ignored her. My labour from start to finish took 2.5 hours, all natural with just gas and air. Nice stories do exist. And there is definitely NO NEED to watch One Born Every Minute - I put a ban on it until I'd had my daughter. I didn't need to see a woman or baby in distress. Thankfully the new series only started again here since I had her!

katiedhunter

I've had both a c section #1 and a successful vbac#2 and with this one I am 100% going for vaginal! It was way better. I felt more in control and a lot less helpless when we got home. I did have an epidural and will get one again with this one!

lucky1986

I gave birth April 27th to my first child and I ended up having a c-section. For medical reasons I had to be induced early and I went through labor fairly easily. I knew I wanted an epidural so I waited as long as I felt comfortable with before I asked for it. I highly suggest waiting as long as you can because mine wore off before the c-section. I would get one again though because it helped me relax and feel better. Giving birth takes a lot of energy so if the epidural helps you sleep then go for it! When I was fully dialated I went through pushing for a couple hours without any success.
I went into labor knowing that anything could happen and chances were not everything was going to go the way I planned it. One thing I highly suggest is politely telling people that you only want to hear positive birth stories. By the time I hit 35 weeks I was so freaked out by everyone that I was convinced I would keep my baby girl in forever so I wouldn't have to go through all the horror. Also take childbirth classes. They are extremely positive and help waylay any fears. Good luck!

Life is Exciting

I've only had a C-section, so I can't speak much about vaginal deliveries, but I can say that I'm going for a VBAC this time for sure.  For the most part, C-sections take much longer to recover from (Mamas with vaginal deliveries and 3rd or 4th degree tears are omitted from that statement!).  It was really hard pulling myself in a sitting position from bed (when baby needs to eat every 2 hours including overnight, that makes for a rough few weeks of abdominal pain all night long), getting out of bed, and getting up from any seated position for several weeks.  My baby is now 20 months old and I still occasionally have pain and/or numbness at the site of my incision... and the nurses had told me after delivery that the OB had done an amazing job with the stitching, so I imagine others may have it even worse.

Although my baby was a champ at breastfeeding, if you're planning to breastfeed, keep in mind that C-sections can make breastfeeding more difficult.  you can do some research about how C-sections affect breastfeeding to learn more.  I won't claim to be an expert. 

Whichever option you choose, keep in mind that even the best birth plans are subject to circumstances.  I planned to go all natural - even took hypnobirthing and natural childbirth classes.  When it came down to the wire, I was induced following my 36 week appointment due to low amniotic fluid and, after a day of labor, baby just wasn't going to come out.  He ended up being delivered by c-section and looking like a cone-head for the first day of his life because he had been stuck  in the birth canal for so long (thankfully, his head reverted to a normal shape after a day or so).

I'm not trying to scare anyone away from a medically-necessary C-section, but there are lots of other options for medication to help you not feel the pain of labor, if that's why you want a C-section.  epidurals work very well.  I ended up getting one in the last hour of my labor in the hopes that it would help release my tense muscles and avoid a C-section.  I didn't feel any of my contractions for that last hour.  I will definitely get an epidural if I end  up being able to have a VBAC this time around.

Life is Exciting

katiedhunter said:

I've had both a c section #1 and a successful vbac#2 and with this one I am 100% going for vaginal! It was way better. I felt more in control and a lot less helpless when we got home. I did have an epidural and will get one again with this one!

LOVE THIS!  I totally agree with that helpless feeling after the C-section.

ksteeb611

I've had 2 cs..one with a singleton and one with triplets. Yes, they to cut into my obliques both times. I am very active.. Distance runner, very tall and size 0. with my daughter, I jogged to get a gelato.. Downtown Chicago.. After two days. I didn't know I wasn't supposed to leave the hospital. With the triplets, I severely hemorrhaged, just a result of carrying so many, but was able to be back to light cardio after six weeks. The time delay was due to the hemorrhage, not the C.

2-Step

I had a c-section with both of mine and I would 100% do vaginal if I could have! C-sections suck. Recovery time is much longer and, while you might get good looking abs again, there is a good chance you will never regain the same strength in your abs. This can lead to back problems and injuries if you are very active. I am a very active and fit person and after the first c-section I was in the best shape of my life, yet I still had low back problems. After my second I injured my back working out twice in three years. I just don't think I have the ability to get those muscles back to where they once were. Of course I will be fine overall, I just have to be really conscious of it. I am jealous of my friends who can walk out of the hospital and start a light exercise routine a couple days later, while I am still scared to drive the car or lift the carseat for two weeks. For me it was a good 3 months before I felt comfortable exercising and not to mention I felt drugged out of my mind in recovery when everyone was coming in to meet the baby.