C-Section vs. Vaginal, I need your pros and cons

CMW

I'm really stuck on this one!  My doctor said he would give me the option (as long as baby A is heads down, which she is not yet).  I am having a very hard deciding though.  I can see pros and cons for both and am wondering if you ladies can help me with your pros and cons lists, either from past experience or what you have learned.

lutzcowgirlie

Well, I had vaginal with my first pg and c-section with my twins. If I were choosing, I'd go for the vaginal. I enjoyed delivery (even though it hurt - thank goodness for epis). I felt exhilarated, empowered, amazed by what I was capable of. My DH hated it - it was long, stressful, and he just had to stand and watch.

 

With the c-section I felt nervous about the surgery, helpless, and very much like it was a procedure vs. an experience. DH loved that it was fast and that the doctors were "in charge" when things went wrong.

 

Honestly, neither delivery was "bad" - it's just a matter of how you view things and what will make you feel the best in the time leading up to delivery. The end result of both is beatiful babies, so it won't matter at that point how they got there GL.

coffee bean

All along, I assumed I'd have a c-section and was fine with it.  I'm not the type of woman who ever craved having a natural birth experience or anything like that.  Turns out my girls were both breech, so a c/s was required. 

Maybe I'd heard too many stories of how much a "breeze" the surgery is, but don't kid yourself, it's major abdominal surgery.  I'd never had any surgery in my life before and it was not as much of a breeze as I thought.  It really wasn't bad per se, but I'd say the advantage of not having to recover from a c/s while caring for newborns by going vaginal far outweighs any benefits associated with a c/s.  And it makes me a little sad that I will probably never get to experience a vaginal birth now.  

Good luck - I wouldn't worry about it too much until you know what their presentation is.  My girls flipped around until the bitter end!

coffee bean

lutzcowgirlie:

 

With the c-section I felt nervous about the surgery, helpless, and very much like it was a procedure vs. an experience. DH loved that it was fast and that the doctors were "in charge" when things went wrong.

I really, really like how PP described this.  I felt like it was a procedure vs an experience too and now I kind of wonder what I missed out on.

mwilson44

I wanted to have a vaginal birth, but it wasn't an option for me.  My c-section wasn't bad.  I had a bit of a problem with the spinal/epi and lost a lot of blood so was in the ER by myself while DH was in the NICU with the babies.  My recovery was not bad at all and my scar is not noticeable - below the bikini line.  I did love how quick it was.  My only fear was having one of each, which I know is not common, but it does happen.  GL with your decision!

jd0614

I had a vaginal delivery with my son - no epidural b/c they thought they stopped labor for the night, but they didn't - and it sucked.

That being said, with the twins I was going to try again for a vaginal delivery if both were presenting right (and get an epi!).  My only concern was that I'd be able to deliver one vaginally and then have to have the other via csection - apparently complications can arise in multiple births causing the 2nd one to have to be taken via emergency C section.  This scared me a little, b/c recovery from my first vaginal birth was rough, it hurt like hell for a long time.  And then I had heard that csection recovery isn't all that fun either - the thought of having to recover from both - Blech!

Anyway, it ended up that I had an emergency csection, so it didn't matter - but something to consider!

Temp159135562506975

you can never really know if you'll have a good or bad experience with either... you'll hear horror stories on both sides - and great stories on both.

I had a vaginal birth with my son. He was 7lb 4oz- so not HUGE, but not tiny.... I tore BADLY - front to back, 4th degree. I still have issues down there. I was in pain for at least 8w b/c of the tear - could barely stand for a few minutes at a time without being in horrible pain... made doing anything miserable for those 8w.  It really cut into my bonding time with my DS - i spent a lot of time every night soaking in the tub- crying and praying to God that my pain would end soon.

I will be having a c/s next time- multiples or not - I am not going to risk another tear- which would put me at risk for incontinence (on both ends!).

Again- it can go bad with a c/s, too - but i'm willing to take the risk.

jennmarie924

I went in to the situation with the mind set of "whatever is best for my girls".  I was being induced since they were both presenting head down and had been for months but they had other plans.  They never moved into the birth canal and I never dialated past a 3.  Max pitocin and 23 hours later I was getting a c/s.  I was nervous because I knew it was major surgery but the recovery after wasn't too bad.  My dh was wonderful and did as much as he could to help me.  No matter how you deliver, remember to take care of yourself afterwards.  And never turn away help.  My IL's came down from MI for the birth and stayed with us for the 1st week.  It was nice to not have to worry about dinner or laundry and just be able to consentrate on the babies and myself.

keg

I haven't had either yet, but I am planning on trying a vaginal birth if my girls cooperate (OB wants A head down and B not breech and so far they seem to be cooperating).  I have always wanted to experience birth, and particularly since conception wasn't quite how I expected (IVF), I'd love it if part of this prengnacy is "normal".  Additionally, I learned in our childbirth class that there is a move against doing VBACs so if you do go for a C-section, it's likely that you'll have a C-section for future children also.  I don't particularly want to sign up for that yet if I can help it.  Good luck with whatever you decide! 

Jessarella

I too had an emergency c/s so I had no choice in the matter. It hurt like hell and the only good thing about my babies being in the NICU, was it gave me time to recover from major surgery before bringing them home. The thought of caring for 2 babies after c/s seems very hard. You don't realize how much you use your abdominal muscles until you try to get in and out of bed, put on underwear etc.

There is pro/con to each situation. You can plan on one way, and it really just depends on when your babies want to come, and what position they are in.

 

nbjenni

I had a planned c-section and it was wonderful. I think having a planned vs. emergency after hours of labor makes a HUGE difference. To be honest, the thought of a vaginal delivery has always scared me. A least w/my section the doctors were always in charge. And by the end of my pregnancy I was too worn out to even fathom going through labor. I went into the hospital and two hours later had my girls in my arms. My recovery has been very easy.

Rose.9.6.03

I had a vaginal delivery and I'm so thankful for it.

I had been thinking about electing a c-section.  I was scared about the possibility of delivering one baby vaginally and one by c-section.  I was also scared about vaginal delivery (specifically the pain - I'm a wus) generally.  But my peri was very much pro vaginal delivery and talked me into having a vaginal delivery.

My delivery was not the most pleasant of deliveries.  I was in a lot of pain despite the epidural and ended up pushing for nearly 4 hours.  And birthing your children in the OR surrounded by 30 medical professionals is not the kind of birth experience most women dream about.  However, it is an experience I value and something that I feel connects me to women around the world and through time.  Also, despite a tear, my recovery was a breeze.  I felt great as soon as the epidural wore off. 

As a general proposition, vaginal birth is much healthier for the mother and somewhat more healthy for the babies (unless of course there is a distress situation).   Ultimately, it's your choice and I would never criticize another women for making the choice of a c-section, but I hope you don't let fear of vaginal birth be the deciding factor. 

Heather.D

I had a vaginal delivery w/ my DD and a c-s with my twins.  Between the two, I would definitely opt for a vaginal delivery over a c-section. 

 I had a relatively easy labor with my DD, but I did tear (a 2nd degree one). It was painful from the tear when I would sit down or rise from a sitting position for the first week, but not bad enough I needed to take anything more than Tylenol or Motrin. 

Recovering from a c-section was harder. There was more pain involved and for a longer period of time.  It is definitely managable, but given the choice, I would have preferred a vaginal delivery.  In my case, with a very active 2 year old who is always climbing on me and kicking and playing, I have to be very careful she doesn't kick my incision. She did this (unintentionally) about 5 days after my c-section. Ouch! Also, it is hard to get in and out of a chair with a baby while you are recovering from a c-section.  I agree, make sure you have help either way deliver.

 Also, I totally agree with the first poster. I felt very overwhelmed by the procedure of the c-section. I had no control, and that is not something I am personally comfortable with.  I preferred vaginal delivery, where it felt like I could do something (breathe, push, etc.) to help my baby. Lying on the OR table, I felt no control and very nervous. 

In the end though, I would have had the c-section all over again since my girls are here safe and sound and it was probably the best thing for them. Best of luck!

MNheidi

If I'd had a choice, I would have done vaginal - to me it just seems natural.  That said, I had an emergency c/s which I recovered very quickly from.  I didn't respond well initially to the spinal - was very sick.  My ob suggested vaginal unless a c/s was needed - even for twins.

regenab

My docs were the same as yours they left it up to me if Baby A was head down, which she was from week 13 on, she never moved. When her water broke we went to L&D and again they asked what I wanted to do and I told them I was going to try and go with a vaginal birth since they were both head down. I got the epidural right away (well had to wait almost 2 hours for the Anthes. doc to arrive - if you are getting the epi. order it early it could be a long wait). In the back of my mind I knew things could go bad and I might still need a c-section and I was prepared for that. I was lucky and I was able to deliver vaginally. It was a great experience and I only had a very small tear. I only required 1 stitch. My girls were 11 minutes apart. Baby A was 4 lbs. 14oz. and Baby B was 4 lbs. 15 oz.

My PP experience is a whole other story, but it would have been the same whether I had a vaginal or c-section delivery.

 

jasonlovessara

I am very pro vaginal if it is possible.  It could always end up with an emergency c-section for baby b as some of these ladies could tell you but with having had a vaginal birth, it was awesome.  The whole thing was such an awesome experience.  Yes it did hurt but I had an epidural and it was great.  The important thing is also that my recovery time was so much less if I had had a c-section.  Good luck!

July3wedding

I was dead set against having a C-Section with DS.  I'd heard so many stories about how hard recovery from a C section.  I wanted to be able to take care of my son when I got him home... not lay in bed. 

Ended up having a C-section and was one of those lucky people that felt fine shortly afterwards.

I'll have a C-section with the twins because it's safer to have the same thing again.  My big fear with having them vaginally would be to have one vaginally and then end up with an emergency C-section for the other.

Advice I'd like to give would be to prepare/think about a C-section even if you choose to have them vaginally. 

lajolla09.30.06

I always knew I wanted a vaginal delivery and that's what I got.

My doctors said it was up to me but when it came down to it on the day of they really did NOT want to let me do a vaginal delivery even though they were both head down. I got major pressure to go with a csection but I stuck to my gut instinct and went for the vaginal.

My labor and delivery were very very quick and I am so glad that I delivered them instead of letting the doctor do the surgery.  It made me feel more like I really gave birth to them than having them taken out by someone, if that makes any sense.  I guess I don't have anything to compare it to, maybe I would have felt just as good about a c section but I am glad I didn't have to have one.

The day after the delivery I got up and walked to the NICU to see my babies and a week later I felt pretty much totally normal.  I never needed pain medication afterwards even though I did end up with a few stitches.

I'd do it again in a heartbeat. 

amygdala

I really wanted a vaginal delivery, particularly since I was facing recovery from 3 months of bedrest. ?I really did not want to have to recover from bedrest?& surgery too. ?I was SO weak, especially my legs...I could not stand up from a crouching position w/out help. ?Fortunately, baby A was head-down. ?My peri was willing to do a breech extraction of baby B if she turned breech (she was transverse most of my pg, so really could have gone either way once ds was out). ?Fortunately, dd flipped head-down after ds was out. ?I was induced due to elevated bp. ?I was already 4 cm dilated when they started the induction, so things went fast. ?I got my epi & was dilated to 10 & ready to push about 2 hours after they broke my water. ?I pushed for 2-3 hours & ds was born (required vacuum assistance). ?Dd was born 3 minutes later. ?I had a 2nd degree tear & it took awhile to heal, but I still prefer that over surgery any day. ?If you have the option of a vaginal delivery, I say go for it! ?Good luck whatever you decide.