Taking c-section lightly?!?!?!?!

jen&jay07 · June 2011

Am I the only one that does not take having a c-section lightly? I look at it as MAJOR surgery with a lengthy recovery period. It's also not the ideal birth experience, for me at least. It's worst case senerio for me.

After my failed induction last week, c-section was an option at that time. But the doctor and myself felt it was not the best option since it was still on my due date and I didn't get a chance to even labor yet. I think DH secretly wanted me to have it since he just wants LO here. Today I get an e-mail from a close family friend telling me how she has 2 c/s and her daughter did too and how easy they are. Easy...really?!?!?!?!

I go in for my second chance at an induction tomorrow. I accept the fact that if it doesn't work this time, c/s will be my only option but I'm extremely frustrated with people telling me to "just go for it" and that it's "easy."

mesr · June 2011

i also view c/s as major surgery and not my ideal birth experience, but i've heard other women echo the same sentiments you've been hearing.

my mil had two c/s (with dh and sil, who were both breech babies), and she recalls being in much better shape after childbirth than the ladies in the hospital who'd had vaginal deliveries. in the photos from her stay at the hospital after dh's birth, she just looks calm and radiant. after having a vaginal birth on the other hand, i looked (and felt) like i'd been hit by a truck. my guess is that a c/s is in fact easy for many women if it's planned and they never go through labor.

brandx725 · June 2011

I think the people that say a c-section is so "easy" must feel that labor and delivery have to be so hard and painful. I do not look at a c-section as easy at all especially since I had to watch my best friend be in pain because she accidently pulled a staple out and her ab muscles were hurting really bad. She took well over a month to feel "normal" again while here I am two weeks out and feel great. I dont think a c-section should be taken lightly and I to look at it as major surgery. Good luck with this induction and remember that as long as baby is here and you are both healthy nothing else matters.

BRUGGS10 · June 2011

my c-section was not a good experience and i did not have a stong opinion either way. you are right it is not to be taken lightly. i have had some serious complications and am still feeling terrible

Rachel5782 · June 2011

I had an unexpected c/s and I found it very difficult to recover afterwards. I was surprised that so many women thought it was no big deal or even prefered a c/s over a vaginal birth. I was disappointed that I wasn't able to have the experience I originally planned, Afterwards, I was depressed that I wasn't able to be as mobile as I wanted to be... in the hospital I was a hot mess. Three weeks later, and I finally feel like I'm pretty much "normal" again, however, I hate to look at my incision. However, I keep telling myself it was a small price to pay for my healthy, happy LO. It was worth it!!!! I've begun to accept that I'll most likely have to have another c/s when we decide for a 2nd child. Hopefully next time around I'll know what to expect and I'll have an easier time with it.

J9melissa · June 2011

mesr:
my guess is that a c/s is in fact easy for many women if it's planned and they never go through labor.&nbsp

This was me. I had to have a planned C-sec due to Placenta Previa. I feel if I had gone through hours of labor, only to have a c-sec...it would be a different scenario. Even though it was easy for me, I still consider it a major decision.

Wymasa · June 2011

You definitely aren't the only one. DH's cousin said she kind of hoped I had a cs because it was so easy and quick and I wouldn't have to go through labour. She was saying this while painfully trying to get off the couch due to her incision. I want to avoid a cs as much as possible. It's definitely major surgery to me.

Jaytee501 · June 2011

I hadnt' planned on a c-section until I was monitored for 12 hours (at 37 weeks) with wildly fluctuationg blood pressure & decided, along with my doctors, that the safest way for the baby to be delivered would be via c-section.

I do think, as previous posters touched on, that when you are at least somewhat emotionally prepared (I had a few hours to prepare myself) & don't become physically & mentally exhausted, the experience is more positive & the recovery can possibly be a bit easier.

My c-section was the right decision for my baby so in that sense the birth ended up being "ideal," if that makes sense.

My recovery has been unexpectedly easy.

I'm just sharing my experience, of course, but I don't think it's a decision to be made easily. If I didn't feel labor would be riskier for my son due to the pre-eclampsia & several other factors, I would have tried for a vaginal birth.

mamajanna28 · June 2011

I was crushed when I found I had to have a c section because I had planned every detail of my labor and wanted a calm, quiet water birth. The C section was about the furthest thing from my original plan that could have happened! If given a choice in the matter, I would have waited as long as possible to try for a natural birth but my breech baby thought otherwise! I had prepared myself for several months of recovery and being unable to do anything on my own after the proceedure. I was completley shocked by how easy the recovery was for me but I have friends who have not had it so easy. In my case I was back to normal after a week and a half. I don't think that any option for child birth is easier than the other. I think that people prepare themselves for a c section being completley debilitating and lable it as "easy" when they find that they are capable of more than they thought after surgery.

ms12345 · June 2011

::lurking::

I had an unexpected c-section at 35 weeks due to severe pre-e back in January. No, it's not the ideal and I certainly don't take it lightly, but when I have definitely referred to it as easy. When I refer to it as "easy", I mean a lot easier than I expected. I was terrified of a c-section beforehand. Yes, it's major surgery, but for me the recovery was NOT that bad. Physically, the only complication I had was some bad diarrhea from the antibiotics - next time, I'll be sure to stock up on yogurt as soon as I'm able to eat again. But the pain from the c-section was not the horror story I thought.

A c-section turned out to be MY ideal birth, because we got my daughter out quickly and safely in the face of VERY high blood pressure...and it turned out that she was breech anyway! (I had an ultrasound on Jan. 6th and she was in position, and by the 10th when I delivered, she had flipped back to breech!)

The one thing I'm thankful for is that I didn't labor first just to end up in a c-section. THAT was my biggest fear.

lynn97 · June 2011

I, too, want to avoid a c-section if at all possible b/c of all the reasons discussed above (risks, higher likelihood for c-section for subsequent births, etc). Still, I have a couple friends who have given birth both ways and I am surprised but they say the c-section was generally easier for them. One of them said flat out she'd take the c-section over a vaginal birth any day. So just realize that it may not be THAT bad .

vigurl · June 2011

jen&jay07:
Am I the only one that does not take having a c-section lightly? I look at it as MAJOR surgery with a lengthy recovery period. It's also not the ideal birth experience, for me at least. It's worst case senerio for me.

After my failed induction last week, c-section was an option at that time. But the doctor and myself felt it was not the best option since it was still on my due date and I didn't get a chance to even labor yet. I think DH secretly wanted me to have it since he just wants LO here. Today I get an e-mail from a close family friend telling me how she has 2 c/s and her daughter did too and how easy they are. Easy...really?!?!?!?!

I go in for my second chance at an induction tomorrow. I accept the fact that if it doesn't work this time, c/s will be my only option but I'm extremely frustrated with people telling me to "just go for it" and that it's "easy."

I had an emergency c/s. There is absolutely nothing easy about a c/s. It IS major surgery. I was terrified and burst into tears when my OB told me I could not labor any more and needed to have a c/s right away. I really don't understand ladies who chose w c/s over a vaginal delivery.

ChristinaMT4 · June 2011

I tend to think the opposite. I don't know many people who take it lightly, most people seem to think of it as the most horrible thing that could ever happen. I know I did until I had mine. I was terrified and so disappointed. I had been wanting to attempt an unmedicated birth this time and felt like I was robbed of my last chance for that experience. It wasn't until the surgery got going that I finally felt okay with it. And once I heard and saw my baby nothing else mattered. It was a different experience than I had hoped for but it was no less of one.

My recovery this time around has been equal to or even easier than my first vaginal delivery. The first few days were hard but as long as I kept up with pain meds I was fine. And now, 12 days later, I'm feeling pretty good. With my first baby it was weeks before I could walk without pain.

When people say it's easy, I don't think they're taking it lightly so much as they're trying to ease your mind a bit. I definitely hope you don't have to have a c/s but if you do it'll be okay. Good luck.

luckyluvr · June 2011

Honestly, it's really NOT a big deal. I've been through labor twice and pushing. The only thing I haven't done is actually push the baby out. I've had 3 c/s (the first unplanned), and the only rough recovery was the first b/c I had no idea what to expect since I'd only prepared for vaginal delivery. For a normal c/s, the recovery is really no longer than vaginal (based on what I've read on here from some of you). You're up an walking after 1 day, and unless it's your first c/s, they let you go home after 2 days. Most people are up and functioning once they get home. Yes, it's surgery, but it's one ob/gyn's have performed quite often, so they know what they're doing. I even had a horrible experience revolving around a D&C following delivery and retained placenta, yet I didn't stress about the c/s itself. I found labor to be far more excruciating than the c/s recovery. I think the only people who freak out about it are the people who haven't had one or who are overthinking it. Not to be insensitive to those who have had losses, either, but the idea of the stress a baby goes through to be delivered vaginally scares me more than any discomfort or inconvenience pertaining to a c/s. I've heard too many stories of babies not being able to tolerate labor/delivery.

germanpickle · June 2011

jen&jay07:

It's worst case senerio for me.

My worst case scenario is a still birth - everything else is aimed towards a healthy baby, healthy mommy.

M&M227 · June 2011

I agree that it's major surgery and should probably not be taken lightly. That being said, after over 29 hours of labor and no progression past 4 cm, it was the best decision I could have made. I'm very lucky and my recovery has been amazing. I've felt pretty much normal since leaving the hospital.

walter7878 · June 2011

ntrick:
jen&jay07:

It's worst case senerio for me.

My worst case scenario is a still birth - everything else is aimed towards a healthy baby, healthy mommy.

Yes

sunflowr0803 · June 2011

vigurl:
jen&jay07:
Am I the only one that does not take having a c-section lightly? I look at it as MAJOR surgery with a lengthy recovery period. It's also not the ideal birth experience, for me at least. It's worst case senerio for me.

After my failed induction last week, c-section was an option at that time. But the doctor and myself felt it was not the best option since it was still on my due date and I didn't get a chance to even labor yet. I think DH secretly wanted me to have it since he just wants LO here. Today I get an e-mail from a close family friend telling me how she has 2 c/s and her daughter did too and how easy they are. Easy...really?!?!?!?!

I go in for my second chance at an induction tomorrow. I accept the fact that if it doesn't work this time, c/s will be my only option but I'm extremely frustrated with people telling me to "just go for it" and that it's "easy."
I had an emergency c/s. There is absolutely nothing easy about a c/s. It IS major surgery. I was terrified and burst into tears when my OB told me I could not labor any more and needed to have a c/s right away. I really don't understand ladies who chose w c/s over a vaginal delivery.

This exactly. It ended up being the right decision for me to have a c/s, so that DS was delivered safely, but it has definitely been a rough recovery. It's gotten better over the past week & a half, but it hasn't been easy.

mari_gold · June 2011

walter7878:
ntrick:
jen&jay07:

It's worst case senerio for me.

My worst case scenario is a still birth - everything else is aimed towards a healthy baby, healthy mommy.

Come on. You know the OP wasn't saying she'd rather have a stillbirth than a c-section.

germanpickle · June 2011

mari_gold:
walter7878:
ntrick:
jen&jay07:

It's worst case senerio for me.

My worst case scenario is a still birth - everything else is aimed towards a healthy baby, healthy mommy.

Come on. You know the OP wasn't saying she'd rather have a stillbirth than a c-section.

actually, considering the rate of still births still happening in the western world - worth a reminder for us all, not necessarily OP.

Want a personalized experience?

Taking c-section lightly?!?!?!?!

Re: Taking c-section lightly?!?!?!?!

Choose Another Board

Search Boards