- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
VBAC
Is having a csection really that bad?
Dh and I have been discussing a lot when we will ttc lo#2. He fears that I will need a rcs, and that will crush me, so he is hesitate. My c section was a very negative experience, but things happened that are unlikely to happen again, my spinal wasn't inserted properly, and the surgery was started while I had no anesthisia on half my body. So I had g/a. I think most of my being upset comes from missing DD's birth. (It also doesn't help that I was completely effaced and almost 6 cms dilated, not in labor, so theoretically half the work was done).
So my question is, was your c section experience really that upsetting for you, if you were able to be awake? I know it isn't ideal, and I really do want to have a vaginal birth, for other reasons too. I guess I was just wondering if you were devestated to have to have a rcs?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Is having a csection really that bad?
For me, personally, yes. Even before I was pregnant, the thought of being AWAKE while someone cut me open in surgery sounded like a horror movie. I didn't understand how someone could actually want that! Yikes! When I was actually strapped down to the table I was so scared I threw up on the anesthesiologist's shoes (hehehehe, funny now. not then
)
My DS also had complications, had to be resusitated and rushed to the NICU. I didn't get to see, hold or nurse him for several hours. And my DH went with him to the NICU, so I was terrified and alone getting stitched up and in recovery.
That said, I know my C/S is not the norm, especially for routine planned C/S. Other folks enjoy watching the baby come out, get to hold and nurse them right away, etc. Unfortunately mine didn't happen that way.... which is why I want to do everything in my power to get a VBAC this time.
I labored for 14 hours and got to a 6. I ended up with a c/s due to FTP and fetal distress. At several points during the surgery I could actually feel them cutting and had to be put under. Every time I woke back up, I could feel it again. It was a horrible roller coaster. I hated being in such pain while trying to take care of a newborn.
I realize vaginal births can be painful too but the overall consensus is that the recovery isn't as bad. I want to be able to play with my son after giving birth again.
No mine wasn't really too bad at all. But the time we decided on a c-section (after 3 hours of pushing) I was just ready to get him out. The surgery was fine, I didn't feel anything. I'm also perfectly comfortable being around an OR since I work in a hospital and I go into the OR quite frequently, so that part didn't bother me. The was nothing traumatic about my c-section.
I wanted the VBAC because with a toddler at home I wanted what I hoped would be an easier recovery. I wanted to be able to lift both my children, and be up and moving sooner. I also just wanted to experience a vaginal delivery. As luck would have it I got a spinal headache from the combined spinal/epidural that the anesthesiologist did...leaving me unable to care for either of my children for the first week. It was a horrible thing to go through, but I don't regret having my VBAC. Once they got it fixed I was much better off much sooner than I was with the c/s.
My first csection was an emergency due to a failed NST. Everything happened so fast and my DH missed it, not exactly how I wanted my first to be born. Anyway, I wanted to vbac with #2 and was set to until my vbac "friendly" doc told me I couldn't go past my due date. I wasn't educated enough on vbac's so I had a RCS 1 day after I was due.
My RCS was an amazing experience! Completely different than my first C, I mean completely different. Recovery was a breeze and I think being prepared is what really helped me out. Now with that being said I still want to have a vbac. It may not be in the cards for me this time but I'm still holding out hope.
I really had no complications and truly I wasn't that uncomfortable...the worst part was the swelling from the 22 hours before it. Absolutely no problems with my incision... I am so grateful.
My OB is the one pushing for the VBAC... I trust her 100% but my biggest fear is not that I won't get the VBAC..but that I will and it won't be as good as an experience as my c/s was.
This is almost exactly what I was going to say. I pushed for 3 hours & at that point I just wanted DS out. The c/s was fine. I was so exhausted I didn't feel nervous, I didn't have any problems with going into an operating room & I was awake for the procedure. I felt a little abdominal pressure but nothing compared to the contractions. DS did have to be taken to the NICU due to lung issues. Not being able to hold him & nurse him was REALLY hard. Then, going to the NICU every 3 hours to nurse him while recovering from major abdominal surgery was NO FUN.
This time around, I want to be alde to pick up both of my sons (DS will be 27 months). I think the healing period will be a lot shorter & easier with a vaginal birth. I won;t have to be as serioius of pain meds. Maybe I won't have the problems with my milk not coming in for a week.
All in all, I think it's worth it to try to VBAC with this LO.
I HATED my c-sec! I got very sick with pre-e/HELLPS & it was basically a "snap, we gotta do it or you are having a stroke" decision. They refused to do an epi/spinal due the risk of my blood not clotting so it was under ga.
Personally I think going under was huge for me. I feel if I had been awake it would not have been half as bad. At least I would have heard my baby's first cry & seen him right then. As it was almost everyone else in the family saw him before I did which just about killed me. It also took me a long time to come around after the ga, in fact I was still groggy a day & a half later. It sucked!
It is important to me to have this VBAC, from a recovery point of view & there is something in me that just wants to do it the way nature intended. I will be disappointed to go the RCS route but I would also be more prepared for it, obviously & this time I am making sure that nobody else is at the hospital until everything has been done & I have actually met my baby. I think that would help me a lot!
My unplanned c/s was due to fetal distress. I was awake during my c/s but I was (and still am sometimes) upset that I needed one at all. My recovery was great, and when I think about baby #2, I really want a VBAC. I'd like to try to VBAC, and if I end up in a rcs anyway, it will be worth the attempt, so I'll know that I tried. Plus, we want either 2 or 3 kids, so after the next one (regardless of the mode of delivery), I'll be glad to know that I don't need to go through another c/s or another vaginal birth ever again and we can just stop at two kids.
For all my complaining - the c-section itself was easy-peasy. It was a little painful during, but they gave me some more drugs when I asked. DH was there with me and I got to try to BF in recovery. The anesthesiologist was really nice and made we feel at ease - well him and his drugs. My hospital recovery was pretty exhausting, but I never had any complications.
The recovery is what totally sucked - along with the awful feeling that it really wasn't necessary.
The most upsetting part for me was the fact that I don't think it was necessary. I was completely numb, which I loved at the time since I never even felt the pressure of them taking DS out. However, I was too numb and couldn't feel DS for about an hour and the nurses had to position my arms for me so I could BF. It was the weirdest sensation and I just wanted to feel him with my own hands. Obviously the meds worked too well!
Recovery wasn't horrible, but it was nowhere near as easy as my VBAC. It was just frustrating all around, but I have also heard that scheduled RCS can be a lot easier, fwiw.
I prepped myself for the possibility of a RCS this time around and switched midwife practices and hired a doula. I figured that if I ended up with one this time, I knew that it was necessary and hopefully I would have been OK with it.
I guess it depends who you ask. My c-section was pretty great, actually. I didn't want one (well who does?), but it went better than I could have ever expected. No pain during or after, in fact afterwards I never took anything stronger than motrin. The next day I was up walking around, doing laps around our floor so the doctor would let me go home. Went home after 48 hours.My recovery seems like it was easier than most people's recovery from a vaginal birth (just talking with friends).
That makes my decision a little harder, just because I think if it had been an awful experience that would sway me more towards vbac. However there are still reasons I would like a vbac- for the experience I never had, so I can have my baby right away and breastfeed right away (it was probably a good 2-3 hours before I could first hold and bf my son; I wasn't upset about it then since I didn't know any better, but I'd like this time to be different regardless of how I deliver), less risk for me, being able to pick up my son when I get home (this is a big one), etc. Plus, I know c-sections carry risks and just because it went smoothly the first time, does not mean I am immune to those risks.
Oh and I should say that my c-section wasn't scheduled. It was unplanned, but it wasn't an emergency
Hello. I'm relatively new here.
My c-section experience was wonderful. My son was breech, and I had a pre-term labor at 32 weeks, put on bed rest and started having contractions at 38 weeks, 2 days before my scheduled c-section date. My doctor didn't even try to turn him because of the pre-term labor. C-section was better than going to the dentist and getting my tooth drilled. Recovery was painless and fast. A wonderful team of doctors and nurses helped me with everything. I was at a very nice hospital, and it was actually great to stay there for 4 nights while someone was always helping me to take care of my son and myself.
I had never imagined that I would have a c-section. But for me it was the safest way to deliver my baby, and I really didn't care how he got out. I was so happy that my son was safely born.
I want to BVAC this time, but if I ended up having a c-section, I promised myself not to get disappointed. I had infertility issues and miscarriages, so my goal is to have a healthy baby in my healthy arms.
Proud mother of two breech babies:)
My c/s sucked. I had been in active labor for 24 hours, I was exhausted and nauseous. My daughter was wedged down at 0 station so they really had to pull and push on me to get her out and it felt awful, especially since I was so nauseous already. I hated having my arms strapped down and I was terrified I was going to vomit and choke on it since I couldn't move. I hated the bright lights in my eyes and not being able to see because I couldn't wear my glasses. I hated how the medical staff acted like I was just this body on the table instead of remembering that I was awake and feeling and hearing everything.
I did have a pretty easy recovery at least.
My c/s itself really wasn't bad for what it was. I wasn't strapped down. They anesthesiologist was AWESOME and talked me through what was going on. My midwife was able to be ith my and my DH in the OR. The doctor was very professional.
I wasn't able to hold DS right away because my c/s as due to fetal distress and they needed to bring him to the nursery to check things (he was fine). They let me see him and were willing to let me nurse him briefly before he went but I had a negative reaction with the anesthesia and kept trying to get up;-) So I wasn't able to nurse him until he was 3 hours old. So, those were the downfalls (though not the norm and I know that they were situation specific).
My recovery was bad and I did have an allergic reaction to something they gave me, though no one could tell me what.
I had a VBAC because I did not feel the need to have major surgery unless it was medically called for. I wanted a quicker recovery (my recovery from the VBAC was like, an hour;-) And though the risk is slightly higher for the baby in a VBAC, it is still MUCH lower and easier to control than the risks in a c/s. Was it scary to think something "could" go wrong? Yes. But something could go wrong every time you get in a car. It's just one of those things. And the VBAC was an easy decision for me.
This pretty much sums up my experience too, excpet I had a DD and I knew what she was going in. My biggest worry is that I'll labor and then still require a c/s. I don't want to be hit with a double wammy.
My CS wasn't horrible. I labored for 36 hours and only dilated to a 3. But my Dr was so amazing and sweet. She got me out of recovery as soon as possible so I could be with DD.
What I hated about mine was how exhausted I was after the CS. I don't really remember seeing DD for the first time. What I really remember was waking up that morning and having the nurse bring her to me. I hated not being able to get up out of bed and take care of her for the first week. And I know it's stupid but I felt less of a woman for not being able to give birth to her vaginally. We will definitely be trying as hard as we can for a VBAC but if I do have to end up with a RCS I hope the experience is as good as the last time.
Malakai - 8.3.09
Ezra - 12.1.11 ASD
That's pretty cool. Did they have a mirror set up or something?
Yup... it was the coolest thing ever... I had a better view than my DH who was trying to film it. I did ask them to move it once he came out... lol...
I plan on doing the same thing this time around...
Malakai - 8.3.09
Ezra - 12.1.11 ASD
I bet a lot of hospitals wouldn't allow that, it's nice you have that option.
Do you know what baby #3 is, or are you waiting until the birth?
We decided to let the tie breaker be a surprise until birth... I am 100% convinced that its a boy... lol... Rylee is convinced its a girl... (she wants a sister soooooo bad)
Malakai - 8.3.09
Ezra - 12.1.11 ASD
The c/s itself wasn't a bad experience at all! It was very straight forward and it was over before I knew it! My c/s recovery was NOT a good experience at all. I had major pp bleeding and clotting issues that couldn't resolved on their own so I had to do contracting meds and was about to have a d&C (but ended up not having to).
I was zero dilated when I was induced with twins and I knew going in that my vaginal attempt may or may not work out. I ended up having to have a c/s due to my Baby B repositioning (and I didn't want the risk of a double whammy--delivering one and then going in for a c/s with the other) so my MFM said it was safest at that pt. to convert to a c/s. I'm glad I tried a vag delivery though.
This time around, I'm trying for a VBAC and hoping for the best--if I end up having RCS, at least I know I tried my best and it simply wasn't in the cards.