Why not c-section?

jashikcrib · June 2014

I'm getting so many mixed reviews on this. My mother told me to elect c-section b/c she had both (I was natural and my brothers were c-section), she feels c-section is better but others told me natural isn't that bad. Quite honestly for selfish reasons, I would like my hoo hah to remain the same but also for safety reasons, my obgyn said c-section is safer for the baby and for fear of the process I'm leaning towards c-section. Does anyone else feel the same?

CandaceC1020 · June 2014

1.Your vagina will not be destroyed if you have a vaginal birth.
2.What reasoning did your OB give for C-Section being safer for the baby?

Just playing devils advocate here .... What about you? A c-section is major surgery - a longer hospital stay is likely (over a vaginal birth). You'll be out of commission for a while and will have restrictions on what you can do/cannot do, what you can lift, etc.

I'm opting for a vaginal birth and no interventions unless absolutely medically necessary. Women have given birth vaginally and unmedicated since the beginning of time. I want to experience birth, feel birth and not be completely doped up and out of my mind. I don't want pitocin to speed up the contractions and then an epidural to slow the contractions down. I don't want a c-section because I want my baby to have delayed cord clamping and I want to hold my baby immediately after birth for bonding and health.

mb314 · June 2014

Who is this OB that tells you a c-section is safer and is allowing an elective c-section (presumably without any prior c-sections or other medical reasons for a c-section)? I thought most OBs didn't do elective c-sections for first time moms.

Generally, the recovery for a vaginal birth is quicker and easier than a c-section (now, there is always an exception to that, but that is generally the case). A c-section is major abdominal surgery, and with that comes a greater risk of infection and other complications. Also, it can be more physically tiring to recover from because you are recovering from major surgery - with a major incision. You will be physically recovering from surgery while having to care for a newborn.

I had a vaginal delivery without meds, and was able to walk, no problem from the labor/delivery room to my recovery room right after birth (or after the bonding time with DS). Within a few days, i was taking walks in the neighborhood. And my "hoo-hah" remained the same after the initial recovery. Even with a c-section, you have to wait to have sex again, and you can have issues with sex being uncomfortable.

Do your research on c-sections and recovery and potential complications.

barista411 · June 2014

The PPs have made a lot of good points. It is a major surgery with a guaranteed long recovery. Another thing to consider, if this is an elective c-section, is that most insurance companies will not cover an elective c-sections. Which means you will have to pay completely out of pocket, so you are looking at a minimum of $20,000 out of pocket.

MrsNash37212 · June 2014

My mind is blown that an OB in this day and age would say that an elective c-section is safer. That's not even remotely accurate.

Jessicalig · June 2014

At my birthing class over the weekend the teacher said it takes a year to recover from a C because its major abdominal surgery.. just food for thought!

hlm184 · June 2014

Someone put it this way before: There is no escaping the pain of childbirth. With a vaginal birth you get it on the front end. With a c-section you get it on the back end, while you are dealing with a newborn.

drpayne · June 2014

I'd suggest finding a new doctor. If she's already decided that a c-section is best for you, that's a big red flag. Elective c-sections are not recommended. Here is one of the many articles from ACOG: https://www.acog.org/About_ACOG/News_Room/News_Releases/2013/Vaginal_Delivery_Recommended_Over_Maternal-Request_Cesarean

Your "hoo hah" will be fine. It's made to stretch.

I'd take a vaginal birth over recovering from major surgery any day.

Please do a little research. You'll find that what your OB said actually goes against current recommendations and, quite frankly, common sense.

rooftop · June 2014

Besides all the other reasons PPs have stated, C-sect babies have been shown to have a greater risk for SIDS. So how is it really safer?

jashikcrib · June 2014

I think part of the reason is b/c I've gained 24 lbs already and only in my 7th month so I think he feels that it will be difficult to push baby out.

sschwege · June 2014

This is the Natural Birth Board, so you are not going to find anyone here who thinks an elective c-section is the way to go, if we did we wouldn't be here.

I just can't possible believe that a doctor would say an elective c-section is safer for anyone, mother or baby. Perhaps you misunderstood...I hope!

Wanted to share my experience with my second. I had vaginal deliveries with both, but my second was what they classified as a 'precipitous birth' meaning DS was born very fast. He had breathing trouble as soon as he was born and several minutes after they had to move him to the 'Special Care Nursery'. There he remained for a day and a half, I couldn't even hold him for the first 12 hours and when I finally got to, it was with cords attached to him. They explained that because he was born so fast he did not have the benefit that most vaginal babies have of being squeezed through the birth canal which helps to clear their lungs. They said that DS's breathing problems are more commonly seen in c-section deliveries. At one point the nurse was looking at him and said, "he has the most perfectly shaped head" I said, "Yes, he looks like a c-section baby" she nodded and said, "he pretty much was."

When we returned from the hospital DD pointed to the spot where DS's IV had been and said, "Boo, Boo" it took everything I had not to burst into tears. It was so hard to see our sweet baby boy begin life in such a way, all the worry we went through those first two days, not even being sure DS would come home with us until literally an hour of my discharge. Through all that at least I had the comfort of knowing I had done everything to protect him, to keep him safe, we just got unlucky. Imagine how I would have felt if I had had an elective c-section?

iris427 · June 2014

Honestly, I think there are pros and cons to both. Elective c/s is a good choice for some people. There are some people who have long-term complications from vaginal birth. OTOH c/s are surgery and they can have serious complications as well. But most of the time, regardless of how you choose to deliver, everything goes just fine and the risks are low.

One thing to consider is how many children you want to have. Having your first baby by c/s will affect your future pregnancies and deliveries. Most women who have their first baby by cesarean have the rest that way too. The more cesareans you have, the higher you are at risk for complications like placenta previa and placenta accreta. If you want a vaginal birth in the future, you will have to consider the risk of uterine rupture, and not all doctors and hospitals will do VBAC (I'm having a VBAC and I have to deliver at a hospital an hour away from where I live because none of the closer ones allow VBAC).

CLLDLL · June 2014

jashikcrib said:
I think part of the reason is b/c I've gained 24 lbs already and only in my 7th month so I think he feels that it will be difficult to push baby out.

Large weight gain ( and I wouldn't call yours that ) does not mean big baby. It could mean your body just needs a bit more weight to support a pregnancy. It could me something hormonally makes you gain more than the average woman. It could mean you ate too many Twinkies.

I second the recommendation to do some research. Even if you do have a big baby, it's still possible to "push him/her out". My mom delivered a 10 pound baby with no pain meds and had no complications.

*LrCg* · June 2014

jashikcrib said:
I think part of the reason is b/c I've gained 24 lbs already and only in my 7th month so I think he feels that it will be difficult to push baby out.

How much you gain has no relation to the size of your baby. My mother gained 60# with me & I was 5#9oz. She lost it right away. I gain 25-30# in my pregnancies (this is my 4th) & all but maybe 3# of that is gained during the first & second trimester.

I think you should find a more qualified doctor, he sounds very ill informed on many things!

As everyone has stated c-section is major surgery & involves many risks. A vaginal birth is what your body was designed to do.

Sevilla · June 2014

I actually know more than a few women who have suffered sexual complications from their csections b/c certain nerves were severed/affected for months and years afterward that made sex less pleasurable. FWIW, I found that my V was more sensitive sexually after a vaginal birth and sex got BETTER once I was through the initial recovery period.

jashikcrib · June 2014

Yes, definitely wanted to post in the natural birth boards b/c wanted to hear from other women who went the natural route. This is all very helpful, thank you!

sschwege · June 2014

jashikcrib said:

Yes, definitely wanted to post in the natural birth boards b/c wanted to hear from other women who went the natural route. This is all very helpful, thank you!

I hope you didn't read my message to mean, you were unwelcome to post here or that your question is not a good one. Just meant that you are probably not going to have many diverse answers on this board.

Btw, I agree with pp sex is actually better since having my two.

jashikcrib · June 2014

sschwege said:

jashikcrib said:

Yes, definitely wanted to post in the natural birth boards b/c wanted to hear from other women who went the natural route. This is all very helpful, thank you!

I hope you didn't read my message to mean, you were unwelcome to post here or that your question is not a good one. Just meant that you are probably not going to have many diverse answers on this board.

Btw, I agree with pp sex is actually better since having my two.

Hi no, not at all...just wanted differing opinions that's all.

DebateThis · June 2014

I had a wicked fast delivery, pain med free but with pitocin, and a 2nd degree tear that required stitches. I was up and moving around and felt awesome within an hour after birth and I walked around Target 2 days later, on my way home from the hospital. My girlie bits look exactly the same, sex has returned to normal (it was actually fine around 9w postpartum) and I cannot WAIT to do it again. Giving birth med free was a high unlike any other endorphins. It was SO COOL.

Of course, this is all anecdotal but seriously there is no way I'd be signing up for major surgery to vacate a baby if I had a natural exit available. *Assuming I'm healthy, there are no complications which would preclude vaginal birth, yadda yadda. All else being equal, I'll push them out.

margaritachikita · June 2014

Elective c-section has much higher risks for both maternal and fetal mortality. It's sad/disturbing that we are in an age when a doctor claims (and probably really believes) that it's safer for babies to be born via major abdominal surgery. Yes, it has wonderful that c-sections have gotten safer over the years, but they should still be reserved for true emergencies only. There is a lot of current research that shows that babies born via c-section miss out on a lot of mom's natural bacteria which can help fight off various infections, and reduce the risk of allergies and asthma, among other things. Also, remember that with a c-section you likely will not be allowed to hold your baby right away and that bonding and nursing may become a bigger challenge. Personally, I would never choose to let a virtual stranger cut me open and pull my baby out of me, vs trusting my body and my baby to do what they were made to do.

Hope this doesn't sound snarky, it's not directed at you but at the maternity care system in general.

jashikcrib · June 2014

margaritachikita said:
Elective c-section has much higher risks for both maternal and fetal mortality. It's sad/disturbing that we are in an age when a doctor claims (and probably really believes) that it's safer for babies to be born via major abdominal surgery. Yes, it has wonderful that c-sections have gotten safer over the years, but they should still be reserved for true emergencies only. There is a lot of current research that shows that babies born via c-section miss out on a lot of mom's natural bacteria which can help fight off various infections, and reduce the risk of allergies and asthma, among other things. Also, remember that with a c-section you likely will not be allowed to hold your baby right away and that bonding and nursing may become a bigger challenge. Personally, I would never choose to let a virtual stranger cut me open and pull my baby out of me, vs trusting my body and my baby to do what they were made to do.

Hope this doesn't sound snarky, it's not directed at you but at the maternity care system in general.

No offense taken, no worries.

jashikcrib · June 2014

margaritachikita said:
Elective c-section has much higher risks for both maternal and fetal mortality. It's sad/disturbing that we are in an age when a doctor claims (and probably really believes) that it's safer for babies to be born via major abdominal surgery. Yes, it has wonderful that c-sections have gotten safer over the years, but they should still be reserved for true emergencies only. There is a lot of current research that shows that babies born via c-section miss out on a lot of mom's natural bacteria which can help fight off various infections, and reduce the risk of allergies and asthma, among other things. Also, remember that with a c-section you likely will not be allowed to hold your baby right away and that bonding and nursing may become a bigger challenge. Personally, I would never choose to let a virtual stranger cut me open and pull my baby out of me, vs trusting my body and my baby to do what they were made to do.

Hope this doesn't sound snarky, it's not directed at you but at the maternity care system in general.

No offense taken, no worries.

Aurora_Borealis · June 2014

jashikcrib said:

I think part of the reason is b/c I've gained 24 lbs already and only in my 7th month so I think he feels that it will be difficult to push baby out.

This makes no sense at all. Average recommended pregnancy weight gain is between 25-35 lbs with 1/2 to 1 lb per week gains in the third trimester. Even if you gained 2 lbs per week for the remainder of your pregnancy, you would still only be at a ~40 lb gain.

In your situation (assuming a normal, uncomplicated pregnancy and no underlying medical conditions) a c-section is actually *less* safe for both you and baby.

And what kind of OB thinks a healthy woman can't push out a baby??

Brit83 · June 2014

A friend of mine just gave birth to an 11lb baby boy in 4 pushes and 45 minutes of labor. Every birth is different but our bodies are made to grow, birth and heal from creating these little ones. Get a second opinion: a dr. recommending an elective c-section is crazy unless there's medical evidence (not that baby seems "big" but rather you or baby have an underlying health condition) warranting it.

jashikcrib · June 2014

Thank you all for your feedback. I actually just came from an appointment and he made me feel horrible about how much weight I gained...again! That really threw me off too b/c 1. I don't have gestational diabetes, 2. baby seems to be healthy and 3. have been eating well/exercising daily which equates to only a 3lb gain since last appointment! Not sure if he's just trying to steer me to have c-section for his own motives or what!?!? Unfortunately probably too late in the process to change doctors (30 weeks this week).

Eve_Angelique · June 2014

I agree with much of what PP have said, and this is also why I see a midwife! OBs are trained as surgeons so to them a surgery is no big deal! In fact can be easier for them because it will be a scheduled and they will know what to expect. Midwives are all about the fact that we as women have been doing this since forever and know that our bodies can handle this! I'm truly sorry that your OB is making you feel bad, I wouldn't be seeing him again after this pregnancy if I was you!

DebateThis · June 2014

30 weeks is not too late to switch providers. Unless you've omitted some major detail about your health which would cause your OB to be concerned about that weight gain (morbid obesity or heart condition etc), I would absolutely be searching for a midwife practice ASAP.

CandaceC1020 · June 2014

jashikcrib said:

Thank you all for your feedback. I actually just came from an appointment and he made me feel horrible about how much weight I gained...again! That really threw me off too b/c 1. I don't have gestational diabetes, 2. baby seems to be healthy and 3. have been eating well/exercising daily which equates to only a 3lb gain since last appointment! Not sure if he's just trying to steer me to have c-section for his own motives or what!?!? Unfortunately probably too late in the process to change doctors (30 weeks this week).

Unless you are high risk or have another existing medical condition, I would run from this doctor. Ask your girlfriends and coworkers if they have any recommendations for an OB. I'd start looking immediately.

It sounds like your doctor doesn't want to be 'on call' and does not want to let your labor progress naturally .... sounds like he might be doing this for his/her own convenience.

Good luck and let us know how it goes. Please. Keeping my fingers crossed you can find someone awesome soon.

margaritachikita · June 2014

It's never too late to switch doctors. Just do it.

Your baby's birth is something you will remember for the rest of your life. Set yourself up for success by finding someone who makes you feel loved and supported. If he made you feel bad during a routine appointment, things are not going to go well during labor when emotions are high. Find someone else!

mcculloughe · June 2014

I am interviewing a second doctor tomorrow because I get the feeling that my current OB is not on board with an intervention free birth plan. I am 33 weeks. It's never too late to switch. They get paid to serve us and of we don't like or agree with what they are doing we have every right to switch. After being restricted to military care overseas for 3 years I am definitely taking advantage of freedom of choice in selecting my OB!!

jashikcrib · June 2014

mcculloughe said:
I am interviewing a second doctor tomorrow because I get the feeling that my current OB is not on board with an intervention free birth plan. I am 33 weeks. It's never too late to switch. They get paid to serve us and of we don't like or agree with what they are doing we have every right to switch. After being restricted to military care overseas for 3 years I am definitely taking advantage of freedom of choice in selecting my OB!!

Oh please let me know how that goes! Are you planning on giving your current provider a head's up? Wouldn't new one need all the med records from prior? Ugh awkward...lol!

CandaceC1020 · June 2014

jashikcrib said:

Oh please let me know how that goes! Are you planning on giving your current provider a head's up? Wouldn't new one need all the med records from prior? Ugh awkward...lol!

I wouldn't worry about your current provider having a heads up. He wants to cut you open for no understandable reason. Find a new doc and have the new doc ask for your records to be transferred that way you don't have to deal with your old doc.

jashikcrib · June 2014

@CandaceC1020‌ yeah the thing is I've been w/this dr since I was 18 and have driven an hour out of my way to see him plus will have to drive an hour to deliver at the hospital that HE is affiliated with...so I feel like the least he could do is honor my wishes. When I initially told my husband that one of the reasons that I didn't want vaginal birth was b/c my dr said my vagina wouldn't feel the same, my DH was like so what!?!?

mcculloughe · June 2014

I feel a tiny bit guilty about bailing on my current doctor but at the end of the day I don't have a ton of trust that she will try to give me the birth I want and I also don't feel like she explains things very well, if at all. I have an appointment with her today as well so I will give her a chance to answer my questions but if I decide to switch I am not going to give her any heads up.
If you think about it these doctors have plenty of patients and we are their consumers, they get paid a lot of money to service us and I am going to make sure I am happy with the service

mcculloughe · June 2014

Update: just talking to this doctor made me feel MUCH better! I'm totally switching!

jashikcrib · June 2014

@mcculloughe‌ yay you're my inspiration!!

jashikcrib · June 2014

mcculloughe said:
I feel a tiny bit guilty about bailing on my current doctor but at the end of the day I don't have a ton of trust that she will try to give me the birth I want and I also don't feel like she explains things very well, if at all. I have an appointment with her today as well so I will give her a chance to answer my questions but if I decide to switch I am not going to give her any heads up. If you think about it these doctors have plenty of patients and we are their consumers, they get paid a lot of money to service us and I am going to make sure I am happy with the service

Logistics question...did you register at your hospital already? I did so wondering if it's too late to switch b/c honestly would love to go to a closer hospital...

jashikcrib · June 2014

@StrawberryDreams219‌ good info, thanks!!

mcculloughe · June 2014

I hadn't registered with the hospital yet but that's no big deal either, just register with the new hospital

I'm actually going to register with both hospitals my new OB delivers at because I won't be able to tour one until I am in my 37th week.
And from what I am gathering many doctors who push for elective or scheduled inductions and c-sections are doing so for their own convenience. They are able to go right in, quickly deliver or "catch" the baby, and move on to the next patient rather than wait for you to labor naturally.... Much less predictable for when they will be needed!

jashikcrib · June 2014

mcculloughe said:
I hadn't registered with the hospital yet but that's no big deal either, just register with the new hospital I'm actually going to register with both hospitals my new OB delivers at because I won't be able to tour one until I am in my 37th week. And from what I am gathering many doctors who push for elective or scheduled inductions and c-sections are doing so for their own convenience. They are able to go right in, quickly deliver or "catch" the baby, and move on to the next patient rather than wait for you to labor naturally.... Much less predictable for when they will be needed!

Ugh that's really what it's sounding like...way to take advantage of new mothers!!

DebateThis · June 2014

jashikcrib said:

mcculloughe said:
I hadn't registered with the hospital yet but that's no big deal either, just register with the new hospital I'm actually going to register with both hospitals my new OB delivers at because I won't be able to tour one until I am in my 37th week. And from what I am gathering many doctors who push for elective or scheduled inductions and c-sections are doing so for their own convenience. They are able to go right in, quickly deliver or "catch" the baby, and move on to the next patient rather than wait for you to labor naturally.... Much less predictable for when they will be needed!

Ugh that's really what it's sounding like...way to take advantage of new mothers!!

Plus IMO it's borderline fraud/malpractice since induced/section deliveries are a cash cow for hospitals. They make more money that way.

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