UPDATE Elective C-Section after Traumatic Natural Birth

acciobaby123 · January 2016

Update- I spoke with my OB and he was totally on board with anything that I choose. I think if I am in labor for 10 hours without progress I will start to consider, but it is nice to know that every option is open to me right now. Thank you everyone for your replies and support!

Am I incredibly selfish for thinking about an elective c-section? With my first, I had a 46hr labor with never ending back labor. I went through every sign of transition 2 days before I actually gave birth and had to constantly eat gummies to keep baby's heart rate up since it kept dropping. At 30 hrs I finally got an epidural but it only worked on one side.
This time around I keep having panic attacks and when I was in the hospital for hg I had flashbacks of birth and started crying. I really don't know if I can do that again and I am so scared.
I am going to talk to my Dr at my next appointment, but what do you all think? My natural recovery was terrible, all of our family is at least 12hrs away and I will have a 2.5yo and a 1 yo foster babe if those were questions you needed answered

kiwico14 · January 2016

I'm so sorry you had such a difficult experience! I think it's a totally reasonable conversation to have with your doctor. There are some definite benefits to a vaginal delivery, especially for the baby, but the trauma of a similar birth might outweigh them. If you're not sure that you want an elective C/S, you could arrange a reasonable cutoff point with your doctor. For example, you've been laboring for X hours and baby's heart shows signs of distress, so it's time for the C/S.

Hang in there, Mama! Whatever you choose will be the right thing for you and your baby.

acciobaby123 · January 2016

Thank you so much @skelly70 that kind reply even made me calm down a little (which is huge). We had committed to adoption after my birth since I never wanted to labor again, so this was quite a surprise for us.

Jodiggity · January 2016

I think if you are stressing to the point of panic attacks, you need to bring it up. It can't be healthy for you or the baby to be in such a stressed state.
A friend of mine had a traumatic Vbirth and opted for the Csection second time round and said she'd do it again. I know a Csection is major abdominal surgery and is not a choice to be taken too lightly
I think you should read up on all the information on both options and speak to your doctor and make a decision that makes you feel the most comfortable.
What @skelly70 said is right, whatever you choose will be the right thing for you and the baby
good luck

amandazap · January 2016

I am electing to have a c-section after my traumatic birth. I'm not going to go into details about it but we almost lost DS. I think it's smart of you to be thinking about this. You know your body and what you can and can't handle. Personally, I would elect the csection. I know every pregnancy is different, but if your PTSD (and yes, that's what we have and there is NO shame in it) is that bad, I don't blame you for exploring other options.

ETA: this will be my second c-section

mrsmommya · January 2016

It is also important to ask...do you have the same doc? My friend had a traumatic birth with her DD and she swears that should have been a c-section. Again, lucky her DD made it. however with her son she had a different doc and things were much different. Both vaginal.

ginger819 · January 2016

I can't imagine the stress of thinking about having a vaginal birth again would be any better for your baby and you than getting a c-section. Honestly if I had had your experience I would probably be scheduling one as well. I have moments of panic thinking I can't believe I'm going through with this again and I had a pretty good experience the first time (well, good in a sense that I walked out not completely traumatized).

I like what @skelly70 said too. If you talk it over with your Dr. and have a plan in place you may feel you have more control over the situation especially if it gets to be too much.

Good luck. I'm sure you will pick a route that will work best for you and your baby and I wouldn't feel selfish about any decision you make. You only want what's best for you and baby.

Jenniferk08 · January 2016

No such thing as selfish when it comes to the health of both baby AND you. If the thought of a vaginal delivery freaks you out then talk to your doctor.
Make a plan if you want to try again and what your limits are. If you don't want to try again then that's fine.
Nobody gets an extra reward for med free, using an epidural, c/s, vaginal delivery or any other way of delivering a baby. Do what is best for you.

charmedlifex3 · January 2016

My only thought would be that a few studies have come out showing the benefits of labor - even with or especially for C section babies.
If I can find the studies I will link them for you, but apparently some of the chemical triggers which happen as soon as labor starts help with breastfeeding, and waiting for the baby to start the process is a more likely indicator they are ready to come out with out any respiratory issues.
I wish I could find the study, but if I remember correctly the difference between babies born vaginally after labor, and born by C section after labor (even just a little) was very small.
I would talk to your doctor about this.
I agree, having a plan in place to alleviate your fear is definitely needed. It may be something as simple as the doctor will move towards a C section if you tell him/her you can no longer handle labor - whether it's as soon as you get there, or 10 hours in. Or a planned C section, if that is what you need, nothing wrong with it and a lot right if that lets you get through the next 6 months sane. I just know I would want to know all the potential impacts.
I would absolutely talk to your doctor about all the risks and benefits for all your options - and if you don't like your answers, absolutely seek another opinion.

ETA - I found a book which covers what I was remembering. There was a great journal article about it, but I can't lay my hands on it. If I find it I will post it for you.

https://books.google.com/books?id=MJx3WzskrbcC&pg=PA100&lpg=PA100&dq=benefits+of+labor+before+C+section&source=bl&ots=cFekUeHnHB&sig=cSQFewdiGk-QChD4Uf3sOcbpxbY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjMvNazttTKAhULbD4KHUdUCqQ4FBDoAQgnMAI#v=onepage&q=benefits of labor before C section&f=false
Page 100.

smilormarie · January 2016

Do it. Ask your practitioner. If they say no, you can always get a second opinion. Line up help for post delivery anyway. You aren't allowed to lift anything heavier than the newborn anyway those first few weeks so vaginal or c section, you need someone around to lift kids into high hairs and into cribs.

i nearly always get lightheaded, nauseated, and my blood pressure plummets when I talk about my c section. It was quite traumatic even though it was a scheduled c section at 37 weeks. I had a bad reaction to the spinal block and vomited the entire surgery. I lost so much blood because they couldn't stop the bleeding well due to placenta issues and issues with arteries crossing that were supplying the placenta. But I didn't get a blood transfusion since they thought my hgb was high enough. So I had spins, double vision, blurred vision, vomiting and dry heaving, and horrible pain in my shoulder where air was trapped in my chest cavity. I'm going to ask to be under General next time. I know my OB already said no but I'm going to ask some other specialists. Good luck!

Stephanie7693 · January 2016

I totally agree with the first reply. Both my kids were vaginal deliveries, but the experiences were so much different. I went into labor with my second very afraid, but the thought of a c-section scared me more. Luckily, the staff was much better the second time around and I was more prepared knowing what to expect. I also didnt have preeclamsia the second time. I'm praying this labor goes just as great as my second.
I can't blame you for what you want, that experience sounds traumatic. But trying labor and setting a limit/plan for a c-section really sounds like a great idea. You may have a much better experience this time, and knowing there's a way out going into it may help keep you calm.

blackistonemcgrail · February 2016

My 1st was an emergency c-section that saved his life, or at least saved him from potentially significant developmental disability. I long ago decided that I would schedule a c-section for this baby as it will be the safest for both of us. I agree with others that you should absolutely discuss this with your OB and partner so you can create a plan you feel comfortable with. I agree with others that anxiety and panic attacks will only make the pregnancy more difficult for you and the baby. Nothing wrong with a c-section! My mom was born c-section, so we're my sister and i, and now my son so I've got a long line of c-section in my family and we're all just dandy:) anything you can do to make yourself as calm as possible is what you should do. Good luck!

Sekerambo · February 2016

@acciobaby123 - I had what sounds like a very similar labor (46+ hrs of hard labor, mostly in my back, no epidural) with my dd but ended up with an emergency c-section. Although I had what is considered an easy c-section recovery, it was no walk in the park. My daughter also ended up with breathing issues (common with c-section babies) because of the lack of natural heimlich that comes with a vaginal birth. Only seeing my daughter for a minute before they took her away and not knowing how she was doing for quite a while was absolutely horrible. I'm not saying not to, but I am saying that a c-section isn't guaranteed to be an easy either. I am doing what I can to avoid a section this time, including changing doctors and hospitals. Honestly, I would find a different Doctor and hospital. I really hope that you are able to get the birth you are looking for, no matter what you decide.

Nkrk16 · February 2016

Sweetie I'm terrified of delivery as well! I had to go 100% natural cause epidural didn't work at all..I started Labor at 10:30 in the morning and had a brutal induced labor for 21hrs ..thank God my mom walked in at 230am cause my husband was terrified and backed off...Best of luck to you! I'm still trying for epidural this time in hopes of it working.

acciobaby123 · February 2016

Thank you everyone, all of the replies have been so helpful! I am going with the same Dr. since he was on vacation for the majority of my labor and when he came back, I gave birth within seven hours. He is the chief ob/gyn at the university hospital as well and I really trust him, we are also going with the same doula. I really trusted everyone on my birth team, the only thing I think I will change is the time limit for laboring and not feeling bad about getting an epidural if I need one. I'll let you know what my Dr says

gadzooks_3 · February 2016

Have you considered seeking counseling for the trauma of your last birth? I support your right to make the decision that is right for you, but it seems that there is trauma there that needs addressing whether you labor or not. Plus, even if you plan a C-section mother nature may have other plans, addressing the trauma now may make things easier in the eventuality of unforeseen circumstances.

DataMom · February 2016

You have the right to choose a c section if that is what you want. I will choose an elective c section myself. Other posts here are correct, you should read up about the pros and cons of c sections and decide if it's right for you. In particular, c sections are not a great idea if you want to have several more kids (after 3 kids via c section and risks go up significantly). It is also very important not to plan/schedule your c section before 39 wks. Most breathing issues of newborn c section babies are due to them being delivered too early and not experiencing the mom's hormonal changes of a labor (while actually squeezing the baby from your vagina does help with respiratory problems by squeezing liquid from the lungs, many studies suggest that this physical squeeze isn't the primary factor- instead gestation time and labor hormones are more important). Many moms report having their babies wisked away immediately after a c section and have little to no skin to skin time. However, it's important to remember that most women have c sections for emergency reasons where the baby needs to be checked immediately for health concerns. More and more hospitals offer "gentle " c sections which offer immediate skin to skin. Recovery time from c sections pretty reliably mean 1 more day in the hospital but a women's individual experience with recovery varies widely. For some, it's a breeze, others horrible. The standard of care is to try to get the mother up and walking the same day as the surgery. One thing is for certain, a planned, elective c section is safer and better for mom and baby than an emergency c section (lower risk of blood loss, cuts, etc). Having a c section removes the risk of vaginal tearing which can have lifetime complications if 3rd or 4th degree. Some people say breast feeding is altered by c section. I can not find any evidence to support this. However, it is true that with a c section scar, you will have limited positions to hold your baby comfortably for nursing and MAYBE (not sure) there is a chance your milk will be delayed because your body didn't experience labor hormones. Even if that is true, it is not a guarantee, many c section moms can breast feed just fine. C sections typically take 30min. Your baby is delivered quickly (in 10min ish) and the majority of the time is spent stitching you back up. You are allowed one person to sit by your side and one person only. Sorry for the wall of text, but I've thinking about this a lot. Feel free to message me individually if you have any questions.

kwilliams3402 · February 2016

This baby is our first, so take this with a grain of salt, but I don't think you're being selfish. Part of what's best for baby, IMO, is what is best for mom too.

A little different, but I have a chiari malformation, and there's a fair amount of research that the strain of labor or an epidural or spinal could worsen the headaches I get, and if it causes my brain to drop further, I could need brain surgery. Of course, there are equally women that are just as fine after labor too, without any special precautions being taken. I've been pretty proactive in asking my OBGYN about how we're doing labor, and probably from my own pushing, we are going to consult with a high-risk doctor and my neurologist. Would a general anesthesia C-section come with its own set of risks and is not the most ideal for baby, of course. But I'd at least like us to think about whether that is outweighed by the risk of me, the mom, having debilitating headaches/need brain surgery post-labor.

So, talk to your doctor, and come up with what is best for mom and baby both. It's not selfish.

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