Would you chose cs over nat?

[*Theluvbub*]

Just curious, of those who have had natural childbirth and a cs who would rather have a cs than go thru nat childbirth again?

and....If you had a cs, would you consider a vbac, or would you go cs again?

[MamaSage]

I had an emergency caserean, absolutely hated it, and would never ever chose to have another. Natural birth all the way, better for mum, better for baby.

[my_lot]

i had two VERY EASY gas only natural births. first was not even 3 hours from first contraction to birth, second was quicker! with both i was walking into the shower right after birth. they were both breastfeeding well and i was well and healthy.

then i had to have a c-sect. i had a spinal block that went too high i had to have oxygen. i had staples. the last in the line popped the next day. i had to wait for 4 hours in my room ( after recovery) for nurse change over for someone who wasnt busy to then try to get a wheelchair for me to see my bub in ICU. i started to get an infection after day 5 it was later tested and found to be golden staf, but i cont to walk in and out of ICU with that! i was given drugs i was allergic to ( and had a band on saying that) i couldnt sit or walk more than a few steps without pain. i could go on and on about that painand 4.5 years later its still very much a part of my memories of my sons birth. with my girls i remember the wonderful feeling of their heads crowning and them sliding out. with my son i rememebr pain pain pain. even the pain of trying to hang up washing 6 weeks after it!

....but to cut it short.... NO WAY would i "pick" to have another c-sect! it was life and death with my son- it had to be done. but so far i am not in that situation with this pregnancy and until i am i will be going for a natural birth.

[natasha]

i had a great elective c section and would defo have another one next time round.:thumbsup:

[Pixie]

I wanted natural ended up with an emergency C/section hated every single minute, I never ever want another, but who knows the future if I should need one again I shall be more clear on it all, next baby aiming for a VBAC got the go ahead from the DR's. I want my natural birth dammit!

[tickle]

I didn't have the greatest v/birth experience (induced, posterior, episiotomy). It was very painful and a very long 36 hours. I would still choose that over my caesarean any day. The fact is that no matter what after a c/section you can't get up and walk out of there a couple of hours later, you can't pick up your toddler, heck I couldn't even change my babies nappy! Even if you have a really positive caesarean experience, for the most part, you aren't as mobile as after a normal birth.
I know, everyone is sick of the negativity and statistics but facts are facts. If others choose a c/section, good on them, but I certainly would never.

[*Theluvbub*]

Thanks for your replies ladies....My next question is....Does the thought of a vbac scare you? Does anyone have any info to share with me that is fact, ie risk of vbac vs repeat cs....to put my mind at ease? Im tossing up between considering vbac, and going cs again?

[tickle]

You can find a lot of information about vbac here. (http://www.bubhub.com.au/community/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=66)

I think when you look at the risks they are about the same either way. Good luck with your decision.:)

[bubbles28]

I had an emergency caserean, absolutely hated it, and would never ever chose to have another. Natural birth all the way, better for mum, better for baby.


SAME:yes:

I am a little scared but feel it will be the best decision for my baby and me.

[becca74]

If you look at my sig, you will see that I my first choice is natural :yes:

being a stubborn cow, I got myself my natural birth despite huge odds, and it was soooooooo worth it :D

[sam's mum]

I didn't have the greatest v/birth experience (induced, posterior, episiotomy). It was very painful and a very long 36 hours. I would still choose that over my caesarean any day. The fact is that no matter what after a c/section you can't get up and walk out of there a couple of hours later, you can't pick up your toddler, heck I couldn't even change my babies nappy! Even if you have a really positive caesarean experience, for the most part, you aren't as mobile as after a normal birth.
I know, everyone is sick of the negativity and statistics but facts are facts. If others choose a c/section, good on them, but I certainly would never.

What she said. :D

[sueliz]

I had an elective c-section with my DS an would have no issues with doing this again. Of course - I don't have any experience any other way - but the c-sect when really well, my recovery was great, bubs was a healthy 9pd7 born (god knows how he fit in there :)- I am about 153cm tall and weighed about 50kg before falling pregnant!) and went straight onto the boob in recovery and neither of us have had any issues. Reading some people's storeis on here though I know I was lucky with everything going so well for me and for quite a few other people I know who have had great c-section experience as well.
I would not hesitate to have an elective c-section again if it was recommended to me.

[Merlion]

I had an emerg c-sect. Was so dissapointed as I had pre-eclamspia and was not given a choice. Was told I was going to be induced nothing happend and bang had a c-sect after only 2-3 hours after I saw my obny. Determined to VBAC this time around.

[Mummy'N'Bubby]

i had an elective c-sect..
i would prefer this over a natural anyday... however the healing time for me i found to be a little longer.. for the first couple of days i felt soo helpless.. i couldnt really do anything on my own without the support/help of somebody..
its really a personal preference i believe.. i would personally have a c-sect next time around..

[jocr]

I had an elective c-section with my DD due to her size, and me. My ob. has already advised me that I would have to have a c-section again probably. I had a fair bit of blood loss during surgery apparently (not that I was aware of it at the time) so was very weak afterwards. A few things also interfered with feeding my daughter, mainly I didn't see her for an hour after surgery (because of my complication I think), and mainly I was not given the advice I needed. With hindsight and experience next time I will be able to tell them what I want to do in terms of feeding, and where my baby is after surgery. In the end we had a perfectly healthy girl who has thrived since, and that is the most important thing.:ecomcity:

[Ana Gram]

I had an awful "natural" birth and don't ever want anymore children. If it was the Twilight Zone and I did have another, I would opt for a c-section.

[angcaltam]

DS1 - Natural (Just under 8 hours of labour and not even a graze):yelclap:
DS2 - Emergency c-section (After 48 hour labour, staples):gloomy:
DD - C-section (Found out the exit was blocked 2 days before, Stitches):banghead:

I really wanted to try for a VBAC with DD but no point if she couldn't get out, I was really upset that I had to have another c-section. My recovery with DS2 was a very long and painful one but with DD it was heaps faster and not as painful.


The only thing that I found, and it could just be me but with DS1 I bonded straight away, with DS2 it took longer for me to bond with him and DD is now 6 months old and I still don't feel like I've bonded with her.:crying:

[MrsMiggins]

I had an elective c/s last time due to medical reasons, and am fervently hoping for a VBAC this time.

My scan at 19 weeks showed a low, anterior placenta (the two things I didn't want!!) so we shall have to see how it all goes.

I am more worried about having a repeat c/s than a VBAC. Nothing about having a VBAC concerns me in the least! I am actually looking forward to being able to experience labour this time (whacko, I know!!), so I will be rather disappointed if it turns out I need to have another c/s.

That said, there is no way I would ever consider putting my son's life (or indeed my own) in jeopardy just to experience a natural delivery. If I need a c/s, then so be it.

My Dr/hospital are all for VBACs wherever possible, but having a VBAC after 2 c/s is a somewhat different matter! So :fingerscrossed: no c/s necessary this time!!

[mumtobenumber3]

Well I will definately be going for a vbac, alls going well.
My first was born naturally only 4 hours of labour and with no pain relief.
My baby girl, my second, had to be delivered by csec, I hated it. I hated the epidural in the spine, I hated the coldness, I hated only seeing my daughter for two seconds before she was again taken away with my husband. I hated laying there all alone listening to the doctors talk over who was meeting up with who at the pub on the weekend whilst they stitched me up.
I hated laying by myself in the recovery room not knowing what the hell was going on and still no baby. Yuk Yuk Yuk!!!!
Weird, totally, and sooooo less fulfilling then given birth and holding onto your new babe straight away.
The csec was so surreal for me personally I am praying I don't have to go back there again.
I spoke to the head of maternity at the hospital over should I try vbac or should I not and he wouldn't give me a defined answer. He could only sprout "its a brave new world out there" and "I don't know what everyone has against csec??" I told him that I didn't have a prob with csec, I would just prefer a vbac. "Well you can go for a vbac if you want that's completely up to you, just be aware that if there is a problem we will only have 8 mins to get the baby out before it drowns" was his advice, thanks mate, a whole lot of confidence instilled there.
Complete wolly if you ask me, I didn't make a fuss because knowing my luck I'll have to have a csec and he'll be the bloody one doing it.
I think even the doctor who was attending me was embarrassed about his attitude. In her opinion there would be plenty of time to know if there were complications and a csec would be needed.
I am petrified either way, having a natural birth 'cause it hurts and a csec 'cause of the detachment.
Good luck with your decision, but my mind is made up, Natural all the way baby!!!

[mumofcaleb]

I had an emergency caserean. Next time I would prefer a natural birth unless there is another emergency. I think casereans are given out to willingly by doctors. I believe that every woman should at least attempt a natural birth unless there are complications of course and then should only a caserean be required.

[Minke]

I am not having anymore bubs, but i would elect to have a c/s next go. I had a v/b for my first and an emergency c/s for my second.

I bonded better with my second than my first (strange i know), and knowing that last time it was an emergency c/s (with full labour beforehand so the recovery was worse) and it wasn't that bad, would have an elective c/s.

[Buddha Bubbas]

im also not having anymore children. :no:

i had a VB first then a C/S due to how my first VB turned out.

i would choose VB over C/S. :thumbsup:

[SassyMummy]

I would never ever ever choose to have a c-sec. I had what is classed as an "elective" c-section, and hated every single bit of it. The reason I had my c-sec was because I wouldn't go into labour and I was overdue... so they cut her out.

It was incredibly traumatic for me, and I wish not to go through that again. Ever. I will DEFINATELY go for a VBAC next time... and will only have a c-sec if it's 100% necessary and we're in immediate danger. I'm not having another "just in case" surgery.

For me, there's more to consider than just the physical implications... in fact, for me, it's more about the emotional trauma. I really didn't care about the pain associated with my c-sec, and, while I'm a little scared of the pain associated with a VBAC, it's only because I'm fearing the unknown (never even had a single Braxton Hicks, let alone a contraction... so it's REALLY unknown to me).

The physical stuff, while it wasn't that nice, was not that much of an issue. It was more the emotional side of it that's effected me - and so I'll definately opt to avoid that next time.

VBAC, as with ANY vaginal birth, is the safer, more natural way to go. I believe that the reason women push babies out through their vaginas is because that's the way it's "meant" to happen. For me, that's very important...I want my body to be able to do what it was designed to do.

The only reason I believe people should have c-secs is because they WANT one, or because they TRULY NEED one. In my case, it was neither... which is why I'm not going ot have another.

[Chub Chub]

Planning my number two bubby sometime next year. I will be aiming for a VBAC. When it came to DD I didn't take any notice of the caesarean option. There was no need. I am young, fit and healthy. I swam, did weights all up to two weeks before my due date. There was no need to take notice of caesar info as there was no way my body was going to fail me. Well I was wrong.

After over two days of labouring my DD got into an arkward position and my cervix stopped at 7 cms. I asked for an epi but was refused...I was trying to buy some time so my baby could get itself into a favourable position. And it was then my blood pressure when through the roof. I was rushed off for an emergency c/section.

After speaking to a midwife after DD was born I found out that an epi would of infact helped my blood pressure to even out and may of resulted in a vaginal birth....but I will never know. That what I hate is that I will never know if another option would of resulted in a VB.

Next I will attempt a VBAC, a casear does not interest me again. One of my girlfiends have a vaginal birth 3 weeks before me and was so relaxed wih her son. Also women in the ward were buzzing around me while I was stuck. I was struggling still at six weeks when DH went back to work. My mum had to come to get DD out of bassinet so I could feed her.

Casears are great for those who want them and need them but I feel that they overdone in uneducated (in birth and protocol)and stressed first time mums. I also don't believe in the line 'if you have already had a ceasar you should always have a caesar'.

I have faith in my body but if it doesn't end up in a VB I will know that next time I did everything to achieve that outcome.

[Shazbutt]

DD1 was an emergency c/section after a total of 52 hours labour (with no drugs except 2 doses of pethidine to help me rest) from start to finish. I got right up to the pushing, had forceps and venthouse, and nothing worked, so they cut her out. I was secretly so relieved....

DD2 was gonna be elective, but she turned out to be breech, so i had to have one anyhow. I double checked before even TTC DD2, to see if they'd allow me a c/s. If i'd been told i had to have a VBAC, i wouldn't have had more kids :no:, simple as that. Vaginal birth terrifed me that much...i found the whole labour/vaginal birth bit more traumatic than the emergency c/s.

I had good experiences with healing etc, and had to fend for myself as soon as we got home (DH had to work, and we have no family near), and found it pretty bearable. If i ever had another (which i'm not) i'd in no way hesitate to have another c/s.

[jade21887]

Love this thread. I had an emergency c sec last time, and Im going an 'elective' this time. I love the amount of people that say Im so lucky to be able to choose an elective c section!!! Apparantly a few hours of pain with a natural birth and pushing out a baby is so much worse than a 6 week recovery period!!

[becca74]

Apparantly a few hours of pain with a natural birth and pushing out a baby is so much worse than a 6 week recovery period!!

not in my experience, I wish I'd been as lucky as those ladies.....for me it was the other way around - I took my bubs in to show off to the mums at school 3 days after he was born. Had I opted for a c/sec, I'd have still been bent over in pain and not yet discharged from hospital......heck, I even went over to my brother and SIL the day after he was born for lunch! couldnt have done that the day after i'd had my c/sections....with my last c/section I was too busy looking grey, having horrifying flash backs from the ptsd the experience had given me and throwing up into a bowl I was so ill.

I would give birth again vaginally in a heart beat - it was the most liberating experience and feeling I have ever felt in my life :D

[MariaO]

I had an emergency C Section and was up and about that afternoon so all in all it was a very positive experience (apart from the dodgy breastfeeding start but that is another story).

While I had no problems recovering from the CSection, I would be a little concerned that I would have more problems this time (in the unlikely event that I was lucky enough to get pregnant) with a toddler in the gang.

I am not sure that I would have faith in my body to deliver naturally, and would dread the scenario of a painful prelabour and labour that ends up in a csection anyway.

I was going to say that would be the worst scenario but really as long as baba and I got out of it with our health then at the end of the day I would not care that much.

[KarniF00l]

I had four natural VB's (well 2 induced and 2 spontaneous) and loved every minute of it. Yeah it was hard but there's no way i would have opted for a C-sec unless of course it was an emergency.

I'm also more than happy with the choices that i made, i couldn't have seen it done in any other way :)

[mummyof5]

Have to agree with the ladies who have said they didn't bond the same with their c/s babes. I adore my dd, always have, but not seeing her for 3.5 hours after surgery due to some halfwitted nurse wanting to argue about my post op pain meds with every dr in the hospital, doesn't make for a great start:no:
Having had 3 HBAC's, obviously that is the option I would choose. It's about the endorphins and general feeling of wellness afterwards. I went home the day after my ceaser, was out of bed within the hour of being back in my room, so pain was never the issue.
Vaginal all the way:thumbsup:

[mousey]

Due to medical issues I am mostly unlikely to ever experience a vaginal birth (and I have done my research into this quite thoroughly), so for me I will be having a c/s this time same as with my DD.

However, if it were a perfect world, I would choose a vaginal birth every time.

[Shanaynay]

hi theluvbub.

I have had both. I would NEVER choose the c/s :no: I have many many reasons, and core beliefs that natural is always the better way to go if you can, but one major one is a c/s HURTS for ages afterwards!!! I know there can be bad VB's as well :ecomcity: But I think GENERALLY, most ppl would have easier VBs/ My opinion anyway. I'm sure theres stats t back that up as well :thumbsup:

And yes, going for a VBAC was scary.....but so is going in for an elec c, or going for a normal vaginal delivery....its all scary!

[becstar]

I would chooose neither!!!! LOL!!! I hated both, HATED both......but I guess seeing as I am about to have another in a month or so I have to get it out somehow. After talking with my doc we have decided elective c-section is the way to go. I don't want an elective c-section but I don't want what happened last time either so its the best choice for me out of two bad choices for me......I guess it depends on what you have been through previously as to what you would do again. Everybody goes through different things and hence will choose a different outcome depending on their experience.......no choice is wrong, as long as you have the choice in the first place.
Bec

[IAdoreYou]

After 12 hours of labour and only dilating to 5cm my baby girl was an emergency c/s. Holding her that afternoon knowing that everything was okay made my recover effortless.

My OB and Nurse was excellent and I was up and running days later.

With regards to a VBAC next time *shrugs* I don't know, will only consider it if it feels right and safe.

I honestly experienced everything "I" needed to know about child birth and to be honest, contractions really SUX ;)

I really admire women going drug free.

[grubindi]

Just curious, of those who have had natural childbirth and a cs who would rather have a cs than go thru nat childbirth again?

and....If you had a cs, would you consider a vbac, or would you go cs again?


definately yes i had to have four and i could have had up to 8 all my were excellent:thumbsup: :smiliedance: :yelclap:

[soph'smum]

I had a natural birth with dd1 17 months ago and an elective c-section due to medical problems last week.

I am pleasantly surprised at how well i feel six days after the c-section and i think if i was to have another bub, i'd probably consider elective c-section mainly because of the risks associated with vbac.

There's no doubt the recovery from a normal delivery is much quicker - but then again, there's never a guarantee of a vaginal birth without complications.

Having now experienced both, i have to say that I think there is an awful lot of scaremongering surrounding c-sections which simply has no justification. From my own experience - the birth of our dd2 was just as amazing as dd1's and my recovery has been really good so far - nothing like i expected.:yelclap:

[danielle13]

My DD was born by emergency c/s after a really difficult labour. It was the most traumatic experience of my life, the whole labour I just felt so vulnerable and when I was getting "procedures" performed, felt like I was being sexually abused (And before anyone says "don't say that if you can't compare" - I can.)
The c/s was just the icing on the cake really, it was comforting knowing that it was the best chance my baby had of survival, but terrifying all the same.
Recovery was hard, long and painful, and it took a long time for me to accept my daughter as the baby that had been kicking around inside me for months. (They say that animals who need c/s often don't realise the babies are theirs - this would have been the case for me too if I didn't have the benefit of human intelligence).
But even though it was a very traumatic experience, I've already decided that if we were to have another (which we plan to, just not yet), I will be choosing an elective caesarean.
The thought of attempting a v-b again terrifies me, and I personally think I'll be better able to cope with a c/s without the trauma beforehand. I'll also be better prepared, mentally, as I know what to expect as far as both the procedure and the recovery are concerned.
It wouldn't be a completely selfish decision either, as the problems I encountered in labour are very likely to re-occur, so I'm sure it'd be safer for bubs too.