Should I go for a planned C section given my 'situation'?

[lauramumof2]

Noooooooooo. Ive had 2 sections one good and one bad. The recovery after the secon section was awful.
Its easier to say this now but I think it would have been easier coping with a new born on my own than coping with a newborn and a section like my last one.

I know you say you dont feel the need to labour naturally or vaginally but I feel like I missed out on something even though my second was elective (sort of). I felt that after the birth. At that point it was too late, they wouldnt put him back him

I was never too scared of the birth, its a weird pain. An acceptable pain. I went into labour with both sections btw.
When you are in labout you might not want your oh there anyway. I wanted to concentrate on the pain and didnt really want anyone talking to me or touching me.

 

[babynumbertwo]

I've had one 'normal' birth and one emergency section. I definately wouldn't say it was less traumatic for the baby born by section. In fact, quite the opposite - he was shaking and seemed kind of in shock afterwards. It's as if having a vaginal birth kind of prepares baby for the outside world if that makes sense! Having a section means baby makes an appearance very quickly and maybe they're not prepared?

Having said that, I still breastfed my baby after having the section and I was still offered immediate skin to skin contact so I didn't feel I had a problem bonding with baby.

Good luck with making a decision (ps - the leaflet I got from the hospital said being induced early results in a higher risk of emergency section but being induced post dates is more likely to be successful).

 

[nori]

Hiya hun! I had an emergency c section after 20 hours of labour. The labour was really not that bad atall (i did have gas and air and pethedine though) and would never opt for a c section over giving birth naturally. I think i was lucky in a way as i experienced what labour was like so didnt feel like id missed out on that.

I found the recovery of the section hard going and my milk didnt come in for a week which in turn caused my breastfeeding to go tits up! I remember saying at the time "why people voluntarily do this i dont know!"

I will add one positive thing about the c-section and thats my bits below are in tact.. but thats about it! Certainly not enough of a reason to ask for one.

If i were you i would get yourself on a hypnobirthing course. Although some of it was a bit too over the top for me (i could never see my bits as a flower opening) the breathing techniques are so important. I went into my labour with the attitude that it was the most natural thing in the world.. OK so it didnt go to plan but that mindset got me through a lot of hours of labour!

Claire x

 

[OverTheMoon]

First of all i want to say well done for really thinking this through, it is a very difficult decision and you are wise to seek opinions to help you to make your final choice. I think many people assume that taking the C section route is a 'cop out' and i don't really think that any of us should judge anyone else on their choices in childbirth, especially when all of our circumstances are completely different.
I'm gonna put a different slant on this and say i can understand exactly where you're coming from. I live in the Middle East and i have no family here. I already have two toddlers and our third child is expected in August. Over here the summer months are terrifically hot like 120 degrees and so understandably people are not really overjoyed about coming to see us around that time, but my (lovely) mum has offered to come out so that she can help me. Here are my choices:
1) She comes a week or two before my due date as I'll be heavily pregnant and she can help me look after my kids - but she may miss the birth of the new baby
2) She will come a week or two after the due date so she can help me out once my husband has gone back to work (only one week paternity leave here)
3) She will come on the due date or just a few days before, so she can look after my kids when i go into labour.
This is all really freaking me out and so i have also been considering C section for the same reason. I had two very long and difficult labours and so for me its looking favourable to have a planned C section and then have my mum come over one week after that and stay for a few weeks.
Having said that i am also completely in two minds about the whole thing.
Just wanted to say i can sympathise with you, and whatever you decide don't get too stressed about it!!! xxx

 

[Fly]

Again I wish people would read my post and realise its not jsut convenience, it's a MASSIVE issue to have my husband present not a convenience factor. It is that BIG ISSUE +++++++ me being terrified of natural labour.

I am not interested in people's opinions if they only take one section of my post and run with it

I did read your entire post.. in your situation if my baby's health was fine and my health was fine I wouldn't put my baby or my body through the trauma of major abdominal surgery just to have my husband present. It's great that c-sections are there to save lives and its your uterus at the end of the day but why book in for an elective when there's a good chance you could have a quite natural and normal vaginal delivery with your husband present anyways...does he *have* to get back to work?! my partner jacked his job in when our baby was two weeks late cos he didn't wanna miss it - skinted us for a bit but the experience came before the money... dunno what other word other than convenience to use really....sorry you took offence. Hypno birthing is brilliant by the way and would help you overcome your birthing fears.. I read the book as I had massive issues cos of nearly dying when my first son was born... all the best x x x

 

[jo jo]

i sympathise with your situation and completely understand your worries about natural birth. I was exactky the same as you with my 1st and ended p with emergency section and i would choose that over natural anyday.

Im praying their gonna let me have section with this one. If a section is what is right for you then you should go for it. My recovery went really well, the only pain i felt was stich like pain for a few days.

Good Luck

 

[skairdykat]

I've had a section and a natural birth.
The natural one was no were near as bad as I thought it would be. I'm only 4ft 11in and my son was 8lb 14oz when he was born. Yes I had to be cut but I was healed in a week but where-as with the section my wound started to open up and was weeping. And took a good 6wks to start to feel normal again.
So I would go for natural every-time.
Can't your hubby come out a wk before your due date? Then he'll easily be there for the birth if he gets 4-5 wks off.

ETA: I had the section 1st and VBAC with Jordan so it it possible to have natural birth after section.

 

[clucky77]

Yep we've decided he'll come out 2 weeks before..... so I really hope she's on time! I don't want to induce, so I might have to eat hot curry!

 

[Sherlock]

Yep we've decided he'll come out 2 weeks before..... so I really hope she's on time! I don't want to induce, so I might have to eat hot curry!

I'm so glad you've decided on what you hope to do I think OH coming out two weeks before hand would be fine You'd be 38 weeks, two weeks to 40, then another two weeks to go till 42. And all being well LO will appear before that point for you and the three of you will have a fair bit of time to spend together

Good luck with it all

 

[nori]

Yep we've decided he'll come out 2 weeks before..... so I really hope she's on time! I don't want to induce, so I might have to eat hot curry!

Im so pleased you got it sorted out. Oh and just so you know.. i was terrified about being induced but again.. its really not that bad!

Claire x

 

[Magic Monkey]

Yep we've decided he'll come out 2 weeks before..... so I really hope she's on time! I don't want to induce, so I might have to eat hot curry!

I had curry for the tea the night I went into labour, so it may work! I am glad that you made a decision and you are happy with it. I will keeo my fingers crossed that she comes on time, or 38+2 would be good, time for OH to get settled then plenty of time together afterwards!

Good Luck

 

[clucky77]

Thanks ladies. I am still 'd about how I am going to push a watermelon out of me, but am glad I've made a decision on scheduling anyway.

 

[Sherlock]

Thanks ladies. I am still 'd about how I am going to push a watermelon out of me, but am glad I've made a decision on scheduling anyway.

Ah our bodies are designed for this Usually a woman will have a baby suited to her body size. The size of the father has no impact on the size of baby at birth really as nature has a way of working so that the mothers size wins out in the labour stakes. Fathers genes kick in later

And yes, some women do have larger babies. I myself had a baby boy an ounce short of 10lb and he was a natural birth at home Sometimes for whatever reason a baby does not descend or engage properly and therefore cannot be born vaginally, but usually once it the way down, baby will come out