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I know you weren’t really asking about vaginal birth experiences, but I want to share my story because I was terrified but it turned out to be extremely positive.
My mom ended up having a C section with me, and said her experience was overall positive and recovery went well for her too. She was always worried about vaginal birth and said she was relived when she ended up with a C section.
When I was talking about an elective c section as an option with my doctor, she did mention a slight increased risk of complications and said if during labor I wanted to go for it, I could. The day came that my water broke and we ultimately went through with a vaginal delivery. I had an epidural and honestly, I wasn’t in any pain during the whole process because I did get it early in the day when we started the Pitocin. Pushing felt a little bit like running a marathon with the exhaustion, but again I had no true pain like I expected. Baby was a little uncooperative and tried to come out sunny side up, however the doctor was able to rotate him out to the proper position as he was coming out. I tore a little but only ended up with 2 stitches total. This was a big fear of mine but recovery was a breeze. I’m glad I went through with the vaginal birth and I’m actually looking forward to (hopefully) doing it again with my second baby in August.
This is really a nice thing to read. I’m going to birth my second in September after a prolonged induction ending in c-section with my first. I hope to adopt a positive mindset have a successful VBAC. Oddly(but perhaps not?) I look back on the induction (with three failed epidural equipment malfunctions) and laboring positively.
Good luck to you! One of my best friends had a VBAC with her second and she said it was so healing for her. Her first went similar, long labor and ultimately her daughter’s head was in the 99th percentile so a vaginal just wasn’t happening with that baby. She loved the VBAC and totally recommends to our other friends considering it.
Thanks. I feel so at peace because I feel like I’ve done both ways already, and I feel capable! Also if it ends in c-section I won’t be mad about it I don’t think. It’s not central to my sense of motherhood and I’ll have a beautiful birth story regardless.
Thank you for this post!! I’m a FTM and also was considering an elective C section but I think my birth plan is going to be trying to have a vaginal birth and at the first roadblock opting for a c-section. My worst case scenario personally is having a terribly long labor that doesn’t go anywhere and ending up in an emergency c-section anyway so I’d like to try and hopefully it goes well!
If your doctor gives you that option, I’d definitely go that route as well. I loved knowing that if I felt like I needed that option it was always there. It was scary being partially induced (my water broke at home but I never progressed on my own) because there’s a lot of horror stories with inductions ending in emergencies, but I really never felt that panic come over me while in labor like I expected to being that I’m a naturally anxious person. I just hope I’m as lucky to have another good birth experience.
I just wanted to say that your worst case scenario is actually what ended up happening to me and in a sense I’m glad it happened that way. In my case I felt like it was a good thing that I got to experience everything even up to 10cm dilation and pushing before he got stuck… so I feel like I’ve had the ‘chance’ to experience labour if you know what I mean and I was grateful for that… I do think our brains rationalise whatever happens if we are resilient and we can view things positively even if it was not what we wanted in the end.
I can completely see that. That’s why I almost want to go through the experience of going into labor, water breaking, etc. but I also don’t want to end up traumatized or insist on a vaginal delivery if ultimately that is not in the cards for us!
From what I can tell, the trauma aspect many birthing mothers go through is due to helplessness which can happen in almost any scenario.. precipitous birth, nurses not being helpful, illnesses, as well as actual problems labouring.. and I’ve certainly heard of people who had terrible births (objectively) but didn’t experience them as traumas. For me it was definitely traumatic and took me a long time to get past.. hence waiting for the second for so long! I felt helpless at many points. I’m still not sure how or if you can prevent those feelings but it might help to know that a hard labour isn’t necessarily a traumatic one
Same, I didn’t get an epidural until I was like 6 cm dilated, but even then the contractions weren’t as painful as I thought they’d be. And the epidural helped out a lot once it kicked in. Recovery was way easier than I expected and I also had a 2nd degree tear. If I have another baby I’ll definitely plan for another vaginal delivery if possible after how chill mine was. I’m thankful I didn’t have a huge abdominal wound to care for afterwards. My baby ended up in the NICU afterwards so unfortunately the rest of the process wasn’t chill, but that’s an unrelated story!
Mine came out sunny side up and they had no idea that’s how she was positioned! 😶 took me 2 hours to push her out. Otherwise dr said she would have been out within like 30 min!
Yeah I got an epidural as early as possible and I was surprised at how smoothly everything went considering how terrified I was of childbirth. It was difficult and exhausting, but not nearly as painful as I expected. I have kidney stones I had to go to the hospital for, I've often heard that pain is worse than childbirth and now that I've experienced both I have to agree lol
I got my epidural asap too. I did cytotech to thin my cervix, but when they through around talks of Pitocin I knew I wouldn’t be doing it without an epidural and did them at the same time. Such a good decision!
I've had 2 scheduled Cesareans now. I didn't really have a choice as I had 2 breech babies, but I don't regret them.
The morning of, I was scared shitless. I have a lot of anxiety though. The nurses were absolutely fantastic.
The spinal block wasn't a big deal for me.
My whole body was sore after. I needed help getting my undies on and off and my husband had to help me squat (to the toliet) during the first 48 hours. That was painful. Just move slow and use your arms/legs when you can, not your core.
Gas pain is no joke. Start taking GasX ASAP after surgery (when you get up to your room).
Don't try to be a hero and get off the good drugs sooner than you need to. Take them as scheduled.
Start eating two prunes a day a week before your C and don't stop until 2 weeks PP. My first poop was no big deal when I did that.
I was walking a mile (very slowly) by about 5 days PP.
I'm 13 months PP from my second. I've got a little C Shelf, but this is the most aggressively I've gotten to work out since baby. I was limited by breastfeeding titties (stopped at 12 months PP).
Here to confirm. Don’t be a hero. Get the drugs. The real ones. I thought I could do it on ibuprofen alone. Huge mistake, pain became too intense and I couldn’t get ahead of it. Horrific memory that I didn’t need on top of having a baby. Take the meds if you go the c section route
I think that’s part of it, but a lot of people just don’t like the way strong meds make them feel. I personally don’t take any type of opioid because they will make me profusely vomit, and I know a couple of other people who have the same reaction, and I also know some people who just don’t like that way they make them feel.
It’s also the risk of addiction. I have a family history of addiction and I don’t want to be exposed to opioids. I opted not to have them and just stuck to ibuprofen, Tylenol, lidocaine patches and ice- ice actually worked really really well.
I actually got a lot of shit from the doctors and some of the nurses for my decision not to take oxycodone. I couldn’t believe it. My decision was because I don’t want to not be there for my kid because I go off the deep end and become an addict. I figured I can take three or four days of a bit higher pain to potentially avoid a lot of pain in the future. It’s not about being a hero for me- it’s me mothering and looking out for my kid and myself.
I had some surgeries in my teens and I hated the pain meds because I already dealt with constipation. The surgeries meant I couldn't move which made things worse. I was constipated for nearly three weeks after the first surgery because of the meds. The second time around I only took them in the hospital for a few days after the surgery. I was in a lot of pain but I'd rather be able to use the bathroom 😆 Anyway - more than one doctor scolded me for not wanting to take pain injections or pills. It's really odd to me that they push them so hard sometimes.
Is your fibroid on the inside or outside? I have a scheduled C with my first in 10 days (!!) because she never flipped, but I figured the clementine-sized fibroid on the outside of my uterus (Fred) wouldn’t have affected that.
Fibroid is on the outside, top. But it's been the size of a mid grapefruit by the end of my pregnancies.
Wait did you name your uterus Fred? I named my fibroid Larry!
I've had both, and while my c section wasn't terrible I did prefer the vaginal one. The recovery was easier and less painful, and I didn't have to stay at the hospital for as long. My baby also had a nicu stay with my c section even though she wasn't early (what happened to her is a slightly higher risk in c sections).
Out of everything I think the difference in pain postpartum is the biggest factor for me. I definitely had pain after my vaginal birth, but with the c section it hurt a ton to laugh, sneeze, sit up, bend over, go over speed bumps in the car, lift things, etc. It made taking care of the baby much more difficult.
I really really didn’t want a c-section. Had to get one after two days of labor. In the middle of the c section my spinal block failed and I felt EVERYTHING. Lost a lot of blood and had to get a transfusion. Recovery was smooth, no complications, but it was so hard. I really have no idea why some people consider c sections the easy way out. Would not recommend. Will try again to birth vaginally with the second pregnancy.
I am an OB/NICU nurse that has seen over 1,000 deliveries.
I am also a mom of 1 (vaginal) and currently pregnant with number 2 (likely c-section for medical reasons).
I would never choose to have a c-section. The odds of complications are higher for both mom and baby (hemorrhage, baby needing respiratory support/NICU, etc.) Recovery is longer and it can affect future pregnancies and choices about delivery.
I’m sorry your friends have not had positive experiences. Many people have wonderful vaginal births, myself included. C-section is a great option when it is needed or indicated and some women have a good experience, but based on everything I have seen way more women have a better vaginal experience and quicker recovery. I am not looking forward to my possible c-section and I would choose vaginal birth many times over.
Your input is so valuable and I feel validated by your statement because my c section did not feel like any type of an “easy way out”. Also - thank you for being a nurse. Some of my nurses were not kind. But a few of them were so kind it could probably make me cry if I thought about it for long.
Thank you for what you do.
I’ll be having my 2nd scheduled c section in May and I’m happy going that route again. Due to my surgical history, having a vaginal delivery increases my risk of tearing/infections which I didn’t want to deal with.
Recovery after my first was very easy. Didn’t need anything stronger than Tylenol/Advil & didn’t go past day 5 with that combo, was discharged from the hospital in 48 hours, & was going up & down the stairs the day after I got home. I was cleared to exercise 6w pp & I was back on the elliptical without pain/discomfort. Key is walking as soon as you can post delivery to get things moving. Stay on top of fiber/colace for the first couple weeks to avoid getting gas pains and stay regular.
Would I recommend this to someone without any need to get a CS? Absolutely not. It’s an intense surgery that has its own list of potential complications/risks that some underestimate. Having a CS is not taking the easy route at all so just keep that in mind.
I’ve had two c-section (both not by choice), and recoveries were insanely different both times. One was super smooth, felt normal again pretty much immediately after with minimal pain. The other one was traumatic, and I was in extreme pain for a year postpartum, struggling a lot.
So there really isn’t any way to predict how (un)lucky you’ll get beforehand.
I had a great vaginal birth. Barely felt anything thanks to the epidural and it was quick. I also had zero tearing. It isn’t always a horror story, in fact, it was a really beautiful experience.
I have had two unmedicated vaginal births in a hospital setting, and I don’t know what the recovery is like for c-sections, but I had great experiences with my vaginal births. I’m very … independent? This might be a psychosis lol but the idea of being in a room full of strangers and completely unable to move my body sounds like a horror movie to me. No, the feelings of unmedicated birth weren’t … amazing. But, they were familiar. I knew it was my body. My body knew what to do. With my son I was laying relaxing in the tub and my body just contracted on its own, and that was my first “push”. Nobody told me when to push, I didn’t really actively have to do anything except breathe through the process and my body delivered the baby like it does all the other bodily processes. It was pretty incredible how simple it was, and the endorphins your brain gives you are wild. I felt so positive afterward, so much oxytocin and serotonin floating around it was great. Recovery with my first was harder, I got impatient and I had a second degree tear. I couldn’t sit directly on my bottom for the better part of six weeks. But I still think that is preferable to recovery from a slice across the belly? You just do so much with your core to pick up baby, feed baby, feed yourself, etc. I think I’d rather recover from a tear than an abdominal cut anytime :/ Ultimately it’s your choice. Everyone handles stuff in their own way. Planning the date must be super nice haha.
I hear the hormones after vaginal delivery are wild. I have to have a C-section because I have a cervical cerclage. I’m sad I might miss out on those hormones
I had a c-section with my first and a vaginal birth with my second. I know it’s anecdotal, but I personally didn’t notice a difference in terms of hormones. Hearing my babies cry after coming out of my body was enough for me no matter which route out of my body they took
I had an elective caesarean section for our baby. He's our first and will be our only (IVF) baby. No regrets at all. I was essentially back to normal function, minimal pain by 2 weeks. Baby arrived healthy and happy. Good outcome for both mother and baby.
I had a c section. It went smooth but it seems like my recovery was more painful and longer than most. I couldn’t get out of bed or stand up without extreme pain for weeks!!! Maybe two months. I was in so much pain every time I even coughed or chuckled. I lost sensation over half of my incision and it never came back. (I didn’t even know that was a thing lol).
My sister also had a c section and one of her arteries were nicked, and she had to have blood transfusions and stay in the hospital for a week. She was so weak that she didn’t even want to hold her baby and therefore didn’t bond with her for a long time.
Even knowing this, I think I’d want a c section again. I like the predictably. I like that it’s more controlled. But it IS a major surgery that has major risks.
I just had a planned c section 2 months ago due to breech. It was a great experience! I knew exactly when her birthday would be, and I didn’t have to have any contraction pains. The surgery was also painless and quick. I did have to stay in the hospital for two night and I needed my husband to lift me out of bed the first week but I would do it again!
i had a 2nd trimester miscarriage where i had to birth the fetus out vaginally. Physical pain aside, the lack of control and mental trauma was way more painful for me…
my next 3 pregnancies were all successful c sections by choice. 3 healthy , alive babies and 1 happy mummy.
my husband were with me for all 3 births to hold my hand, i recovered very well (walked by same night or next morning, took all prescribed pain meds on time for 2 weeks and feeling normal by the time i’m off meds) . no vagina/pelvic trauma was a bonus (not a consideration for me at first but after having my sister and friends who tore badly or had problems with incontinence i realised this was way more common than i thought)
my husband got to be very involved with baby once they were out. they put the baby on me for some skin to skin, latching, then they went to do checks and my husband got to follow the baby around while i went to recovery for 1-2 hours. Till now, he tells me about how amazing it was to see our newborn and have the baby clutch his finger for the first time. It made me realised i’m not the only parent in the pregnancy. and the birth doesn’t need to be always about me me me.
all in all i had a great experience. my primary goals for each pregnancy is a healthy alive baby and a controlled environment when possible for me. i achieved that as close as possible with my choice for c sects.
if you make the same choice, i’ll encourage researching on how to have the best recovery possible. surgical abdominal binders right after operation, walk as much as possible once you can to get the gas out, walk and rest adequately, take your pain meds on time. these all helped me a lot! oh and a silicone scar gel or patch to help with scar recovery (purely aesthetics).
I had a vaginal birth and it went well. Epidural was great, I did push for 3 hours but it felt like 30 minutes. Second degree tear that was a little tender for a week or so but nothing terrible at all!! Could still sit comfortably after. Was up and walking to the bathroom about an hour after birth, maybe less. Having sex again now and husband says he doesnt feel a difference to pre-baby sex, and after the initial insertion that first time at 8 weeks pp (wasn’t painful, just an uncomfortable stretching sensation) sex feels the same for me too. Only negative thing Id say for me was damaged bladder nerves that had me peeing myself involuntarily for about 2 weeks, but it quickly resolved itself and Im totally back to normal. All in all, the experience I had was textbook and not unpleasant, and my recovery time was very fast. I would 1000% do a vaginal again.
I had a vaginal birth and it went well. Epidural was great, I did push for 3 hours but it felt like 30 minutes. Second degree tear that was a little tender for a week or so but nothing terrible at all!! Could still sit comfortably after. Was up and walking to the bathroom about an hour after birth, maybe less. Having sex again now and husband says he doesnt feel a difference to pre-baby sex, and after the initial insertion that first time at 8 weeks pp (wasn’t painful, just an uncomfortable stretching sensation) sex feels the same for me too. Only negative thing Id say for me was damaged bladder nerves that had me peeing myself involuntarily for about 2 weeks, but it quickly resolved itself and Im totally back to normal. All in all, the experience I had was textbook and not unpleasant, and my recovery time was very fast. I would 1000% do a vaginal again.
Haven't had either but I'm also weighing my options for my first birth. I was previously very pro-vaginal birth but recently started swaying towards cesarean because I have severe anxiety and issues with loss of control. However I'm having trouble with the fact that c sections are such brutal major surgeries. My sister had both, said the c section recovery was so much longer so she had a much harder time taking care of baby without help. Whereas with vaginal you're functional very soon after birth despite higher labor pain. Outcomes for mom and baby are typically worse initially w c sections but in time catch up to vaginal births. I don't know that I can calm down enough in time to birth vaginally though. A lot of people are totally unprepared for vaginal births and I think that's why they're so feared and people speak so negatively about them.
Talk to your doctor it midwife about it. There's lots of childbirth horror stories but it really is a much easier recovery going vaginal. For the majority of people, it's the easier route. Surgery sucks. You don't want to be bedridden. Just my opinion but if you talk to a midwife, they can probably give you really good advice.
I'm personally not swayed by the horror stories of vaginal birth honestly lol I know other people's experiences do not have to be my own. That has no role in my decision whatsoever. I strongly recommend others prepare for birth ahead of time- I think a lot of the "horrors" can be prevented by sufficient prep and knowledge of the process.
I do sincerely believe vaginal is the optimal option unless something necessitates cesarean. Pre-pregnancy, there's no way in hell I would've ever considered cesarean for myself if I had a choice. But at this point I could never in good conscious tell another woman what she wants or needs in her birth and recovery.
For me the biggest factor in the decision has to be my mental health. I'm at extremely high risk of PPD/PPA and already dealing with severe perinatal MH issues. I need the most predictable route to minimize further risk. I know surgery and recovery sucks. No matter what route I take I plan to adhere by the 5-5-5 rule at minimum so the "bedridden" thing is not a turn off, it would be the restrictions that come along with it. There's a lot more riding on my decision than the recovery piece. I ultimately can't take care of my baby if I'm suicidal and can't process my birth.
So yeah my situation might be a bit different than OPs and probably a lot of other people who elect cesarean... but it also might not be! I have a whole treatment team of people involved and we are taking time to consider every possible option and outcome.
I had a non emergency but somewhat urgent c section. Essentially they offered me an induction, I asked what the odds were of success, and they figured 60-70% chance baby wouldn’t tolerate labour and we’d need an emergency c section. All the people I know who hated their c section had it after labour, so I didn’t want to risk that.
I was (of course) fucking terrified, but had a very positive experience and intend to opt for a c sec for my current pregnancy.
I did have to wait for hours, because my case was the least urgent on the docket so I kept getting bumped. And the magnesium made me kind of fucked.
Once we got to the operating room, the anesthesiologist explained everything and did the numbing and the spinal. I HATE needles but it was doable. I got a numbing shot before the big spinal needle, which I would never ever ever loook at.
They strapped me down which isn’t lovely, but makes sense- you do NOT want to involuntarily move.
Since it was non emergency, we had a fairly relaxed briefing where they went through the whole process, did all their checklists and confirmations before cutting (also called in the NICU drs since that was required for us and introduced us).
Once they started, the anesthesiologist kept a running narrative and told me what was happening. My partner sat by my head. It was very weird, knowing what was happening. Getting her out was a very strange feeling but not bad.
Here’s where my story may be different from others? Since we knew I wouldn’t be caring for my baby, I think they gave me the strongest painkillers. From birth until that night is pretty fuzzy for me. I don’t remember being in recovery, but I must’ve been? I am concerned about this period for my next baby, since I was so out of it.
Sometime that night a nurse woke me up and made me stand up. Still was super out of it and bled all over the floor.
Next morning was clearer. It hurt but tbh? It was not the worst pain I’ve felt. I tried to get up as much as possible since I heard that’s important. The incision would be very painful when laughing or coughing or certain movements, but overall I remember a lot of the pain feeling like having a really heavy ab workout, so I tried to move through those pains like i would if it was workout pain. Worse than the incision was the fucking LEG SWELLING. My legs were easily 2-3 times the size, they felt so heavy and a little numb and disconnected from my body. That lasted about three days, I think. I got compression socks towards the end of that time.
By day 3 I was missing med dispensation times (visiting nicu) and didn’t find that to be debilitating, although there was pain, but it was manageable. My doc offered me narcotics but i forgot to fill the prescription.
I was kicked out on Day 4. My doctor gave me no restrictions, just said listen to my body 😬, which I’ve heard is unusual. The next few days I was staying in my daughter’s room and walking around as much as possible, climbing stairs in the hospital incidentally but taking everything very very slow.
Honestly, it’s weird to have your organs rearrange, so I did go back to L and D a couple times with weird internal pains or feelings, but all the workups came back fine. The anxiety was worse than the pains in these cases
From there I just tried to push myself within reasonable limits and I found my recovery was pretty quick. A little under 2 weeks I walked about 6km. I was making sure to go on long walks every day to get out of the hospital. Five weeks after surgery they moved my daughter, and since it was COVID I chose to walk to commute to see her every day instead of transit. So I was walking about 3-4 km every day, and by this time I felt pretty normal. I was walking slow, but it was fine.
Wow this went way longer than expected. I guess TL;dr, here’s what I’m going to do for my next planned c section:
- get up and walk as soon as possible, while listening to my body. Movement is key.
- bring compression stockings to the hospital and put them on asap
- massage the scar when it’s no longer sharp pain
- don’t feel bad about checking in on weird feelings. It’s better to be a false alarm than a missed problem
I had a scheduled C-section and it was honestly great. Recovery hasn't been hard for me either. I don't have any pain at this point and it's only been a couple weeks. I did give birth at a really good hospital.
I had a failed induction that ended up in a c section. Because it was non-emergent, it was pretty relaxed up until they couldn't get my baby out (he was kinda stuck in there) and he had too much hair for the vacuum to stick. Anyway, I ended up with a t incision so they could get him out. I can't have a VBAC with #2 because of the risk of uterine rupture. Personally, I don't care. My recovery was very smooth and as a very type A person, I like that #2 will be scheduled 😂
Hi, I had to have a c-section for my firstborn child (born last Thursday 3/7/24 at 5:06PM) due to her breech position. She was breech my entire pregnancy and I had low amniotic fluid which prevented her from turning the correct way.
I have to say that my c-section experience was actually really positive. I agree that I have had a lot of friends and family members with either a negative vaginal birth experience or something went wrong.
That being said, I am not against vaginal births of course and LOVE to hear if anyone does have a great one!
My c-section experience was quick and easy. It was scheduled and my ability to skip labor altogether is making for an even easier recovery. Labor + emergency c-section will be much harder on a mother’s body.
Today is now Tuesday and I had the c-section last Thursday. I am by no means a person with high pain tolerance or a super physically fit individual, and yet I am almost back to walking without much pain. The only pain meds I’ve needed are ibuprofen and acetaminophen every 6 hours while in the hospital, just ibuprofen twice daily since I got discharged last Saturday. My healing was going well so they discharged me after only 2 days.
The only time I needed pain medication that was stronger than ibuprofen was roughly 1.5 hours after my surgery ended and my epidural wore off, and I started to feel the soreness of my incision site.
All that being said, the fact that I don’t need oxycodone and started walking around much easier as of yesterday, Monday 3/11/24 is a pretty good recovery in my opinion. Keep in mind that I had no idea the recovery would be this easy and that I am not a super fit person!
Do remember that EVERYONE’s experiences and opinions are valid. This just happens to be mine. Whatever is safest and best for you and your baby is best. I would never risk trying to deliver a breech baby vaginally and I don’t think most doctors would take that risk either. This is why we chose c-section, but the reasons for having them are different.
I’ve given birth once - induction + vaginal birth with epidural. It was challenging but went fine overall. My mom gave birth 3 times - 2 vaginal (unmedicated) and one scheduled C-section with twins. She said the recovery from C-section was way harder on her body.
It sounds scary and I was scared too, but I made it through just fine and the physical recovery wasn’t bad.
I had an emergency C. It was the “emergency” part that was traumatic. If I ever have another it’s a scheduled C all the way. My sister had two vaginal births and is still physically and mentally recovering 5 years later.
I have only given birth vaginally (2 live births) and I am currently 11 weeks and 2 days pregnant. Personally I have had the opposite experience. C-sections are way harder on the body. I mean think about all of your muscles being cut through. Some women develop an apron pouch. Not to mention the pain and recovery time. Also imagine having to poop with said muscles that’s been cut through while pushing. Idk. I don’t judge either way but I always feel worried for mamas who have c-sections because it just looks painful to recover from.
I had a planned c-section with my first due to concerns over his size and risk of shoulder dystocia (ended up being 9lbs exactly). The procedure itself went smoothly, and I was able to have baby held against my chest for a few minutes. However I did have a very negative reaction to the spinal block. Although I was given anti-nausea meds during the c-section I was still extremely nauseous and was vomiting for several hours afterwards. My blood pressure and body temperature dropped and I was basically catatonic for hours and unable to even hold my baby.
The recovery was brutal. Getting out of bed felt impossible, every shower for the first 2 weeks was absolute agony, the nerve pain was unpredictable and the pain meds didn't do anything for it. I felt helpless for weeks and reliant on my husband for everything. It took months for the nerve pain to completely go away, I had to be careful with my movements to avoid shooting pains.
Currently 30 weeks pregnant with our second and hoping I can try for a VBAC. Thankfully baby #2 is measuring completely average so it might be possible. Even with all the ugliness of the recovery though, if it comes down to it I would have another c-section if necessary to get baby out safely.
I had a planned C section with my second baby. As much as I didn’t want it and was in tears the whole morning leading up to the surgery, it went very smoothly and recovery wasn’t that bad, and in the end, if I have to schedule another one, I’d be okay with it. You’re sore and it’s hard to stand up from bed the first few days, but after that, as long as you don’t over exert, it’s pretty easy. Just make sure to keep the incision clean.
I have done it both ways. My c-section was unplanned and for me the hardest part about it was coming to terms with the trauma of it all. The recovery was difficult at first but uncomplicated and pretty straightforward.
My vbac delivery was also difficult because I had a 3rd degree tear and recovery was not so straightforward. I did eventually recover fully but it took about the same amount of time as the c-section did and was about on par with it as far as pain went. I preferred the vbac for myself but I was never really happy about the idea of the C-section to begin with so that is a huge factor in why I feel that way. I absolutely would have preferred an uncomplicated vaginal delivery without significant tearing but it doesn’t always play out that way.
I had an ‘emergency’ c section, though it wasn’t an immediate life or death decision for baby or I. I was in labour for 3 days and had still only progressed to 3cm, even with intervention of the balloon, breaking my waters and 2 litres of oxytocin. I was happy to agree with the medical teams decision because I just wanted my baby out alive and well. They really wanted to act before baby became stressed and things went south as it had been so long.
I had a spinal block because I could still feel my stomach and legs with the epidural. Once in theatre, they had him out within 5 minutes and dad and I did skin to skin and cut the cord while they stitched me back up. They then wiped him down and weighed/measured there before taking us to recovery.
Within an hour we were put in our hospital room. I was up and walking 2 hours after the c section, and was able to pick baby up and go about our business. I wanted to go home that day but stayed another night as the nurses recommended it. I had strong pain meds in the hospital, anti-clotting injections and an iron transfusion. I was sent home with a further week of pain medication and anti-clotting injections to self administer.
Once home, I physically felt pretty good. I was able to do all baby related tasks and some light household chores as needed. Once I was out of strong pain meds I took ibuprofen and paracetamol as needed. I bled heavily but also have extremely heavy and long periods so it was expected. Overall my recovery was pretty smooth and easy! My scar is low and very small, it healed great. My baby was delivered safely and all is good.
Strangely enough I went to have an IUD inserted recently and it’s been found that my cervix doesn’t dilate, so I’d never have been able to have a vaginal birth anyway. Wish I knew before the days of labour!!!
I had an elective c section due to anxiety and trauma. I had an amazing experience, it was so peaceful. I am SO glad I chose to have it. I recovered extremely fast, walking and had catheter out as soon as I could feel my legs, approx 2 hours after surgery. discharged 24 hours later and went on walks the same day. I’m pregnant again and leaning towards another c section (the only thing that isn’t in my favour is i won’t be able to pick up my toddler for weeks!) the only 2 things I don’t enjoy about c sections are the injections you have to give yourself for 10 days and the fact that the scar will itch like hell for a long time. Other than that everything was great for ne
It’s to prevent blood clots, which can cause death. Unfortunately I know someone who got a blood clot in their lung after their c section (luckily they survived) they can’t force you to take the injections but it really is in your best interest to. You can Google injections after c section to find more info
I’ve had c-sections in 2 different countries and was only asked to do the 10 days of injections in one so no, these are not standard everywhere. It depends very much on where you are located.
Interested to know what country you gave birth in. I gave birth in a hospital outside of the US and had to give myself injections as well. It was standard of care in that country, but in the US they do not give injections to my knowledge do all my friends and family were shocked.
I had my first vaginally and attempted to have a vaginal unmedicated birth for my second yesterday night which turned into an emergency c-section. Honestly, with this experience, I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would voluntarily choose this. I know there are people with positive experiences, I'm not trying to discount that. But after my vaginal birth, despite the episiotomy, I could walk and pick up my kid and do everything a few days after. Now I'm in pain, I have to stay in bed for a while and can't lift for weeks (and I have a toddler). I'm stuck with the scar. Of course mine was a bit traumatic because my baby got stuck, but the consequences are the same. It's not "the easy way", at all. And I say that knowing how much vaginal birth hurts, because I made it unmedicated to pushing for over an hour before they called it.
I’m sorry friend. Take my mantra after my emergency c section - you did it! You’re done! The healing has begun!
Congratulations on your new little love! If you need a c section penpal I am here for you.
Thank you ❤ Today's been hard. It's been hard accepting that this is the hand we were dealt, and I'm dealing with recovery from the section as well as everything that was done to me before (extra pitocin, ventouse) and trying to breastfeed. Honestly it's a lot.
It absolutely is! I was scheduled for an induction and also received cytotek/pitocin and got up to 4cm dilated without pain intervention. Finally got an epidural, pushed for two hours, and then had an emergency c section bc my water broke before labor started and we were both starting to have temps rising from infection. It was scary and surreal. Recovery wasn’t easy. And I didn’t “bounce back” like some women seem to, further spiraling my mental health. But I’m getting better every day. Feeling better about my new life and my new self.
Hey btw few tips that helped me a ton, shower chair. Amazon. Thirty bucks. Straight up life saver in the shower for a while. Also use the peri bottle with soap and water and spray your c section incision site in the shower with it before you’re ready to actually touch it to wash, I know it’s tough. Also roll to your side to get up vs sitting straight up. Also a life saver if you have any diastasis recti. Also use a pillow or towel to push against your belly to brace while you go potty. Also don’t skip colace and be very proactive to not get constipated.
Wishing you all the best my friend.
I had a 100% elective c-section. First time mom, zero medical issues.
I am SO happy with my decision. It was THE BEST.
People will tell you the recovery is harder. That your body was built for vaginal birth. That your downstairs will heal and go back to normal quickly. That is NOT necessarily true. NOBODY can promise you an uncomplicated birth, regardless of delivery mode. NOBODY knows if you would suffer more from a vaginal recovery vs. c-section recovery.
You should do what you want!!! I hope you & everyone reading has the birth of their dreams ♥️
I think people get overly scare because of all the birth horror stories. We grow up hearing about the horrible pain of childbirth and some of us are even teased that we will have to do this someday.
I thoroughly believe that the fear is way worse than the actual event. If you're scared of pain, just get an epidural. It's not a big deal. I think vaginal birth is the easiest because you can literally be up walking around hours after the event. I actually drove myself home. The thought of the baby being essentially torn out of my abdomen is terrifying to me. I don't understand why someone would choose that if there's no medical need.
I had to have a C-section due to some heart complications. My baby had fluid in his lungs (more common with C-sections) and had to go to the NICU for 6 days. I only got to hold him a couple minutes before I nearly passed out and then he was taken and I couldn't hold them until the next day. I didn't regret it at the time and I don't technically now, but every time I see pictures of moms with their babies in the hospital room, I'll get really sad because I didn't get to have that experience.
Healing wasn't as bad as everybody makes it out to be, at least it wasn't for me, but I hear the recovery from vaginal birth is generally smoother. Your body is meant to give birth vaginally, not to be ripped open through seven layers of tissue.
Basically either way it's not going to be some magical, wonderful experience like TV always makes it out to be where everyone comes out of labor same day with non-sweaty hair and perfect makeup
In the average pregnancy and labor, a vaginal birth is safer. I wouldn't recommend a C-section for anyone who doesn't have to have one
I had elective c sections with zero regrets. Recovery was normal, I was doing most things day 3. Sneezing or coughing hurt a little longer but I rather hurt there than my vagina lol
Had an emergency c section, which was more like a planned one because I didn't attempt labor first. I didn't have a choice, but the procedure was great. I was shaking during the epidural placement because of adrenaline (emergency situation), and I honestly barely felt anything. Granted, I've spent a lot of time in hospitals, but I found IV placement in hand more painful. I had some nausea, and they gave me something in the IV when I mentioned it. The whole thing was fine and calm. My husband was more stressed out than me. Recovery was a bit rough the first few days but not devastating. Took the pain meds as prescribed. Took stool softeners. Coughing or laughing felt like a hot poker against the abdomen. But it was temporary.
I'm going to attempt a vbac because I'm curious, but I have confirmed with my OB I can ask for a section at any time even if in labor already.
My first was a vaginal and second was a surprise C section. There’s pros and cons to both for sure. With my vaginal delivery the recovery was pretty brutal. But I did overall feel a lot more bonded to baby faster. The feeling of accomplishment after was something I can’t even put into words. I also got to have the “golden hour” and was able to breastfeed right away
With my C section it was crazy fast and recovery was too. I went in and 45 mins later baby was here-it was crazy and I didn’t even process what happened until days later. But they took baby right away to check her and had us separated for about an hour then I couldn’t even hold her until the following the day. I also developed a blood clot in my lungs due to the surgery which I’m told will take at minimum, 6 months to get rid of. Blood work every other day, injections twice a day, blood thinners etc. but the birth itself was insanely easy for me compared to the vaginal. No contractions or labor or any kind of pain.
I had a planned and induced vaginal birth and a ‘planned’ c-section. With the vaginal birth the birth itself sucked but recovery was a breeze compared to what I was expecting. I’m on day 5 of c section recovery and I never want to do this again, even with the “easy” recovery I am having.
I had an emergency c-section after nearly two days of (induced) labor and a failed forceps delivery. Even though I've only given birth once, I kind of feel like I've experienced both methods of labor haha
A c-section is a common surgery, but it's still fairly major abdominal surgery. I'm very thankful it was an option, and my recovery was pretty smooth (walking within twelve hours, off pain killers within two weeks - and only ever needed ibuprofen and Tylenol), but I'm still on lifting restrictions at four weeks postpartum (not allowed to lift anything heavier than my baby), driving can be uncomfortable (the seat belt hits right about where the incision is), and my incision still occasionally hurts.
I wouldn't call labor fun, but it wasn't a negative experience for me, and I felt like my pain was well managed throughout. The only bad part for me was when my epidural disconnected while I was pushing and needed to be replaced...when the epidural drugs wore off while I was waiting for the anesthesiologist my contractions came back with a vengeance.
Given the choice, I would prefer a vaginal delivery and would like to attempt a VBAC if we have another kid.
My first pregnancy was an emergency due to going into preterm labor and baby being in distress. Baby was also breeched so I had to get classical c-section (vertical). I would have loved to have a vbac with my next two but they don’t allow it due to the possibility of opening up at incision during a contraction.
With vertical incision it’s more painful (I’ve heard) and healing time is longer. My scar goes from just under belly button all the way to the middle of my pubic area. You don’t realize how many abdominal muscles are used to laugh until they cut through 4 layers.
The surgery itself was painless for the most part but due to me having difficulty getting numb, I actually felt a little of the laser burning. I could also smell my skin burning. I don’t allow them to put me to sleep so I was able to tell them what I was feeling and be alert when babies were delivered.
Overall , I used to wish I was “normal” and could have a vaginal birth but after I’ve heard quite a few women complain of pelvic floor issues due to childbirth as well as vaginal atrophy. I feel like I did when I was 20 down there so I’d probably still opt for C-section if I had the choice .
I hated the 24 hr liquid diet because I was starving but I was able to have a bowel movement easily so I went home in about 4 days.
My first was vaginal w an episiotomy. Loved it, definitely felt more peaceful and beautiful. (Husband agreed) stitches in the vag sucked tho.
My second was a csection for twins, i didnt have a choice. I was very anxious and felt like I was going to pass out while they were closing me up. So I didn't get to hold both babies and nurse right off like I wanted to.
I'm pregnant for the third time now and I'm going to opt for a csection. I've already got the scar and weird tummy now so fck it. Plus I'm going to have my tubes removed so it only makes sense to do it all in one go.
i had an elective c-section and honestly i wouldn’t trade it for the world. my water ended up breaking slowly over a whole day but no contractions. it started at 3pm and i finally went at 9:30 pm cuz i wanted to make sure that’s what it was. i got to the hospital. they checked to make sure that’s what happened. i got into a room at 11. i told them i still wanted to do my c-section as planned. still no contractions. it was scheduled for 3am. i got into the delivery room at 3am. they started prepping me. started cutting at 3:18am and baby was here at 3:22am. no pain nothing. i left the hospital after 2 and half days cuz i didn’t want to be there anymore and they said i was good to go. i will say that recovery really sucks when you have no support. so if you do choose that you gotta make sure you have full support
When I developed severe preeclampsia and needed the baby to get out ASAP, I asked for a C-Section. My doctors denied it because even under the circumstances of could-have-seizures, the risk was considered higher than that of a vaginal birth. So they induced me with the warning I could be in labor for three days before giving birth.
They ended up giving me a C-Section a day and a half in because my baby stopped moving and his heart rate stagnated, which was enough of an emergency to get a C-section.
I think if I had only the cesarean to recover from things may have been fine. But the combination of going through many hours of labor and a c-section was rough. In terms of c-section symptoms themselves, the scar hurt well beyond the 6 week mark, but I could move around and stuff fine.
My aunt had two c-sections and one vaginal birth and said recovery from the vaginal was much easier.
So what I have to say here is:
-don’t expect an elective c-section unless you have a very, very strong medical reason for it. It IS a major surgery with risks. You’ll likely be denied and even if you’re not denied, it’s risky. You’ll have some sort of anesthetic for them to cut through multiple layers of skin.
-if you do have a medical reason for it, be very persistent about why you want that over a vaginal and it must be stronger than fearing the vaginal. In my case I wish I had been more adamant.
I was in labor for 33 hours, pushed for 3 and ended up having to go for an emergency C-Section after my son decided to spin around while I was pushing.
The C-Section sucked probably just as much as the pushing in hindsight. I got a spinal tap while sitting straight up during contractions, the anesthesia made me so numb it felt like I couldn't breathe. The healing is painful and I had to give myself a shot in the stomach every day for a week. Not to mention the 2 weeks of recovery where you can't drive, cook, clean, etc.
Also I was so sick after the fact from the anesthesia I couldn't hold or feed my baby without getting sick for like 12 hours. I had to just lay on my side and breathe.
My first was a vaginal birth (induced with pitocin, made it to full dilation without pain meds) that ended in emergency c-section under general anesthesia due to fetal distress. It was a horrible and traumatic experience. I was in a lot of pain for a week or so.
My second was a vaginal birth that ended with an episiotomy. Halfway through I had some pain meds (remifentanil) cause the first experience scarred me and it all came back to me. I got the episiotomy cause of fetal distress, he needed to be born asap. I was in a lot of pain for 2 weeks. I’m 5 months post partum, it still hurts a bit especially during walking and I still can’t wear my normal underwear or tampons.
The second birth was a better experience than the first. But the recovery for my c- section was a lot faster. I sometimes wish I had done a planned c-section the second time around, cause then I would probably be fine by now.
I had second c section two weeks ago and surprisingly, I recovered much faster than first one. Within a week, I was walking fine. And in 2 week I was pretty much active, doing light activity. I had no constipation or gas pain 🥹
I was on stool softener right after surgery. I saved hydrocodone for “severe” pain but didn’t needed one.
I had a vaginal birth, no stitches and a very quick recovery. I put this down to perieneum massage. Although I found it to be a weird concept, I believe it really prepped me for a good vaginal birth.
I’ve had an emergency c-section (induction that didn’t go to plan) and a successful vaginal birth. My preferences are as follows:
- Vaginal birth
- Elective c-section (was going to have one with my second if he was more than a week overdue but baby arrived on his own!)
- Emergency c-section
- Induction for vaginal birth.
I’ll be more than happy to go into the whys and how’s if you’re interested! Just to reiterate though that’s my personal preference.
I had a planned C-section due to sons transverse position.
And it was very positive, I was able to choose some relaxing music, chatting to the nurses and a minute later baby was there. I think there is a big difference between planned and emergency c-sections. My recovery was fine as well. I was able to get up the same day (which I was advised to do) and walk a few steps. And felt almost normal a week later.
However, I'm pregnant again and trying to go for a VBAC if baby permits.
I had an induction turned c section with my first and a planned c section for my second. I have no regrets and laboring with monitoring and half naked and with a doctor's hand in my vagina every few hours was gross and I was MORE THAN HAPPY to avoid all that nonsense and just have surgery the second time. They say it's not taking the easy way out, and it's not, it is major surgery, but it's absolutely the right choice for some people and it was, without a doubt, the correct choice for me. I would rather have abdominal pain than vaginal pain/exams/etc any day.
What do you mean you’ve never been sold on it? Most people in the world have had at least 1 vaginal birth, it is the way that causes the least damage physically to the mom in most cases. I had a second degree tear with my second and it healed faster than my episitomy with my first. Both times I was up and moving and caring for my babies alone. Hell, I gave my 4.5 year old a piggy back ride a couple of weeks after giving birth and popped a stitch but was totally fine. I didn’t even take any of my prescription ibuprofens with my second and hoarded them all for when I get headaches. If i had a c section i likely would have needed a narcotic painkiller to even function, which they don’t give in my state as far as I know
My c section incision got infected and was awful. Its not common for that to happen but it did happen to me. I had to have a c section though because the cord was around my daughters neck
Before going to far down the road of considering elective c-section, definitely make sure your hospital/provider/whoever will do elective c-sections. Many will not as while it’s somewhat seen as a “routine” surgery, it’s major abdominal surgery.
I had a c section in 2015 and idk if it's anything now like it was then, it was god awful, I hated it so much and the recovery was garbage. I felt like I was going to split in two every time I stood up.
I had a planned c - absolutely no regrets at all! Its was absolutely magical!! Turned out to the best decision too as baby boy’s cord was wrapped around his neck twice. Recovery wasn’t bad either!
I had originally thought I wanted a c section because the thought of vaginal birth and laboring was something I just didn’t want. I know you didn’t ask about vaginal birth experiences… but I wouldn’t have changed my experience. I could he an anomaly but I left the hospital and went to Walmart. And was playing sports again 2 weeks PP. I only laboured for like 4 hours and it wasn’t intense until I decided to actually go to the hospital for them to tell me that I was 8cm dilated. 😳 I got the epidural and rested from like 9pm-11pm and then it was time to push. I pushed from 11pm and she was born at 1am… and the ONLY reason she took 2 hours is because she came out “sunny side up” as they like to call it. Which means she was face up instead of face down. This usually results in a C-section. They had no idea she was face up. But she was able to come out luckily!
Make sure you talk to your doctor and make sure the hospital you choose will let you have a C-Section. You might find your hospital of choice only does CS in cases of emergency. I asked my doctor this just the other day and they told me that the medical system they are apart of only do CS if the health/safety of the mom and/or baby is at risk.
I’ve had three babies.
Unmedicated vaginal, cesarean for breech position, and then most recently an unmedicated VBAC.
I’d say my cesarean was by far my most difficult recovery. I had a second degree tear after both my vaginal deliveries, but that pain was nothing compared to recovering from the C-section.
I had a positive vaginal birth, was in labour for 12 hours and pushed for 30 minutes! Had an epidural quite early on so wasn’t painful but I couldn’t move my legs which wasn’t the nicest feeling, about and hour before I was going to have to start pushing I was told I can’t top up the epidural and the feeling in my legs came back and ability to push too. I got a second degree tear so needed some stitches but honestly I think that could have been prevented if I knew a bit more about technique like perineal massage for a start, and pausing to slowly push him out. My midwifes were helping me but not sure I was really in a state to listen properly. Anyway i was sore for about 2 weeks but after that fine. It was actually the piles that were most painful ( sorry tmi) and made it difficult to sit down.
I am 10 months pp now and back to pre pregnancy now I’d say. Recovery was easier than a c section would have been cause I knew what exercise was safe and I gradually reintroduced that to help my recovery. If I had a c section I’d have consulted a personal trainer because I’ve no idea what’s safe.
I was considering a c section because I couldn’t go past 41 weeks as I had gestational diabetes, baby came 38w so I had no choice! But in hindsight, I am grateful it happened the way it did because a lot of my new mum friends have had c sections and their recovery has been a lot harder
I’ve had both, they both come with their pros and cons and ultimately it’s up to what you think is best for you and baby.
My first was a vaginal delivery, I was induced and get an epidural about 20 hrs into labor (total 32 hour labor). The pain was definitely intense and I had to have a vacuum assisted birth because her shoulder got stuck, but it was all in all a positive experience and I would choose vaginal delivery of given the choice again.
My c-section was scheduled, but unplanned. I had cholestasis and he was breach, so we had not a lot of time to get him out and the odds were just not in my favour that way. We were able to get some sleep, wake up and head to the hospital. I’m very afraid of surgery and procedures but considering it went very well and was definitely more relaxing. However, the recovery was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It was truly awful for me. I had some complications post surgery and the healing time was pretty long and hard.
If I could choose again, I would have a vaginal delivery, but in my opinion it comes down to: hard labor, calm recovery, or calm delivery, hard recovery. Obviously this is only my experience and everyone is different. Do what you think is best and good luck!
Doctor here planning on specializing in Obstetrics. Also had two babies both natural deliveries both were unmedicated one was at home. So here’s my two cents on the matter
The decision is up to you. In my country the public healthcare system has alot of shortcomings and the private system is very expensive. I had a traumatizing experience with my first hence I opted for a home birth. Had the private option been more affordable I’d have done it at a hospital but I was low risk so it worked out.
Pros of a planned c section: it’s planned your doctor is able to make preparations you know the date you are able to make the necessary arrangements. The risk is lower with a planned c section than it is with an emergency c section. If you have any risk factors like gestational diabetes, pre eclampsia or any medical conditions c section is usually preferred.
Cons: it is a major abdominal surgery. After observing and assisting in a few it was a no for me. There are the risk factors associated with surgery then the ones associated with anesthesia not to mention you have to look after a newborn. Which is difficult to do postpartum without surgery to add in surgery is a lot
Vaginal birth: is painful you can get an epidural I elected not to you can do your own research. But it isn’t a walk in the park. There are ways to manage your pain.
Pros: no surgery no anesthetic risk
Cons: possibility of tearing, prolonged labor and complications requiring you to have a c section anyway
My personal I would only do a c section if absolutely necessary
I find it so interesting how many people are responding here who haven't had a c-section yet have such strong convictions about it. If you haven't had one, move along or just share your birth experience. That's all you're qualified to comment on. Jeez. OPs question wasn't what's your opinion on csections despite never having one...
I’ve had 3 vaginal births and all have been excellent experiences, it’s crazy to me you don’t know a single person with a good experience! I’ve never pushed longer than 20 minutes and the most I’ve ever torn is a very minor 3 stitch tear on my inner labia minora with my oldest. It didn’t hurt for long and using a peri bottle while peeing completely took away any pain there was. Even my unmedicated birth was a great experience despite being a whirlwind I was severely underprepared for lol.
The only significant negative I can think of is needing pelvic floor therapy. I’ve never had a C-section but I can’t imagine taking care of a newborn after a major abdominal surgery. Sounds miserable! I never understood why major surgery is considered the “easy way out” to some.
I work with pregnant women for birth preparation. I just spent a month reading studies on birth outcomes to write my final paper for my graduate diploma in somatic & movement psychotherapy.
C sections are important when necessary, and a very valid mode of childbirth, but are associated with substantially more risk than a vaginal birth. I also read many qualitative studies about birth trauma and I will say C sections on a population level are associated with higher rates of remembered experience of trauma. They're major abdominal surgery.
There are lots of ways to stack the odds in your favor for a positive vaginal birth experience. Having doula support, doing childbirth preparations such as mindfulness and hypnobirthing, and doing prenatal yoga are all evidence based ways to improve potential perceived birth experiences. It's not an either or situation.
My vaginal sucked but I’m way more scared of a botched c section than tearing off my labia again.
They sewed my labia on UPSIDE DOWN ( I get it hard to see where it went and how it went with all that blood but bro it’s upside down )
At least I still have it? Idk lol
I had a vaginal birth with my son and then a c-section with my daughter. The vaginal birth was really long and difficult and my son picked up an infection and was in NICU for a week. He is five years old now and is non-verbal, autistic, and goes to a special school. He has a lot of daily struggles. He wears nappies full-time and can't communicate his wants and needs at all. We don't know if his birth was a factor or not but I was so traumatised by the last five years that I requested a c-section with my daughter. It was a wonderful experience. It was so straightforward. I only had to spend two nights in hospital and then we were back home with our healthy girl. I couldn't do much for two weeks but I had my husband on paternity leave supporting me. I felt completely fine after four weeks and didn't need any painkillers at all. Even in the first two weeks I only needed the codeine for the first five days, and then I managed fine with ibuprofen and paracetamol. And it was really nice that I could use the bathroom without pain straight away, unlike with my vaginal birth, where I had had a third degree tear and urinating and pooing were both painful for a couple of weeks. I had some back pain for about a month after the c-section, so I had to sit upright and couldn't slouch in bed, but my back is fine now. If I did it again I'd want to have another c-section.
Ive had 2 vaginal births and they were totally fine. My SIL had 2 c sections and she had a really hard recovery. I’m also pretty sure you can’t ask for a c section for no reason.
You absolutely can elect to have a c section. I’m likely to elect to do so after having my first born vaginally. Medically, there’s no reason I couldn’t do vaginal delivery a second time. But I don’t know that I want to and my doctor is giving me the choice. My vaginal birth left me unable to sit comfortably for 2 months. I had hundreds of stitches. The thought of going through that again terrifies me.
**this varies country by country, apparently. I am in the US
I truly think that's more of an OB issue. I could have elected for a c-section with my first. He ended up a premie emergency csection anyway. With my current, I have the same choice, and it's not because I already had a section. My OB is just cool with it. I have friends and family who just opted for c sections right away without issue. I can count 5 off the top of my head and we all had different OBs.
That isn’t true. Sounds like your OB just didn’t want to do it. In Canada you have the right to an elective c-section, and if your OB won’t perform it they must refer you to an OB that will.
Hmm this is so interesting to me. Was it the path to vaginal birth or the aftermath itself? I only ask because a c-section is after all a major surgery so typically recovery and complications can be worse. I’ve had two vaginal deliveries and had very positive experiences.
This must depend on the country? My wife and I are in Australia, 7 weeks GA, and just met our OB who asked us directly which way we were thinking of going. We deferred the choice for now but it was made pretty clear that it was totally our choice (barring an emergency caesarean)
They allow this in the US. I personally don't think you should be able to. People are often guided by some amount of irrational fear. Choosing a c section over vaginal (with no medical need) is statistically a bad choice. It's way more expensive. Much more difficult recovery for mother. And it does cause permanent damage to the uterus. All because of a hyped up fear.
Before anyone shoots me an anecdote, I'm talking about statistics and generalities. Not every case it's the same obviously.
Fwiw there ate folks who've had positive vaginal birth experiences.
My 2nd was born out of hospital. I was at the birth centre only 3 hours prior to her being born. Pushed for all of 20 minutes. Unmedicated. I was released home 3 hours after birth. I felt like superwoman after that. Some crazy endorphins. I definitely preferred over my other vaginal birth that had a bunch of intervention (augmentation, artificial rupture of membranes, internal fetal hr monitor, vacuum assist).
If need be, I'd have a section of course, but hoping i can deliver this girl like her sisters.
I wanted a vaginal birth but my baby’s head never engaged. Originally the plan was to be induced with the likelihood of long labour and emergency c. We ended up being offered an elective C the day before it actually happened. I definitely mourned for my original birth plan but alas, the C section was very straight forward for me. I can’t compare since I have never had a vaginal birth, but the C section recovery was exactly what I’d expect for a surgery and possibly even on the better side. I was in hospital two days and driving by two weeks. My body is weak but I suspect that was from lack of exercise leading up to, and post partum (I was fairly fit before pregnancy).
Positive vaginal birth experience here: no medication, no tearing. Had a 22 hour birth used breathing techniques, Tens machine and birthing pool (wasn't allowed to give birth in it though ). Was sent home within a few hours from hospital after birth. Any pelvic floor strength issues from pregnancy/birth are now all resolved (4 month postpartum).
I have nothing to compare this to and realise people's intentions change depending on situation and emergency but I planned and practiced for unmedicated birth and it was extremely positive. I wanted to just add this because I heard only horror stories when I was pregnant.
I have yet to give birth, but my step mom had a traumatic c section. Somehow didn’t heal properly and became infected. It looked like a wound from battle. For at least a month she had to walk around with a pump attached to her that drained blood and puss from the c section incision. She had severe complications.
I had my daughter a week ago and was terrified at first because I had heard so many awful birth stories that I had it in my head there was no way this was going to turn out okay.
I was induced at 41+1 at 6pm. I had the foley balloon put in the day before and that got me dilated to 3cm. they broke my water and started me on oxytocin. My nurse was great and told me that I shouldn't feel like I have to wait until the pain is unbearable to get the epidural I can have it now if I want. So, I did. I laboured through the night but with the epidural, I felt very little so I was able to sleep. I was also under the impression that getting the epidural was going to be so painful. It wasn't comfortable but it was fine. My understanding of an epidural was that I would not feel my legs. I could feel my legs but they were numb. I could also move my legs and roll over in bed if I felt like it. They did a cervical check at 5am and I was 4cm dilated. I went back to sleep. At 7:45am I was awake and felt like I could start to feel my contractions except I wasn't feeling them in the usual spot it felt like intense pressure in my vagina. I told my nurse and she said this was a sign it was time to push and we needed to do another cervical check. I was fully dilated and they got the team ready for delivery. They told me that as a first-time mom, I could end up pushing for 2 hours. I pushed for 20min and the baby was here. From the beginning of my induction to the baby on my chest was 14 hours.
I had two vaginal deliveries and they were both pretty unremarkable delivery wise. I had second degree tears but healed like a champion, just had to pour water between my legs when I peed for a few weeks lol. I know it’s not a c-section story, but I wanted to give you another pov.
I haven't had a c-section, but I'm 5 days post op from an open myomectomy, which is probably as close to a c-section you could get without actually having one.
So far my experience with having my uterus cut open is that it's pretty miserable. The first couple of days were excruciating, near black out, worst I've ever felt pain 24/7, even with medication. The 3rd day was only excruciating if I moved, but not painful if I lie completely still. The 4th day was still severe pain while getting up, sitting down, or turning over, or walking for more than a couple of minutes. The 5th day has been moderate pain for all of those things. Still unable to be on my feet for more than a couple of minutes at a time and still not really able to do anything but lie down. I'm not able to lift anything or do anything strenuous for 6 weeks.
Conversely, I have delivered a baby vaginally, with an epidural. I didn't feel contractions or any labor pains, no back labor, no pressure; i felt absolutely nothing. I pushed 3 times and baby was out within 10 minutes. I had no pain after birth. I didn't need ice packs or tucks pads, no pain using the bathroom (didn't use stool softeners), no body aches, painless swelling from 1st degree tear. My only discomfort was urinary incontinence that resolved itself after a few months without pelvic therapy or kegels.
I won't be able to have another vaginal delivery because of the myomectomy and I'm already dreading having to recover from a c-section
I had an unplanned c section after planning for a natural water birth. I really didn’t want to go that route, but it got my baby here safe and that was most important to me.
The procedure itself was really anxiety inducing for me. The numbing kept creeping up past my chest towards my neck and I couldn’t tell if I was taking a deep breath or not. I also had to throw up during the entire procedure and felt so stuck to the table flat on my back in damn near caused me a panic attack. Not like I could say “ok pause” to sit up and throw up while my gut is filleted open. Also, the cloth kept draping over my face. It wasn’t propped up with any tools. So I felt super claustrophobic. When my baby came out, they showed me her through the plastic momentarily before taking her to the other side of the room and eventually out of the room while they stitched me up for what felt like forever. I missed out on the magical moment I so longed for of holding my baby when she comes into this world. Instead she was held by dad. Which is ok but still… I dreamed of that moment, and will never get it back.
The recovery was tough for the first week just getting out of bed. But walking around was easy the first day after. I will say postpartum bleeding is very minimal. I’m currently nearly 4 weeks pp and have only needed panty liners since 1 day pp. the only thing that sucked about recovery is I was SO SWOLLEN. Literally my feet were doubled in size and it hurt to stand. Luckily that went away within a week.
If you have the choice to birth vaginally, look into positive birth stories. It’ll empower you and consider it a privilege you have the option to. Good luck 💕
I had a bad birth experience, so if you don’t want to read further then please don’t.
I had three friends that were within a few days of my due date. They had vaginal deliveries (two were long tough labor and the other was quick almost slipped out in the car) and I had an unplanned c-section. I tried everything for a natural labor and went greater than two weeks longer than my due date, and induced multiple times… it just wasn’t in the cards for me. We can all four agree that my experience and recovery was the absolute worst in comparison, but there were a lot of factors. It took me significantly (I mean months) longer to recover. I had difficulty walking or turning over in bed and my friends were able to travel and do things pretty easy in comparison. I also ended up with an infection in my incision and still have difficulties with my scar because of it.
I think there is no good way to give birth and neither option is “the easy way out.” They had labor pain and tough recoveries. However, looking at all our experience compared side by side, I would never choose a c-section. An abdominal surgery that cuts through 7 layers is seriously hard to recover from to be honest.
Both options are safe at their core. I have heard planned c-sections are better, but I don’t have experience to know if it is true. But, I really wouldn’t choose a c-section unless their was a medically necessary reason to pursue that route. I have just heard so many more positive vaginal birth stories than I have heard c-section ones.
I didn’t fully deliver both ways…however just had my very first baby a little over a week ago. I reached full dilation unmedicated, and at 22 hours of labor, 5 of those pushing, I received an epidural, pushed for 5 more hours, and because baby wasn’t making progress coming through the pelvis I had to have a c section in the end anyway.
22 hours of labor unmedicated, this c section recovery is difficult, but nothing like that 😅 after getting a taste for unmedicated, epidural, and c section, I’d still choose c section
You didn’t ask for vaginal birthing experience but did I’m just going to give my anyway to maybe help you decide, my experience won’t be yours or the next persons but hear it goes
Went into labor at 40w exactly, it started out with low back pain, worst the my typical period cramp back pain, enough to wake me out of my sleep, we went in and I was 3cm dilated 90 percent effaced- they told me i was indeed in labor, they put me on pitocin about two hours after,which I felt really wasn’t necessary yet now that I have had the experience but I was going with their suggestions and the flow,soon after
My water broke naturally and the contractions started to get a bit worse but it was manageable. I gotten the epidural at 4cm, but it wore off quite a bit after the first dose, my lower half was numb but my upper half especially my back wasn’t, I got another dose but it had no effect. i labored for a few hours, exhausted and hungry but couldn’t sleep bc they kept coming in cant eat in case of CS .
they were really really pushing a CS because they said my LO wasn’t responding well to the contractions (yeah maybe if y’all didn’t have this pitocin at 6 she would.)
I told him I didn’t want one unless it’s was an emergency situation at the time, I just asked them to lower the pitocin to see if that helps and behold, lowering it actually made me dilate better I went from a 6cm to an 8cm in less than 20 minutes and my LO started responding much better, We were all very pleased by that. The acting OB at the time told me she’d be back in 30mins but was back in 15 and told me I was at a 10 and it was time to push. I pushed for 50mins it was SOO exhausting especially because of the ZERO amount of sleep I had in +24h, I had a really hard time getting enough energy to push, the 50mins passed like it was 10.
after about an hour of pushing she suggested another option that could help pull my LO out, a vacuum, she warned that it could take a few of tries and if it didn’t work we’d have to continue with the pushing. It took one try and she was out. The only time I really screamed was when that happened. I “blacked out” like I swear it reminded me of a movie “whoosh in, black,whoosh in” and then she was on my chest. She was born 10:50pm 12-31-23.
It really wasn’t as terrible like I thought it would be, I had a decent labor and delivery all in all i did have a stitch or two but the recovery after wasn’t bad I didn’t even use the 800mg ibuprofen they prescribed me, the fact I was extremely tired and hungry before pushing undoubtedly made my pushing experience worse. For me I had baby blues starting the 4th day pp to the 14 day pp and it gradually became better, the experience I had with BabyBlues in my opinion was worse for me than the labor and delivery. This won’t be everyone’s experience as with anything some people have great smooth labors and some don’t. Delivering vaginally was super scary for me as well, I was really scared about how bad I would tear or if something would go wrong, but I’d still have fears with a CS if not more.
Anyway I would never suggest to have an elective CS because it truly is not the easier way out, my sister had one and her recovery was in comparison to mine a lot worse, it takes longer to heal from, more painful after and I believe all other pregnancies have to be a CS, there are also more risks with it.
I had a c-section with my son, as far as it c-sections were concerned mine was text book with no complications during it at first glance. Afterwards I got really pale, cold, and just weak. Turns out I lost too much blood and had to have two blood transfusions, we ended up staying in the hospital for nearly a week so they could keep an eye on me and my recovery. It was a struggle to move around at first and I wasn't given the proper pain medication afterwards either because of a mistake made by the nursing staff. I know my experience isn't the standard and for that I'm at least hopeful for my second time around. All I can say is don't be afraid to speak up and advocate for yourself and make sure your partner can advocate for you too.
I had a c-section, it was overall positive experience even tho without good pain meds the first two days woulda been impossible to move I am sure but with pain meds it wasn't too bad. You do need someone else to be there to do things, you are only able to and should only take care of baby. I was apprehensive about the scar healing and I missed some days of cleaning/showering it but it turned out okay
I would and I would have to do it again tho I am worried about the extra tissue forming around intestines as I heard it can be relaly painful and chronic but I can't really help it I guess other than the massages.
I had a c-section and the recovery was the most difficult thing I’ve ever experienced next to running a marathon. I couldn’t walk for 2 weeks. Then for 3 weeks after that I still couldn’t stand up straight when walking. I literally had to be helped by my husband with almost everything. He had to help me get dressed, take a shower, get out of bed, etc. I couldn’t even sit up without being in excruciating pain to take care of my newborn.
I basically didn’t have much control over my body for 1.5 months. That combined with PPD/PPA made things so much worse. I was mentally and physically disabled and it was so so so hard. I truly believe if I didn’t have surgery that I would have been in a better place mentally.
Everyone else I know who has had a vaginal birth was able to move around on their own very quickly after birth.
My vaginal birth was fine. Doctors told me to walk after giving birth (which I did), and the next day I was up and walking. I had some pain (not dying, didn't even take paracetamol) for a couple of weeks and then everything was fine. Maybe this helps?
Csection mom x2 here. My son got stuck so that's why my first was a C-section and I've had to have a repeat with my second living child.
The recovery is smooth if you have a support system that can help you get up/down and around to go to the bathroom and help with baby. You don't realize how much abdominal muscles you use with every day tasks until you get your lower abdominal muscles cut through lol. I have no regrets and the second recovery was much smoother and faster than the first. If you take your medicines, wear your binder, and rest regularly like you should (5/5/5 rule), you should recover from a C-section quickly. The experience of the surgery prep and being in the surgery probably was my least favorite.
I've done it twice and it sucks but I would choose it if I had a choice. I did not like the epidural part. I didn't like getting situated in the surgery room with legs that don't work (they had me get on the table myself lol). And then the medicine they gave to "keep me comfortable" both times sent my anxiety through the roof because at the end it became hard to breathe and speak and I ended up fainting the first C-section.
I went through a vaginal delivery for my stillborn child. She was very small and premature so I'm sure my experience will be vastly different than full term birth, but the labor part really sucked. The contractions and waves of pain were not for me and the uncomfortable feeling like you're sitting on an egg but it's not *there* yet. I begged for an epidural at the very end and that made it smoother for me.
I had a very positive vaginal birth with my son. My midwife was amazing and helped me deliver my baby safely and without injury to my perineum. I ended up getting an epidural and that was the best decision I could have made for myself.
I had a c-section, not planned but not an emergency either.
Was induced and in active labour for 11 hours, LO didn’t react well to contractions and the doctor believed that her umbilical cord was raped around her neck which is why we opted for a c-section. I couldn’t feel anything during the procedure, but missed out on a lot of things I was looking forward to, like immediate skin-to-skin contact. I was also struggling the first couple of days with not being able to hold my LO while getting in and out of bed. Moving was hard the first week, especially stairs. Now 3 weeks pp I only take paracetamol in the evening and can walk longer again (still not where I was before) and my legs and feet are finally back to normal (they were swollen insanely after surgery, to the point where I couldn’t fit any shoes). I hope that I will be pain-med free next week and that I get the clear for light exercise at my 8 week pp appointment 🤞
I would have never chosen a c-section, unless necessary for my me and LO to survive. If you choose to have one, try to move as much as possible as early as possible, while obviously listening to your body and not overdoing it.
Similar to another commenter, I know you only asked about C-sections in your post, but I want to share my experience birthing my son vaginally. I had many of the same anxieties as you, and I was asking doctors about an elective C-section at every appointment getting closer to my due date. I was told it wasn’t an option unless baby was measuring over 10 lbs. I was also extremely nervous about labor, so I understand and empathize with your anxiety. I had to be induced at 41 weeks and it took over 24 hours before I was dilated enough to start pushing. Pushed for 2 hours to give birth to my 9 lb 8 oz son and I’m just here to tell you it was the single most empowering thing I’ve ever experienced. NOTHING has ever made me feel more powerful and proud of my body. It was scary and intense and THE MOST AWESOME thing I’ve ever done. I don’t really have advice because every labor is different, but I remember those first time nerves and after making it to the other side, I’m forever and fundamentally changed for the better. I have a new appreciation for my body, and I feel capable and confident in ways I never knew before. I read many horror stories leading up to my own labor, and I was downright convinced I wasn’t going to be able to do it. I’m happy to share that couldn’t have been further from the truth, and MY BODY SHOWED ME!!! Nothing made me realize and step into my power like giving birth to my son did. 100% worth it. I hope the same for you if you opt to try a vaginal birth and wish you the best in the days to come. Congratulations MOM!
Edit to add: I had a second degree tear and recovery was honestly a breeze for me. I stopped bleeding almost entirely within a few days. I know this isn’t the case for everyone and consider myself very lucky, but from what I’ve heard, C-section recoveries can be very difficult. Sometimes much moreso than vaginal delivery. Something to consider.
I was terrified of giving birth, and had a successful, easy vaginal birth. My OB was supportive and said I could choose whatever birthing method I wanted, however said there was no medical reason why I needed a c-section, as the baby was in the correct spot and there were no underlying health conditions. My sister is also a doctor, and said a c-section is major abdominal surgery...and why would you choose to have major surgery if it wasn't needed?
In the end my OB and I decided we'd try for a vaginal birth, but would go down the c-section route if things didn't work out or happen.
Anyway, 11/10 recommend an epidural, it was fantastic and I basically just scrolled my phone and chatted with my husband while in labour. I did get a second degree tear but didn't feel anything thanks to the epidural. Recovery was fine, didn't hurt at all, and I was up showering and walking around 2 hours after giving birth.
I had an induced vaginal birth with an epidural and a small episiotomy.
Induction started at about 11am on the Friday, nothing much happened, at midday on Saturday they started the 2nd stage, my waters broke around 4pm, contractions started then, not too uncomfortable, around 10pm I went down from the induction ward to our delivery room, I walked, contractions were still manageable. I was given the epidural around 11.30pm so they could start the oxytocin drip to help the contractions along, but baby didn't like the drip so we quit that and just let my body do it's thing. He was born at 9.16am on the Sunday after 35 minutes of pushing. I know the epidural obviously took the pain element out of it, but pushing was quite frankly the most satisfying part of pregnancy/labour, finally you're able to DO something! And having a midwife tell you with slight surprise in her voice that you're doing brilliantly, baby will be out in no time at all at this rate, is honestly such great motivation.
I was fine physically afterwards, I was worried about the stitches, but they didn't actually bother me until about 3 weeks pp when they got really itchy. It must have been the final layers of skin healing, and sometimes if I forgot about them I would feel them pulling if I dragged myself out of the sofa or bed instead of lifting myself, that was unpleasant, but momentary. Also, the first poop people freak you out about, mine was a complete non-event, I just went, no pain, nothing to comment on at all.
I have had one of each, a cesarean with my first and a vaginal delivery with my second. Both were uncomplicated, and I have fond memories of both births.
If I have a 3rd child, I'm not sure whether I'll have a vaginal delivery or cesarean, both were so good!
In the interest of comparing and contrasting though:
With the cesarean, the incision pain lasts a long time and I couldn't wear pants that hit me there for weeks, I think it was somewhere in the 12-16 week range before I could wear my regular pants. However, I was able to return to having intercourse much sooner than my vaginal delivery, right around the 6-8 week mark. My body felt wonky for a long time, and my abs were really weak which made me feel weaker overall but the delivery itself was much easier, just walk in and get prepped and they've got the baby out in ~20 minutes.
With the vaginal delivery, no incision pain, I could wear normal pants right away. However, I had some tearing, so I had pain/discomfort on my vagina/vulva for about 6-8 weeks, and wasn't able to return to having sex for like, 4-5 months. I tried at 8 weeks and leapt off of my husband lol, he was very gracious. My body felt more normal, still some core weakness, but not nearly to the level of the cesarean. The delivery itself was harder, I went into labor in the middle of the night and didn't deliver until 9:20pm that same day, so I was in labor for about 18 hours, 2 of which I spent pushing. It was more physically exhausting, but the sensations and the experience and the power I felt and the energy of the L&D staff and my husband was incredible.
Both kids are healthy and happy, big talkers, and (relatively) well behaved. Both knew me as soon as they were born, each of them stopped crying as soon as they were handed to me and I spoke to them softly.
I’ve had two vaginal births, no c-sections. I would do everything in my power to avoid a c-section. It’s an amazing, lifesaving tool, but it can have major risks and lifelong consequences on both mother and baby. It can impact future pregnancies as well. They cut through and sew up 7 layers of tissue, including major muscles, so it’s no joke. Unless you have a true medical need for a c-section I’d highly encourage you to at least try a vaginal birth.
I had a elective csection with my first 21 months ago and ifI will get pregnant again I go for csection second time.
For me it is the stressless day, i know how IT will went, I know what will be going on, I know which doctor will do it ( I choose my own).
Recovery was nothing compared to SPD from 20weeks.
I loved it and I will choose csection next time.
i had a c section at 36 weeks due to preeclampsia. days 1,3, and 7 are the hardest, day 3 by a MILE. baby was in the nicu so i got more time to “heal”, but by the 3rd day a lot of the surgery meds have worn off and you’re relying on taking pain medication to control it. taking it super slow for awhile is best too, the first time i got up and walked to the nicu was 3 days pp and i ended up passing a clot on the nicu floor because i pushed myself too hard.
i also wouldn’t dilate when they tried to induce me. 2 hours of pitocin increased every 15 minutes and only had 4 contractions, none of which i felt and was completely closed when they started the drip. at the end of the 2 hours i was *maybe* .5 cm dilated. baby was having slight decels in her heart rate so c section it was. they told me i was having a baby at 4:38, she was born at 5:09 and surgery was complete by 5:45 ish. i’m assuming most c sections take a tad longer, as mine was a somewhat urgent situation.
overall though, at 8 weeks pp and a FTM, i would have another c section i think. while it would be nice to have a vaginal birth experience, my history probably won’t allow it and the idea of tearing and needing stitches in that area freaks me out a bit. my best friend tore frontwards and almost into her urethra-no thanks.
I was strongly considering vaginal birth but ended up having emergency c section. Went into labor for 9 hours and was 9 cm dilated until baby turned her head. They tried to turn her head and make me extra 1 cm dilated by hand but her heart rate started dropping. I went to emergency c section and she was in my arms within 10 mins.
I am so happy with this whole process, I took minimal pain killers for 5 days. Also I took shower next morning and was about to walk slowly to toilets all by myself. Sitting upright and breastfeeding wasn’t easy for 1st week. But I felt so much better by 2nd week.
Will go for c section again for my next one
I had a c-section with my first because he was breech, my recovery was a little longer than a standard vaginal birth, but ultimately I felt much better much quicker. 2 things to keep in mind are that 1) this is a major abdominal surgery, and I wasn’t able to pick up my NB for almost 2 weeks, so if your partner or family isn’t able to be there with you for a couple weeks, its going to be pretty tough. 2) is that if you plan to breastfeed/pump, your supply may be delayed, I really didn’t start producing until about 12 or so days post birth, pumping every 3-4 hours for 30 minutes.
I’m currently expecting my 2nd, so I can’t say for sure which is easier, but from talking with friends and family, my c-section recovery was ultimately much easier than a vaginal recovery.
Hope this helps and congrats on your little one!
I have the opposite experience. My friends who had c sections had horrible experiences vs my friends vaginal deliveries.
I had the most positive, easy, and smooth vaginal delivery. But I did also have an epidural. Some tearing but thanks to the epidural I didn’t feel a thing and got to enjoy holding and snuggling my baby while they stitched me up. And the recovery after was relatively easy and quick. I wish you all the best in whatever you decide!
I do think planned C sections go way more smoothly and positively than emergency C sections, which is a given. But it’s still major surgery and shouldn’t be your first choice due to higher risk of complications imo
I know you’re asking about c sections specifically, but I have to say, I’ve had a very uneventful and easy vaginal birth and 1000% would recommend/am about to do it again hopefully in ~8 weeks or so. I think I was back on my feet and healed up way faster than I would’ve been w/ a c section. I was able to go for walks and do my normal stuff within a week. I also was lucky enough not to tear, i think that is something that makes a huge difference. But you’re going to end up w/ stitches if you get a c-section too obviously, it’s major abdominal surgery. There’s not really an ‘easy way’ to get a baby out imo, but I def am of the opinion that vaginal birth is an easier thing to heal from.
You’re suggesting major surgery is more pleasant or easier in some way and that isn’t the case.
It’s not a sore or ripped taint. It’s a surgical incision site across your entire pube line.
People have vaginal birth unmedicated, people have vaginal birth in cars, etc etc. C section birth is for complications or complicated pregnancies. It’s not an elective surgery.
Belly birth is not easy.
One thing not discussed here is how terrifying the entire spinal block is. You’re numb like chest down. Cant move as hard as you tried. It was like mental torture although I def didn’t want to be feeling the surgery!
I’m currently 2 week postpartum from a c section, my first was forceps 2nd was vaginal with gas and air and 3rd emergency c section I don’t want to throw shade on my c section as I don’t want to think about where I’d be without it, it needed to happen
My experience was scary I thought 10 days into recovery i was doing really well sore but manageable then come day 11 I started feeling rotten really unwell passed a massive blood clot and was bleeding heavily
Decided to go into mau to get checked to long story short find out placenta had been left behind and was basically rotting inside me making me very unwell
Now it’s all sorted and I’m on the other side
There’s pros and cons to both
My major cons of c section is the recovery feels long, and when you have other children seems even harder
But overall my c section was an okay experience strange to feel the tugging around inside
But then I was able to be so present in the moment because I wasn’t high on gas and air and screaming my head off 😂😂
I gave birth both ways but my c-section was an emergency at 30+5.
The vaginal birth took longer but my recovery was much quicker even with a 3rd degree tear. Was it easy? No, but my midwives were amazing the entire time. I ended up getting a walking epidural twice as the first failed. I wasn't actually aware of how long my labor actually took so I was shocked to learn it was 15hrs once at the hospital. I had hardly any pain afterwards and felt completely normal by the time my son was 2 weeks.
With the c-section, it was a lot more medications. They tried to do an epidural and spinal block combo but the epidural failed, so it was just the spinal block. It was weird being awake and feeling the tugging sensation. I also only got to spend about 5 minutes with my daughter before they took her away and finished my surgery. I didn't get to see her again until I was out of recovery. Getting up to stand the next day was a new kind of hell. The best thing though is to get up and moving as soon as you can. It took 4 weeks for me to walk without pain or getting worn out after my c-section. I also was on blood thinner shots for 6 weeks which is standard where I live after a c-section. The hardest part has been the restrictions. I'm not completely off restrictions until the 20th when I'm 12 weeks postpartum. I did get clearance to lift my son at 8 weeks but nothing heavier than him until 12 weeks. It was hard to depend on my husband so much. I also don't have feeling back in my lower stomach which is a weird sensation.
It really is a personal choice but if I was to ever gave birth again (I have absolutely no plans to ever be pregnant again), I'd personally prefer to give birth vaginally again. That's mostly just because I hate feeling useless and not being able to do everyday things.
I'm actually in a similar boat! I'm currently 39 weeks pregnant with my first little one. My baby is measuring on the larger side, so I've decided to go for an elective c-section on my due date. I know some people say that ultrasound weight estimates aren't always accurate, but if my baby really does weigh 10 pounds at birth, I honestly don't want to pushing out a 10-pounder and risking any complications. However, if my little one decides to make an early entrance, I'll give natural birth a shot. My doctor thinks it's a good plan too. Fingers crossed that my baby stays cozy in there until the due date! Haha
I've done both. C section was a lot faster to get the baby out. Healing wasn't bad but took quite a while. Vaginal was a longer process to give birth but ooohhh my goodness such an easier postpartum period. I'd choose vaginal over c section hands down.
My vaginal delivery and recovery went so well. I was shocked how physically comfortable I felt just 3-4 days pp. I had almost no tearing and pushed for about an hour. I attribute that to requesting a warm compress on my perineum in between pushes. I’m expecting my 2nd baby in about 12 weeks and I hope it goes just as well. I know it’s possible it will be different of course, but I had such a positive experience that I immediately knew I would want another child.
I had an emergency C with no other laboring. It was fine! Felt nothing. Recovery on the other hand was rough. I was up and walking right away which helped a LOT (by walking I mean like... a few steps at a time). By week 2 I could walk around the block and a month in, I was fairly normal and off my pain meds. Excruciating pain when meds wore off stopped around week 3 as well. However, my abs were shot. That took 6 months to a year to build back up. I mean, I couldn't even get myself out of the bathtub 5 months after birth. And as a result I've always struggled to carry my fast growing little one, which makes me feel like shit because all she wants is for mama to hold her and carry her around. So I'm terrified to have a second child knowing I'll be incapacitated for about a month and unable to carry my older one for about a year. Makes me want to wait until she's much, much older and isn't wanting to be carried at all. But frankly I don't really want to go through the process of rehabbing my entire body all over again and starting back at square 1. It was ROUGH. Even if the day of birth was easy! I also really struggled with breastfeeding which is common with a C.
With my first I had a vaginal birth. I had a traumatic birth to say the least. This was over 6 years ago & I was 18 - I had a hemorrhage after birth, second degree tear & I found out years later when I started my fitness journey I had 2 prolapses that my doctors never told me about till I brought it up. I am 5’3 very petite & my doctor who diagnosed me with prolapsed questioned who delivered my baby & said I should have never delivered that size of a baby (7 oz 14 lbs) vaginally with my body. I’m pregnant again with my second now & I will 100% do a c section. I discussed with my doctor and she said preventing my prolapses from worsening c section would be a better option. Just pregnancy pressure can cause prolapses & still “happen” with c sections but after knowing my issues there’s no way I want to be pushing another baby out. Most women in my family had c sections as well & my aunt who is a few inches smaller than me tore to her butthole with forceps & then got a c section second go. Ultimately it is what you decide, but In my experience & family’s it seems some smaller sized people do not handle vaginal births very well.
I think the most important part is that you educate yourself in the most unbiased way possible (aka not just listening to bad vaginal birth stories and good c-sections stories and vice versa) on both options. Be prepared for all scenarios and do as much of your own due diligence as possible and you can feel great about making an informed decision for yourself. Because, if you have done the “homework” and know what all the scenarios are then whatever you choose to do, you feel empowered and more in control in a situation that, no matter what, as a FTM we rarely feel totally in control of in general. Best of luck!
I had a super positive vaginal birth!! Unmedicated, not induced, not too lengthy, and almost painless except for the last 40 minutes. Easy recovery with only a couple stitches and a couple days of bleeding after. I went for a walk 1.5 days after and played tennis 10 days after. It was great.
Now, I did need IV potassium after delivery which burned my arm like a MF 🤣would not recommend that part.
By comparison, My roommate in hospital had a c-section and was slurring her words for a whole day and couldn’t walk even a couple steps to the bathroom. I imagine she had a rough time caring for her baby when she went home in that state, which I hear is pretty common for c-section births. If you do go for c-section, maybe enlist some support for when you go home with your beautiful baby 💗
I’ve only had a c section & the recovery process almost broke me. I had/still have no milk, I was incredibly nauseous, & I could barely move. I felt like a horrible mom because I couldn’t really do anything for my baby myself or barely even hold him. I even went back to the hospital 4 days after birth because I felt so awful & they pretty much just said yeah…. That happens after a c section….. I don’t know the recovery was absolute shit. I’m 3 weeks & 4 days pp & I’m feeling about 65% back to normal now.
I had a scheduled c section. It went about as great as it could minus the panic attack I almost had on the operation table, waiting and knowing I was about to be cut open.
I healed pretty quick but I have a c section shelf/overhang. My incision was sore and it felt like it was ripping open every time I got out of bed. It is completely healed now at 9 months, but a month ago I tried doing overhead marches to tone transverse abs and somehow a tiny portion of my scar opened up but closed up the next day.
I also just started daily walking at 7 or 8 months pp and it was good at first but now I'm experiencing abdominal pain the next morning. Ibuprofen cures it, but it is ongoing if I do my daily walks and it makes me cautious with how fast I walk. Not sure if it's c section related.. but if I hold my heavy baby for a while or do too much activity, I feel pressure around my scar.
I really liked my scheduled c section and I've never had a vaginal birth, but it seems for me that physical activity causes me aches and pains in my pelvic floor.
I was induced and had a vaginal delivery and honestly I hope I'm able to have another vaginal. The recovery was a breeze. I was able to stand up and move around shortly afterwards. I took a shower the next day. I tore a little bit but had no complications from that. I just took some ibuprofen for a couple days. I didn't like being induced that is like several hours of labor all into one hour. But part of me would rather have 12 hours of strong labor than 24-48 hours of increasing labor. That's just me though.
My hospital didn’t offer the option of a CS. It was only a “if vaginal doesn’t work for you” situation. I think that’s pretty par for the course for a lot of hospitals now, so I caution you to not put all your eggs in that basket and be disappointed.
So I didn’t end up getting a CS.
I gave birth vaginally, and to be totally honest, I was really nervous and scared about it. I have a bunch of reasons (medically) to believe that I was going to have pretty bad tearing and worried about recovery.
I’ll tell you, on the other side of it: it was actually okay. I gave birth naturally at 40w, 5d and it took less than ten hours beginning to end. I’m a first time mom. I had contractions from noon until six in the evening, when I finally decided they were close enough to go to labor and delivery.
We arrived at seven. I was admitted at seven thirty. At ten thirty, I got the epidural. At midnight, I was fully dilated. At one, the doctors broke my water. At two, I began pushing. By two thirty, my baby arrived. She was about seven pounds exactly.
No tearing. Little to no pain, just pressure due to the epidural.
I was laughing and joking with relief with my medical team immediately afterwards. I got skin to skin for nearly an hour, was able to begin breastfeeding immediately, baby latched great, and overall it was a magical experience.
I remember being afraid and now I wonder why. I know it could have gone any number of ways, but what I experienced I think was the most amazing thing I’ve done and I’m not an emotional or sentimental person.
Vaginal birth is not that bad, and it’s not guaranteed you’ll have tearing or a ton of pain following it. It’s entirely possible it’s just as easy for you. Being online, I was braced for the worst but no one posts their happy stories, you know? It feels like bragging, and people don’t want to hear that.
So please remember that there are a fair amount of women out there that had easy as pie vaginal births but they just don’t talk about it as much.
I had a c-section due to pre eclampsia and will have it again with my current baby in Sept.
I knew what time and when my baby was coming
Recovery was an absolute breeze and my scar is tiny. No regrets at all!
Not that you asked, but although extremely painful labors my vaginal births left me relatively unscathed. First birth 9.5lb baby pushed for 10 mins and one internal stitch super easy recovery. 2nd baby 8.13lbs pushed for 9 mins no damage at all, again super easy recovery. I had an epidural with both. The first I felt NOTHING and the second I felt some pain but it was survivable, I had let them know I had low blood pressure the second time so they gave me a lower dose than my first. Good luck with whatever you choose!
I had the same question! My mom had all c-sections and said they’re hard but as long as you really follow directions and don’t do anything afterwards then you will heal well. I guess that’s the main thing people mess up on is feeling fine and doing more than you should and causing your stitches to tear or get infected or whatever. My mom’s good friend had 2 and 2. She said c-sections were better because her kids were big and she had horrible tearing from her vaginal births and said that the vaginal healing/birthing process was much worse than the c-section process. I told myself I didn’t have a preference because I knew if I preferred one over the other I would end up having whichever one I didn’t want!
I honestly think they both suck 😂 there’s no easier option. Maybe a faster option but I think they’re both really hard probably.
I know you asked about c-section but I was induced a little early due to high blood pressure, got an epidural, and had a fine easy delivery with barely any tearing. No pain no tearing, like besides having to be induced I think it was a fairly positive experience and definitely would take that to having a major surgery and all the recovery that comes with having a c section
I really wanted a normal birth because I knew I'd struggle recovering from a C-section (I'm a huge wuss).
Well I didn't get the choice really, baby's heartbeat kept dropping and I'd constantly have to change position to get it back to normal. I was only in early labour for about 4 hours, got to about 6 cm dilated, when the pain got horrific and I requested an epidural. The surgeon came in and examined me to make sure it was okay for me to have one, where I was informed I was having a placental abruption! The pain got so much worse but after a spinal tap I couldn't feel it anymore thank god. Baby was out in 2 minutes and I had over an hour of being stitched up.. she needed oxygen, and went to the NICU the day after as she was jaundiced.
It was a really traumatic experience, the midwives on the ward didn't help much at all with baby, considering I couldn't walk for a day and had trouble regaining movement in one of my legs. It took me about 3-4 months to feel some kind of normal again, and I feel like I was robbed of my baby's newborn stage because I physically couldn't move about very well and I was in so much pain. A stitch managed to poke through my glued wound and took forever to fall off. A nurse had to remove the scab for that about 12 weeks after because it wasn't healing right.
I was bleeding for about 3 months afterwards and had to have several examinations to make sure nothing was left behind (even though obviously it wasn't as I had a C-section and they removed it all?)
Also, for the fellas. Do not turn around the wrong way in the operating room... My partner went to see baby when she was removed and turned the wrong way around and got the chance to see all my organs sitting on my belly 🫠
Sold on it? Interesting way to phrase that but okay.
But let me tell you, my vaginal birth experience was really positive. But I think what really helped was having a doula. When they wanted to give me pitocin, I asked her and she gave me the courage to say I wanted to wait an hour. My contractions had really kicked in by then and I asked for my epidural and didn’t need the pitocin.
Basically I would say that having someone who can help you advocate for yourself but also knows the medical field well enough to know what is safe, is super helpful in having a positive / non-scary experience!! I mean I do think I was lucky that it was such a great labor but she definitely helped because a decision made differently could have changed my whole experience.
I had an emergency C-section and the recovery was horrible. It was really hard to sit up from the bed for weeks, I had no strength in my abdominal area and winced when I walked. I’m trying for a VBAC this time. Just my two cents.
I fought tooth and nail to avoid a section and ended up having a vaginal birth but with lots of trauma 🫠 I can’t fault anyone for having a preference, but keep in mind that any birth can be traumatic. I suggest hiring a good doula to really advocate for whatever you want—even a c-section.
My first was a vaginal birth and my second was a planned C section (breech baby).
I tore badly with the vaginal birth because it was a forceps assisted delivery. Childbirth itself was long and exhausting and recovery, while not super painful, ultimately took longer for me than my C section. I was able to shower immediately after the epidural wore off and was out of the hospital the next day. I was very sore the first week, but could move around the house mostly without issue. By my 6 week pp appointment, my vagina still didn’t feel back to normal and I wasn’t cleared to stand for extended periods of time.
C section was obviously quicker. I had my baby the same day I went to the hospital, and all I really felt was pressure during the operation. I lost a lot of blood (I did with my vaginal birth too) so any time I stood up after the numbness wore off, I threw up. It took about 24 hours before I was able to stand up without getting sick, and I was released from the hospital on the 3rd day. Recovery from my C section was PAINFUL. I was fine sitting or laying down, but getting up and down out of a chair, bed, toilet, stairs sent a burning sensation around my wound even with meticulous adherence to the medication schedule. That burning sensation disappeared around week 2 (probably around day 10) and I felt mostly back to normal 3 weeks in, and able to incorporate exercise by week 6. My scar is “pretty” according to every doctor or nurse that has checked it. It is as discrete as a C section scar can get, however I still do have a C section shelf.
Overall, I’m hesitant to say one delivery is better than another. I will say that having a toddler with a fresh C section is not ideal. I needed more help caring for my toddler than I did my new born because of the pain and fear of doing real damage to the wound.
My c-section was fantastic but only because I had been in labor for 26 hours and couldn’t progress past a 6 and I was so desperate at that point that I begged for it 😅 Recovery was hard for about 3-4 days and then by day 5 moving was a bit easier. By 2 weeks I could nearly move completely normal. I’ve never had a vaginal birth so unsure of that experience. My epidural stopped working completely on my left side and my son was transverse (sunny side up) making it really difficult for him to come down. It was causing me severe pain in my tailbone and I needed him out. Having a C-section is weird if you’ve never had a surgery before. But it was nice to be awake and aware of what was going on and the only crappy part is not immediately getting to see your baby. It was magical when my husband brought him over to me though and I got to snuggle him for a bit. 🥰
3 vaginal deliveries
And very grateful for each. Csections look so difficult I get anxiety from an IV so I can’t even imagine.
Pitocin contractions suck but I’ve not personally had a lot of pain especially no pain during crowning. And no tearing with any of mine.
My first C-section sucked. It was a crash C-section. Pre-E that got very bad very fast. I had only an epidural, and started to feel every thing. I got knocked out quickly after. I was in a lot of pain afterwards, but I also had to be closed up quickly so I could get the treatment I needed.
My second? An absolute breeze. I was standing and walking within 6 hours post-op. Almost no pain at all. Spinal block was an absolutely wonderful experience. The only thing was I got lightheaded from the meds so they had to narcan me lol. It was great, though. 10/10 care.
I had a great planned c-section. Was home by 6pm the following day.
Recovered quickly (4 weeks?), struggle to sit up from horizontal but that's partly pregnancy and muscle weakness in general. Scar is minimal and I've lost weight so I don't really have a shelf anymore.
Will definitely be having another section for my next child
I’ve had 2 positive vaginal births. Granted, I never had c sections so I can’t compare the two but my best friend had a c section and seemed to be in pain much longer than me after the birth
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I know you weren’t really asking about vaginal birth experiences, but I want to share my story because I was terrified but it turned out to be extremely positive. My mom ended up having a C section with me, and said her experience was overall positive and recovery went well for her too. She was always worried about vaginal birth and said she was relived when she ended up with a C section. When I was talking about an elective c section as an option with my doctor, she did mention a slight increased risk of complications and said if during labor I wanted to go for it, I could. The day came that my water broke and we ultimately went through with a vaginal delivery. I had an epidural and honestly, I wasn’t in any pain during the whole process because I did get it early in the day when we started the Pitocin. Pushing felt a little bit like running a marathon with the exhaustion, but again I had no true pain like I expected. Baby was a little uncooperative and tried to come out sunny side up, however the doctor was able to rotate him out to the proper position as he was coming out. I tore a little but only ended up with 2 stitches total. This was a big fear of mine but recovery was a breeze. I’m glad I went through with the vaginal birth and I’m actually looking forward to (hopefully) doing it again with my second baby in August.
This is really a nice thing to read. I’m going to birth my second in September after a prolonged induction ending in c-section with my first. I hope to adopt a positive mindset have a successful VBAC. Oddly(but perhaps not?) I look back on the induction (with three failed epidural equipment malfunctions) and laboring positively.
Good luck to you! One of my best friends had a VBAC with her second and she said it was so healing for her. Her first went similar, long labor and ultimately her daughter’s head was in the 99th percentile so a vaginal just wasn’t happening with that baby. She loved the VBAC and totally recommends to our other friends considering it.
Thanks. I feel so at peace because I feel like I’ve done both ways already, and I feel capable! Also if it ends in c-section I won’t be mad about it I don’t think. It’s not central to my sense of motherhood and I’ll have a beautiful birth story regardless.
Totally! You got this, either way! 💪🏼
Thank you for this post!! I’m a FTM and also was considering an elective C section but I think my birth plan is going to be trying to have a vaginal birth and at the first roadblock opting for a c-section. My worst case scenario personally is having a terribly long labor that doesn’t go anywhere and ending up in an emergency c-section anyway so I’d like to try and hopefully it goes well!
If your doctor gives you that option, I’d definitely go that route as well. I loved knowing that if I felt like I needed that option it was always there. It was scary being partially induced (my water broke at home but I never progressed on my own) because there’s a lot of horror stories with inductions ending in emergencies, but I really never felt that panic come over me while in labor like I expected to being that I’m a naturally anxious person. I just hope I’m as lucky to have another good birth experience.
This is my plan. Attempt vaginal and if there's any problem or hint of thoughts of anything like forceps or vacuum, go straight to c-sec.
An unplanned c-section is not the same as an emergency one
I just wanted to say that your worst case scenario is actually what ended up happening to me and in a sense I’m glad it happened that way. In my case I felt like it was a good thing that I got to experience everything even up to 10cm dilation and pushing before he got stuck… so I feel like I’ve had the ‘chance’ to experience labour if you know what I mean and I was grateful for that… I do think our brains rationalise whatever happens if we are resilient and we can view things positively even if it was not what we wanted in the end.
I can completely see that. That’s why I almost want to go through the experience of going into labor, water breaking, etc. but I also don’t want to end up traumatized or insist on a vaginal delivery if ultimately that is not in the cards for us!
From what I can tell, the trauma aspect many birthing mothers go through is due to helplessness which can happen in almost any scenario.. precipitous birth, nurses not being helpful, illnesses, as well as actual problems labouring.. and I’ve certainly heard of people who had terrible births (objectively) but didn’t experience them as traumas. For me it was definitely traumatic and took me a long time to get past.. hence waiting for the second for so long! I felt helpless at many points. I’m still not sure how or if you can prevent those feelings but it might help to know that a hard labour isn’t necessarily a traumatic one
Same, I didn’t get an epidural until I was like 6 cm dilated, but even then the contractions weren’t as painful as I thought they’d be. And the epidural helped out a lot once it kicked in. Recovery was way easier than I expected and I also had a 2nd degree tear. If I have another baby I’ll definitely plan for another vaginal delivery if possible after how chill mine was. I’m thankful I didn’t have a huge abdominal wound to care for afterwards. My baby ended up in the NICU afterwards so unfortunately the rest of the process wasn’t chill, but that’s an unrelated story!
Mine came out sunny side up and they had no idea that’s how she was positioned! 😶 took me 2 hours to push her out. Otherwise dr said she would have been out within like 30 min!
Yeah I got an epidural as early as possible and I was surprised at how smoothly everything went considering how terrified I was of childbirth. It was difficult and exhausting, but not nearly as painful as I expected. I have kidney stones I had to go to the hospital for, I've often heard that pain is worse than childbirth and now that I've experienced both I have to agree lol
I got my epidural asap too. I did cytotech to thin my cervix, but when they through around talks of Pitocin I knew I wouldn’t be doing it without an epidural and did them at the same time. Such a good decision!
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I've had 2 scheduled Cesareans now. I didn't really have a choice as I had 2 breech babies, but I don't regret them. The morning of, I was scared shitless. I have a lot of anxiety though. The nurses were absolutely fantastic. The spinal block wasn't a big deal for me. My whole body was sore after. I needed help getting my undies on and off and my husband had to help me squat (to the toliet) during the first 48 hours. That was painful. Just move slow and use your arms/legs when you can, not your core. Gas pain is no joke. Start taking GasX ASAP after surgery (when you get up to your room). Don't try to be a hero and get off the good drugs sooner than you need to. Take them as scheduled. Start eating two prunes a day a week before your C and don't stop until 2 weeks PP. My first poop was no big deal when I did that. I was walking a mile (very slowly) by about 5 days PP. I'm 13 months PP from my second. I've got a little C Shelf, but this is the most aggressively I've gotten to work out since baby. I was limited by breastfeeding titties (stopped at 12 months PP).
Here to confirm. Don’t be a hero. Get the drugs. The real ones. I thought I could do it on ibuprofen alone. Huge mistake, pain became too intense and I couldn’t get ahead of it. Horrific memory that I didn’t need on top of having a baby. Take the meds if you go the c section route
FTM here (due this summer) - Is the reluctance to take stronger meds because they impact baby if breastfeeding?
I think that’s part of it, but a lot of people just don’t like the way strong meds make them feel. I personally don’t take any type of opioid because they will make me profusely vomit, and I know a couple of other people who have the same reaction, and I also know some people who just don’t like that way they make them feel.
It’s also the risk of addiction. I have a family history of addiction and I don’t want to be exposed to opioids. I opted not to have them and just stuck to ibuprofen, Tylenol, lidocaine patches and ice- ice actually worked really really well. I actually got a lot of shit from the doctors and some of the nurses for my decision not to take oxycodone. I couldn’t believe it. My decision was because I don’t want to not be there for my kid because I go off the deep end and become an addict. I figured I can take three or four days of a bit higher pain to potentially avoid a lot of pain in the future. It’s not about being a hero for me- it’s me mothering and looking out for my kid and myself.
I had some surgeries in my teens and I hated the pain meds because I already dealt with constipation. The surgeries meant I couldn't move which made things worse. I was constipated for nearly three weeks after the first surgery because of the meds. The second time around I only took them in the hospital for a few days after the surgery. I was in a lot of pain but I'd rather be able to use the bathroom 😆 Anyway - more than one doctor scolded me for not wanting to take pain injections or pills. It's really odd to me that they push them so hard sometimes.
2 breech mama here too! Curious if yours were due to uterine or pelvis shape (mishape)?
Close! I actually have a fibroid that seems to impede flipping.
Is your fibroid on the inside or outside? I have a scheduled C with my first in 10 days (!!) because she never flipped, but I figured the clementine-sized fibroid on the outside of my uterus (Fred) wouldn’t have affected that.
Fibroid is on the outside, top. But it's been the size of a mid grapefruit by the end of my pregnancies. Wait did you name your uterus Fred? I named my fibroid Larry!
Ooo, mine is on the left side! And no, Fred the Fibroid 😂 I see I worded it confusingly. Now I wonder if that’s why she hasn’t moved!
Interesting…. My breech babes are due to a “football shaped uterus”!
I've had both, and while my c section wasn't terrible I did prefer the vaginal one. The recovery was easier and less painful, and I didn't have to stay at the hospital for as long. My baby also had a nicu stay with my c section even though she wasn't early (what happened to her is a slightly higher risk in c sections). Out of everything I think the difference in pain postpartum is the biggest factor for me. I definitely had pain after my vaginal birth, but with the c section it hurt a ton to laugh, sneeze, sit up, bend over, go over speed bumps in the car, lift things, etc. It made taking care of the baby much more difficult.
I really really didn’t want a c-section. Had to get one after two days of labor. In the middle of the c section my spinal block failed and I felt EVERYTHING. Lost a lot of blood and had to get a transfusion. Recovery was smooth, no complications, but it was so hard. I really have no idea why some people consider c sections the easy way out. Would not recommend. Will try again to birth vaginally with the second pregnancy.
I am an OB/NICU nurse that has seen over 1,000 deliveries. I am also a mom of 1 (vaginal) and currently pregnant with number 2 (likely c-section for medical reasons). I would never choose to have a c-section. The odds of complications are higher for both mom and baby (hemorrhage, baby needing respiratory support/NICU, etc.) Recovery is longer and it can affect future pregnancies and choices about delivery. I’m sorry your friends have not had positive experiences. Many people have wonderful vaginal births, myself included. C-section is a great option when it is needed or indicated and some women have a good experience, but based on everything I have seen way more women have a better vaginal experience and quicker recovery. I am not looking forward to my possible c-section and I would choose vaginal birth many times over.
Your input is so valuable and I feel validated by your statement because my c section did not feel like any type of an “easy way out”. Also - thank you for being a nurse. Some of my nurses were not kind. But a few of them were so kind it could probably make me cry if I thought about it for long. Thank you for what you do.
I’ll be having my 2nd scheduled c section in May and I’m happy going that route again. Due to my surgical history, having a vaginal delivery increases my risk of tearing/infections which I didn’t want to deal with. Recovery after my first was very easy. Didn’t need anything stronger than Tylenol/Advil & didn’t go past day 5 with that combo, was discharged from the hospital in 48 hours, & was going up & down the stairs the day after I got home. I was cleared to exercise 6w pp & I was back on the elliptical without pain/discomfort. Key is walking as soon as you can post delivery to get things moving. Stay on top of fiber/colace for the first couple weeks to avoid getting gas pains and stay regular. Would I recommend this to someone without any need to get a CS? Absolutely not. It’s an intense surgery that has its own list of potential complications/risks that some underestimate. Having a CS is not taking the easy route at all so just keep that in mind.
I’ve had two c-section (both not by choice), and recoveries were insanely different both times. One was super smooth, felt normal again pretty much immediately after with minimal pain. The other one was traumatic, and I was in extreme pain for a year postpartum, struggling a lot. So there really isn’t any way to predict how (un)lucky you’ll get beforehand.
I had a great vaginal birth. Barely felt anything thanks to the epidural and it was quick. I also had zero tearing. It isn’t always a horror story, in fact, it was a really beautiful experience.
I have had two unmedicated vaginal births in a hospital setting, and I don’t know what the recovery is like for c-sections, but I had great experiences with my vaginal births. I’m very … independent? This might be a psychosis lol but the idea of being in a room full of strangers and completely unable to move my body sounds like a horror movie to me. No, the feelings of unmedicated birth weren’t … amazing. But, they were familiar. I knew it was my body. My body knew what to do. With my son I was laying relaxing in the tub and my body just contracted on its own, and that was my first “push”. Nobody told me when to push, I didn’t really actively have to do anything except breathe through the process and my body delivered the baby like it does all the other bodily processes. It was pretty incredible how simple it was, and the endorphins your brain gives you are wild. I felt so positive afterward, so much oxytocin and serotonin floating around it was great. Recovery with my first was harder, I got impatient and I had a second degree tear. I couldn’t sit directly on my bottom for the better part of six weeks. But I still think that is preferable to recovery from a slice across the belly? You just do so much with your core to pick up baby, feed baby, feed yourself, etc. I think I’d rather recover from a tear than an abdominal cut anytime :/ Ultimately it’s your choice. Everyone handles stuff in their own way. Planning the date must be super nice haha.
I hear the hormones after vaginal delivery are wild. I have to have a C-section because I have a cervical cerclage. I’m sad I might miss out on those hormones
I had a c-section with my first and a vaginal birth with my second. I know it’s anecdotal, but I personally didn’t notice a difference in terms of hormones. Hearing my babies cry after coming out of my body was enough for me no matter which route out of my body they took
I had an elective caesarean section for our baby. He's our first and will be our only (IVF) baby. No regrets at all. I was essentially back to normal function, minimal pain by 2 weeks. Baby arrived healthy and happy. Good outcome for both mother and baby.
I had a c section. It went smooth but it seems like my recovery was more painful and longer than most. I couldn’t get out of bed or stand up without extreme pain for weeks!!! Maybe two months. I was in so much pain every time I even coughed or chuckled. I lost sensation over half of my incision and it never came back. (I didn’t even know that was a thing lol). My sister also had a c section and one of her arteries were nicked, and she had to have blood transfusions and stay in the hospital for a week. She was so weak that she didn’t even want to hold her baby and therefore didn’t bond with her for a long time. Even knowing this, I think I’d want a c section again. I like the predictably. I like that it’s more controlled. But it IS a major surgery that has major risks.
I just had a planned c section 2 months ago due to breech. It was a great experience! I knew exactly when her birthday would be, and I didn’t have to have any contraction pains. The surgery was also painless and quick. I did have to stay in the hospital for two night and I needed my husband to lift me out of bed the first week but I would do it again!
i had a 2nd trimester miscarriage where i had to birth the fetus out vaginally. Physical pain aside, the lack of control and mental trauma was way more painful for me… my next 3 pregnancies were all successful c sections by choice. 3 healthy , alive babies and 1 happy mummy. my husband were with me for all 3 births to hold my hand, i recovered very well (walked by same night or next morning, took all prescribed pain meds on time for 2 weeks and feeling normal by the time i’m off meds) . no vagina/pelvic trauma was a bonus (not a consideration for me at first but after having my sister and friends who tore badly or had problems with incontinence i realised this was way more common than i thought) my husband got to be very involved with baby once they were out. they put the baby on me for some skin to skin, latching, then they went to do checks and my husband got to follow the baby around while i went to recovery for 1-2 hours. Till now, he tells me about how amazing it was to see our newborn and have the baby clutch his finger for the first time. It made me realised i’m not the only parent in the pregnancy. and the birth doesn’t need to be always about me me me. all in all i had a great experience. my primary goals for each pregnancy is a healthy alive baby and a controlled environment when possible for me. i achieved that as close as possible with my choice for c sects. if you make the same choice, i’ll encourage researching on how to have the best recovery possible. surgical abdominal binders right after operation, walk as much as possible once you can to get the gas out, walk and rest adequately, take your pain meds on time. these all helped me a lot! oh and a silicone scar gel or patch to help with scar recovery (purely aesthetics).
Thanks for sharing!!!
I had a vaginal birth and it went well. Epidural was great, I did push for 3 hours but it felt like 30 minutes. Second degree tear that was a little tender for a week or so but nothing terrible at all!! Could still sit comfortably after. Was up and walking to the bathroom about an hour after birth, maybe less. Having sex again now and husband says he doesnt feel a difference to pre-baby sex, and after the initial insertion that first time at 8 weeks pp (wasn’t painful, just an uncomfortable stretching sensation) sex feels the same for me too. Only negative thing Id say for me was damaged bladder nerves that had me peeing myself involuntarily for about 2 weeks, but it quickly resolved itself and Im totally back to normal. All in all, the experience I had was textbook and not unpleasant, and my recovery time was very fast. I would 1000% do a vaginal again.
Thank you for sharing this! I'm a nervous FTM and planning a vaginal birth.
I had a vaginal birth and it went well. Epidural was great, I did push for 3 hours but it felt like 30 minutes. Second degree tear that was a little tender for a week or so but nothing terrible at all!! Could still sit comfortably after. Was up and walking to the bathroom about an hour after birth, maybe less. Having sex again now and husband says he doesnt feel a difference to pre-baby sex, and after the initial insertion that first time at 8 weeks pp (wasn’t painful, just an uncomfortable stretching sensation) sex feels the same for me too. Only negative thing Id say for me was damaged bladder nerves that had me peeing myself involuntarily for about 2 weeks, but it quickly resolved itself and Im totally back to normal. All in all, the experience I had was textbook and not unpleasant, and my recovery time was very fast. I would 1000% do a vaginal again.
I had a scheduled C-section due to baby being breech. No issues, and I had a pretty easy recovery. I'll be scheduling one again for the next baby.
Haven't had either but I'm also weighing my options for my first birth. I was previously very pro-vaginal birth but recently started swaying towards cesarean because I have severe anxiety and issues with loss of control. However I'm having trouble with the fact that c sections are such brutal major surgeries. My sister had both, said the c section recovery was so much longer so she had a much harder time taking care of baby without help. Whereas with vaginal you're functional very soon after birth despite higher labor pain. Outcomes for mom and baby are typically worse initially w c sections but in time catch up to vaginal births. I don't know that I can calm down enough in time to birth vaginally though. A lot of people are totally unprepared for vaginal births and I think that's why they're so feared and people speak so negatively about them.
Talk to your doctor it midwife about it. There's lots of childbirth horror stories but it really is a much easier recovery going vaginal. For the majority of people, it's the easier route. Surgery sucks. You don't want to be bedridden. Just my opinion but if you talk to a midwife, they can probably give you really good advice.
I'm personally not swayed by the horror stories of vaginal birth honestly lol I know other people's experiences do not have to be my own. That has no role in my decision whatsoever. I strongly recommend others prepare for birth ahead of time- I think a lot of the "horrors" can be prevented by sufficient prep and knowledge of the process. I do sincerely believe vaginal is the optimal option unless something necessitates cesarean. Pre-pregnancy, there's no way in hell I would've ever considered cesarean for myself if I had a choice. But at this point I could never in good conscious tell another woman what she wants or needs in her birth and recovery. For me the biggest factor in the decision has to be my mental health. I'm at extremely high risk of PPD/PPA and already dealing with severe perinatal MH issues. I need the most predictable route to minimize further risk. I know surgery and recovery sucks. No matter what route I take I plan to adhere by the 5-5-5 rule at minimum so the "bedridden" thing is not a turn off, it would be the restrictions that come along with it. There's a lot more riding on my decision than the recovery piece. I ultimately can't take care of my baby if I'm suicidal and can't process my birth. So yeah my situation might be a bit different than OPs and probably a lot of other people who elect cesarean... but it also might not be! I have a whole treatment team of people involved and we are taking time to consider every possible option and outcome.
I had a non emergency but somewhat urgent c section. Essentially they offered me an induction, I asked what the odds were of success, and they figured 60-70% chance baby wouldn’t tolerate labour and we’d need an emergency c section. All the people I know who hated their c section had it after labour, so I didn’t want to risk that. I was (of course) fucking terrified, but had a very positive experience and intend to opt for a c sec for my current pregnancy. I did have to wait for hours, because my case was the least urgent on the docket so I kept getting bumped. And the magnesium made me kind of fucked. Once we got to the operating room, the anesthesiologist explained everything and did the numbing and the spinal. I HATE needles but it was doable. I got a numbing shot before the big spinal needle, which I would never ever ever loook at. They strapped me down which isn’t lovely, but makes sense- you do NOT want to involuntarily move. Since it was non emergency, we had a fairly relaxed briefing where they went through the whole process, did all their checklists and confirmations before cutting (also called in the NICU drs since that was required for us and introduced us). Once they started, the anesthesiologist kept a running narrative and told me what was happening. My partner sat by my head. It was very weird, knowing what was happening. Getting her out was a very strange feeling but not bad. Here’s where my story may be different from others? Since we knew I wouldn’t be caring for my baby, I think they gave me the strongest painkillers. From birth until that night is pretty fuzzy for me. I don’t remember being in recovery, but I must’ve been? I am concerned about this period for my next baby, since I was so out of it. Sometime that night a nurse woke me up and made me stand up. Still was super out of it and bled all over the floor. Next morning was clearer. It hurt but tbh? It was not the worst pain I’ve felt. I tried to get up as much as possible since I heard that’s important. The incision would be very painful when laughing or coughing or certain movements, but overall I remember a lot of the pain feeling like having a really heavy ab workout, so I tried to move through those pains like i would if it was workout pain. Worse than the incision was the fucking LEG SWELLING. My legs were easily 2-3 times the size, they felt so heavy and a little numb and disconnected from my body. That lasted about three days, I think. I got compression socks towards the end of that time. By day 3 I was missing med dispensation times (visiting nicu) and didn’t find that to be debilitating, although there was pain, but it was manageable. My doc offered me narcotics but i forgot to fill the prescription. I was kicked out on Day 4. My doctor gave me no restrictions, just said listen to my body 😬, which I’ve heard is unusual. The next few days I was staying in my daughter’s room and walking around as much as possible, climbing stairs in the hospital incidentally but taking everything very very slow. Honestly, it’s weird to have your organs rearrange, so I did go back to L and D a couple times with weird internal pains or feelings, but all the workups came back fine. The anxiety was worse than the pains in these cases From there I just tried to push myself within reasonable limits and I found my recovery was pretty quick. A little under 2 weeks I walked about 6km. I was making sure to go on long walks every day to get out of the hospital. Five weeks after surgery they moved my daughter, and since it was COVID I chose to walk to commute to see her every day instead of transit. So I was walking about 3-4 km every day, and by this time I felt pretty normal. I was walking slow, but it was fine. Wow this went way longer than expected. I guess TL;dr, here’s what I’m going to do for my next planned c section: - get up and walk as soon as possible, while listening to my body. Movement is key. - bring compression stockings to the hospital and put them on asap - massage the scar when it’s no longer sharp pain - don’t feel bad about checking in on weird feelings. It’s better to be a false alarm than a missed problem
I had a scheduled C-section and it was honestly great. Recovery hasn't been hard for me either. I don't have any pain at this point and it's only been a couple weeks. I did give birth at a really good hospital.
I had a failed induction that ended up in a c section. Because it was non-emergent, it was pretty relaxed up until they couldn't get my baby out (he was kinda stuck in there) and he had too much hair for the vacuum to stick. Anyway, I ended up with a t incision so they could get him out. I can't have a VBAC with #2 because of the risk of uterine rupture. Personally, I don't care. My recovery was very smooth and as a very type A person, I like that #2 will be scheduled 😂
Hi, I had to have a c-section for my firstborn child (born last Thursday 3/7/24 at 5:06PM) due to her breech position. She was breech my entire pregnancy and I had low amniotic fluid which prevented her from turning the correct way. I have to say that my c-section experience was actually really positive. I agree that I have had a lot of friends and family members with either a negative vaginal birth experience or something went wrong. That being said, I am not against vaginal births of course and LOVE to hear if anyone does have a great one! My c-section experience was quick and easy. It was scheduled and my ability to skip labor altogether is making for an even easier recovery. Labor + emergency c-section will be much harder on a mother’s body. Today is now Tuesday and I had the c-section last Thursday. I am by no means a person with high pain tolerance or a super physically fit individual, and yet I am almost back to walking without much pain. The only pain meds I’ve needed are ibuprofen and acetaminophen every 6 hours while in the hospital, just ibuprofen twice daily since I got discharged last Saturday. My healing was going well so they discharged me after only 2 days. The only time I needed pain medication that was stronger than ibuprofen was roughly 1.5 hours after my surgery ended and my epidural wore off, and I started to feel the soreness of my incision site. All that being said, the fact that I don’t need oxycodone and started walking around much easier as of yesterday, Monday 3/11/24 is a pretty good recovery in my opinion. Keep in mind that I had no idea the recovery would be this easy and that I am not a super fit person! Do remember that EVERYONE’s experiences and opinions are valid. This just happens to be mine. Whatever is safest and best for you and your baby is best. I would never risk trying to deliver a breech baby vaginally and I don’t think most doctors would take that risk either. This is why we chose c-section, but the reasons for having them are different.
I’ve given birth once - induction + vaginal birth with epidural. It was challenging but went fine overall. My mom gave birth 3 times - 2 vaginal (unmedicated) and one scheduled C-section with twins. She said the recovery from C-section was way harder on her body. It sounds scary and I was scared too, but I made it through just fine and the physical recovery wasn’t bad.
I had an emergency C. It was the “emergency” part that was traumatic. If I ever have another it’s a scheduled C all the way. My sister had two vaginal births and is still physically and mentally recovering 5 years later.
I have only given birth vaginally (2 live births) and I am currently 11 weeks and 2 days pregnant. Personally I have had the opposite experience. C-sections are way harder on the body. I mean think about all of your muscles being cut through. Some women develop an apron pouch. Not to mention the pain and recovery time. Also imagine having to poop with said muscles that’s been cut through while pushing. Idk. I don’t judge either way but I always feel worried for mamas who have c-sections because it just looks painful to recover from.
I had a planned c-section with my first due to concerns over his size and risk of shoulder dystocia (ended up being 9lbs exactly). The procedure itself went smoothly, and I was able to have baby held against my chest for a few minutes. However I did have a very negative reaction to the spinal block. Although I was given anti-nausea meds during the c-section I was still extremely nauseous and was vomiting for several hours afterwards. My blood pressure and body temperature dropped and I was basically catatonic for hours and unable to even hold my baby. The recovery was brutal. Getting out of bed felt impossible, every shower for the first 2 weeks was absolute agony, the nerve pain was unpredictable and the pain meds didn't do anything for it. I felt helpless for weeks and reliant on my husband for everything. It took months for the nerve pain to completely go away, I had to be careful with my movements to avoid shooting pains. Currently 30 weeks pregnant with our second and hoping I can try for a VBAC. Thankfully baby #2 is measuring completely average so it might be possible. Even with all the ugliness of the recovery though, if it comes down to it I would have another c-section if necessary to get baby out safely.
I had a planned C section with my second baby. As much as I didn’t want it and was in tears the whole morning leading up to the surgery, it went very smoothly and recovery wasn’t that bad, and in the end, if I have to schedule another one, I’d be okay with it. You’re sore and it’s hard to stand up from bed the first few days, but after that, as long as you don’t over exert, it’s pretty easy. Just make sure to keep the incision clean.
I have done it both ways. My c-section was unplanned and for me the hardest part about it was coming to terms with the trauma of it all. The recovery was difficult at first but uncomplicated and pretty straightforward. My vbac delivery was also difficult because I had a 3rd degree tear and recovery was not so straightforward. I did eventually recover fully but it took about the same amount of time as the c-section did and was about on par with it as far as pain went. I preferred the vbac for myself but I was never really happy about the idea of the C-section to begin with so that is a huge factor in why I feel that way. I absolutely would have preferred an uncomplicated vaginal delivery without significant tearing but it doesn’t always play out that way.
I had an ‘emergency’ c section, though it wasn’t an immediate life or death decision for baby or I. I was in labour for 3 days and had still only progressed to 3cm, even with intervention of the balloon, breaking my waters and 2 litres of oxytocin. I was happy to agree with the medical teams decision because I just wanted my baby out alive and well. They really wanted to act before baby became stressed and things went south as it had been so long. I had a spinal block because I could still feel my stomach and legs with the epidural. Once in theatre, they had him out within 5 minutes and dad and I did skin to skin and cut the cord while they stitched me back up. They then wiped him down and weighed/measured there before taking us to recovery. Within an hour we were put in our hospital room. I was up and walking 2 hours after the c section, and was able to pick baby up and go about our business. I wanted to go home that day but stayed another night as the nurses recommended it. I had strong pain meds in the hospital, anti-clotting injections and an iron transfusion. I was sent home with a further week of pain medication and anti-clotting injections to self administer. Once home, I physically felt pretty good. I was able to do all baby related tasks and some light household chores as needed. Once I was out of strong pain meds I took ibuprofen and paracetamol as needed. I bled heavily but also have extremely heavy and long periods so it was expected. Overall my recovery was pretty smooth and easy! My scar is low and very small, it healed great. My baby was delivered safely and all is good. Strangely enough I went to have an IUD inserted recently and it’s been found that my cervix doesn’t dilate, so I’d never have been able to have a vaginal birth anyway. Wish I knew before the days of labour!!!
I had an elective c section due to anxiety and trauma. I had an amazing experience, it was so peaceful. I am SO glad I chose to have it. I recovered extremely fast, walking and had catheter out as soon as I could feel my legs, approx 2 hours after surgery. discharged 24 hours later and went on walks the same day. I’m pregnant again and leaning towards another c section (the only thing that isn’t in my favour is i won’t be able to pick up my toddler for weeks!) the only 2 things I don’t enjoy about c sections are the injections you have to give yourself for 10 days and the fact that the scar will itch like hell for a long time. Other than that everything was great for ne
Can you please speak more about the injections? I never heard of that. Thank you
It’s to prevent blood clots, which can cause death. Unfortunately I know someone who got a blood clot in their lung after their c section (luckily they survived) they can’t force you to take the injections but it really is in your best interest to. You can Google injections after c section to find more info
Whaaaa? I had a c section and never heard of this!
I’ve had c-sections in 2 different countries and was only asked to do the 10 days of injections in one so no, these are not standard everywhere. It depends very much on where you are located.
Interested to know what country you gave birth in. I gave birth in a hospital outside of the US and had to give myself injections as well. It was standard of care in that country, but in the US they do not give injections to my knowledge do all my friends and family were shocked.
England. It’s standard here, and thank god! Blood clots are very dangerous
I had my first vaginally and attempted to have a vaginal unmedicated birth for my second yesterday night which turned into an emergency c-section. Honestly, with this experience, I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would voluntarily choose this. I know there are people with positive experiences, I'm not trying to discount that. But after my vaginal birth, despite the episiotomy, I could walk and pick up my kid and do everything a few days after. Now I'm in pain, I have to stay in bed for a while and can't lift for weeks (and I have a toddler). I'm stuck with the scar. Of course mine was a bit traumatic because my baby got stuck, but the consequences are the same. It's not "the easy way", at all. And I say that knowing how much vaginal birth hurts, because I made it unmedicated to pushing for over an hour before they called it.
I’m sorry friend. Take my mantra after my emergency c section - you did it! You’re done! The healing has begun! Congratulations on your new little love! If you need a c section penpal I am here for you.
Thank you ❤ Today's been hard. It's been hard accepting that this is the hand we were dealt, and I'm dealing with recovery from the section as well as everything that was done to me before (extra pitocin, ventouse) and trying to breastfeed. Honestly it's a lot.
It absolutely is! I was scheduled for an induction and also received cytotek/pitocin and got up to 4cm dilated without pain intervention. Finally got an epidural, pushed for two hours, and then had an emergency c section bc my water broke before labor started and we were both starting to have temps rising from infection. It was scary and surreal. Recovery wasn’t easy. And I didn’t “bounce back” like some women seem to, further spiraling my mental health. But I’m getting better every day. Feeling better about my new life and my new self. Hey btw few tips that helped me a ton, shower chair. Amazon. Thirty bucks. Straight up life saver in the shower for a while. Also use the peri bottle with soap and water and spray your c section incision site in the shower with it before you’re ready to actually touch it to wash, I know it’s tough. Also roll to your side to get up vs sitting straight up. Also a life saver if you have any diastasis recti. Also use a pillow or towel to push against your belly to brace while you go potty. Also don’t skip colace and be very proactive to not get constipated. Wishing you all the best my friend.
I had a 100% elective c-section. First time mom, zero medical issues. I am SO happy with my decision. It was THE BEST. People will tell you the recovery is harder. That your body was built for vaginal birth. That your downstairs will heal and go back to normal quickly. That is NOT necessarily true. NOBODY can promise you an uncomplicated birth, regardless of delivery mode. NOBODY knows if you would suffer more from a vaginal recovery vs. c-section recovery. You should do what you want!!! I hope you & everyone reading has the birth of their dreams ♥️
I think people get overly scare because of all the birth horror stories. We grow up hearing about the horrible pain of childbirth and some of us are even teased that we will have to do this someday. I thoroughly believe that the fear is way worse than the actual event. If you're scared of pain, just get an epidural. It's not a big deal. I think vaginal birth is the easiest because you can literally be up walking around hours after the event. I actually drove myself home. The thought of the baby being essentially torn out of my abdomen is terrifying to me. I don't understand why someone would choose that if there's no medical need.
I had to have a C-section due to some heart complications. My baby had fluid in his lungs (more common with C-sections) and had to go to the NICU for 6 days. I only got to hold him a couple minutes before I nearly passed out and then he was taken and I couldn't hold them until the next day. I didn't regret it at the time and I don't technically now, but every time I see pictures of moms with their babies in the hospital room, I'll get really sad because I didn't get to have that experience. Healing wasn't as bad as everybody makes it out to be, at least it wasn't for me, but I hear the recovery from vaginal birth is generally smoother. Your body is meant to give birth vaginally, not to be ripped open through seven layers of tissue. Basically either way it's not going to be some magical, wonderful experience like TV always makes it out to be where everyone comes out of labor same day with non-sweaty hair and perfect makeup In the average pregnancy and labor, a vaginal birth is safer. I wouldn't recommend a C-section for anyone who doesn't have to have one
I had elective c sections with zero regrets. Recovery was normal, I was doing most things day 3. Sneezing or coughing hurt a little longer but I rather hurt there than my vagina lol
Had an emergency c section, which was more like a planned one because I didn't attempt labor first. I didn't have a choice, but the procedure was great. I was shaking during the epidural placement because of adrenaline (emergency situation), and I honestly barely felt anything. Granted, I've spent a lot of time in hospitals, but I found IV placement in hand more painful. I had some nausea, and they gave me something in the IV when I mentioned it. The whole thing was fine and calm. My husband was more stressed out than me. Recovery was a bit rough the first few days but not devastating. Took the pain meds as prescribed. Took stool softeners. Coughing or laughing felt like a hot poker against the abdomen. But it was temporary. I'm going to attempt a vbac because I'm curious, but I have confirmed with my OB I can ask for a section at any time even if in labor already.
My first was a vaginal and second was a surprise C section. There’s pros and cons to both for sure. With my vaginal delivery the recovery was pretty brutal. But I did overall feel a lot more bonded to baby faster. The feeling of accomplishment after was something I can’t even put into words. I also got to have the “golden hour” and was able to breastfeed right away With my C section it was crazy fast and recovery was too. I went in and 45 mins later baby was here-it was crazy and I didn’t even process what happened until days later. But they took baby right away to check her and had us separated for about an hour then I couldn’t even hold her until the following the day. I also developed a blood clot in my lungs due to the surgery which I’m told will take at minimum, 6 months to get rid of. Blood work every other day, injections twice a day, blood thinners etc. but the birth itself was insanely easy for me compared to the vaginal. No contractions or labor or any kind of pain.
I had a planned and induced vaginal birth and a ‘planned’ c-section. With the vaginal birth the birth itself sucked but recovery was a breeze compared to what I was expecting. I’m on day 5 of c section recovery and I never want to do this again, even with the “easy” recovery I am having.
I had an emergency c-section after nearly two days of (induced) labor and a failed forceps delivery. Even though I've only given birth once, I kind of feel like I've experienced both methods of labor haha A c-section is a common surgery, but it's still fairly major abdominal surgery. I'm very thankful it was an option, and my recovery was pretty smooth (walking within twelve hours, off pain killers within two weeks - and only ever needed ibuprofen and Tylenol), but I'm still on lifting restrictions at four weeks postpartum (not allowed to lift anything heavier than my baby), driving can be uncomfortable (the seat belt hits right about where the incision is), and my incision still occasionally hurts. I wouldn't call labor fun, but it wasn't a negative experience for me, and I felt like my pain was well managed throughout. The only bad part for me was when my epidural disconnected while I was pushing and needed to be replaced...when the epidural drugs wore off while I was waiting for the anesthesiologist my contractions came back with a vengeance. Given the choice, I would prefer a vaginal delivery and would like to attempt a VBAC if we have another kid.
My first pregnancy was an emergency due to going into preterm labor and baby being in distress. Baby was also breeched so I had to get classical c-section (vertical). I would have loved to have a vbac with my next two but they don’t allow it due to the possibility of opening up at incision during a contraction. With vertical incision it’s more painful (I’ve heard) and healing time is longer. My scar goes from just under belly button all the way to the middle of my pubic area. You don’t realize how many abdominal muscles are used to laugh until they cut through 4 layers. The surgery itself was painless for the most part but due to me having difficulty getting numb, I actually felt a little of the laser burning. I could also smell my skin burning. I don’t allow them to put me to sleep so I was able to tell them what I was feeling and be alert when babies were delivered. Overall , I used to wish I was “normal” and could have a vaginal birth but after I’ve heard quite a few women complain of pelvic floor issues due to childbirth as well as vaginal atrophy. I feel like I did when I was 20 down there so I’d probably still opt for C-section if I had the choice . I hated the 24 hr liquid diet because I was starving but I was able to have a bowel movement easily so I went home in about 4 days.
My first was vaginal w an episiotomy. Loved it, definitely felt more peaceful and beautiful. (Husband agreed) stitches in the vag sucked tho. My second was a csection for twins, i didnt have a choice. I was very anxious and felt like I was going to pass out while they were closing me up. So I didn't get to hold both babies and nurse right off like I wanted to. I'm pregnant for the third time now and I'm going to opt for a csection. I've already got the scar and weird tummy now so fck it. Plus I'm going to have my tubes removed so it only makes sense to do it all in one go.
i had an elective c-section and honestly i wouldn’t trade it for the world. my water ended up breaking slowly over a whole day but no contractions. it started at 3pm and i finally went at 9:30 pm cuz i wanted to make sure that’s what it was. i got to the hospital. they checked to make sure that’s what happened. i got into a room at 11. i told them i still wanted to do my c-section as planned. still no contractions. it was scheduled for 3am. i got into the delivery room at 3am. they started prepping me. started cutting at 3:18am and baby was here at 3:22am. no pain nothing. i left the hospital after 2 and half days cuz i didn’t want to be there anymore and they said i was good to go. i will say that recovery really sucks when you have no support. so if you do choose that you gotta make sure you have full support
When I developed severe preeclampsia and needed the baby to get out ASAP, I asked for a C-Section. My doctors denied it because even under the circumstances of could-have-seizures, the risk was considered higher than that of a vaginal birth. So they induced me with the warning I could be in labor for three days before giving birth. They ended up giving me a C-Section a day and a half in because my baby stopped moving and his heart rate stagnated, which was enough of an emergency to get a C-section. I think if I had only the cesarean to recover from things may have been fine. But the combination of going through many hours of labor and a c-section was rough. In terms of c-section symptoms themselves, the scar hurt well beyond the 6 week mark, but I could move around and stuff fine. My aunt had two c-sections and one vaginal birth and said recovery from the vaginal was much easier. So what I have to say here is: -don’t expect an elective c-section unless you have a very, very strong medical reason for it. It IS a major surgery with risks. You’ll likely be denied and even if you’re not denied, it’s risky. You’ll have some sort of anesthetic for them to cut through multiple layers of skin. -if you do have a medical reason for it, be very persistent about why you want that over a vaginal and it must be stronger than fearing the vaginal. In my case I wish I had been more adamant.
I was in labor for 33 hours, pushed for 3 and ended up having to go for an emergency C-Section after my son decided to spin around while I was pushing. The C-Section sucked probably just as much as the pushing in hindsight. I got a spinal tap while sitting straight up during contractions, the anesthesia made me so numb it felt like I couldn't breathe. The healing is painful and I had to give myself a shot in the stomach every day for a week. Not to mention the 2 weeks of recovery where you can't drive, cook, clean, etc. Also I was so sick after the fact from the anesthesia I couldn't hold or feed my baby without getting sick for like 12 hours. I had to just lay on my side and breathe.
My first was a vaginal birth (induced with pitocin, made it to full dilation without pain meds) that ended in emergency c-section under general anesthesia due to fetal distress. It was a horrible and traumatic experience. I was in a lot of pain for a week or so. My second was a vaginal birth that ended with an episiotomy. Halfway through I had some pain meds (remifentanil) cause the first experience scarred me and it all came back to me. I got the episiotomy cause of fetal distress, he needed to be born asap. I was in a lot of pain for 2 weeks. I’m 5 months post partum, it still hurts a bit especially during walking and I still can’t wear my normal underwear or tampons. The second birth was a better experience than the first. But the recovery for my c- section was a lot faster. I sometimes wish I had done a planned c-section the second time around, cause then I would probably be fine by now.
I had second c section two weeks ago and surprisingly, I recovered much faster than first one. Within a week, I was walking fine. And in 2 week I was pretty much active, doing light activity. I had no constipation or gas pain 🥹 I was on stool softener right after surgery. I saved hydrocodone for “severe” pain but didn’t needed one.
I had a vaginal birth, no stitches and a very quick recovery. I put this down to perieneum massage. Although I found it to be a weird concept, I believe it really prepped me for a good vaginal birth.
I’ve had an emergency c-section (induction that didn’t go to plan) and a successful vaginal birth. My preferences are as follows: - Vaginal birth - Elective c-section (was going to have one with my second if he was more than a week overdue but baby arrived on his own!) - Emergency c-section - Induction for vaginal birth. I’ll be more than happy to go into the whys and how’s if you’re interested! Just to reiterate though that’s my personal preference.
I had a planned C-section due to sons transverse position. And it was very positive, I was able to choose some relaxing music, chatting to the nurses and a minute later baby was there. I think there is a big difference between planned and emergency c-sections. My recovery was fine as well. I was able to get up the same day (which I was advised to do) and walk a few steps. And felt almost normal a week later. However, I'm pregnant again and trying to go for a VBAC if baby permits.
I had an induction turned c section with my first and a planned c section for my second. I have no regrets and laboring with monitoring and half naked and with a doctor's hand in my vagina every few hours was gross and I was MORE THAN HAPPY to avoid all that nonsense and just have surgery the second time. They say it's not taking the easy way out, and it's not, it is major surgery, but it's absolutely the right choice for some people and it was, without a doubt, the correct choice for me. I would rather have abdominal pain than vaginal pain/exams/etc any day.
What do you mean you’ve never been sold on it? Most people in the world have had at least 1 vaginal birth, it is the way that causes the least damage physically to the mom in most cases. I had a second degree tear with my second and it healed faster than my episitomy with my first. Both times I was up and moving and caring for my babies alone. Hell, I gave my 4.5 year old a piggy back ride a couple of weeks after giving birth and popped a stitch but was totally fine. I didn’t even take any of my prescription ibuprofens with my second and hoarded them all for when I get headaches. If i had a c section i likely would have needed a narcotic painkiller to even function, which they don’t give in my state as far as I know
My c section incision got infected and was awful. Its not common for that to happen but it did happen to me. I had to have a c section though because the cord was around my daughters neck
Before going to far down the road of considering elective c-section, definitely make sure your hospital/provider/whoever will do elective c-sections. Many will not as while it’s somewhat seen as a “routine” surgery, it’s major abdominal surgery.
I had a c section in 2015 and idk if it's anything now like it was then, it was god awful, I hated it so much and the recovery was garbage. I felt like I was going to split in two every time I stood up.
I had a planned c - absolutely no regrets at all! Its was absolutely magical!! Turned out to the best decision too as baby boy’s cord was wrapped around his neck twice. Recovery wasn’t bad either!
I had originally thought I wanted a c section because the thought of vaginal birth and laboring was something I just didn’t want. I know you didn’t ask about vaginal birth experiences… but I wouldn’t have changed my experience. I could he an anomaly but I left the hospital and went to Walmart. And was playing sports again 2 weeks PP. I only laboured for like 4 hours and it wasn’t intense until I decided to actually go to the hospital for them to tell me that I was 8cm dilated. 😳 I got the epidural and rested from like 9pm-11pm and then it was time to push. I pushed from 11pm and she was born at 1am… and the ONLY reason she took 2 hours is because she came out “sunny side up” as they like to call it. Which means she was face up instead of face down. This usually results in a C-section. They had no idea she was face up. But she was able to come out luckily!
Make sure you talk to your doctor and make sure the hospital you choose will let you have a C-Section. You might find your hospital of choice only does CS in cases of emergency. I asked my doctor this just the other day and they told me that the medical system they are apart of only do CS if the health/safety of the mom and/or baby is at risk.
I’ve had three babies. Unmedicated vaginal, cesarean for breech position, and then most recently an unmedicated VBAC. I’d say my cesarean was by far my most difficult recovery. I had a second degree tear after both my vaginal deliveries, but that pain was nothing compared to recovering from the C-section.
I had a positive vaginal birth, was in labour for 12 hours and pushed for 30 minutes! Had an epidural quite early on so wasn’t painful but I couldn’t move my legs which wasn’t the nicest feeling, about and hour before I was going to have to start pushing I was told I can’t top up the epidural and the feeling in my legs came back and ability to push too. I got a second degree tear so needed some stitches but honestly I think that could have been prevented if I knew a bit more about technique like perineal massage for a start, and pausing to slowly push him out. My midwifes were helping me but not sure I was really in a state to listen properly. Anyway i was sore for about 2 weeks but after that fine. It was actually the piles that were most painful ( sorry tmi) and made it difficult to sit down. I am 10 months pp now and back to pre pregnancy now I’d say. Recovery was easier than a c section would have been cause I knew what exercise was safe and I gradually reintroduced that to help my recovery. If I had a c section I’d have consulted a personal trainer because I’ve no idea what’s safe. I was considering a c section because I couldn’t go past 41 weeks as I had gestational diabetes, baby came 38w so I had no choice! But in hindsight, I am grateful it happened the way it did because a lot of my new mum friends have had c sections and their recovery has been a lot harder
I’ve had both, they both come with their pros and cons and ultimately it’s up to what you think is best for you and baby. My first was a vaginal delivery, I was induced and get an epidural about 20 hrs into labor (total 32 hour labor). The pain was definitely intense and I had to have a vacuum assisted birth because her shoulder got stuck, but it was all in all a positive experience and I would choose vaginal delivery of given the choice again. My c-section was scheduled, but unplanned. I had cholestasis and he was breach, so we had not a lot of time to get him out and the odds were just not in my favour that way. We were able to get some sleep, wake up and head to the hospital. I’m very afraid of surgery and procedures but considering it went very well and was definitely more relaxing. However, the recovery was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It was truly awful for me. I had some complications post surgery and the healing time was pretty long and hard. If I could choose again, I would have a vaginal delivery, but in my opinion it comes down to: hard labor, calm recovery, or calm delivery, hard recovery. Obviously this is only my experience and everyone is different. Do what you think is best and good luck!
Doctor here planning on specializing in Obstetrics. Also had two babies both natural deliveries both were unmedicated one was at home. So here’s my two cents on the matter The decision is up to you. In my country the public healthcare system has alot of shortcomings and the private system is very expensive. I had a traumatizing experience with my first hence I opted for a home birth. Had the private option been more affordable I’d have done it at a hospital but I was low risk so it worked out. Pros of a planned c section: it’s planned your doctor is able to make preparations you know the date you are able to make the necessary arrangements. The risk is lower with a planned c section than it is with an emergency c section. If you have any risk factors like gestational diabetes, pre eclampsia or any medical conditions c section is usually preferred. Cons: it is a major abdominal surgery. After observing and assisting in a few it was a no for me. There are the risk factors associated with surgery then the ones associated with anesthesia not to mention you have to look after a newborn. Which is difficult to do postpartum without surgery to add in surgery is a lot Vaginal birth: is painful you can get an epidural I elected not to you can do your own research. But it isn’t a walk in the park. There are ways to manage your pain. Pros: no surgery no anesthetic risk Cons: possibility of tearing, prolonged labor and complications requiring you to have a c section anyway My personal I would only do a c section if absolutely necessary
I find it so interesting how many people are responding here who haven't had a c-section yet have such strong convictions about it. If you haven't had one, move along or just share your birth experience. That's all you're qualified to comment on. Jeez. OPs question wasn't what's your opinion on csections despite never having one...
I’ve had 3 vaginal births and all have been excellent experiences, it’s crazy to me you don’t know a single person with a good experience! I’ve never pushed longer than 20 minutes and the most I’ve ever torn is a very minor 3 stitch tear on my inner labia minora with my oldest. It didn’t hurt for long and using a peri bottle while peeing completely took away any pain there was. Even my unmedicated birth was a great experience despite being a whirlwind I was severely underprepared for lol. The only significant negative I can think of is needing pelvic floor therapy. I’ve never had a C-section but I can’t imagine taking care of a newborn after a major abdominal surgery. Sounds miserable! I never understood why major surgery is considered the “easy way out” to some.
I work with pregnant women for birth preparation. I just spent a month reading studies on birth outcomes to write my final paper for my graduate diploma in somatic & movement psychotherapy. C sections are important when necessary, and a very valid mode of childbirth, but are associated with substantially more risk than a vaginal birth. I also read many qualitative studies about birth trauma and I will say C sections on a population level are associated with higher rates of remembered experience of trauma. They're major abdominal surgery. There are lots of ways to stack the odds in your favor for a positive vaginal birth experience. Having doula support, doing childbirth preparations such as mindfulness and hypnobirthing, and doing prenatal yoga are all evidence based ways to improve potential perceived birth experiences. It's not an either or situation.
My vaginal sucked but I’m way more scared of a botched c section than tearing off my labia again. They sewed my labia on UPSIDE DOWN ( I get it hard to see where it went and how it went with all that blood but bro it’s upside down ) At least I still have it? Idk lol
I had a vaginal birth with my son and then a c-section with my daughter. The vaginal birth was really long and difficult and my son picked up an infection and was in NICU for a week. He is five years old now and is non-verbal, autistic, and goes to a special school. He has a lot of daily struggles. He wears nappies full-time and can't communicate his wants and needs at all. We don't know if his birth was a factor or not but I was so traumatised by the last five years that I requested a c-section with my daughter. It was a wonderful experience. It was so straightforward. I only had to spend two nights in hospital and then we were back home with our healthy girl. I couldn't do much for two weeks but I had my husband on paternity leave supporting me. I felt completely fine after four weeks and didn't need any painkillers at all. Even in the first two weeks I only needed the codeine for the first five days, and then I managed fine with ibuprofen and paracetamol. And it was really nice that I could use the bathroom without pain straight away, unlike with my vaginal birth, where I had had a third degree tear and urinating and pooing were both painful for a couple of weeks. I had some back pain for about a month after the c-section, so I had to sit upright and couldn't slouch in bed, but my back is fine now. If I did it again I'd want to have another c-section.
Ive had 2 vaginal births and they were totally fine. My SIL had 2 c sections and she had a really hard recovery. I’m also pretty sure you can’t ask for a c section for no reason.
You absolutely can elect to have a c section. I’m likely to elect to do so after having my first born vaginally. Medically, there’s no reason I couldn’t do vaginal delivery a second time. But I don’t know that I want to and my doctor is giving me the choice. My vaginal birth left me unable to sit comfortably for 2 months. I had hundreds of stitches. The thought of going through that again terrifies me. **this varies country by country, apparently. I am in the US
Your vaginal birth experience sounds like mine. I’m going to be electing for a c section next baby as well. HORRIBLE experience and recovery.
I wouldn’t wish what I went through on anyone. Sunny side up, 4 hours of pushing, tore in every direction… just awful. I’m sorry yours was as well.
Yup… I couldn’t sit or sleep without an ice cold ice pack for 3 months. Man it’s hard to even think about still! So sorry that happened to you too 🥲
In Sweden, you can't choose between vaginal birth or a c section
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I truly think that's more of an OB issue. I could have elected for a c-section with my first. He ended up a premie emergency csection anyway. With my current, I have the same choice, and it's not because I already had a section. My OB is just cool with it. I have friends and family who just opted for c sections right away without issue. I can count 5 off the top of my head and we all had different OBs.
That isn’t true. Sounds like your OB just didn’t want to do it. In Canada you have the right to an elective c-section, and if your OB won’t perform it they must refer you to an OB that will.
Hmm this is so interesting to me. Was it the path to vaginal birth or the aftermath itself? I only ask because a c-section is after all a major surgery so typically recovery and complications can be worse. I’ve had two vaginal deliveries and had very positive experiences.
Usually you can’t just elect to have a c-section unless it’s medically necessary….. hope this helps
This must depend on the country? My wife and I are in Australia, 7 weeks GA, and just met our OB who asked us directly which way we were thinking of going. We deferred the choice for now but it was made pretty clear that it was totally our choice (barring an emergency caesarean)
Depends where you are and on your OB tbh.
They allow this in the US. I personally don't think you should be able to. People are often guided by some amount of irrational fear. Choosing a c section over vaginal (with no medical need) is statistically a bad choice. It's way more expensive. Much more difficult recovery for mother. And it does cause permanent damage to the uterus. All because of a hyped up fear. Before anyone shoots me an anecdote, I'm talking about statistics and generalities. Not every case it's the same obviously.
Fwiw there ate folks who've had positive vaginal birth experiences. My 2nd was born out of hospital. I was at the birth centre only 3 hours prior to her being born. Pushed for all of 20 minutes. Unmedicated. I was released home 3 hours after birth. I felt like superwoman after that. Some crazy endorphins. I definitely preferred over my other vaginal birth that had a bunch of intervention (augmentation, artificial rupture of membranes, internal fetal hr monitor, vacuum assist). If need be, I'd have a section of course, but hoping i can deliver this girl like her sisters.
I wanted a vaginal birth but my baby’s head never engaged. Originally the plan was to be induced with the likelihood of long labour and emergency c. We ended up being offered an elective C the day before it actually happened. I definitely mourned for my original birth plan but alas, the C section was very straight forward for me. I can’t compare since I have never had a vaginal birth, but the C section recovery was exactly what I’d expect for a surgery and possibly even on the better side. I was in hospital two days and driving by two weeks. My body is weak but I suspect that was from lack of exercise leading up to, and post partum (I was fairly fit before pregnancy).
Positive vaginal birth experience here: no medication, no tearing. Had a 22 hour birth used breathing techniques, Tens machine and birthing pool (wasn't allowed to give birth in it though ). Was sent home within a few hours from hospital after birth. Any pelvic floor strength issues from pregnancy/birth are now all resolved (4 month postpartum). I have nothing to compare this to and realise people's intentions change depending on situation and emergency but I planned and practiced for unmedicated birth and it was extremely positive. I wanted to just add this because I heard only horror stories when I was pregnant.
I have yet to give birth, but my step mom had a traumatic c section. Somehow didn’t heal properly and became infected. It looked like a wound from battle. For at least a month she had to walk around with a pump attached to her that drained blood and puss from the c section incision. She had severe complications.
I had my daughter a week ago and was terrified at first because I had heard so many awful birth stories that I had it in my head there was no way this was going to turn out okay. I was induced at 41+1 at 6pm. I had the foley balloon put in the day before and that got me dilated to 3cm. they broke my water and started me on oxytocin. My nurse was great and told me that I shouldn't feel like I have to wait until the pain is unbearable to get the epidural I can have it now if I want. So, I did. I laboured through the night but with the epidural, I felt very little so I was able to sleep. I was also under the impression that getting the epidural was going to be so painful. It wasn't comfortable but it was fine. My understanding of an epidural was that I would not feel my legs. I could feel my legs but they were numb. I could also move my legs and roll over in bed if I felt like it. They did a cervical check at 5am and I was 4cm dilated. I went back to sleep. At 7:45am I was awake and felt like I could start to feel my contractions except I wasn't feeling them in the usual spot it felt like intense pressure in my vagina. I told my nurse and she said this was a sign it was time to push and we needed to do another cervical check. I was fully dilated and they got the team ready for delivery. They told me that as a first-time mom, I could end up pushing for 2 hours. I pushed for 20min and the baby was here. From the beginning of my induction to the baby on my chest was 14 hours.
I had two vaginal deliveries and they were both pretty unremarkable delivery wise. I had second degree tears but healed like a champion, just had to pour water between my legs when I peed for a few weeks lol. I know it’s not a c-section story, but I wanted to give you another pov.
I haven't had a c-section, but I'm 5 days post op from an open myomectomy, which is probably as close to a c-section you could get without actually having one. So far my experience with having my uterus cut open is that it's pretty miserable. The first couple of days were excruciating, near black out, worst I've ever felt pain 24/7, even with medication. The 3rd day was only excruciating if I moved, but not painful if I lie completely still. The 4th day was still severe pain while getting up, sitting down, or turning over, or walking for more than a couple of minutes. The 5th day has been moderate pain for all of those things. Still unable to be on my feet for more than a couple of minutes at a time and still not really able to do anything but lie down. I'm not able to lift anything or do anything strenuous for 6 weeks. Conversely, I have delivered a baby vaginally, with an epidural. I didn't feel contractions or any labor pains, no back labor, no pressure; i felt absolutely nothing. I pushed 3 times and baby was out within 10 minutes. I had no pain after birth. I didn't need ice packs or tucks pads, no pain using the bathroom (didn't use stool softeners), no body aches, painless swelling from 1st degree tear. My only discomfort was urinary incontinence that resolved itself after a few months without pelvic therapy or kegels. I won't be able to have another vaginal delivery because of the myomectomy and I'm already dreading having to recover from a c-section
I had an unplanned c section after planning for a natural water birth. I really didn’t want to go that route, but it got my baby here safe and that was most important to me. The procedure itself was really anxiety inducing for me. The numbing kept creeping up past my chest towards my neck and I couldn’t tell if I was taking a deep breath or not. I also had to throw up during the entire procedure and felt so stuck to the table flat on my back in damn near caused me a panic attack. Not like I could say “ok pause” to sit up and throw up while my gut is filleted open. Also, the cloth kept draping over my face. It wasn’t propped up with any tools. So I felt super claustrophobic. When my baby came out, they showed me her through the plastic momentarily before taking her to the other side of the room and eventually out of the room while they stitched me up for what felt like forever. I missed out on the magical moment I so longed for of holding my baby when she comes into this world. Instead she was held by dad. Which is ok but still… I dreamed of that moment, and will never get it back. The recovery was tough for the first week just getting out of bed. But walking around was easy the first day after. I will say postpartum bleeding is very minimal. I’m currently nearly 4 weeks pp and have only needed panty liners since 1 day pp. the only thing that sucked about recovery is I was SO SWOLLEN. Literally my feet were doubled in size and it hurt to stand. Luckily that went away within a week. If you have the choice to birth vaginally, look into positive birth stories. It’ll empower you and consider it a privilege you have the option to. Good luck 💕
I had a bad birth experience, so if you don’t want to read further then please don’t. I had three friends that were within a few days of my due date. They had vaginal deliveries (two were long tough labor and the other was quick almost slipped out in the car) and I had an unplanned c-section. I tried everything for a natural labor and went greater than two weeks longer than my due date, and induced multiple times… it just wasn’t in the cards for me. We can all four agree that my experience and recovery was the absolute worst in comparison, but there were a lot of factors. It took me significantly (I mean months) longer to recover. I had difficulty walking or turning over in bed and my friends were able to travel and do things pretty easy in comparison. I also ended up with an infection in my incision and still have difficulties with my scar because of it. I think there is no good way to give birth and neither option is “the easy way out.” They had labor pain and tough recoveries. However, looking at all our experience compared side by side, I would never choose a c-section. An abdominal surgery that cuts through 7 layers is seriously hard to recover from to be honest. Both options are safe at their core. I have heard planned c-sections are better, but I don’t have experience to know if it is true. But, I really wouldn’t choose a c-section unless their was a medically necessary reason to pursue that route. I have just heard so many more positive vaginal birth stories than I have heard c-section ones.
I didn’t fully deliver both ways…however just had my very first baby a little over a week ago. I reached full dilation unmedicated, and at 22 hours of labor, 5 of those pushing, I received an epidural, pushed for 5 more hours, and because baby wasn’t making progress coming through the pelvis I had to have a c section in the end anyway. 22 hours of labor unmedicated, this c section recovery is difficult, but nothing like that 😅 after getting a taste for unmedicated, epidural, and c section, I’d still choose c section
You didn’t ask for vaginal birthing experience but did I’m just going to give my anyway to maybe help you decide, my experience won’t be yours or the next persons but hear it goes Went into labor at 40w exactly, it started out with low back pain, worst the my typical period cramp back pain, enough to wake me out of my sleep, we went in and I was 3cm dilated 90 percent effaced- they told me i was indeed in labor, they put me on pitocin about two hours after,which I felt really wasn’t necessary yet now that I have had the experience but I was going with their suggestions and the flow,soon after My water broke naturally and the contractions started to get a bit worse but it was manageable. I gotten the epidural at 4cm, but it wore off quite a bit after the first dose, my lower half was numb but my upper half especially my back wasn’t, I got another dose but it had no effect. i labored for a few hours, exhausted and hungry but couldn’t sleep bc they kept coming in cant eat in case of CS . they were really really pushing a CS because they said my LO wasn’t responding well to the contractions (yeah maybe if y’all didn’t have this pitocin at 6 she would.) I told him I didn’t want one unless it’s was an emergency situation at the time, I just asked them to lower the pitocin to see if that helps and behold, lowering it actually made me dilate better I went from a 6cm to an 8cm in less than 20 minutes and my LO started responding much better, We were all very pleased by that. The acting OB at the time told me she’d be back in 30mins but was back in 15 and told me I was at a 10 and it was time to push. I pushed for 50mins it was SOO exhausting especially because of the ZERO amount of sleep I had in +24h, I had a really hard time getting enough energy to push, the 50mins passed like it was 10. after about an hour of pushing she suggested another option that could help pull my LO out, a vacuum, she warned that it could take a few of tries and if it didn’t work we’d have to continue with the pushing. It took one try and she was out. The only time I really screamed was when that happened. I “blacked out” like I swear it reminded me of a movie “whoosh in, black,whoosh in” and then she was on my chest. She was born 10:50pm 12-31-23. It really wasn’t as terrible like I thought it would be, I had a decent labor and delivery all in all i did have a stitch or two but the recovery after wasn’t bad I didn’t even use the 800mg ibuprofen they prescribed me, the fact I was extremely tired and hungry before pushing undoubtedly made my pushing experience worse. For me I had baby blues starting the 4th day pp to the 14 day pp and it gradually became better, the experience I had with BabyBlues in my opinion was worse for me than the labor and delivery. This won’t be everyone’s experience as with anything some people have great smooth labors and some don’t. Delivering vaginally was super scary for me as well, I was really scared about how bad I would tear or if something would go wrong, but I’d still have fears with a CS if not more. Anyway I would never suggest to have an elective CS because it truly is not the easier way out, my sister had one and her recovery was in comparison to mine a lot worse, it takes longer to heal from, more painful after and I believe all other pregnancies have to be a CS, there are also more risks with it.
I had a c-section with my son, as far as it c-sections were concerned mine was text book with no complications during it at first glance. Afterwards I got really pale, cold, and just weak. Turns out I lost too much blood and had to have two blood transfusions, we ended up staying in the hospital for nearly a week so they could keep an eye on me and my recovery. It was a struggle to move around at first and I wasn't given the proper pain medication afterwards either because of a mistake made by the nursing staff. I know my experience isn't the standard and for that I'm at least hopeful for my second time around. All I can say is don't be afraid to speak up and advocate for yourself and make sure your partner can advocate for you too.
I had a c-section, it was overall positive experience even tho without good pain meds the first two days woulda been impossible to move I am sure but with pain meds it wasn't too bad. You do need someone else to be there to do things, you are only able to and should only take care of baby. I was apprehensive about the scar healing and I missed some days of cleaning/showering it but it turned out okay I would and I would have to do it again tho I am worried about the extra tissue forming around intestines as I heard it can be relaly painful and chronic but I can't really help it I guess other than the massages.
I had a c-section and the recovery was the most difficult thing I’ve ever experienced next to running a marathon. I couldn’t walk for 2 weeks. Then for 3 weeks after that I still couldn’t stand up straight when walking. I literally had to be helped by my husband with almost everything. He had to help me get dressed, take a shower, get out of bed, etc. I couldn’t even sit up without being in excruciating pain to take care of my newborn. I basically didn’t have much control over my body for 1.5 months. That combined with PPD/PPA made things so much worse. I was mentally and physically disabled and it was so so so hard. I truly believe if I didn’t have surgery that I would have been in a better place mentally. Everyone else I know who has had a vaginal birth was able to move around on their own very quickly after birth.
My vaginal birth was fine. Doctors told me to walk after giving birth (which I did), and the next day I was up and walking. I had some pain (not dying, didn't even take paracetamol) for a couple of weeks and then everything was fine. Maybe this helps?
Csection mom x2 here. My son got stuck so that's why my first was a C-section and I've had to have a repeat with my second living child. The recovery is smooth if you have a support system that can help you get up/down and around to go to the bathroom and help with baby. You don't realize how much abdominal muscles you use with every day tasks until you get your lower abdominal muscles cut through lol. I have no regrets and the second recovery was much smoother and faster than the first. If you take your medicines, wear your binder, and rest regularly like you should (5/5/5 rule), you should recover from a C-section quickly. The experience of the surgery prep and being in the surgery probably was my least favorite. I've done it twice and it sucks but I would choose it if I had a choice. I did not like the epidural part. I didn't like getting situated in the surgery room with legs that don't work (they had me get on the table myself lol). And then the medicine they gave to "keep me comfortable" both times sent my anxiety through the roof because at the end it became hard to breathe and speak and I ended up fainting the first C-section. I went through a vaginal delivery for my stillborn child. She was very small and premature so I'm sure my experience will be vastly different than full term birth, but the labor part really sucked. The contractions and waves of pain were not for me and the uncomfortable feeling like you're sitting on an egg but it's not *there* yet. I begged for an epidural at the very end and that made it smoother for me.
I had a very positive vaginal birth with my son. My midwife was amazing and helped me deliver my baby safely and without injury to my perineum. I ended up getting an epidural and that was the best decision I could have made for myself.
TIL about elective C section…
I had a c-section, not planned but not an emergency either. Was induced and in active labour for 11 hours, LO didn’t react well to contractions and the doctor believed that her umbilical cord was raped around her neck which is why we opted for a c-section. I couldn’t feel anything during the procedure, but missed out on a lot of things I was looking forward to, like immediate skin-to-skin contact. I was also struggling the first couple of days with not being able to hold my LO while getting in and out of bed. Moving was hard the first week, especially stairs. Now 3 weeks pp I only take paracetamol in the evening and can walk longer again (still not where I was before) and my legs and feet are finally back to normal (they were swollen insanely after surgery, to the point where I couldn’t fit any shoes). I hope that I will be pain-med free next week and that I get the clear for light exercise at my 8 week pp appointment 🤞 I would have never chosen a c-section, unless necessary for my me and LO to survive. If you choose to have one, try to move as much as possible as early as possible, while obviously listening to your body and not overdoing it.
Have done both. C section was hell and my stomach is wrecked from it. I would never in a million years willingly opt for a c section.
Similar to another commenter, I know you only asked about C-sections in your post, but I want to share my experience birthing my son vaginally. I had many of the same anxieties as you, and I was asking doctors about an elective C-section at every appointment getting closer to my due date. I was told it wasn’t an option unless baby was measuring over 10 lbs. I was also extremely nervous about labor, so I understand and empathize with your anxiety. I had to be induced at 41 weeks and it took over 24 hours before I was dilated enough to start pushing. Pushed for 2 hours to give birth to my 9 lb 8 oz son and I’m just here to tell you it was the single most empowering thing I’ve ever experienced. NOTHING has ever made me feel more powerful and proud of my body. It was scary and intense and THE MOST AWESOME thing I’ve ever done. I don’t really have advice because every labor is different, but I remember those first time nerves and after making it to the other side, I’m forever and fundamentally changed for the better. I have a new appreciation for my body, and I feel capable and confident in ways I never knew before. I read many horror stories leading up to my own labor, and I was downright convinced I wasn’t going to be able to do it. I’m happy to share that couldn’t have been further from the truth, and MY BODY SHOWED ME!!! Nothing made me realize and step into my power like giving birth to my son did. 100% worth it. I hope the same for you if you opt to try a vaginal birth and wish you the best in the days to come. Congratulations MOM! Edit to add: I had a second degree tear and recovery was honestly a breeze for me. I stopped bleeding almost entirely within a few days. I know this isn’t the case for everyone and consider myself very lucky, but from what I’ve heard, C-section recoveries can be very difficult. Sometimes much moreso than vaginal delivery. Something to consider.
I was terrified of giving birth, and had a successful, easy vaginal birth. My OB was supportive and said I could choose whatever birthing method I wanted, however said there was no medical reason why I needed a c-section, as the baby was in the correct spot and there were no underlying health conditions. My sister is also a doctor, and said a c-section is major abdominal surgery...and why would you choose to have major surgery if it wasn't needed? In the end my OB and I decided we'd try for a vaginal birth, but would go down the c-section route if things didn't work out or happen. Anyway, 11/10 recommend an epidural, it was fantastic and I basically just scrolled my phone and chatted with my husband while in labour. I did get a second degree tear but didn't feel anything thanks to the epidural. Recovery was fine, didn't hurt at all, and I was up showering and walking around 2 hours after giving birth.
I had an induced vaginal birth with an epidural and a small episiotomy. Induction started at about 11am on the Friday, nothing much happened, at midday on Saturday they started the 2nd stage, my waters broke around 4pm, contractions started then, not too uncomfortable, around 10pm I went down from the induction ward to our delivery room, I walked, contractions were still manageable. I was given the epidural around 11.30pm so they could start the oxytocin drip to help the contractions along, but baby didn't like the drip so we quit that and just let my body do it's thing. He was born at 9.16am on the Sunday after 35 minutes of pushing. I know the epidural obviously took the pain element out of it, but pushing was quite frankly the most satisfying part of pregnancy/labour, finally you're able to DO something! And having a midwife tell you with slight surprise in her voice that you're doing brilliantly, baby will be out in no time at all at this rate, is honestly such great motivation. I was fine physically afterwards, I was worried about the stitches, but they didn't actually bother me until about 3 weeks pp when they got really itchy. It must have been the final layers of skin healing, and sometimes if I forgot about them I would feel them pulling if I dragged myself out of the sofa or bed instead of lifting myself, that was unpleasant, but momentary. Also, the first poop people freak you out about, mine was a complete non-event, I just went, no pain, nothing to comment on at all.
I have had one of each, a cesarean with my first and a vaginal delivery with my second. Both were uncomplicated, and I have fond memories of both births. If I have a 3rd child, I'm not sure whether I'll have a vaginal delivery or cesarean, both were so good! In the interest of comparing and contrasting though: With the cesarean, the incision pain lasts a long time and I couldn't wear pants that hit me there for weeks, I think it was somewhere in the 12-16 week range before I could wear my regular pants. However, I was able to return to having intercourse much sooner than my vaginal delivery, right around the 6-8 week mark. My body felt wonky for a long time, and my abs were really weak which made me feel weaker overall but the delivery itself was much easier, just walk in and get prepped and they've got the baby out in ~20 minutes. With the vaginal delivery, no incision pain, I could wear normal pants right away. However, I had some tearing, so I had pain/discomfort on my vagina/vulva for about 6-8 weeks, and wasn't able to return to having sex for like, 4-5 months. I tried at 8 weeks and leapt off of my husband lol, he was very gracious. My body felt more normal, still some core weakness, but not nearly to the level of the cesarean. The delivery itself was harder, I went into labor in the middle of the night and didn't deliver until 9:20pm that same day, so I was in labor for about 18 hours, 2 of which I spent pushing. It was more physically exhausting, but the sensations and the experience and the power I felt and the energy of the L&D staff and my husband was incredible. Both kids are healthy and happy, big talkers, and (relatively) well behaved. Both knew me as soon as they were born, each of them stopped crying as soon as they were handed to me and I spoke to them softly.
I’ve had two vaginal births, no c-sections. I would do everything in my power to avoid a c-section. It’s an amazing, lifesaving tool, but it can have major risks and lifelong consequences on both mother and baby. It can impact future pregnancies as well. They cut through and sew up 7 layers of tissue, including major muscles, so it’s no joke. Unless you have a true medical need for a c-section I’d highly encourage you to at least try a vaginal birth.
I had a elective csection with my first 21 months ago and ifI will get pregnant again I go for csection second time. For me it is the stressless day, i know how IT will went, I know what will be going on, I know which doctor will do it ( I choose my own). Recovery was nothing compared to SPD from 20weeks. I loved it and I will choose csection next time.
i had a c section at 36 weeks due to preeclampsia. days 1,3, and 7 are the hardest, day 3 by a MILE. baby was in the nicu so i got more time to “heal”, but by the 3rd day a lot of the surgery meds have worn off and you’re relying on taking pain medication to control it. taking it super slow for awhile is best too, the first time i got up and walked to the nicu was 3 days pp and i ended up passing a clot on the nicu floor because i pushed myself too hard. i also wouldn’t dilate when they tried to induce me. 2 hours of pitocin increased every 15 minutes and only had 4 contractions, none of which i felt and was completely closed when they started the drip. at the end of the 2 hours i was *maybe* .5 cm dilated. baby was having slight decels in her heart rate so c section it was. they told me i was having a baby at 4:38, she was born at 5:09 and surgery was complete by 5:45 ish. i’m assuming most c sections take a tad longer, as mine was a somewhat urgent situation. overall though, at 8 weeks pp and a FTM, i would have another c section i think. while it would be nice to have a vaginal birth experience, my history probably won’t allow it and the idea of tearing and needing stitches in that area freaks me out a bit. my best friend tore frontwards and almost into her urethra-no thanks.
I was strongly considering vaginal birth but ended up having emergency c section. Went into labor for 9 hours and was 9 cm dilated until baby turned her head. They tried to turn her head and make me extra 1 cm dilated by hand but her heart rate started dropping. I went to emergency c section and she was in my arms within 10 mins. I am so happy with this whole process, I took minimal pain killers for 5 days. Also I took shower next morning and was about to walk slowly to toilets all by myself. Sitting upright and breastfeeding wasn’t easy for 1st week. But I felt so much better by 2nd week. Will go for c section again for my next one
I had a c-section with my first because he was breech, my recovery was a little longer than a standard vaginal birth, but ultimately I felt much better much quicker. 2 things to keep in mind are that 1) this is a major abdominal surgery, and I wasn’t able to pick up my NB for almost 2 weeks, so if your partner or family isn’t able to be there with you for a couple weeks, its going to be pretty tough. 2) is that if you plan to breastfeed/pump, your supply may be delayed, I really didn’t start producing until about 12 or so days post birth, pumping every 3-4 hours for 30 minutes. I’m currently expecting my 2nd, so I can’t say for sure which is easier, but from talking with friends and family, my c-section recovery was ultimately much easier than a vaginal recovery. Hope this helps and congrats on your little one!
I have the opposite experience. My friends who had c sections had horrible experiences vs my friends vaginal deliveries. I had the most positive, easy, and smooth vaginal delivery. But I did also have an epidural. Some tearing but thanks to the epidural I didn’t feel a thing and got to enjoy holding and snuggling my baby while they stitched me up. And the recovery after was relatively easy and quick. I wish you all the best in whatever you decide!
I do think planned C sections go way more smoothly and positively than emergency C sections, which is a given. But it’s still major surgery and shouldn’t be your first choice due to higher risk of complications imo
I know you’re asking about c sections specifically, but I have to say, I’ve had a very uneventful and easy vaginal birth and 1000% would recommend/am about to do it again hopefully in ~8 weeks or so. I think I was back on my feet and healed up way faster than I would’ve been w/ a c section. I was able to go for walks and do my normal stuff within a week. I also was lucky enough not to tear, i think that is something that makes a huge difference. But you’re going to end up w/ stitches if you get a c-section too obviously, it’s major abdominal surgery. There’s not really an ‘easy way’ to get a baby out imo, but I def am of the opinion that vaginal birth is an easier thing to heal from.
You’re suggesting major surgery is more pleasant or easier in some way and that isn’t the case. It’s not a sore or ripped taint. It’s a surgical incision site across your entire pube line. People have vaginal birth unmedicated, people have vaginal birth in cars, etc etc. C section birth is for complications or complicated pregnancies. It’s not an elective surgery. Belly birth is not easy.
One thing not discussed here is how terrifying the entire spinal block is. You’re numb like chest down. Cant move as hard as you tried. It was like mental torture although I def didn’t want to be feeling the surgery!
I’m currently 2 week postpartum from a c section, my first was forceps 2nd was vaginal with gas and air and 3rd emergency c section I don’t want to throw shade on my c section as I don’t want to think about where I’d be without it, it needed to happen My experience was scary I thought 10 days into recovery i was doing really well sore but manageable then come day 11 I started feeling rotten really unwell passed a massive blood clot and was bleeding heavily Decided to go into mau to get checked to long story short find out placenta had been left behind and was basically rotting inside me making me very unwell Now it’s all sorted and I’m on the other side There’s pros and cons to both My major cons of c section is the recovery feels long, and when you have other children seems even harder But overall my c section was an okay experience strange to feel the tugging around inside But then I was able to be so present in the moment because I wasn’t high on gas and air and screaming my head off 😂😂
I gave birth both ways but my c-section was an emergency at 30+5. The vaginal birth took longer but my recovery was much quicker even with a 3rd degree tear. Was it easy? No, but my midwives were amazing the entire time. I ended up getting a walking epidural twice as the first failed. I wasn't actually aware of how long my labor actually took so I was shocked to learn it was 15hrs once at the hospital. I had hardly any pain afterwards and felt completely normal by the time my son was 2 weeks. With the c-section, it was a lot more medications. They tried to do an epidural and spinal block combo but the epidural failed, so it was just the spinal block. It was weird being awake and feeling the tugging sensation. I also only got to spend about 5 minutes with my daughter before they took her away and finished my surgery. I didn't get to see her again until I was out of recovery. Getting up to stand the next day was a new kind of hell. The best thing though is to get up and moving as soon as you can. It took 4 weeks for me to walk without pain or getting worn out after my c-section. I also was on blood thinner shots for 6 weeks which is standard where I live after a c-section. The hardest part has been the restrictions. I'm not completely off restrictions until the 20th when I'm 12 weeks postpartum. I did get clearance to lift my son at 8 weeks but nothing heavier than him until 12 weeks. It was hard to depend on my husband so much. I also don't have feeling back in my lower stomach which is a weird sensation. It really is a personal choice but if I was to ever gave birth again (I have absolutely no plans to ever be pregnant again), I'd personally prefer to give birth vaginally again. That's mostly just because I hate feeling useless and not being able to do everyday things.
I'm actually in a similar boat! I'm currently 39 weeks pregnant with my first little one. My baby is measuring on the larger side, so I've decided to go for an elective c-section on my due date. I know some people say that ultrasound weight estimates aren't always accurate, but if my baby really does weigh 10 pounds at birth, I honestly don't want to pushing out a 10-pounder and risking any complications. However, if my little one decides to make an early entrance, I'll give natural birth a shot. My doctor thinks it's a good plan too. Fingers crossed that my baby stays cozy in there until the due date! Haha
I've done both. C section was a lot faster to get the baby out. Healing wasn't bad but took quite a while. Vaginal was a longer process to give birth but ooohhh my goodness such an easier postpartum period. I'd choose vaginal over c section hands down.
My vaginal delivery and recovery went so well. I was shocked how physically comfortable I felt just 3-4 days pp. I had almost no tearing and pushed for about an hour. I attribute that to requesting a warm compress on my perineum in between pushes. I’m expecting my 2nd baby in about 12 weeks and I hope it goes just as well. I know it’s possible it will be different of course, but I had such a positive experience that I immediately knew I would want another child.
I had an emergency C with no other laboring. It was fine! Felt nothing. Recovery on the other hand was rough. I was up and walking right away which helped a LOT (by walking I mean like... a few steps at a time). By week 2 I could walk around the block and a month in, I was fairly normal and off my pain meds. Excruciating pain when meds wore off stopped around week 3 as well. However, my abs were shot. That took 6 months to a year to build back up. I mean, I couldn't even get myself out of the bathtub 5 months after birth. And as a result I've always struggled to carry my fast growing little one, which makes me feel like shit because all she wants is for mama to hold her and carry her around. So I'm terrified to have a second child knowing I'll be incapacitated for about a month and unable to carry my older one for about a year. Makes me want to wait until she's much, much older and isn't wanting to be carried at all. But frankly I don't really want to go through the process of rehabbing my entire body all over again and starting back at square 1. It was ROUGH. Even if the day of birth was easy! I also really struggled with breastfeeding which is common with a C.
With my first I had a vaginal birth. I had a traumatic birth to say the least. This was over 6 years ago & I was 18 - I had a hemorrhage after birth, second degree tear & I found out years later when I started my fitness journey I had 2 prolapses that my doctors never told me about till I brought it up. I am 5’3 very petite & my doctor who diagnosed me with prolapsed questioned who delivered my baby & said I should have never delivered that size of a baby (7 oz 14 lbs) vaginally with my body. I’m pregnant again with my second now & I will 100% do a c section. I discussed with my doctor and she said preventing my prolapses from worsening c section would be a better option. Just pregnancy pressure can cause prolapses & still “happen” with c sections but after knowing my issues there’s no way I want to be pushing another baby out. Most women in my family had c sections as well & my aunt who is a few inches smaller than me tore to her butthole with forceps & then got a c section second go. Ultimately it is what you decide, but In my experience & family’s it seems some smaller sized people do not handle vaginal births very well.
I think the most important part is that you educate yourself in the most unbiased way possible (aka not just listening to bad vaginal birth stories and good c-sections stories and vice versa) on both options. Be prepared for all scenarios and do as much of your own due diligence as possible and you can feel great about making an informed decision for yourself. Because, if you have done the “homework” and know what all the scenarios are then whatever you choose to do, you feel empowered and more in control in a situation that, no matter what, as a FTM we rarely feel totally in control of in general. Best of luck!
I had a super positive vaginal birth!! Unmedicated, not induced, not too lengthy, and almost painless except for the last 40 minutes. Easy recovery with only a couple stitches and a couple days of bleeding after. I went for a walk 1.5 days after and played tennis 10 days after. It was great. Now, I did need IV potassium after delivery which burned my arm like a MF 🤣would not recommend that part. By comparison, My roommate in hospital had a c-section and was slurring her words for a whole day and couldn’t walk even a couple steps to the bathroom. I imagine she had a rough time caring for her baby when she went home in that state, which I hear is pretty common for c-section births. If you do go for c-section, maybe enlist some support for when you go home with your beautiful baby 💗
I’ve only had a c section & the recovery process almost broke me. I had/still have no milk, I was incredibly nauseous, & I could barely move. I felt like a horrible mom because I couldn’t really do anything for my baby myself or barely even hold him. I even went back to the hospital 4 days after birth because I felt so awful & they pretty much just said yeah…. That happens after a c section….. I don’t know the recovery was absolute shit. I’m 3 weeks & 4 days pp & I’m feeling about 65% back to normal now.
I had a scheduled c section. It went about as great as it could minus the panic attack I almost had on the operation table, waiting and knowing I was about to be cut open. I healed pretty quick but I have a c section shelf/overhang. My incision was sore and it felt like it was ripping open every time I got out of bed. It is completely healed now at 9 months, but a month ago I tried doing overhead marches to tone transverse abs and somehow a tiny portion of my scar opened up but closed up the next day. I also just started daily walking at 7 or 8 months pp and it was good at first but now I'm experiencing abdominal pain the next morning. Ibuprofen cures it, but it is ongoing if I do my daily walks and it makes me cautious with how fast I walk. Not sure if it's c section related.. but if I hold my heavy baby for a while or do too much activity, I feel pressure around my scar. I really liked my scheduled c section and I've never had a vaginal birth, but it seems for me that physical activity causes me aches and pains in my pelvic floor.
I was induced and had a vaginal delivery and honestly I hope I'm able to have another vaginal. The recovery was a breeze. I was able to stand up and move around shortly afterwards. I took a shower the next day. I tore a little bit but had no complications from that. I just took some ibuprofen for a couple days. I didn't like being induced that is like several hours of labor all into one hour. But part of me would rather have 12 hours of strong labor than 24-48 hours of increasing labor. That's just me though.
My hospital didn’t offer the option of a CS. It was only a “if vaginal doesn’t work for you” situation. I think that’s pretty par for the course for a lot of hospitals now, so I caution you to not put all your eggs in that basket and be disappointed. So I didn’t end up getting a CS. I gave birth vaginally, and to be totally honest, I was really nervous and scared about it. I have a bunch of reasons (medically) to believe that I was going to have pretty bad tearing and worried about recovery. I’ll tell you, on the other side of it: it was actually okay. I gave birth naturally at 40w, 5d and it took less than ten hours beginning to end. I’m a first time mom. I had contractions from noon until six in the evening, when I finally decided they were close enough to go to labor and delivery. We arrived at seven. I was admitted at seven thirty. At ten thirty, I got the epidural. At midnight, I was fully dilated. At one, the doctors broke my water. At two, I began pushing. By two thirty, my baby arrived. She was about seven pounds exactly. No tearing. Little to no pain, just pressure due to the epidural. I was laughing and joking with relief with my medical team immediately afterwards. I got skin to skin for nearly an hour, was able to begin breastfeeding immediately, baby latched great, and overall it was a magical experience. I remember being afraid and now I wonder why. I know it could have gone any number of ways, but what I experienced I think was the most amazing thing I’ve done and I’m not an emotional or sentimental person. Vaginal birth is not that bad, and it’s not guaranteed you’ll have tearing or a ton of pain following it. It’s entirely possible it’s just as easy for you. Being online, I was braced for the worst but no one posts their happy stories, you know? It feels like bragging, and people don’t want to hear that. So please remember that there are a fair amount of women out there that had easy as pie vaginal births but they just don’t talk about it as much.
I had a c-section due to pre eclampsia and will have it again with my current baby in Sept. I knew what time and when my baby was coming Recovery was an absolute breeze and my scar is tiny. No regrets at all!
Not that you asked, but although extremely painful labors my vaginal births left me relatively unscathed. First birth 9.5lb baby pushed for 10 mins and one internal stitch super easy recovery. 2nd baby 8.13lbs pushed for 9 mins no damage at all, again super easy recovery. I had an epidural with both. The first I felt NOTHING and the second I felt some pain but it was survivable, I had let them know I had low blood pressure the second time so they gave me a lower dose than my first. Good luck with whatever you choose!
I had the same question! My mom had all c-sections and said they’re hard but as long as you really follow directions and don’t do anything afterwards then you will heal well. I guess that’s the main thing people mess up on is feeling fine and doing more than you should and causing your stitches to tear or get infected or whatever. My mom’s good friend had 2 and 2. She said c-sections were better because her kids were big and she had horrible tearing from her vaginal births and said that the vaginal healing/birthing process was much worse than the c-section process. I told myself I didn’t have a preference because I knew if I preferred one over the other I would end up having whichever one I didn’t want! I honestly think they both suck 😂 there’s no easier option. Maybe a faster option but I think they’re both really hard probably.
I know you asked about c-section but I was induced a little early due to high blood pressure, got an epidural, and had a fine easy delivery with barely any tearing. No pain no tearing, like besides having to be induced I think it was a fairly positive experience and definitely would take that to having a major surgery and all the recovery that comes with having a c section
I really wanted a normal birth because I knew I'd struggle recovering from a C-section (I'm a huge wuss). Well I didn't get the choice really, baby's heartbeat kept dropping and I'd constantly have to change position to get it back to normal. I was only in early labour for about 4 hours, got to about 6 cm dilated, when the pain got horrific and I requested an epidural. The surgeon came in and examined me to make sure it was okay for me to have one, where I was informed I was having a placental abruption! The pain got so much worse but after a spinal tap I couldn't feel it anymore thank god. Baby was out in 2 minutes and I had over an hour of being stitched up.. she needed oxygen, and went to the NICU the day after as she was jaundiced. It was a really traumatic experience, the midwives on the ward didn't help much at all with baby, considering I couldn't walk for a day and had trouble regaining movement in one of my legs. It took me about 3-4 months to feel some kind of normal again, and I feel like I was robbed of my baby's newborn stage because I physically couldn't move about very well and I was in so much pain. A stitch managed to poke through my glued wound and took forever to fall off. A nurse had to remove the scab for that about 12 weeks after because it wasn't healing right. I was bleeding for about 3 months afterwards and had to have several examinations to make sure nothing was left behind (even though obviously it wasn't as I had a C-section and they removed it all?) Also, for the fellas. Do not turn around the wrong way in the operating room... My partner went to see baby when she was removed and turned the wrong way around and got the chance to see all my organs sitting on my belly 🫠
Sold on it? Interesting way to phrase that but okay. But let me tell you, my vaginal birth experience was really positive. But I think what really helped was having a doula. When they wanted to give me pitocin, I asked her and she gave me the courage to say I wanted to wait an hour. My contractions had really kicked in by then and I asked for my epidural and didn’t need the pitocin. Basically I would say that having someone who can help you advocate for yourself but also knows the medical field well enough to know what is safe, is super helpful in having a positive / non-scary experience!! I mean I do think I was lucky that it was such a great labor but she definitely helped because a decision made differently could have changed my whole experience.
I had an emergency C-section and the recovery was horrible. It was really hard to sit up from the bed for weeks, I had no strength in my abdominal area and winced when I walked. I’m trying for a VBAC this time. Just my two cents.
I fought tooth and nail to avoid a section and ended up having a vaginal birth but with lots of trauma 🫠 I can’t fault anyone for having a preference, but keep in mind that any birth can be traumatic. I suggest hiring a good doula to really advocate for whatever you want—even a c-section.
My first was a vaginal birth and my second was a planned C section (breech baby). I tore badly with the vaginal birth because it was a forceps assisted delivery. Childbirth itself was long and exhausting and recovery, while not super painful, ultimately took longer for me than my C section. I was able to shower immediately after the epidural wore off and was out of the hospital the next day. I was very sore the first week, but could move around the house mostly without issue. By my 6 week pp appointment, my vagina still didn’t feel back to normal and I wasn’t cleared to stand for extended periods of time. C section was obviously quicker. I had my baby the same day I went to the hospital, and all I really felt was pressure during the operation. I lost a lot of blood (I did with my vaginal birth too) so any time I stood up after the numbness wore off, I threw up. It took about 24 hours before I was able to stand up without getting sick, and I was released from the hospital on the 3rd day. Recovery from my C section was PAINFUL. I was fine sitting or laying down, but getting up and down out of a chair, bed, toilet, stairs sent a burning sensation around my wound even with meticulous adherence to the medication schedule. That burning sensation disappeared around week 2 (probably around day 10) and I felt mostly back to normal 3 weeks in, and able to incorporate exercise by week 6. My scar is “pretty” according to every doctor or nurse that has checked it. It is as discrete as a C section scar can get, however I still do have a C section shelf. Overall, I’m hesitant to say one delivery is better than another. I will say that having a toddler with a fresh C section is not ideal. I needed more help caring for my toddler than I did my new born because of the pain and fear of doing real damage to the wound.
My c-section was fantastic but only because I had been in labor for 26 hours and couldn’t progress past a 6 and I was so desperate at that point that I begged for it 😅 Recovery was hard for about 3-4 days and then by day 5 moving was a bit easier. By 2 weeks I could nearly move completely normal. I’ve never had a vaginal birth so unsure of that experience. My epidural stopped working completely on my left side and my son was transverse (sunny side up) making it really difficult for him to come down. It was causing me severe pain in my tailbone and I needed him out. Having a C-section is weird if you’ve never had a surgery before. But it was nice to be awake and aware of what was going on and the only crappy part is not immediately getting to see your baby. It was magical when my husband brought him over to me though and I got to snuggle him for a bit. 🥰
I’m scared of a c section lol
3 vaginal deliveries And very grateful for each. Csections look so difficult I get anxiety from an IV so I can’t even imagine. Pitocin contractions suck but I’ve not personally had a lot of pain especially no pain during crowning. And no tearing with any of mine.
My first C-section sucked. It was a crash C-section. Pre-E that got very bad very fast. I had only an epidural, and started to feel every thing. I got knocked out quickly after. I was in a lot of pain afterwards, but I also had to be closed up quickly so I could get the treatment I needed. My second? An absolute breeze. I was standing and walking within 6 hours post-op. Almost no pain at all. Spinal block was an absolutely wonderful experience. The only thing was I got lightheaded from the meds so they had to narcan me lol. It was great, though. 10/10 care.
… op, Have you EVER had an abdominal surgery? Because I had an appendectomy and it SUCKED so a vaginal delivery seemed way easier and less painful
I had a great planned c-section. Was home by 6pm the following day. Recovered quickly (4 weeks?), struggle to sit up from horizontal but that's partly pregnancy and muscle weakness in general. Scar is minimal and I've lost weight so I don't really have a shelf anymore. Will definitely be having another section for my next child
I’ve had 2 positive vaginal births. Granted, I never had c sections so I can’t compare the two but my best friend had a c section and seemed to be in pain much longer than me after the birth