No, it wasn't against medical advice. My OB said I could do what I felt comfortable doing and I did.

I've had a caesar (emergency) and a vaginal birth. I would never in a million years choose a caesar - and no, I don't think it was that much worse because it was an emergency one. I had a very quick and easy recovery, in fact the day after the surgery I was only taking panadol for the pain. The vaginal birth was much more pleasant (after the actual birth bit). I got to hold and feed my baby right away, I was able to talk to DH, watch DD2 being weighed and measured and I remember everything. With DD1 I got to see her for about 30 seconds before she was whisked away for weighing etc, and I spent an hour in recovery. Everyone else got to see my baby and I was all alone. I don't remember anything that happened until the next day, I don't remember the first time I held DD1. Maybe it's the control freak in me, but I feel like I really missed out. Plus my milk took twice as long to come in which made breastfeeding twice the nightmare.

Plus my caesar scar is like a really big purple episiotomy which I get to see every time I look in the mirror. I never have to look at the tear I had with my vaginal birth, and the healing of it was no more painful.

No way on earth!

I wouldn't cope well with the recovery after surgery and the not being able to drive or do any heavy lifting. I'd much prefer the relatively quick recovery from a natural birth

I've had both (with big babies and some tearing from the first) and no I wouldn't. However I can understand the concerns you might have if you have had to have intervention/assistance before.

I'd wait and see what happens but openly discuss your apprehensions with your midwife / OB.

For convenience - no.

If my child was in immediate danger and the risks of induction outweighed the risks of the CS - yes.

ditto

The no driving thing is a myth.

TBH I hate it when people say a Caesar is an easy, pain free option for child birth... and all the 'it's so easy, no pain at all, running around A week later'....

A Caesar is not an easy option because it's major surgery. Some people are lucky and do recover quickly. But they do advise recovery takes 6 weeks. I think it's better to expect a 6 weeks than thinking you will be back to normal in a week and find it's not that easy.

There are plenty of things I found hard about having a C/S but the hardest was not having my just born baby all sippery and wet placed on my chest. The closest I ever got was skin to skin on the table with DD3. But even then she was checked first before I got to hold her. I didn't get to hold my other two babies until I was in recovery.

everyone I've ever spoken to about sections has been told this by their OB's and it appears a lot of the women on here have been told the same thing, it may not be the case for everyone but it would certainly be one of the reasons as to why I wouldn't choose a section in the case of the OP. Sure the OP may feel right to do it all within a couple weeks but its still part of what she needs to weigh up if she wants to make the decision for a section

I think you can only talk to your doctors about it. I think if you are considering a c/s they will probably book you in for an appointment with the OB consultant and they can help you weigh up your options.

I have decided (or, almost postitive that I have decided lol) on a c/s this time because of my previous traumatic birth and 4th degree tear. My understanding is that the main risks of c/s are: risk of infection, rare risk of the surgeon nicking another organ, a bit more blood loss (around 500 - 600 mL - which is more than most vaginal births but about a quarter of what I lost with my vaginal birth) and obviously popping stitches if you push things too hard after the birth. Baby can also have difficulty breathing immediately after birth via c/s, due to the lack of compression on their lungs but this is usually resolved in the first 15 mins after birth, according to my doctor.

I'm a little worried about the fact that someone will be cutting through skin, fat, muscle and an organ to retrieve my baby, and also the idea of the recovery. But - I spent 3.5 hours in theatre last time having all the muscles that I tore stitched up, I had the spinal for the repairs, I had similar instructions from my doctor (I was allowed to drive but told not to lift anything heavier than my baby, and definately no vacuuming, for 6 weeks, plus I felt pretty revolting for a couple of months from the trauma and haemorrage. So I don't think that the recovery from an elective c/s is LIKELY to be worse than that (as long as I don't have complications - there is never any guarantee of course.) If I have another vaginal birth I have an increased risk of another 4th degree tear, and if I do have another serious tear I have a high risk of perminant faecal incontinence.

So I would say it's a matter of wieghing up your options and the risks. A c/s might be the right choice for you, or it might not. Don't be afraid to ask your caregivers the question and gather as much info as you can before deciding.

ETA: I have also been told I can hold my LO in recovery, which is really important to me. Last time I was basically given dd for about 2 mins then she was taken and I was whisked to theatre. First proper hold and feed was almost 4 hours after her birth.

If I could have a vaginal birth then it would always be my preferred choice.

I have had 3 very pleasant and easy caesars with good recoveries and no infections etc and am having my 4th in January. But, if I could physically birth vaginally, despite my amazingly good experiences, I would at least try for a vaginal birth.

This.

After having a ceaser? No. However I think that having an "emergency" ceaser (which is what I had) is a bazillion times different to a planned ceaser.

OP at the end of the day, its your birth, you need to make the decision that is right for you AND your family, and if that decision is a ceaser than so be it.


Good luck

NO WAY!!! I had 3rd degree tearing with all my 3 babies! No way would i ever choose to have a C-sect just for convenience.

Not necessarily, jack was born on thursday and my ob was happy for me to go home on Saturday, but jack still needed abs so we stayed til Sunday


agree with this. My recoveries both times were much better than I thought they would be, more so the 2nd time. I was up within 12 hours, showering, caring for my baby. I was able to drive after about a week and a half, doing most household stuff around the same time.

It's different for everyone, my best friend has had 2 vb's and has said that if she could guarantee recovering like me she'd have c/s. Yes it's major surgery, but for some it's a relatively easy thing.

Not for your reasons.

However its your body, your choice and if you can get the support from an OB then good luck to you.

The fear inducing hysteria about c sections on this site does not reflect the reality of the 'real' world in my experience.


All the people I know that have had C sections have had no regrets and have had pretty comfortable and easy recoveries.

Heard more horror stories about the 'natural way'.

Best decision I ever made. I was up the next day. I had no pain ever ( I have the lowest pain threshold.)
I loved being organized and having a date. It didn't effect bonding or milk coming in.
Pm me If you want more info.

Wow, thanks so much for all youre replies. It is a hard decision to make, i will have to have a talk with my GP and see what he thinks would be a better option. I think that he would prefer me to have a natural birth seeing as I had no real complications with my other 3, apart from a few stitches as I tore a little.

I think that there are positvies and negatives in regards to having a C/S in reading your posts. It seems that the recovery time is longer with having the CS, which I can imagine it would be as it is quite a major surgery. But it is a set date that you can plan for, and DH can arrange time off work to spend with me and children.

It is something that Ive got some time to think about and plan ahead as Im not due until May 2012!

Good luck to you all expecting new baby s

Your experience actually is not representative of the norm and I'd not like someone's decision based on it being so.
Most women are driving their car within 2 weeks, most women are able to do light physical excercise within 2 weeks.

I haven't had a C/S but have had major abdominal surgery---far more extensive than a C/S and did some of my Christmas shopping on the way home from hospital after 3.5 weeks as an inpatient. I was driving the next week and had 5 children to care for by myself in week two. It doesn't have to be miserable.
I think what some people are forgetting that women whom have large tears or episiotomies also have large quantities of suture through skin and muscle and they have to sit on them and wee and poo past them.

Having said this OP, I personally wouldn't choose a C/S for convenience but that is just me and respect the criteria which would make someone make that choice.

Hmmm, I should also point out that I had an emergency c-section, had a catheter in for 6 days and had paralysis of the bowel which meant I did not poo for about 3 weeks. I was really sick. But...in my circle of friends, I am not the only who had a c-section, emergency or scheduled. All different OBs, all the same restrictions. My insurance company also stated no driving for 6 weeks. I could walk gently from about 3 weeks but that was it. My friends who also had c-sections were told not to drive for 6 weeks, no physical exercise apart from gentle walking for 6 weeks, with no heavy exercise until 12 weeks, no heavy lifting etc. No different from my emergency one. So, Vanessa71, I would say that you were lucky or perhaps you took the chance anyway? What did YOUR OB advise?

OP, at the end of the day it is YOUR decision but please keep in mind that the best laid plans do go astray. I had planned a completely natural birth and ended up with the opposite. Do I regret it? No, these things happen but I would not personally choose a c-section on the off-chance the same would happen again.

But, it happens to be true for a lot of women (myself included).
It is no different than women saying their VB was perfect and they were up and walking around straight after no pain etc. True for a lot, not for all.
I think it is human nature to talk about an experience in relation to oneself only. (not saying it is right, but people don't usually put in disclaimers saying ... but that was totally me, you could be the complete opposite, iykwim)


See, this depends on hospital policy and the paediatrician. Mine were all gunky and gooey when placed on my chest. Curtain dropped, baby slid onto my chest while they cut the cord/sew me up and all that.


The date is by no means a guarantee though.
I have had 3 caesars. Only one was born the day he was booked (even then he might not have been because the OB was sick, but I insisted on a ring in ).
The other 2 decided they wanted to come earlier than planned. One by 7 hrs (a middle of the night caesar was actually pretty good because no PITA relatives hanging about at that time of night), the other one came a few days early.

I've already stated that my OB advised to do what I felt comfortable with. I don't necessarily think I was lucky there are many women that have had similar Caesar experiences. Yours, while unfortunate, is not the norm.

I had an emergency caesear. It is not something I'd choose straight off the bat. But I was happy to have it.. oh the pain relief lol

BUt the thing with them is it can be harder for recovery. I did have baby Monday afternoon late and was home Thursday. It was hard getting around at first and with other kids would be tough. But the recovery for myself was only a few weeks at most. Then I could basically do most things. But it still leaves me with issues I think my back will continue to have issues and such. Even though its major surgery its nothing like how you feel after other surgery. I had my gall bladder out about 20 years ago the old way of full surgery and that actually took a long time to recover and hurt a hell of a lot more..

Yeah, I consider it in your situation.

I had an elective C Section for medical reasons with DD2 and I hated it. I couldn't do anything in the hospital without being uncomfortable as far as looking after her. I felt I didn't bond with her like I did with DD1.

Although a C Section is painful at first, it's not too bad but it's the tiredness you will feel as your trying to recover plus look after a newborn baby.

I cannot understand why people would have a C Section by choice. It's your choice but I would think long and hard about it.

Also with the driving it depends on your insurance company. With DD2 I was driving after about 2 weeks or as soon as I could turn around to reverse and slam on the brakes without pain. With my hysterectomy (a vaginal one, so no incision) I wasn't allowed to drive for 6 weeks.

Every time. Loved mine. Both totally elective because I was presented with the option and the facts.
Based on what you have said, absolutely yes. Ignore the scaremongers- it is a fabulous way to bring your baby into the world.