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Caesarean v natural birth?

webeditor2webeditor2
in Labour & birth
What would your birth of choice be? Did you undergo an emergency Caesarean and for what reason? Tell us your birth experiences here.
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Replies

  • shay2shay2
    I had to have an emergancy section with my first- she never dropped down into my pelvis whilst I was a pregnant....I was in labour for 36 hrs and got to 7-8 cm dialated and wouldnt go past that!! -they gave me a drip to make my contactions stronger but didnt seem to work so it ended with an emergancy section....my daughter was 8lb 9oz!!!
    I dont know if I will be able to but really hoping for a VBAC this time round.....mainly becuase of the recovery time with a section as I have a 2 yr old it will be difficult if I end up having another section but what ever is needed for baby to get here safely!!
    We shall wait and see fingers crossed!!
  • willowsmumwillowsmum
    I had an emergency Caesarean I think this was down to the utter incompetence of the hospital, no one took any noitice of me or my husband. It was our first baby and I was screaming for help, I was told the day before I would be given an epidural but this midwife was no where to be seen on the day and everyone else ignored my request for one. I blame the hospital for putting me and my baby as risk. This seemed to be a common thing at Basildon, there were 6 emergency Caesareans that evening.
  • earthmamaearthmama
    I had a normal delivery with my first but he had to be delivered with a ventouse as I was failing to progress and he was face up instead of face down. I lost a lot of blood as they had to do an episiotomy.it was a horrble experience.He was 9lb 2oz.With my 2nd I had an elective caesarian as I had a low placenta and was very disappointed to have not had a natural birth - he was 7lb 7oz..I had a VBAC with my 3rd - natural birth using gas and air.I only had a small tear with 3 stitches and he was 9lb 12oz! With my 4th I had been given the go ahead to have a normal birth when I found a small lump which the doctors thought may be a hernia and they advised me to have a caesarian as they would be able to repair it at the same time. I was very upset about this as I felt pressured into it - especially as it turned out to be a harmless lump called a lypoma. My daughter was born by elective section at 38 weeks 9lb 3oz. Then with my 5th I was determined not to have another casaerian. The midwives were very supportive ,but the doctors were very cautious as there is not much research on VBAC after 2 sections, but I had a natural birth using just gas and air and tens machine. She was 8lb 8oz I had a small tear and no stitches! The 2 VBACs were definately my best birth experiences.
  • AnitarobboAnitarobbo
    i personally am completely against c-section unless it is a real emergency as i feel alot of so called specialists are using them unnessecarily for example breech births a lot of obstrician don't even bother trying to turn the baby they just opt for c-section instead and now they are becoming so common place people forget that it is major surgery and when i had my last baby there were a lot more c-sections in the 3 days i was there then there were v-births.
  • steffy-34324steffy-34324

    I had have an emergency c -section with my first baby because after 48 hours in labour i was only 5 cm dilated and no progress at all.
    This could have been done so many hours earlier because mime and my baby's health was in danger, but the cinsultant was too lazy to operate!
    Finally thanks to the pressure that my wonderful midwife had on the consultant i have been taken to the theatre where my baby was born weighing 8lb 6oz.
    If i will have another baby i will definetely go for an elective c- section and i think that we need to give women choice to have the birth they want!
  • Suzaie2Suzaie2
    Hi, I had an elective section for my son last year. I have no chance of a normal birth as I suffer from hypermobility syndrome which affects joints, in my case it's worse in my hips. I don't feel like I am missing anything, but if women are able to try for a vbac after a section then they should be fully supported, not given scare stories about rupturing scars. I had a great experience with my birth, and was home afer 2 days. The only thing I do get upset about is when people describe women who have elective sections as too posh to push, and that's not true in the vast majority of cases, I agree with anita that maybe sections are over used when there could be other choices, I don't think women aren't given enough facts and the chance to make a desicion about how they want to give birth, I think sometimes maybe obstetricians are scared of being sued etc if something goes wrong during a birth.
  • Feebs76Feebs76
    I'd like to have as natural a birth as possible - using just TENS, gas & air and water for pain relief if possible but as it's my first i'm realistic enough to know that I may have to consider other options including an epidural and a c section if that's what's best for me & the baby on the day. I'd really like to avoid a C section though unless there's no other choice as the thought of recovering from major surgery whilst looking after a newborn really freaks me out. Having said this at nearly 34 weeks my baby has been in the breech position for the last 3 mw appointments and if she doesn;t turn between now and my next appointment in 2 weeks I'll have to go for a scan and have to consider what I'm going to do if faced with a breech birth - so I may end up being faced with an elective c-section after all. I really hope not though!
  • samhawsamhaw
    Througout most of my pregnancy i was told that my baby was lying back to back but was not given any information on what this could mean, all i knew wast that i was nearly crippled over with back pain and i didn't really show much!
    When it came to the birth when i went into hospital they examined me and told me that i was only 3cm dilated, this was at 4.30 am and when they checked me at 7.30 am i was only 4cm dilated so was told to expect a very long labour. About 8am i was in so much pain that i was begging for some pain relief and they gave me gas and air, i managed on this till 11 then when the midwife came to check on me she told me i was fully dilated and i needed to start pushing. They took the gas and air off me but it is all a blur from there!
    My partner told me that i was pushing for 2 hrs before they decided i needed assistance, they tried to use the ventouse twice with me in stirrups and my LO head kept crowning but that was it, they finally decided that i would have to have an emergency c-section as they were worried my LO's heart rate had dropped dramatically, it had gone off the monitor. My OH and my mum who were my birthing partners were told all the info and my little one was pulled out of me at exactly 1pm.
    I was told that if my pregnancy had been monitored then this could have been prevented and they would have reccomended me having an elective as my pelvis was too small for me to give birth naturally if the baby is back to back. I was gutted cause i managed to get through it all with just gas and air!
    samx
  • Claire__Ellie_WestonClaire__Ellie_Weston
    If I had the choice I'd get someone else to give birth for me....I am petrified! i don't want a normal birth or a c-section! Back to reality....!!!
  • EnglebertW_nkfaceEnglebertW_nkface
    Claire, I know it is easier said then done but try not to worry, it actually isn't as bad as it sounds! I had an awful delivery, my labour progressed quite nicely, I used a tens machine and gas and air and I had some diamorpine which took the edge off the contractions. It wasn't untill I had been pushing for over an hour that the midwife realised that my baby was back to back and the head was stuck behind my cervix. The diamorphine had worn off by this point so I had an episotomy, two failed attempts at a ventouse delivery and then a high (above the cervix) forceps delivery, all with just gas and air!! I also lost over a litre of blood an my lo had to be taken to special care as she had fluid in her lungs, she also looked like she had done several rounds with Mike Tyson! Despite all of this I would do it again tomorrow in return for my little girl. Looking back I really can't remember the pain, I know I was in pain at the time but even a few days later I had totally fogotten how much. Good Luck, Kerry (p.s. how long do you have left to go?)
  • samhawsamhaw
    I totally agree with the last post, even though i went through a lot i would do it all again tommorow, my LO is def worth it.
    They tried to turn her with the forceps but she wouldn't budge and they also had to push her head back up as it had started to come through!
    I don't think that there is enough information for mums about how serious it can end up if your baby is back to back and you only have a small pelvis.
    The sad thing is that the hospital i gave birth in are in talks about closing down the delivery suite and maternity wing due to budgets and i couldn't fault the care i had there!
    Sam x
  • dawnie359dawnie359
    Ihad a c-section and it was the most horrible thing ever. Washing up in ur tummy, my 'arris!! More like sticking their hands in ur belly and tugging on everything as hard as they blinking well can. I had to have a c-section coz my lo was breech, couldn't be turned (again, uncomfortable??!!??!) and of course wanting to have a breech baby vaginally is a silly idea. According to the consultant anyway, although I was told by a midwife that the only reason they dont attempt vaginal breech births is that noone has the training or experience for them anymore coz everyone has c-sections. I have read since that having a breech birth in the hands of someone with the right training and experience is as safe as a c-section. Anyway rant over back to story. I ended up having to be topped up on the operating table coz I was feeling pain, it wasn't intense pain coz the epidural was numbing it just not totally and to be honest when ur lying there knowing that ur tummy is open any pain is far too much, I totally freaked and wanted knocking out but they topped me up to the eyeballs and I got through it. The recovery was horrid too, I ended up scratching open my wound on day 2 coz I was too drugged up to feel what I was doing and ended up with an infection coz it didn't close up properly. And they dont tell you about how bruised your tummy muscles will feel. i still get pain now at 11 weeks, in fact my hubby keeps nagging me to go back to the docs. I'm not anti c-section, lots of people need them and I may moan but it was so worth it for my little boy. Whatever birth people have as long as people get healthy babs then nothing matters. But if I ever had a choice I wouldn't have a c-section.
  • bumps1bumps1
    Hi all,
    My labour sounds exactly the same as shay002's.

    This time round I had to see a consultant after my 12wk scan to discuss what I wanted I choose a c section for this time too.
    I also had to go for scan today and again had to see consultant and I booked in for my c section for 23rd march (wk b4 im due) but still having second thoughts dont think it will be as easier this time round as I have a 3yr old. I still have the choice vbac does appeal at least the pain will last a few hours/days with a c section im limited to what I can do. I cant decide.

    It can take months to recover from a c section becouse your muscles and nerves have to heal I dont think that I fully recovered from my last for a at least a year.

    [Modified by: bumps on February 28, 2007 10:10 PM]
  • shay2shay2
    Hello bumps I feel the same as you I keep thinking I want to try for a VBAC but then what if it ends the same way as last time.... I could have just planned a section in the first place!!!!
    And if you go over due you cant be induced.......
    BUT I dont know I guess for me I think I would rather try then at least I know I did and that is all I can do!!!
    It is such a hard decision- I saw my consultant at 20 weeks and will be seeing him again at 36 weeks for another scan and talk options over again....WHY is it so hard to choose????
    I got pains in my back since the last section- will they just get worse if I have to have another???
    I wouldnt like a planned section as I would like to experience labour and not just go into hospital with no pain and come out with a baby would be strange for me......its every ones own choice though good luck with making your descision......not too long for you now Shay
  • UCanDoIt107UCanDoIt107
    Hi all, on the subject of babies being back to back... My son ended up this way, no one noticed until i was in established labour, even though i told the midwife it felt like the baby had turned round and my bump had gone a bit slack and saggy (about 34 weeks) I was in labour for 5 days and it was agony(baby stuck on my spine) although on a brighter note i did manage to give birth vaginaly after about an hour and half of pushing with no interventions such as forceps and ventouse (i did rip my stomach muscles from pushing so hard but they just give you excersises to bring the muscles back together.)
    Now i am having my third baby and to be honest the thought of a section terrifies me. They would have to put me to sleep coz no way would i be able to be awake whilst someone is cutting me open i would freak out ( have bad phobia of hospitals and doctors) also i am trying for a home birth so i would be really dissapointed to have to go to hospital for a section and stay for 4 days. The longest i have stayed in hospital is overnight and that felt like an age. toni x
  • MummyX5MummyX5
    My 1st was back to back, but I was really lucky in that i can't fault the care I had at the time. I was in a lot of pain coz she was pushing on a cpl of nerves with each contraction as well. As soon as I was 3cms, and established, I was given an epidural!! My entire labour and birth from then was much more managable, lasted 17hrs total (not too bad for 1st birth on an epi). I did end up having to be cut and forceps, but she was left with one sml mark on her cheek which went after a cpl days. No 2 I did on gas and air, struggled quite a bit and did tear but as I had been given pethedin 15 mins b4 she popped out, I don't remeber much for the 1st hr after she was born!! lol No 3 labour wise was the worst, as I didn't find out I had seperated stomach muscles until 3 weeks b4 I gave birth. Because of this problem, I actually had a type of false labour every 3-4 days for about 10-12 weeks!!! However, his birth was by far the easiest - waters broke at 2am, I started proper contractions at 3am and took 2.5hrs to dialate to 5.5cms. I then said I wanted an epidural but in the time it took for anethetist to arrive (15mins) I was ready to push - only prob was convincing the midwife I knew what I was talking about lol After about 10 mins, anethetist goes, mw lays me on my side 'to relieve the pressure', lifts my leg and says 'ok, if u feel the urge to push, you go ahead!' Leaving me thinking - I bloody knew he was there!!!! Those were all earlies, 5days, 16 days and 3 days. Baby no4 has been a diff kettle of fish as I am now 6 days overdue and extremely fed up!!! Plan to go to hospital but am quite relaxed if it all happens at home - although if he hangs around for too much longer, I may be banging on the maternity doors demanding assistance!!!!!!!!!
  • nicolajaynenicolajayne
    Through out my pregnancy I wanted to have a Caesarean as was scared of giving birth. My sister had one and i saw it as an easy option, until I visited her after my niece was born. She said it was difficult and if she could have done it naturally she would have.
    I had a natural birth six months after my sisters c-section. not as bad as i thought it would be. If I had the choice again I would have another natural, recovery time is much quicker!
    Although I do recommend epidurals!:\)
  • blue_tigerblue_tiger
    Ive had a 3 different births
    my first was induced at 10 days, gas and air, epidural, ventouse delivery with episiotomy

    my second was induced 4 weeks early, gas and air, epidural, baby went into distress, so general anesthetic (i dont get complete pain relief with epidurals) emergancy c-section

    and my third was membrane sweep, went into labour myself, gas and air, couldnt get an epidural as anesthiest(?) was busy, gave birth naturally

    but if I had to pick one I would have to say my fist
    the thing with c-sections is even though they are pain free during the pain afterwards is hard you cant even pick up your baby or laugh and any other pregnancys there is a risk of scar abruption which is very serious plus the increased risk of infection and heamorage
    (oh and I now have what we call c-section scar overhang i.e. a suggy bit of tummy that hangs over the scar!!!0
  • _SHOKASEYSMUM_SHOKASEYSMUM
    HI,
    I HAD AN EMERGENCY C-SECTION WITH MY SECOND DAUGHTER I WAS IN LABOUR FOR 22 HOURS THEN HER HEART BEAT JUST FELL OFF THE CHART I SHIT MYSELF I WASNT TOLD ANYTHING JUST WIPPED THOUGH THE DOORS TO THEATHRE AND AT THE LAST MIUTE THEY FLAPPED A CONSENT FORM UNDER MY NOSE N POINTED N MUMBLED SIGN HERE NO EXPLANATIONS OR NOWT.

    WELL IM 14 WEEKS WITH MY 3RD CHILD AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD I HAV NO OTHER CHOICE APART FROM A C-SECTION BUT IM NOT TRYING TO GET OUT OF A NATURAL BIRTH IM JUST DREDDING THE PAIN FOR THE WEEKS AFTER MY C-SECTION. SO WHO ELES IS DUE ROUND ABOUT THE 11TH SEP 07?
    CHEERS CHARLIE
  • xxgeorgiacxxxxgeorgiacxx
    I suffer with ITP (low platelets etc) so i don't really have a choice as i am high risk labour anyway. I've been told with both pregnancies that I would only be able 2 have a c section as a total emergency, there's no way I can opt for one due to the high risk of bleeding. Basically it means if my platelets are low then my blood doesn't clot and so i just bleed. With my son I had a platelet transfusion a couple of weeks before labour, then another straight after. But it was a natural labour. Home births are totally out of the question aswell, due 2 the medical assistance that I need. After reading/hearing many stories of c sections, it seems like its not exactly the easy way out of pain. I think I prefer a natural birth but just wish the risk of bleeding weren't so high. I'm just hoping my daughter is going to give me an easy time. I'm due in 7 days - 28th March
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