C-section

I'm still trying to decide. I had an emergency one last time and I've been leaning towards a planned one this time but at the same time I'm not looking forward to the recovery so not really sure what I'm going to do...

This is how I feel! The recovery is hard!!

I’m going for an elective CS. I had an unplanned one last time. I haven’t had so many questions about it this time, maybe bcos I’ve just come out with it ahead of the questions. For me, I’d love to have a vaginal birth but I also know what a CS entails now and so think I’d rather go with a planned CS where, even though recovery is harder, I won’t have any issues down there and I can kinda plan around the day. It’s going to be difficult, but I did it before so know I can survive it! 🤞🏽😅

I’m booked in for mine, booked it when I saw my consultant at my 20 week scan. This allows me to plan for it, and plan child care for my 2 year old. She recommended that I wouldn’t be allowed to labour for more than 1-2 hours incase internal scarring opened, and due to being over weight baby can get stuck in birth canal- however my first was born on 99th percentile & current baby is already growing big. Do not let any one’s opinion force you to do anything. I’ve said, if I go naturally early I’ll try naturally, however after 1-2 hours they’ll have to get me in for a section anyway x

I had an emergency c section with my first, then second I really wanted a vbac and planned it but my 38 week scan baby was measuring 4.5kg and I had polyhydramnios so I changed my mind last minute and had an elective. I'm pregnant again and there will be a 19 months gap so will go for another elective however, I had complications at my last I had a postpartum Haemorrhage and a paralytic ilius 3 days after and ended up back in hospital. I recovered much better after my emergency and I kind of wish I'd stuck with the vbac. If I labour before the c section this time I'll just go with it!

@Sarah that's my biggest worry, I guess! I was lucky and recovered quite well after my emergency one but a couple of friends who had electives around the same time had a really hard time recovering and at least one of them still suffers complications 2.5 years on! So while technically it's a "known evil" to me, it's still a serious procedure which can go all sorts of wrong. Of course, vaginal birth can go wrong as well! Another friend was hell-bent on vbac and succeeded but both her and the baby nearly died as a result of complications and hospital staff negligence... It's a tough one!

@Paulina wow that’s really frightening. can I just check what you mean by a “known evil”?

I mean, I've had one so I kind of know what to expect in the best case scenario - walking like an 80yo for the first week, not being able to get up from bed normally and instead rolling out and having to use the bedpost to prop up against. Not being able to pick anything up off the floor. Those horrible anti-clotting injections. 3 months to go back to any sort of exercise other than walking (I walked 100km in the first month just to stay sane) and another 3 to feel fully recovered. That sort of stuff. All of that plus a hyperactive toddler this time around! 😅 I assume it's generally easier to bounce back physically after a vaginal birth (although apparently sitting is a problem if you have any tears down there...). But then obviously I do worry that I'll end up having another long, horrible labour which will end in an emergency c-section and will leave me feeling like I failed... At least an elective means I made a conscious decision to have the section.

I had an elective with my LG not by choice it was due to potential health problems for her but i was terified and really adamant i wanted a natural birth, but it went better then i expected and recovered well so opting for an elective this time cos it was make it easier sorting childcare out knowing what im doing and when