If you recently gave birth, did you have a c-section or a vaginal birth?

I think it has something to do with the rise in inductions and that people can choose to have c sections now. I chose to have an elective c section because my son was big with a big head and I didn't want my birth story to be like my mother in laws. My husband's head was so big he tore her front to back, she hemorrhaged, and didn't get to hold him for hours afterward. I also didn't want him to get stuck and the doctors to accidentally hurt him pulling him out.

Me and my 3 friends all had natural births. One went unmedicated.

I had a c section with my 1st and will be having one with my 2nd, I assume if something starts going wrong, they just don't want to take the chance.

I was in labor for 46 hours. They offered me a c-section every few hours. At least 8 times. No medical reason just “to get it over with.” Or “I must be so tired”

Vaginal with the first but C with the second because of complications from my first.

As a Doula, I can tell you that a lot of it is due to hospitals making women lay down their entire labor and that can cause complications as well as a lot of unnecessary inductions that many doctors claim are medical when they aren’t. If midwifery care was the norm, we would see this less. OBs are surgeons and think like surgeons. They don’t learn how to natural birthing goes hence the hospital setting isn’t encouraging physiological birth

Girl, I feel the same way. A lot of women I know had C-sections. I had a vaginal birth but almost a c-section because I wasn't dilating fast enough. They gave me more pitocin and that did the trick. I think some doctors are in a rush of getting the baby out so when they see your not dilating fast enough, they jump to a C-section. Although, it's also to help save the life of baby and mom. For example, if the baby is breached. I've heard that it's harder and more painful, but it is more likely for baby's heart rate to drop (I honestly don't know how true that is). I've also been told that the longer you go through labor with your water broken, the more likely you and/or baby would get an infection.

@Adrianna OBGYNs are no longer taught how to do vaginal breech births, the main focus of their medical training is surgery. So they aren’t taught much about natural birthing or how to deal with complications without having to do a cesarean. So instead surgery has become the go to for breech babies and almost everything else. There is a risk of infection once water is broken but that risk is less than 10% and gets even lower if you decline unnecessary cervical checks.

A vaginal birth with my first and because this birth was traumatic and I had a bad tear I was advised to and opted to have an elective C-section this time with my second which was a far more positive experience. I've been told that most emergency sections are a result of a 'failed' induction and I've noticed a lot of people are offered inductions these days for a whole range of reasons. And obviously there are a lot of different reasons people have elective C-sections too. After experiencing the difference in care between the two different births I am not surprised more people are opting for an elective C-section, the care I received when I had a vaginal birth during labour and in hospital was extremely poor. Here in the UK most of the low risk midwife units have closed so more people are going to give birth where there are more medical interventions etc also people are having babies later in life which increases some risks during pregnancy and birth.

Thank you all for your comments! It’s all so interesting to me. It also just goes to show how important it is to do your own research. I wonder how this may shape practice and how women give birth in years to come!

I was induced because of high blood pressure the first time (we now know it was likely white coat syndrome related rather than true raised BP) I didn’t dilate past 2cm and baby never engaged. We think now this was likely due to undiagnosed polyhydramnious so the chances are she’d never have engaged and may have had other complications as a result so I don’t regret the decision to be induced Second time round I was all for a VBAC if I spontaneously laboured….until we found out at 12 weeks it was twins! I made the decision there and then I’d be having an elective C-section. There’s far too many risks involved with vaginal twin delivery without adding the additional risk of previous C-section to the mix.

I do think a big issue is with people playing the system to get induced. Word gets round the grape vine that if they say certain things they will be able to get induced. The issue is the body isn’t ready. These parents then elect for repeat csrctions second time because they get scared about the risks of a VBAC

In some places they no longer allow you to deliver a breech baby vaginally, so your only option is a c section.

@Ceri-Ann I never planned on having a VBAC but they actually asked if I wanted one after finding out I'm having twins at 6 weeks, I'm like nope, definitely not interested now. Especially considering how big their brother was, I have no interest in pushing out 2 10lb babies with massive heads 😂

Mime was only bc i had one 15m before my 3nd

@Ceri-Ann i wanted a VBAC but the hospitals around me don't alow it

Drs get paid more for csections… a lot of the time it’s unnecessary… there’s articles out speaking on it

I've had 3 vaginal births!

I think less tolerance from doctors to give space to work out how things are going to go. Doctors these days would rather do c-sections while mum and baby are still generally well rather than waiting until it’s really emergent. That’s why as soon as things start to change - slowing down, not progressing, not dilating, heart rate not right — they would rather get baby out safely rather than wait and see if things will resolve or become emergent. If that makes sense 🤷‍♀️ I’m in the UK and c section rates are still quite high and obviously doctors don’t get money from whether they do c sections or vaginal so I really don’t think it’s money related

I had a c-section with my first (unplanned/emergency due to lack of progress after the epidural & baby was a bit distressed). I plan to have an elective for the next baby (& maybe one after that). I had a really great experience with my c-section & I’m super happy it went that way 🩵

@Cheyann oh it absolutely would’ve been an option but as a midwife there was no way I was trying 😂 it would’ve meant being induced again and midwives have terrible luck with deliveries. I’d probably have a forceps with the first and section for the second 😂 @Victoria in the U.K. it’s not an option to not do it. If a woman wants it we support regardless even if it’s against medical advice

Intervention with natural labor. For example, my doctor convinced me to break my water to speed things along. When they broke my water, I had a cord prolapse. Had to have an emergency c section. She wanted to break my water because I got to the hospital right as she was leaving for the night, and wanted to speed things up. I deeply regret letting her talk me into that decision.

Was talked I to having a c section, they couldn’t tell me why, they said infection but never did any testing and never got cervix checked, water already broke and was having contractions 5 mins apart. Still don’t know why I “had” to have one. Still lots of nerve damage and pain and this was last year… never giving birth in a hospital again, that was awful.

I feel it links to control; I had a planned section, few hiccups I wasn't aware of until after but it was very chilled & we was joking away, but my midwife asked if she could file a report as the section was unnecessary, I said sure. No one knows how any births going to go & it's a medical method of making things more certain; less pressure on the NHS Or that's my opinion based on my delivery x

Most people I know have chosen to have elective c sections.