Trillian,
Nope not feeling at all ripped off! He was a big baby for my size. His head was wedged very hard in my pelvis and would have most likely ended up being quiet traumatic for both of us if we birthed vaginally. I love my scar it reminds me off the birth of my son and it brings a smile to my face when I touch it and see it (not that you can really see it as it was only 2 stitches and very tidy).

I knew in my heart it was the right choice and I have not regretted it for one second nore will I ever. And the bonding thing is a myth (for me anyway). I carried him for 9 months and there fore bonded with him more during that time than the few minutes it takes for him to enter this world. Knowing he entered the world peacefully without distress makes me feel like I did the right thing for my son and not just tried to birth him vaginally for the only reason to prove something to myself or others.

My son did not have any breathing issues, and was BF straight away, it was just distressing for me when my milk took 3 days to really flow but apparently thats normal for even vaginal births. Now I can squirt people in the eye with the milk production have going.

The only really painful discomfort I had was the trapped wind that took about 5 days to clear my body, but even then it was probably at worse a 7 out of 10 (10 being unbearable). The down part is that I felt useless as my DH took charge of everything and wouldn't even let me change a nappy even though I was up and about. Very early one morning when I rang the buzzer for help changing a nappy the nurse said how come you haven't changed him, I said cause I don't know how, my DH keeps doing it and not showing me. So it was early in the morning that I could only learn these things cause he was at home. He is still a bit like that when we came home but I had a chat to him and told him that how am I going to cope when he goes back to work and I can't even use my breast pump cause he set it up for me. So now I have learnt everything I need to know and God Bless him I think he missed his calling.

I honestly believe that people only feel ripped off when they end up doing a different birth to what they had their heart set on. My advice is to go into birth with an open mind and leave all your options open, be prepared for anything and understand that this is the first thing in your new life that is NOT ABOUT YOU! its about your baby and what is best for them.