Elective C-Section Question...

[christy]

I guess though Flea I found my emergency c/s a lot more difficult to recover from, and the whole thing of recovery. I had a real hard time lifting Matilda to do things like baths etc. I had to have heaps of help in the first few weeks which I didn't need so much afterwards.

But the truth is it IS major abdominal surgery, no matter how you recover from it.

[barbie-up]

Hi - I had an elective with my second baby - I saw my GP up until 35 weeks and he referred me to an OB who I saw once, he didn't ask why and booked me in for 10 days before the 40 weeks. I had both babies at a public hospital and had four nights/five days in with both.

My first 'labour' was a mess that ended in an emergency CS and my GP said for the second one, I could do what I wanted and I did ! I didn't have to give any reasons to anyone.

It's your baby and your body and you can do whatever you want with it. And it makes telling your kids how they were born a lot more fun and gorey !

Good Luck

[barbie-up]

I've just read more replies here - the govt will NEVER ban elective CS, it is a persons right to decide what they want to do with their body and no govt department will dictate that you can't have an elective just because you want one. The consequences of that sort of decision making are incomprehensible. Backyard CS because doctors are not allowed to do them ? I don't think so.

Yes, it is major surgery and it hurts afterwards, but how your baby gets out has to be secondary to getting them out safe and sound. I was out of bed and showered the next day, and with my second baby, feeding was an absolute dream.

There is not right or wrong.

[Pandora]

Barb - the NSW govt are trying to ban elective c/s without a medical indication (who decides this I don't know) in NSW public hospitals.
Private hospitals would not be affected the way I read it - the articleis in the news/current affairs forum I think...

[EllyBoo72]

Good luck with your decision making Keira. I also elected a CS for no 1 and will be doing so for no 2...(for many reasons). I did research all options, and took a very long time to make my final decision. With discussion with your OB about your concerns etc, I'm sure you will find that they will help in any way they can, in supporting your needs etc. Only you can decide what is right for you in the end.

Good luck xx

[Keira]

Thanks for everyone's support and opinions! I know i'll make the right decision for me and bubba in the end!

I will let everyone know what i intend to do after discussing it with an OB/Midwife...

Thanks again ladies xox

[Lynn]

Good luck Keira. I'm sure you will make the right decision for you.

Wishing you a happy and healthy pregnancy. Take care

[Keira]

Thankyou Lynn

I wish you all the luck in the world with ttc, i know you will have your miracle very soon as well

Look after yourself xox

[sirhokko]

Hello everyone,

It's quite true to say that there aren't any upsides to a c/s. They can be necessary and life saving in a small minority of cases but they have no benefit for mother and no benefit to baby apart from keeping you both alive of course. Lots of the natural processes get bypassed when labour and birth isn't complete and unless absolutely necessary it's pretty important to give your baby the best start possible.

You and your baby are 4 times more likely to die following a c/s than a natural birth, this is if it's your first c/s or subsequent ones. There are many complications that can arise from c/s. They can cause permanent damage to bladder and bowel, they can cut your baby and they can sew you up and have to re open you because they have missed a bleeding vessel ( this happened recently in South Australia). Also it doesn't protect you in later life because following menopause you are every bit as likely to get incontinence as a woman who has birthed many babies through her vagina and a nun.

If fear or control is your reason for thinking about planning a caesarean then arm yourself with knowledge, books like : Thinking woman's guide to a better birth, Henci Goer, the silent Knife Marsden Wagner, birth your way Sheila Kitzinger, New active birth Janet Balaskas and there are many many others.

There are many women out there who regret their c/s either because they had no choice or made an uninformed choice. There are however no woman that regret their decision to empower themselves to a great woman centred active natural birth.

Lisa Barrett

[AnyDream]

Thanks B456.

It's quite true to say that there aren't any upsides to a c/s.

Without a C/S there is no way I would be having a second child. The first birthing experience (and I did read all the active birth books and apply the suitable preparations, physically mentally and emotionally) was so horrific that I left my body and very nearly didn't come back again. I'm not risking another walk through the valley of death to birth my second child.

Despite any of the statistical risks, C/S remains a valid choice for many women for whom the "upsides to a c/s" as Lisa puts it far outweigh the risks of a so-called natural birth, which in itself is NOT a risk-free process.

(Sorry couldn't hold it in any longer)!!

[Liz]

Armed with lots of good information, I'm sure you'll come to a decision that you're comfortable with.

For me, there was no question, I didn't want a c/s unless it was an emergency! I wasn't scared of the pain of labour, coz I kept in mind it was my body doing it's thing to birth the baby, and that it would end But I am scared of having major surgery with recovery time, that my body wasn't prepared for.

I especially don't want one this time around because I can't imagine not being able to pick up DS like I do now for cuddles etc. There's enough change going to happen in his life as it is without me having to stop him climbing all over me or picking him up. Of course, if it comes to the crunch and I need a c/s, well then there's no choice.

But it's another aspect to consider (looking further ahead at future children) that if you elect a c/s for your first, it increases the possibility that you'll have another for your 2nd.

Good luck with your research - and enjoy it! I loved researching everything during my first pg

Oh - and for the record, when you tell people you want a vaginal birth, they can be just as judgmental about that too, coz they don't believe you can do it. *sigh*. I learnt to keep quiet as a first time mum about my decisions, coz I got sick of the rolling of the eyes and the 'you don't know what you're talking about until you've been through it' comments.

[chocolatecatty]

Keira - my only advice would be to read the birth stories here on BB. You'll get natural, vag, emergency c-sec and elective c-sec stories....and you learn something from each of them!

It also helps to go into pregnancy with a healthy anticipation for the whole of it, labour included. I read up heaps (mostly on here, also 'New Active Birth') and hence got more than a little excited about my daughters (then) forthcoming birth....and with all the positive things I'd read about, I was able to go into labour with lots of confidence in my body. Of course everyones experience differs but my labour experience was most fantastic! Hehe, you can read about it somewhere here!

Good luck!

[sirhokko]

I didn't say all women who birthed vaginally I said all women who had a natural active birth. There is a big difference As is sounds like Marydean could tell us.

I am very curious to know what you think the upsides of c.s are, apart from the obvious one in a life saving scenario when of course we would all agree that they are fantastic.

Nothing is risk free I agree but birth is as safe as life gets . The risk of c/s far outweigh the risk of a normal birth and as intelligent well informed women we all know how much research is out there to back this up. Along with hospital figures, rates of postnatal depression, declining breast feeding and alienation of our own bodies.

For people who have had a trauma with a normal birth choosing a section the next time is often about fear and control. There are other ways to overcome this and there are other options available.

Lisa Barrett

[AnyDream]

Lisa, for me (having had trauma with a "normal birth" and having worked through this with breathwork, rebirthing, and energetic and wholistic healing) choosing a section this next time is about empowerment, not fear! I'm no longer afraid of my death, having seen it and stared it down the first time. The main upside of c/s for me, (even though clearly I'm doing something "wrong" to have had such a traumatic experience the first time round hahaha - *tongue firmly in cheek*) is that surgical pain - even major surgical pain, is less than the pain I experience giving birth "naturally". Even having employed every wholistic birthing technique within my grasp the first time round!! And no there are no other options, I did them and they didn't work for me.

I'm sure that would not be true for the majority of women, but in my case a c/s is a gift I give to myself and to my family, and it's a powerful part of healing my original experience.

Keira, I agree with everything everyone has said on here about arming yourself with information (that includes reading widely as well as discussing with your health care ppl) and making the decision which is right for you! Which it sounds like you are well on the way to doing already!

[lesley]

Mary Dean raises an excellent point.

I wonder how many women who have been unfairly labelled "too posh to push" are having elective caesareans because of horrific first time experiences. Or how many are first time mums making the decision to avoid the trauma they’ve heard from other women's stories?

No woman should have to go through what Mary Dean experienced! It's inhumane!

But it's far too common. "Normal" birth seems to have been transformed into some bizarre institutionalized form of trial and torture. At the very least we are leaving hospital in droves feeling we temporarily left our dignity at the door. At worst, we are coming out of hospital feeling confused, betrayed, shocked, and guilty. "I've got my beautiful, healthy baby –everything I ever wanted so why do I feel something is missing? Why can’t I just feel grateful?”

With a lack of answers, we blame ourselves, we blame our bodies, we blame each other, or we blame 'natural' birth for having failed us.

Let me tell you something: we didn't fail! Our bodies didn't fail. Other women didn't fail us. And birth didn't fail us. It was the system that failed us!

The system failed to give us what we needed to give birth. It failed to give us the environment...the support...the time...confidence… and trust to allow our bodies to do what they are designed to do: give birth.

No, we are poked, prodded, monitored and pressured to the point, that our bodies, quite sensibly, release ‘fight or flight hormones' that stall labour to allow us, like any other stressed animal, time to escape. Perhaps that what we should be doing: escaping! It is appalling that these are the choices available to us: Go to hospital and risk being poked, prodded, and pressured to the point of dehumanisation, even torture. Or have our babies removed by major surgery. And if we hit the jackpot we can have the torture and the surgery!

And all of this at the most beautiful time of our lives! Well I refuse to believe it. My body works. Birth works. It's just the system that doesn't work. Give us what we need and it won't be just the 'lucky' few having safe, ecstatic births. It will be the majority.

We need to start demanding a system where women matter. A system that doesn't force us to choose between our experience and a healthy baby. A system that doesn’t leave women pitted against each other for their choices and outcomes. We need a system that recognises that a mother and her baby are inextricably linked. One that understands a healthy happy mother equals the best chance of ensuring a healthy happy baby. It's disgraceful that so many women, like Mary Dean, are, quite justifiably, left feeling they have no choice but surgery to achieve it.

Good luck Mary Dean, I hope and trust all will go well for you this time.

Lesley

[Kirsty77]

I'm so sorry you feel that way lisa. Obviously you are an educated person with such a closed off mind. I thought birth was about MY options and MY choices. If I choose a c/s then thats my choice and obviously i will benefit from it and it will have an upside for ME. I think its so sad that we get thrown in our faces the statistics of our babies dying via a c/s but you never get told any bad stories about vaginall "natural" births.

Your post is totally offensive to someone asking for positive things about elective c/s's.

[sirhokko]

Dear Kirsty,

I'm sorry you feel my post was offensive but it wasn't rude at all, just factual and truthful. I know there are bad stories of birth from the hospital setting and the medical model of birthing and may mail didn't actually support that either. Why shouldn't the statistics be thrown in your face when they prove that you are way more likely to face problems following a c/s than you are an active birth. When asking for opinion are you only looking for one that you like?

There is so much stuff out there to prove the risks. Anyone choosing an elective section for no reason other than they don't want labour really has to look at the fear element of birth. It can be scary but you can get great birth support out there if you look. Kelly has lists of doula's and midwives that support women to deal with their problems and go on to a great birth.
Elective section isn't so much a choice as an avoidance. You wouldn't consider any other major surgery just because you felt like and wanted the choice.
Lisa Barrett

[sirhokko]

I am interested to know apart from medical emergencies like placenta previa, what would be the reason for an elective section other than fear, oh convenience may be one I suppose.

Once you've looked at all the facts and evidence, what would make you ignore it except fear of childbirth?

Lisa Barrett