Why did you choose a repeat C Section?

[~mamaspice~]

Hi,

I've got a bit of a war going on in my head ATM. I've recently found out I'm expecting #2 Yay! And part of me wants to fight tooth and nail for a VBAC and the other part of me is wondering whether I should just have a maternal-assisted caesarean (something my old OB had agreed she would let me do) and not worry about fighting for a VBAC.
The thing is, I guess I'm trying to have control of the outcome here, and both caesareans and VB's can be traumatic or not work out the way we want, so I'm probably kidding myself either way thinking that I can try to have some control IYKWIM. As much as a VBAC would be totally awesome the utmost important thing for me is to be able to hold my baby skin to skin immediately after birth and bond with him/her, because I missed out on this last time as my c section was under a general.

Soooo

I'd love to hear stories from those who chose to have a repeat section instead of a VBAC. Why you chose it? How you felt about it? And how you feel about it now?

I'm hoping it might help me with coming to a decision.

[ladybird11]

I went for the elective c/s and still got skin to skin cuddles as soon as DS was born.

The decision was honestly more forced in a sense that I was going along the VBAC line but due to a big issue with DH's work I didn't want to risk him missing the birth - which could have been 90% likely so we opted for the c/s at 39.5 wks.

I read books about the VBAC, mentally I was prepared for it, and even looking forward to it - but I was not prepared for DH to miss the birth.

I felt in control, I'd had a c/s before, i knew 'the drill' so to speak, I knew what to expect afterwards - there were no surprises. For me it was a no brainer. I bonded straight away, fed him straight away etc. It was a really positive experience. I do not feel saddened by it in the slightest.

My first c/s was emerg at 31 wks due to PE - so almost ANYTHING was a better outcome than having that occur again .

Number three will occur in the future sometime, and I'd like to try the VBAC - and if hopefully work won't be an issue for DH this time round then I'll go for it - but if there is a medical reason why my OB would not agree with me, I won't fight him over the decision - that could just lead to a negative experience ...

Good luck making your decision!

[{sarah}]

I have had an emergency caesarean, then a VBAC attempt that ended in an emergency caesarean & this little one will be an elective caesarean.


Why you chose it?
I just can't get it out of my head that my body failed twice & I don't think I would cope real well if I had another emergency c/s (I had PND with my first & a lesser degree with my second). I also just felt like I didn't have the energy to fight again.

How you feel about it?
At first I was disappointed with the thought of never getting to experience the zen, hippy mumma version of birth that I have in my head. Now, I'm at peace. This is how things have turned out, although not in my orginal plans when I fell pregnant with my first, but the world doesn't always work the way you want it


Good luck with your decision, it is a hard one to make

[Rach75]

Why you chose it?
I was so against my first then when I was flown to townsville and the said I could try natural induction which ended with a emergency c-sect Jack not breathing apagars of 2 and 3 so when I fell pg with Luke I was like c-sect am not going thru that again i know it may not have happened again but the thought of watching my lifeless child being rushed fromt he room was enough for me to opt for a c-sec

How you feel about it?
great am so happy I honestly could not have asked for a better experience, Luke was brought to us then checked and backwith me within 5min f birth and in my room and my bed less than 2hrs later.... if I was to have a 4th I would have another elective ( I experienced natural labour with my little girl so I know where I stand on c-sect)

[~mamaspice~]

Thankyou for your reply girls.

Rach and Leesa, I'm glad your ECS was such a positive experience for you second time round.

Sarah, I wish you all the best for an Empowering CS for your newest bub.

[Peg]

I didnt choose it for my first, i had an emergency c-sect after a 30 odd hour labor that was going nowhere....after 30 hours, i wasnt dissapointed in the c-sect...i was relieved! It was a hard recovery though because i had been in labor for so long. But i had no trouble bonding...all that came very naturally.

I didnt choose it for bub number two. I tried for a VBAC but again my cervix refused to open after 12 hours of an induced labor...so it was back into surgery for number 2 c-section. Again there was no dissapointment. I accepted it pretty well and a very experienced midwife explained to me why my cervix wouldnt open. Apparently its 'inverted' and so it doesnt open the way it should. No doctor ever told me that! Thanks to her i understood why I couldnt birth vaginally.

My third bub was an elective c-sect and I did choose it this time because I knew my body wouldnt birth and the most important thing for me was to know how this birth was going to happen. I felt in control and overall it was a positive birth experience. I was at the RWH in Melbourne and the recovery was much easier then the first two.

Will I choose it again? Yes. Definately bub number 4 will be by c-section...which will be in about 7 months time. Yay!

If you are confused about it...being in two minds is generally confusion...then you could go for a 'trial labor' and see if it progresses. The midwives will quickly inform you if its not progressing normally and you can have a c-sect. The choice is yours. However, the planned c-sect was an easier recovery then going thru labor first. Thats just something to keep in mind.

[Amity]

My XH chose it for me because it was more convenient for him, workwise. I didn't have a choice - he answered the question from the obstetrician.

I would have preferred to wait another week.

Just one of the reasons he's the XH...

[~Kim~]

After an emergency section with DD, my waters broke naturally with DS but nothing happened for 12 hours - nadda. So I chose to have him sectioned so that he would have any of the issues I had with DD's birth.
Like the other girls I felt in control of my choice. I was happy with the outcome. I knew how I wanted to feel and instructed the anaesthetist so.

[ladybird11]

How is the decision going MamaSpice?

[~mamaspice~]

How is the decision going MamaSpice?

Leesa, I've decided I'm not going to have a CS unless I feel it's really necessary. I've never even been in labour before so I have to give it a go if i can Plus I'd hate to go straight for a CS and have the same thing happen as last time - (the epi not working and the need for a general anaesthetic).

[skeetaboat]

There are lotsa reasons I choose a repeat c/s. I think a bit of 'better the devil I know' came into play, but these are the main reasons I chose a repeat c/s:

- the first one was fine, no probs.
- the VBAC clinic at my hospy had a 40% success rate - not very inspiring
- the hospy I went to had a 25% episiotomy and/or 3rd degree tear rate for VB births, also not very inspiring!! I was happy to take a 100% chance of stitches in my lower tummy over a 25% chance of stitches in my vjj.
- easier to plan for, arranging time off work for us both, etc.
- finishing pregnancy at 39 rather than 41 weeks
- 1 in 150 chance of uterine rupture is quite high to me - didn't want me & bubs to be the unlucky '1' (or 2 really) in that equation
- as a public patient, I didn't like the idea of not knowing my labour and birth attendants and not really being able to make a proper birth plan with someone I knew and trusted would respect it.
- and of course, no labour

Of course there were also cons to weigh up like giving bubs more time to cook, fear of the op whilst awake, increased risk of athsma for bubs, decreased mobility for the first 24-48 hours. However, overall I felt that my chances of a successful & happy VBAC weren't high enough for it to be worth fighting for, and there were enough pros that I was happy with my decision to go for another c/s.

So glad you've been able to come to a decision Mamaspice. Best of luck!

[{sarah}]

YAY MamaSpice. Can I recommend something for you now you've made you decision? Start reading!!! Get "Silent Knife" if you can, it's pretty expensive. Also New Active Birth & VBAC Companion. They are all fantastic & really really helpful for your preparation.

How exciting!!

[maz]

I gotta say it.....but choosing an elective c/s in most cases still isnt a choice . There is always a hidden reason, medical, mentally, emotionally attatched to it isnt it.

Ive had 4...none by choice of my own. My body failed me, even with an elective c/s it still failed me and my baby with my last one. The annesthetics used at his c/s may have contributed to his bad start to his life. NO operation, no matter how minor has no risks.

Just bare in mind the after math of a c/s in comparison to vaginal birth. The pain that is on going, the pulling, the itchy scar, the thinning scare (as in my case) the loose of feeling on your tummy due to nerve damage.

Im so happy ot hear your trying for a VBAC. you can do this hon...believe in yourself!!

[ladybird11]

Great to hear mamaspice!

When I have number 3 I'll be certainly going for a VBAC too!

I'll be following your footsteps!

[~mamaspice~]

Aww, thanks Leesa, maz & Sarah for the encouragement
Sarah, I do have Silent Knife. I bought it about 18 months ago but never read it all back then, I'll have to dust it off and read it. I'll definately get New Active Birth and the VBAC Companion too, thanks for the suggestion.

I had to go to my GP yesterday to get some blood results and I have a few issues with blood calcium and thyroxine levels (due to a thyroidectomy I had 12 months ago). Also when she took my BP it was 150/90 Not good for only 5.5 weeks preg! But I'm hopeful that I just had a bit of white coat hypertension yesterday and hopefully when i go back today (to get the results of more urgent blood tests) my BP will have settled down. I'm just hoping I'm not labeled super high risk from the very beginning as I know that's gonna make my fight for a VBAC even harder.

[tellytubby]

Hey! I just was reading when i realised its mara,
just wanted to say congratulations on the pregnancy!

[{sarah}]

And also hypnoobirthing if you can I just remembered! I didn't get to do a course (kicked myself over that) but I borrowed some CDs with the relaxation stuff on them & I listened to them every day, it was really helpful. I think had I remembered them when I was in labour they would have been moreso

Hoping it was only white coat hypertension for you yesterday too

[~mamaspice~]

Hey! I just was reading when i realised its mara,
just wanted to say congratulations on the pregnancy!

Thanks Tellytubby

And also hypnoobirthing if you can I just remembered! I didn't get to do a course (kicked myself over that) but I borrowed some CDs with the relaxation stuff on them & I listened to them every day, it was really helpful. I think had I remembered them when I was in labour they would have been moreso

Hoping it was only white coat hypertension for you yesterday too

Oh yes, I will look into the hypnobirthing too. BTW my BP was good today, Dr agrees that it probably was just white coat hypertension YAY!