C-sections vs being induced???

Hi i am 36 weeks pregnant with #2 and am really unsure on which way to go. to give you a bit of background quickly #1 was 10 pounds and i had a 4th degree tear and spent alot of time in surgery without my baby being stitched up. and for obvious reasons dont want to do that again. so we have been since i found out i was pregnant said depending on the size of this baby would depend whether or not i risked having another natural. so i not long found out that she is sitting at around 7 pounds atm and my mind straight away went c-section. BUT now im thinking if the hospital will induce me at 38 weeks then maybe i would be ok with having another natural??? im soooo confused i havnt slept in 2 days because i just dont no whats going to be best for baby AND me! i was told if i had another bad tear i could be left with permanent damage (which scares the crap out of me because i still have tear slightly everytime i use to toilet for #2's)

i just really want some help from you ladies please ive about run out of time and im no closer to a decision on my own and my husband is happy to support me in whatever what i want but he thinks that because of the possibilities of long term damage he is all for the c-section route. so please fill me with you knowledge i need to make a decision.

Some questions: When you were giving birth, were you flat on your back? Were you doing directed pushing? Did you have any drugs or inductions last time? A caesarean section is more risky in terms of safety, but an induction can also increase your chances of a caesarean section.

i had #1 standing over the bed (spent most of the pushing in the shower though) wasnt until the very last stage i moved to the bed because he just wasnt budging. i had gas and yes directed pushing i wasnt induced last time either. aside from tearing badly last time my labour was fine (painful and long but fine lol)

I was induced for Mitchell's birth due to pre-eclampsia. It was a pretty full on way to labour and I'm not sure I would recommend it. I did have a vaginal birth.

I'm so sorry this is doing your head in. That's not a good place to be at, especially in this late stage of your pregnancy. Hope we can help here.

I'm not an expert on baby sizing, tearing or c-sections, but a few random thoughts come to mind...
- size scans can have large margin of error
- c-sections are major surgery and its likely you'll be without bubs in recovery
- if you labour with good support and positioning then your risk of tears can be minimised
- there are things you can do to go into labour naturally - check out accupuncture for example

I was induced 3 weeks early due to no fluid...so i was induced and then eventually had to have a c-section anyways because DD was stressed. I had an epidural so didnt have that much pain.....I havent had a vaginal birth so i cant say from that side, but i will be trying for this baby..

I found being induced when i wasnt ready may have been the cause for my post natal and also all my problems with my milk not coming in and having trouble b/feeding and not being ready etc. I was in hospital 8 days, but recovered ok..

I have heard that being induced is really intense and you will most likely end up having a medical procedure and have to use drugs because it comes on hard and fast.....but im not sure how correct that is? I have also heard they do get there estimated weight wrong alot of the time also.....they kept telling me throughout my whole pregnancy how big i was and how massive the baby would be and she came out 7.11...this one thay havent mentioned a thing and im measuring right on...

If you still have trouble now and still have a slight tear and are worried...maybe you should just book in the c-section.

Thanks guys i hvae gone ahead and booked in for a c-section all though the stupid hospital has booked me in for 1 on the 25th, by my charting im due the 26th and by my 12 week scan they put it at the 29th and with DS1 i went spontaneously at 39weeks and they couldnt have cared less so i told them more than likely i will be seeing them earlier than that lol. but im at ease with my decision to have 1 and im really looking forward to having her. :) thank you all for your advice and input though.

Hi HSA,

I have always read your posts due to having a similar experience re: big baby, 4th deg tear. Now getting to the stage of thinking about number 2 it's hard to make the decision to definitely go down the cs road. I can just imagine that your mind is racing with the different options and of course the possible long term effects for you if things go wrong again. I just wanted to say a huge good luck with your little princess - thing always work out the way they are supposed and in the end its all worth it. (my dream is i will just go into natural labour with number 2 and everything will happen to quick for the cs therefore not giving me the choice!!! hahaha i can dream!)

thinking of you xo

Ive been induced twice, and as people said its very hard hitting and very fast, it just throws them on you.. In saying that if your baby was big and this one may be also, if your induced could it be possible you could tear again also?
I hope they get you in before you have to go through all this again..

I know you have already made your decision but i just wanted to post in case others are reading this and having to make similar decisions.
DD1 was 8lb15. I was induced with her after around 38hrs of labour and had her about 12hrs after they started the drip after 2hrs of pushing. I had a rotational forceps delivery which resulted in a 3rd degree episiotomy.
Fast forward to number 2. She is 11wks. I knew i would have a big baby due to DD1 being a decent size. I was induced at 41+5. I had a scan to check fluid and while they made a passing remark that baby's head looked big it was more in a joking way. Anyway labour was excruciating with this induction, way worse then the first time. I ended up having some morphine for pain relief which i felt guilty about but it helped alot. I couldn't stand to be upright from the pressure but spent alot of time on the birth ball before moving into a side lying position to push with my leg being supported. Anyway once i started pushing (not directed) it became clear that bub was indeed very big and i had to try and slow down my pushes but couldn't control the urge. The she got stuck (shoulder dystocia) and the midwives had to do the robenson manoeuvre. She was born 10lb 7oz. I sustained a 3rd degree tear with <50% EAS and apparently very close to being 4th degree. Because DD got stuck she inhaled some fluid and had to spend 4days in SCU with a drip in her arm. BSL's were high and she had mild jaundice too.

I have been thinking about this alot as i have been told if i have anymore children then i'll have to have a c-section or wait at least 2yrs and be induced at 38wks.

While i am extremely proud of myself for giving birth vaginally to such a big baby as you know the complications of these types of tears can have long term effects. I have hideous scar tissue and skin tags and whats looking like prolapse. It hurts to use the toilet and have sex. I have hemorrhoids and constipation. Yes it is early days but i'm feeling quite damaged by it all, way worse then my episiotomy. At times i feel that if i was given a scan earlier and was induced then we both would have had better outcomes.
If there is a next time i will have a c-section. Basically because i don't know if physically or physiologically i would manage. Fear does not make labour an easy thing to deal with.
Positives of my vaginal birth were that i was walking around after being stitched and could have skin to skin (i was stitched in the birthing suite with local). Despite this post sounding quite negative i just want women who are facing this decision to have some honest food for thought. It is not my intention to be a scare monger. As i said i beem with pride when people ask if i had her naturally but inside there are issues that i wasn't prepared for because no one ever said i was having a huge baby and there were risks involved.

Ok if you read all that you deserve a medal lol.

well said Crystalwings! In no way were you a scare monger at all, you were realistic about what you have been through and for someone who has been in a similar (said very loosely!) situation your post was extremely supportive and understandable.

Congrats on the birth of your second DD!

xoxo

I haven't had a tear and my babies weren't big, but I was told with both of mine that they would be big babies - DS was estimated at 3kg at around 33wks with the fundal height always measuring at least 3 weeks ahead and everyone saying he would be big. I was induced at 41+3 and he was born 41 & 1/2 hours later at 41+5 by emergency c-sec after both of us became taccychardic (really low blood pressure) and his head had become stuck against my pelvic bone and wouldn't budge any further than being able to see the top of his head while pushing. DS was born weighing only 8pound 3 (3.774kg) with a HC of 34cm.
With DD I wanted a VBAC, but was diagnosed with gestational diabete's at 32wks, everyone including my OB, the Midwives and the Endocrinologist kept on saying she wsa going to be a big baby because of the GD and the fact I was on insulin to manage it. At 37wks at had a scan that estimated that DD weighed 7pound 9.
DD was born at 40+2, by successful VBAC after 3wks of constant irregular contractions after they ruptured the membranes and weighed only 8pound (3.65kg), with a HC of 34cm.
Just thought I'd share as their estimates of weight can be wrong :)