PP magazine article about c-sections

HELLO!!!

So I was reading Practical Peranting magazine (I buy it sometimes if they have an article that looks good or free stuff- I love free stuff) and this article caught my eye.

It's about three different women who had C-sections for three different reasons. The last one had an elective c-section because she 'didn't want a vaginal birth'. Reading on she claims she felt it was the safest option because ultrasounds showed "the baby had a large head and a long body. My mother in law had a very difficult birth with Shane (partner), so as a family we decided that a caesarean was the safest option".

She also thought that at her age (39) it was "sensible". She aslo says "I wanted to ensure that following birth, I was rested and relaxed for the hardest job yet to come- tending to the needs of my newborn son when we were able to go home."


Now I really can't understand anything she's said. To me her mil having a complicated birth wouldn't have any bearing on wether or not she did. I mean her mil is not blood related, would have given birth around 40 yrs ago (assuming her partner is of similar age to her), could have had a complicated birth or even given birth to a breech baby. How does that length of a baby impact a vaginal birth?
What does her being 39 have to do with anything?
How in HECK did/does she think the recovery of a c-section wich lasts weeks and can be painful and limiting to say the least could be more restful and relaxing than a vaginal birth where you're pretty much good to go in most cases?

I'm not being bitchy or judgemental (again I'm having to add a disclaimer- sigh). I'm honestly scratching my head over her reasoning. She said she was supported in this by her Ob.

I just don't get it, esspecially if she says her ob supported her. Am I missing something?

HappyHead my quote has stopped working again.

The article had three womens expeiences with C-sections. The first was a planned c-section due to breech baby. She started`out really wanting a drug free vaginal birth but chose the c-sec because she was concerned about risks involved in manual turning. She says "My caesarean was a sterile experiences and I did feel a bit ripped off. But was lucky not to have the extreme pain of labour -and the birth was quick and worry free. I didn't even need paracetamol during the recovery and one week later it didn't even feel like I'd just had major surgery."

The second had an emergency c-sec after being induced and baby being posterior. She explains that the baby was never distressed during three hours of pushing so she could have kept going but was told by the doc that the baby "was never going to come out". so she "surrendered". From readin her story she seemed to feel dissappoitned with having had a c-sec and even said she didn't like relying on other peoples help.

So I think you're right. Appart from the one story the article does seem to say "have a c-sec you'l be more relaxed and rested and it's a total walk in the park". I'm worried women will read this and chose a planned c-sec and then suffer weeks of discomfort and be shocked that they aren't even allowed to drive for 6 weeks.

Doesn't seem balanced.

obviously i havent read the article - but i have had a vag delivery & a c/sec & if i was to have another baby, i would go for an elective c/sec. It was a MUCH easier recovery than the natural birth & was nearly back to normal within the week, not still hobbling around like i had been sitting on a horse for the last 9 months & weeing razor blades.

Obviously everyones experiences are different - but i hate the assumption that just cause you have a c/sec, means that you will be up for WEEKS of discomfort - just not accurate for everyone.

& about the not driving for 6 weeks - that actually has more to do with your insurance rather than the acutally birth/recovery process - so depending on your insurance policy will depend on wether you can drive. Of course there is the obvious risk of having a car accident & the seat belt pulling on your stitches or whatever, but it is not a 'rule' that you cant drive.

PS - from what you have said noddy - yeah, the article does seem a little weird tho

When my friend had a c-sec earlier this year she was told by the doc no driving for six weeks. Is it different in different states? Because i was told this at antenatal classes with dd.

I know recovery is different for everyone but with vaginal birth your not restricted. Apart from stinging when u wee after a tear or cut what else is their negative about vaginal recovery? Alot of women find it hard just to bend after a c-sec. Literally seconds after my vaginal birth I jumped of he bed nd ate tea, never had trouble with movement either.

maybe it's different - dunno - i had mine in NSW... my OB did say that it is not recommended that you drive due to car insurance purposes & outlined the risks involved if i was to have an accident, but that it isnt a 'rule' - IYKWIM... maybe my OB was just a little more 'alternate'??

I didnt do any natal classes, so have no clue there.

with my vag birth, i really couldnt do anything afterwards... i could barely stand up & walk & there was certainly no speed to it.. LOL.. DH had to get up to get the baby for me cause otherwise he would be screaming madly before i could get to him... even in the hospital, i couldnt get the baby out of the crib myself & he didnt come into the room with me until he was about 5/6 days old, after being in the NICU. I didnt even have stitches, so i would hate to think what i wouldve been like if i had of torn as well. unsure

I felt very restricted after having the vag birth - plenty of bleeding, needing to change maternity pads every 30-60 mins made me not want to leave the house

DS was probably about 4/5 weeks old before i started to feel 'normal' - whatever that is when you have a newborn.. haha.. yet with my emergency c/sec i was up & about on day 2, home on day 3 & walking DS to school by day 7 & had little to no bleeding afterwards & no pain either.

I also know that not everyone has a great c/sec experience, but they arent all bad - just like not all vag births are great!

I guess it depends on what type of vaginal birth you have because my recovery was HELL ON EARTH and my son was only 6lb 8oz. I suppose if you have a pretty straight forward, problem free v/birth than the recovery would be much easier, but in alot of cases there can be tearing, or an episiotomy or forceps or vacuum, big baby all kinds of things. I was in surgery for 2 hours after my son was born and then suffered from post-traumatic stress because of the traumatic birth and then pain of healing from all those stitiches.. it wasnt just stiinging when going to the toilet, it hurt to walk! it took months to feel normal again. I am having an elective c/section for my 2nd in about 4 weeks on the advice of my GP who looked after me after my first birth and also on suggestion from the midwives at my hospital and while I am not expecting it to be a walk in the park, I am much more comfortable with it than I would be if I was facing another v/birth after last time. Just another point of view to look at it from....

I had a c-sec with my first, and as for the driving factor, I was advised that only when I could confidently trust in my own self, that my reaction speed, strength and movement was safe to break hard if needed, then I would be allowed to drive, which I was advised can take up to 6 weeks, and it not 'suggested' to drive until you can achieve that.

As for the choice of c-sec, my daughter was breech with no fluid at 36w, so because of no fluid, we had no chance of turning her for delivery. And with a history of hip issues in first born females in my family, it was classed as an elective c-sec because I had to give permission to go ahead, but classed as an emergency c-sec at the same time because it was safer to have c-sec done straight away and not wait for me to go into labour first.

However, I am currently 39.4w pregnant, and have been given the go ahead for a VBAC (vaginal birth after c-sec), as long as I don't go too far overdue.

I have heard horror stories, even within my own family of difficult birthings, ending up in c-sec. But being robbed of a natural birth first time around, that was hard for me personally, so I want to give it a try vaginally this time around.

Sure, I am scared of the many complications that comes with natural birthing, including the extra complication of rupturing of my uterus due to my previous c-sec, but that doesn't stop me realising that woman have been doing this for many years, and we now have great technology to stop anything becoming too dangerous when needed, and I believe a the choice of a c-sec shouldn't be taken lightly, and I don't think this lady in the article thought long and hard about her decision. I think she was just scared of the process and chose the easy way out. And to be honest, everyone has their own choices in the end, and some see recovery from c-sec better than vaginal and some don't.. I believe vaginal as better, but I have to wait and see.

Also, she would have chosen an OB that supported her choice for a c-sec, just like how I chose a midwife who would support a VBAC, as some midwives don't.
Yet at 37w I still had to obtain approval from a specialist for a VBAC, as required here in NZ, to ensure both the safety of me and baby (hence why I cannot go overdue, as I cannot get medically induced due to the scar on my uterus).

I personally don't see the harm in trying for a natural birth if our bodies have copied with it for many years, why can't we now smile especially when we have such great technology and research, even compared to 40 years ago smile

Hey
Well I was adamant I wanted a C-section before I even got pregnant due to severe anxiety and psychological issues and the midwife and OB's agreed which is rare but yeah I was lucky although it turned out I developed pre eclampsia at 33 weeks and was in and out of hosptial having blood and urine tests all the time, then at 36 weeks my blood pressure shot up and I stayed in and then at 37 weeks exactly my levels were through the roof and the surgeon came in and said "Dont eat anything all day, we are performing a C-section this afternoon" so I had a semi emergency section three weeks early meaning my little girl was early and had breathing issues, she spent two nights in the SCBU unit and I did not get to hold her until two hours later. The section was scary and the epidural and IV hurt but over all the recovery was great and I did not have to suffer labour or vaginal trauma and was able to have bowel movements lol TMI and it was good.

I did get baby blues badly the first few days because I was deprived of holding my baby until two hours later but my hubby cut the cord and held her and I was wheeled into the special care unit to spend four hours with my little girl who was having breathing and eating issues

I wish I was not sick and had been able to have my planned elective C-section at 39 weeks where my girl would have been healthier and I would have had a higher chance of skin to skin afterward as well as planning what music we could listen to and we could have brought our video or digital camera too but the EMCS stopped that however the team at the nelson hosptial were FANTASTIC and I so so so do not regret having a section

my scar is tiny, its smaller than my stretch marks and I have no urination, bowel or pelvic floor problems plus only one week of bleeding

I would recommend a C-section to anyone and would have one again as long as its elective smile
There are so many positives to C-section births IMO and I would never have a vaginal after such a fantastic recovery, Im losing weight and feel like me again xoxoxo

Arisa... you make it sound like you would have had all those problems if you went for a vaginal birth. I'm glad you're happy with your delivery, it sounds scary and traumatic so its great that you are positive about it.
But I just wanted to point out that a vaginal delivery does not always mean bowel, urine or problems down there. I've had 2 vaginal births and had no tearing or any problems with either of them. I didn't even have stinging wee because there was no tear. For me I KNOW that had I chosen an elective section that my recovery would be more difficult... because although I was a bit stiff after for 2 days or so from muscle soreness that I really just breezed through it.

I think either option is difficult... natural is difficult because childbirth is damn hard work, and a section is difficult with a longer recovery. I've also seen women who get an infection post op and that is just utter hell... drains sticking out of them and awful awful pain....

And btw section mummas can have constipation issues too from having codeine.

Chiliwoman wrote:
maybe it's different - dunno - i had mine in NSW... my OB did say that it is not recommended that you drive due to car insurance purposes & outlined the risks involved if i was to have an accident, but that it isnt a 'rule' - IYKWIM... maybe my OB was just a little more 'alternate'??

I didnt do any natal classes, so have no clue there.

with my vag birth, i really couldnt do anything afterwards... i could barely stand up & walk & there was certainly no speed to it.. LOL.. DH had to get up to get the baby for me cause otherwise he would be screaming madly before i could get to him... even in the hospital, i couldnt get the baby out of the crib myself & he didnt come into the room with me until he was about 5/6 days old, after being in the NICU. I didnt even have stitches, so i would hate to think what i wouldve been like if i had of torn as well. unsure

I felt very restricted after having the vag birth - plenty of bleeding, needing to change maternity pads every 30-60 mins made me not want to leave the house

DS was probably about 4/5 weeks old before i started to feel 'normal' - whatever that is when you have a newborn.. haha.. yet with my emergency c/sec i was up & about on day 2, home on day 3 & walking DS to school by day 7 & had little to no bleeding afterwards & no pain either.

I also know that not everyone has a great c/sec experience, but they arent all bad - just like not all vag births are great!

So what was it that made you feel that way with vaginal birth? I mean why couldn't you move? Hope thats not too personal.