Is it wrong to want a c-section with my first? And what is your stories?

Question

I am 17wks pregnant and deciding if I should have a c-section or nature. I am afraid of labor and having alot of though about it everyday that causing me not able to sleep. Please tell me what to do and I am in depression too. please tell me your stories

thanks

Answer 1

You CAN elect to have a c-section. Don't listen to anyone who says you can't. I had a completely elective c-section and my insurance paid for it all.



My experience was great. It didn't hurt at all during, and afterwards it only felt as though I had done too much stomach exercise. You don't feel the cut at all. If you take your medication on time every time you won't feel any pain, maybe a bit of discomfort, but no pain. You just have to make sure you don't over do it though. You will probably feel so good you will think you don't need your meds or try to over do it. Don't! Keep taking the meds and take it easy.



I was up and walking that night, even standing for the first time doesn't hurt. My legs did feel like jello though haha



After a week I was off all medication and was out trecking the streets looking for my dog. I was fine.



I Guarantee ANYONE who has says c-sections are sooo horrible has either not had one or has only had an emergency c-section. Major surgery after labor is going to take a toll on your body, but a planned c-section is easy peasy.



In the end you have to do the research yourself and figure out what is best for you. Maybe there's some sort of anxiety medication you can be on that will help with your fears.(I, too had extreme fears of labor and delivery which is why I opted for a c-section. I wouldn't change it for the world!)



My arms weren't strapped down, they set him on my chest immediately after, I breastfed just fine. I have nothing negative to say about it.



Good luck and congrats!

Answer 2

Well, I was afraid of labor too, but it really isn't as bad as you may think. The key is to get over your fear and know that the pain is normal and you can deal with it. You can also get an epidural or other pain relief if you cannot handle the pain. The bad part about C-sections is the recovery time--much more pain AFTER you deliver and even when you go home and try to take care of the baby you will be sore for a long time. With a vaginal delivery the recovery is MUCH easier, and trust me you want to be able to move around and not be so sore after you get home with your precious bundle because they will be needing a lot from you. Also, having a C-section can limit your fertility in the future--I had a friend who had 3 C-sections and now they tell her having a 4th child could kill her because her uterine tissue is so thin (scarring). It is up to you, but there are benefits of going natural. Do some more research on it. Trust me, you can do it.

Answer 3

I had to answer this question because I am in the small minority of women who prefer C sections, so I thought I would share my story with you. I had a c section with my daughter after being in a car accident. It was so easy and such a great experience that with my second pregnancy I knew immediately a Vbac (vaginal birth after cesarean) wasn't for me. All you are going to hear is how awful c sections are, how painful and miserable the recovery is, and how you will have a huge scar forever. The reality for me was very different. The recovery was uncomfortable sure, but people act like after a vaginal delivery you will be doing cartwheels around the hospital...not really true. I was up walking around the same day of both my surgeries. No tearing to worry about, no incontinence or hemorrhoids. And my scar? So small and low you can barely see it.

Again, I realize I'm in the minority here and most women are really attached to the whole birth "experience". I just wasn't. Trends in childbirth come and go, right now it's natural childbirth, as though theres an award ceremony at the hospital for all the women who do childbirth the "right" way. The right way for me is C sections. I'm having my third and final one in sept. and couldn't be happier!

Answer 4

Well, personally I'd only have one if it were a medical necessity. It's major abdominal surgery. It's not just a case of making a cut and out pops the baby. There are many layers of skin, fat, muscle and internal organs to deal with. There is also the risk of complications.



It's perfectly normal to be afraid of labour, but millions of women do it throughout the world every day. Remember, you can have pain relief; an epidural will completely rid you of any pain.



I've given birth twice with no pain relief. Both of my labours were quick and straightforward - my second baby ended up being born at home because my labour was so quick that I didn't have time to go to hospital!



Please don't worry. I know it's easier said than done. The way I see it is that women are designed to give birth; we live in the West and have access to the best medical care (and pain relief!). I think that c-sections just unnecessarily medicalise a perfectly natural process. I feel they should only be used in an emergency.



Having said that it's your choice!

Answer 5

I had an emergency c-section and hated it. My arms were strapped to the table (standard procedure so you won't try to grab anything) and if there's anything I hate, it's being strapped down. The meds they gave me weren't enough, I was in so much pain during the entire procedure. I vomited multiple times and there was this weird burning sensation in my chest... I literally thought I was going to die.



But besides the potential pain of c-section... the other reasons I can think you should have your baby naturally are:



- you get to hold your child immediately after birth. With a c-section, they hold your baby up so you can see him/her and then baby is whisked away while you get stitched up. I think there was a gap of about 40 minutes between my son coming out and my getting to hold him.



- recovery time after a c-section is longer than with vaginal birth. A c-section is *major* surgery. Future complications can arise as well if you decide to have another child.



- you'll want to talk to your doctor about this, but most doctors in westernized countries will not perform a c-section unless there's a medical necessity. If you have health insurance, check with your provider as well. Elective c-sections (which is a c-section that you "choose" to have) are usually NOT covered by insurance. Which means you'll be paying thousands of dollars out of your pocket.



- women have been having babies from the beginning of time. Trust me, if billions of women were able to go through labor (and go through it again and again) then you can do it too.



Good luck to you and congrats!

Answer 6

i had a c-section with my first and i had strong feelings against it because i wanted to have a natural birth with no medication... i wouldn't dilate to a 10 and had been in labor for 2 days... the surgery was all that i could do but i wish i could have had him vaginally. i have cried so many times seeing tv shows were they have their babies.. i missed out on the experience and you never know how many children you will have... also most doctors wont let you have a vaginal delivery after having a c-section so you should just do your best and push through the pain.. it will all be worth it when you get to hold that little precious life that you created and held on to for those loooooong 40 weeks!

Answer 7

A c-section is major surgery, having a baby is uncomfortable, but it is the normal, natural way to have babies.



When I gave birth I was able to do it without drugs, and was up and walking about within an hour (you have to wait until the doctor checks you out "down there"), but a natural birth is easy compared to recovery from a c-section.



Deliver the normal way if you can, and if you are scared take Childbirth Preparation Classes.

Answer 8

Healing takes alot longer after a c-section and causes a scar. Plus you will be very sore and might have trouble picking up your baby or holding them, that's why they are usually for women with complications. A vaginal birth can be painful but will heal faster and you can have an epidural or other medicines that numb you from the waist down, and you will be able to walk around and shower within a few hours of giving birth.

Answer 9

My nan had a C.section with my mum and my mum had one with my brother and with me (all were for medical reasons - Heads to big to pass through the pelvis)

When i fell pregnant at 17 i told my midwife that it runs in my family to have to have sections and basically she didn't believe me. Everyone i spoke to said that 'i would be fine' and I still think they all thought i was scared of labour.



This was totally wrong, I was more scared of having MAJOR surgery . As it turned out i DID have to have a section, for the same reason as my mum and nan. It was awful. Sre there was no pain during the birth, but staying in hospital for 3days after, Not being able to drive for 6 weeks and not being able to carry anything heavier than your baby for 6-8 weeks...So that means no carrying a car seat, Your not even meant to hoover up or push a shopping trolley incase it damages your scar tissue!



What im saying is, Sections ARE NOT the easy option!

Answer 10

It's not wrong but you most likely won't get one unless it's medically necessary. Insurance companies don't like paying for unnecessary things so unless you're planning on paying out of pocket for one it's doubtful you'll get one. They are MAJOR surgery and require a lot longer healing time than a vaginal birth. They may "not hurt" during the time of but believe me, it's bad afterwards. I had to have one with my son and it hurt to cough, laugh, get up, etc. the following days. Thank God my husband was home for the following 10 days because I spent most of my time on the couch.



You can get an epidural for the labor pains when having a vaginal birth. You don't have to go all natural(no pain meds).

Answer 11

i had to have an emergency c-section and i am telling you that its not something you would want!

the bonding experience is different (i had to wait 10 mins before i even saw my baby for the first time and then had to wait an hr before i could hold him) and the pain and recovery is way worse and lasts a lot longer. not to mention a scar that lasts a lifetime. taking care of a newborn when you are in pain and can hardly move is difficult too and makes the experience less enjoyable! you are also limited in the fact that you cant drive for 6 weeks, cant hold anything heavier then your baby, and even how you sit and lie down have to change to accomodate the pain you feel.

Answer 12

Hon, a c-section is major abdominal surgery, and doctors usually don't like to do them unless there's a genuine medical reason for it. Having a c-section will leave a scar, not only on the outside of your body, but also at every level right through to your uterus, and will increase your risk of uterine rupture in subsequent pregnancies and might prevent you from giving birth naturally in the future. Your body is built to give birth, and while, yes, it hurts, the pain is short lived, will be over the next day and you'll feel completely normal after a few days. You'll spend the entire 6 weeks after a c-section recovering from the surgery. If you're terrified of labour, please know that you're not alone, everyone has some level of fear regarding labour. There are ways to deal with it, an epidural is great! It will leave you completely pain free, but you will feel the pressure. The pressure feels like a huge bowel movement, and while it's not the most pleasant of experiences, it's not, by any means, the worst. With a natural birth, you can hold your baby immediately, but you'll have to wait until they stitch you up and then you'll have a recovery period afterwards where you won't see your baby. If it's really worrying you so much, do talk to your doctor, they might be able to recommend someone for you to talk to. Get educated about vaginal births so that you know what to expect. Knowing will make it less terrifying.



I've had three vaginal births - my first was a stillbirth after 18 hours of induction (my baby had already passed due to chromosomal disorders). My second was with epidural, he was 6lb9oz at birth, no pain, a lot of pressure and the most amazing feeling in the world to have my newborn, seconds old baby placing screaming onto my tummy and watch his eyes open to look at me for the first time, episiotomy with stitches, minimal pain during recovery period, I was back out shopping at 3 days after giving birth. My third, baby girl, 8lb8oz, epidural, some pain, but not severe, again, plenty of pressure, 2nd degree tear with stitches, post partum recurrent infection for a month, but otherwise, good healing and up and about 10 days after giving birth. My first two were born in the US, my third was born in the UK. The procedures in the UK weren't as clear and rigid as they were in teh US, where my midwife stayed with me until I was cleaned up, stitched up and ready to go to post partum. In the UK, I waited, bleeding on the table for 3 hours for someone to stitch me up and needed 5 shots of lidocaine to numb me up enough to stitch me up, and those stitches hurt. That's my stories!

Answer 13

LOVED my c-sect. I didn't have a choice, had a horrendous complicated labor that lasted 2 1/2 days. I had no complications from my c-sect, only downfall was not being able to hold my son until after I was out of recovery. I was up walking around, showering and everything the next day. There is moderate pain for upto 2 weeks after, but pain medication helps. The day of the c-sect I was given morphine through and IV, and after that I was given Percocet (even safe for breast-feeding). When I was discharged from the hospital I was given a prescription for percocet. I had my staples removed 1 week later. My fiances work schedule was only 5 hours a day and he was home by 10am, so I had a lot of help around the house with the baby and chores over those 2 weeks of recovery. I understand if you don't have help it can be much more difficult. So if your SO works long hours or you don't have family that can come stay with your for at least a week, I would recommend really thinking about the c-sect. Congratulations, and best of luck!







-----------I don't understand all the TD. I had a c-sect because it was that or let my child die. After having so many complications through a 2 1/2 day labor and not dilating past 1 cm, because he didn't fit into my pelvis, my baby's heart rate was dropping with each contraction. I was very happy with the job that was performed by my dr. I didn't think recovery was bad at all. So yes...I loved my C-sect, it is what brought my child into this world healthy. So all you "do it naturally" people who gave me TD can shove your TD

Answer 14

C section are really hard on your body! plus the recovery time is a lot longer then vaginal! i think everyone is afraid of labor pains but really they have pain medication they can give you and an epidural! i was more afraid of having a C section then natural labor!

Answer 15

i say, go with a vaginal birth. You don't have to go all natural (no pain meds) there are options as to what you get to numb you from the waist down given that your insurance covers it. I'd rather go through a few minutes of torcherous pain than go weeks of recovery from a C-Section and that ugly scar it leaves. i know it seems or looks scary to have a vaginal birth, but trust me once your dialated at 9-10 centimeters and you feel the head right there all youre going to think about is pushing the baby out and getting it over with! I've seen girls go in the hospital becuase all they staples have ripped open from their C-Sections and all their intestines are about to fall out!! do you really want to risk that? i'm assuming this is your first pregnancy, if you have a vaginal birth your body is going to bounce right back to normal. i'm not going to lie, it's going to hurt like nothing else in your life-time, but we are women and we're made strong!!! you can do this!!

Answer 16

I would much rather deliver vaginally than by c-section. It's considered major surgery and the recovery time is much longer.

Answer 17

No C-section please not for me I don't want to have another baby by c section once you have one you might have to have another if you are going to have more children

Answer 18

My mom had a c section and they are very safe and pain free at the time of birth. Sometimes it is the only way to get the baby safely delivered. It only hurts a little after delivery and they give you pain medication afterwords to cope with it. If you feel comfortable with open surgery than I would suggest a c-section.

Answer 19

you don't get to CHOOSE SURGERY! you WILL have it natural weather you want to or not, unless something is WRONG! ONLY your Dr can decide to do surgery NOT YOU!!! DUH! If you're that afraid of labor, THEN WHY DID YOU GET PREGNANT??? You're to IMMATURE to have gotten pregnant in the first place. DEAL with what you've done and GROW UP for God's sakes!