Birth preferences (C-section or vaginal)

[andrewss]

@chris516 I am hoping for a vaginal birth but a little concerned a c-section is in my future. My mom had 5 babies, all over 10 lbs and all by c-section (I was 10 lbs and three weeks early!). I'm suspicious our small bodies just make really big babies.

The one thing I really really really would like to avoid is an emergency c-section (don't know how to avoid this tho so if anyone has any ideas.. )

 

[mariet9]

@chris516 My baby is 12 days old. I had a c section that was totally my choice (no medical reason)

No regrets. Recovery has been easy.

 

[boriquasgirl]

@chris516 Vaginal with hopefully not intervention. I would not want to recover from a c section

 

[breatheme]

@chris516 It depends. I have hydrocephalus controlled by a VP shunt so I would like the method that doesn't make my ICP skyrocket...if vaginal is okay I'll do that with an epidural...if I have to have a c-section for my safety and baby's its fine too.

 

[teach_me_truth]

@chris516 I personally would prefer vaginal since I scar pretty badly. My pelvis is pretty small though, so it might crack in half during birth, which might be a worse recovery process. But idk. I’ll find out what happens when it begins.

 

[moses199]

@chris516 My preference is a vaginal birth with an epidural, if possible. I have done a lot of research on evidence based birth, and I love the idea of an unmedicated birth with minimal interventions; however, I doubt I'll be a good candidate for going this route as a first time mom who has a history of painful intercourse, painful gynecologic exams, a history of anxiety, and a dislocated tailbone. The real kicker for me is the thought of having my vagina stitched up and/or receiving an episiotomy UNMEDICATED. Both of these two things scare me 100000x more than the act of pushing a baby out of my body.

It's absolutely unsettling imagining being operated on, while being awake, alert, and terrified. Obviously, you don't get to always choose how your baby comes into the world. I'd get a c-section if absolutely necessary, but it would not be my preference. If general anesthesia were an option, though, I wouldn't be so opposed to it.

 

[maia13]

@chris516 Definitely hoping for vaginal due to the potentially longer recovery from c-section. I do have a health condition that often leads to induction or c-section though, so I won't be too disappointed if I end up with a c-section if it's for good reason.

Potentially controversial, but I'm also concerned about the higher rates of autoimmune disorders in c-section babies (like myself) and would feel more comfortable with a c-section if the reason for that correlation was clearer.

 

[globalvisas3]

@chris516 Would rather have a vaginal birth. Don’t like the thought of having my stomach cut open with me wide awake. Surgery freaks me out.

 

[deelo00]

@chris516 I had no serious pain with vaginal delivery. It's made to stretch down there, but I only had a minor tear. I had an epidural and by the time it wore off it was just a bit sore for a bit. Did this with that pain have an epidural? That's important to know. I was in a breastfeeding class at the hospital with women who had c sections. They could not breastfeed in most positions because of the pain. There's a reason medical professionals recommend vaginal if you can. You can use an epidural with vaginal. It's the same you would use during a C section.

Do what is best for you. I thought about this a lot too but I'm so happy I went with vaginal. Good luck either way!

 

[jmp]

@chris516 I would only accept a c-section if it was necessary to save myself or the baby. I've had laparoscopic surgery on my kidney, and the recovery was absolute hell. I couldn't walk for days, I couldn't bring myself to eat, I just wanted to sleep and be left alone. If two tiny holes by my belly button were enough to do that, there's no way I would want a significantly more invasive abdominal procedure. Obviously I'll do whatever the doctor recommends at the point of delivery, but the thought of a c-section terrifies me.

 

[akgrandma]

@chris516 My mother had my sister via C-section and she is still affected 21 years later with follow up surgery's and pain. She's still traumatised. They messed up with the anaesthesia so she felt everything but wasn't able to move or say anything, and then developed lesions around her organs over the years due to the surgery. She couldn't hold up a kettle, she couldn't eat, she couldn't walk.

Surgery is real. A C-section is not a simple procedure, its major surgery to remove a human from your body.

I was a vaginal birth that took about four days. Still not fun, nurses messed up with the stitching, but didn't have as many issues afterwards.