Hellobee Boards

haven't had my babies yet, but there are a few reasons i am going with c-section. 1. i'm having twins. my absolute worst fear is i push one baby out vaginally, then having to have an emergency c-section with the other! i'd rather just go ahead and take them out via c-section. 2. i am very pain intolerant. i'm so scared to be pushing out 2 babies even though they'll probably be smaller than the average singleton. i'm scared of tearing. 3. i like knowing exactly what's going to happen so i'm better prepared, since i'm such a baby. with a c-section, you get cut baby comes out, you're good to go. so many unknowns when you try to go vaginally.

I didn't have one, but I do remember thinking that I might be interested when I was about to give birth because I was terrified! But then I always remembered about the recovery. For me it just wasn't worth it for that.

@banana: I've also heard recovery is hard. Although for me it wasn't easy because of a tear.... but I guess it's a different kind of hard.

@miss-spunkin: That's what I heard too before I had a c-section so I was freaked out! For me (and it totally depends on the person obviously), I was up and walking 2-3 days after delivery (at the hospital) and never took any pain meds. It just felt like I had a sore stomach (like I had lots of sit ups). So the recovery was fine for me. It hurt a little around the stitches but I think it would hurt just the same having stitches "down there". Ouch!

Most celeb moms opt for elective c-sections because they're apparently "too posh to push"! lol

@miss-spunkin: Really?? Interesting! Never heard of the early delivery thing. I guess if you have enough money, some doctors will do anything. =\

I thought doctors don't allow you to decide stuff like that. The whole too posh to push thing. My friend wanted to do it and her doc refused and she had to go to a "shady" hospital to get it done. Her words.

@miss-spunkin: I didn't get one but all my other friends who did needed a medical reason to do so.

@aunt pol: yup! my doctor said the hospital won't schedule c-sections earlier than 38 weeks unless it's an emergency, which is why i'm doing it at 38 weeks and 4 days. i would have preferred the friday before - only because i thought i was going to go early and didn't think i'd make it til the end of the month.... but if my babies hold on, i think i can wait til the 30th! i'm 50% effaced but not dilated and have no contractions or other signs of labor. 1 week and 2 days!!!!! eek!

@nskillet: I heard the same thing about vaginal vs csection recovery (mainly about the needing those parts to pee/poop). Heard it can sting like crazy!

I don't know what it's like to go through a vaginal recovery but at least in my personal experience, the c-section recovery wasn't bad at all. Plus I didn't have to deal with hemmorhoids and peeing problems since I didn't push. I do wish I was able to experience the vaginal birth experience though. The csection experience was definitely not as dramatic and intense. I would even say it was quite relaxing. I was just laying there with my DH next to me, holding my hand and whispering to each other. Next thing you know, I can hear my baby crying! And that was that!

I had a vaginal delivery and my hemmorhoids showed up well before my due date, so even if you get a c-section, you might still get them.

I don't think tearing alone is a good reason to avoid a vaginal delivery, but that's just my opinion. I'd always try to go vaginal unless there is a medical reason not to attempt it.

I've also heard the same about being allowed to try and push for hours only to get the section anyway. How exhausting/defeating!

I have no idea what is in store for me with my delivery, I just want my baby girl out as healthy as possible.

@Andrea: doctors definitely do allow it, but not all of them. And sometimes it's the hospital that disallows it

I didn't have an elective c-section (mine was because my baby was breech) so it's not like I had a say in the matter. And I wouldn't have CHOSEN to have a c-section at that time (I was prepared for a natural birth). But now that I have had one, I realize the recovery wasn't bad at all. I just don't want other women who may have to end up with a c-section feel bad or scared about it. There ARE some benefits (like I mentioned...for some people who never had hemmorhoids during pregnancy, you can get them when you push, etc etc). Of course it's not a reason to choose to have a c-section (i would never advocate for that). But it's not as bad as people say and I don't think women should feel bad if they end up with one. Women are so amazing (we grew a baby in our stomachs!!!) and it really doesn't matter how the baby comes out into the world, as long as the baby is healthy and loved.

@LivsMama: So interesting! Never heard of tokophobia and I have no doubt that it's very very real fear! I wouldn't even consider that elective c-section in my book. Plus you may have needed one anyway based on the cord placementa nd amniotic fluid?

I had a c-section & it wasn't an emergency section, so I guess that would make it fall under the elective category? I was 12 days overdue & have been completely effaced & dialated with lo at +1 station for 2 hours, but she wasn't turning correctly & she couldn't drop farther down b/c her big ol head kept hitting my spine.
the drs told me that I was welcome to continue to try to push her down/let her drop, but with the size of her head, they were afraid that her shoulders would be too big & would cause issues for both her & I coming out, or that she would start to be distressed b/c of having been stuck for so long.
I also have a bleeding disorder where my blood doesn't clot properly & they were afraid that if I waited & had to do an emergency section, there would be issues with that as well, so my husband & I decided to go ahead & opt for the section w/o waiting to see if complications arose.
it ended up being good that we did as I kept metabolizing the anesthesia too fast & they ended up having to put me under general b/c the meds never got me to where I couldn't feel where I wasn't supposed to, so the husband wasn't allowed to come into the or with me. on top of that, after lo came out, I hemmoraged enough that I later needed 3 blood transfusions, so I'm really thankful he wasn't in there with me to see that b/c it was apparently enough of a sight that the nurses in there kept referring to it later.
I wasn't allowed out of bed for 48 hours after the birth due to needing the transfusions, but my pain was fairly minimal. I only used the pain meds they gave me a button for a couple of times & didn't fill the prescription the dr gave me- I took motrin. it's a pain in the butt not being allowed to do some things, but I'd say my recovery has been worse due to being so tired b/c of the hemmorage than due to the actual c-section wound.
so yeah, definitely not what I planned or would have liked, but I think that it turned out best in the end that we opted to have the section before it became an emergency. next baby we will be trying to have a vaginal birth again, though, as long as baby isn't as big as lola was {9lbs, 13 oz)

@Andrea: I did need it But they didn't know that till I was opened up. So technically I went into it because I wanted because I didn't want to push the baby out. But I do know a few people here in NYC who had them because they were worried about the condition of their hoo-ha down the road lol. The doctors here can be pretty liberal as can the hospitals

@Andrea: yeah most NYC hospitals are fine with it. Saves them potential liability and makes them money.

Firstly, thank you for having an open mind to the choices that different women make for their birth plan, and for respecting their personal choice (unfortunately, not everyone does).
I'd like to answer your question and say that yes, I was a woman who chose to have a planned cesarean, even when there was no indication (until near the end of my pregnancy, when breech presentation was the indication). I then planned a repeat cesarean with my pregnancy.
In fact, I have co-authored a book on this subject, which is called, "Choosing Cesarean, A Natural Birth Plan" (published last month by Prometheus Books). We don't advocate a cesarean birth plan for all women but we do present the case that it is a legitimate choice for those that do plan one.
I hope this helps, and congratulations on your new baby!