https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 12 Apr 2026 06:56:21 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section/page/2#post-2757542 Wed, 12 Jul 2017 12:08:25 +0000 Raspberry 2757542@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't have one but my friend elected for C-sections with both of her births. Her OB made her go to a counseling session to make sure that she was sure before authorizing it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section/page/2#post-2757484 Wed, 12 Jul 2017 10:57:46 +0000 Brandnew 2757484@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hi, I know this thread is old but I'm new to New York, newly pregnant and in search of an OBGYN. I have what I would call a pathological fear of childbirth so I'm wondering if anyone here could help me out with an understanding doctor? Much appreciated! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section/page/2#post-163274 Sat, 19 May 2012 06:33:35 +0000 GrapeCrush 163274@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had to have an emergency c-section with my son. After talking to the doctor a couple days after birth, he said I'll more than likely need a c-section for any future pregnancies. Once the doctor was inside he realized that I have an android shaped pelvis, which isn't really conducive for vaginal delivery. DS was never even able to drop in to my pelvis. He said I can try to deliver naturally, and it may work. Because of the good chance I will need a c-section, any future pregnancies I'm going to just schedule c-sections. And this way I won't have to labor :)<br /> Also, my recovery hasn't been that bad at all. I was up moving around the next day at the hospital. I would really only 'hurt' on the edges of the incision. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section/page/2#post-102235 Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:33:17 +0000 ecogirl 102235@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was 100% elective and even chose the date of both c-sections :) I am pretty tiny and felt that medically a c-section would be better for me and my doctor agreed. My husband is away very often and I wanted to time the births in a way that would afford my husband being present without having to juggle too much at work. My doctors were totally on board with my decisions and monitored me the whole time to make sure they were done cooking haha :) So I guess I'm too posh to push? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section/page/2#post-102187 Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:13:29 +0000 aunt pol 102187@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@birdieputt: well I just had a consultant appt today, and she is very much in the NO camp for me having an elective section, because of the additional and increased risks of complications because of my weight. For me, Twin 1 is head down and Twin 2 is breech, and she did not consider that anywhere near sufficient grounds to plan a section. So I'm a bit bummed today really. If I put my foot down they'll do an elective/Planned section, but at the end of the day what I want most is whatever kind of delivery gets me and the babas out safe and well. She was understanding about my views on the difficult recovery from emergency sections that I've heard about, but she feels the risk of blood clots etc is too significant to overlook. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-102149 Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:31:06 +0000 Choosing Cesarean 102149@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>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).<br /> 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.<br /> 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.<br /> I hope this helps, and congratulations on your new baby! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-99814 Fri, 23 Mar 2012 07:36:16 +0000 LivsMama 99814@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@miss-spunkin: oh man you had pre-e? Yikes. They think I might have had pre-e without the protein presence bc of my BP and severe sudden swelling. They were baffled at what was happening to me lol. </p> <p>On another note, I freaking love your owl pic </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-99812 Fri, 23 Mar 2012 07:32:53 +0000 LivsMama 99812@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Andrea: yeah most NYC hospitals are fine with it. Saves them potential liability and makes them money. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-99627 Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:33:41 +0000 Andrea 99627@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LivsMama: ok that makes sense. My friend said she could not get it done in Westchester but a NYC hospital was fine with it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-99621 Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:28:26 +0000 LivsMama 99621@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@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 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-99598 Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:01:42 +0000 Mrs. Pen 99598@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LivsMama: I had never even considered only having one child until giving birth, so I think I will suck it up and have at least one more, maybe 2. I had wanted 3-4 and my husband wants 4, but idk about that. I was induced so I know that made for a more intense labor, but it was also fast (pitocin at 5pm, contractions at 8, active labor started at 12 and he was born before 4am, so it was't that long). I hope that next time I won't develop pre-e and can go into labor naturally. I think it's less traumatic that way.</p> <p>@katdevargas: No,that's not really what I meant by elective. Elective meaning you schedule the cesarean in advance. In your case you were terribly overdue so I would say that's a medical reason for one. I guess elective meaning there is no medical reason for it? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-99560 Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:40:03 +0000 katdevargas 99560@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a c-section &amp; it wasn't an emergency section, so I guess that would make it fall under the elective category? I was 12 days overdue &amp; have been completely effaced &amp; dialated with lo at +1 station for 2 hours, but she wasn't turning correctly &amp; she couldn't drop farther down b/c her big ol head kept hitting my spine.<br /> 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 &amp; would cause issues for both her &amp; I coming out, or that she would start to be distressed b/c of having been stuck for so long.<br /> I also have a bleeding disorder where my blood doesn't clot properly &amp; they were afraid that if I waited &amp; had to do an emergency section, there would be issues with that as well, so my husband &amp; I decided to go ahead &amp; opt for the section w/o waiting to see if complications arose.<br /> it ended up being good that we did as I kept metabolizing the anesthesia too fast &amp; 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.<br /> 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 &amp; 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.<br /> 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) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-99529 Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:19:45 +0000 Andrea 99529@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LivsMama: maybe i am misunderstanding the word "elective"? what i am calling elective is "too posh to push". but it doesn't seem like this is what other people mean so i am a bit confused! it definitely sounded like you needed one. wow, what an experience! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-99522 Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:08:52 +0000 banana 99522@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>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. :)</p> <p>@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? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-99516 Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:00:04 +0000 LivsMama 99516@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@miss-spunkin: I haven't decided on baby number two. As of right now it's a resounding HELL. NO. but maybe that will change lol. We planned on two but I'm afraid of all the complications at the end again. And her cord didn't end up pro lapsing but it was around her neck so many times she couldn't move that well. Scary. How about you? Will you have another one? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-99514 Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:57:50 +0000 LivsMama 99514@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Andrea: doctors definitely do allow it, but not all of them. And sometimes it's the hospital that disallows it </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-99498 Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:25:45 +0000 birdieputt 99498@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@aunt pol @tequiero21: my doctor won't let me schedule a c-section for my twins because they are both vertex. he says it's kinda crazy for me to schedule one if there are no indications for a c-section. i was bummed to hear that. are your babies breeched? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-99479 Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:07:29 +0000 Mrs. Pen 99479@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@LivsMama: oh my gosh hon! You are definitely not "too posh to push"! You have a real, live and RATIONAL fear! Birth is hard and I can attest to that, I honestly never expected it to be so painfully traumatic. I can't believe your daughter was prolapsed anyway, how scary that would have been. I am so glad your cesarean was such a positive experience for you. So you know if you're gonna have another baby? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-99274 Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:07:19 +0000 LivsMama 99274@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had an elective c-section on Liv's due date. I probably would have waited until 41 weeks, but the doctors brought me in on that date due to complications.</p> <p>So my original reason for wanting it - I have a severe SEVERE fear of childbirth. Its called Tokophobia. From the time we had to watch a birth in 7th grade in school, I knew there was no freaking way I was doing that. I always thought that when I got pregnant and did my research, the desire to deliver vaginally would just come. Instead it got worse. In fact now, Im getting dizzy and hot even thinking about it...</p> <p>I was also very anxious during my pregnancy. I was laid back about everything, but in the back of my mind I always thought something was wrong and I had horrific images of placental abruption or cord prolapse or other things during my birth (this is normal with tokophobia) and would rather have dealt with a major surgery than the possibility of one of these things.</p> <p>Another thing - my mom had c-sections for both my brother and I, so we grew up knowing that babies were born that way, so to me it was normal.</p> <p>My doctor never pushed me one way or the other, but he did give me resources and stood by my decision. In the end-I needed it. The cord was around Livs neck 3 times very tightly and up near the placenta, so she wouldnt have been able to descend. I also had excess amniotic fluid, which incresed the possibility for cord prolapse and placental abruption so I was a WRECK. And my BP was SKY high (179/110) and they feared that an anduction would have put both of us in distress.</p> <p>So all in all - I technically fall under the "too posh to push" category because I went into mine 100% elective. But mine had nothing to do with not wanting to experience labor or not wanting to ruin my lady bits lol. It wasnt about the pain. It was about the whole process and mostly the post-birth trauma to me and the slim chance issues that could happen with her.</p> <p>My recovery was honestly cake. My section was at 9pm, I was in recovery by like 9:45 or 10, and I was up and walking around by 10 the next morning. I had no PAIN pain. More like a muscle ache like I had a really hard ab workout. I didnt have trouble getting in and out of bed, but I credit that to my belly band and the fact that I was an ab workout freak before my pregnancy. I could pick liv up and do normal activites except for the list of disallowed things without pain. For me it was a wonderful experience (I hear that sections after labor can be brutal for recovery.) </p> <p>And I want to say, thank you for not judging. People dont get it sometimes when I tell them mine was elective, but Im vocal about it because Im not ashamed :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-99196 Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:12:35 +0000 Mrs. Pen 99196@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MsMamaBear: haha yup that was me! And boy did I learn my lesson. Not that there's anything wrong with knowing what you want, but us first-timers make the mistake of thinking that what we want is what we'll get. Well I developed pre-e and had to give up my all-natural birth-center birth and was induced at a hospital. It was completely opposite what I was expecting! But I am almost kind of glad it happened just because I have a more open mind and more respect for women of all experiences. I still want my completely natural birth-center birth, but maybe next time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-99158 Thu, 22 Mar 2012 12:45:02 +0000 banana 99158@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@boogs: I had an ectopic pregnancy a few years ago which required part of my left fallopian tube to be removed. And this was when I had my first "cut". It was in the same location as the c-section cut. That one hurt a lot more than when I had a c-section. So based on my experience, it seems to get easier, which is partly why I want to get a c-section again, hoping that the recovery will be as easy as the first c-section. I figure since I already had to get cut there, might as well do it again. My DH asked me "Why would you want to get cut in two different places?". Made sense to me! lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-98798 Thu, 22 Mar 2012 07:09:01 +0000 Nskillet 98798@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've also heard the same about being allowed to try and push for hours only to get the section anyway. How exhausting/defeating!</p> <p>I have no idea what is in store for me with my delivery, I just want my baby girl out as healthy as possible. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-98775 Thu, 22 Mar 2012 05:31:31 +0000 MsMamaBear 98775@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Had an emergency one because she was breech, but you said you are more open now after giving birth-a lot of women learn things once they go through it.LOL That's why I roll my eyes at those with an ironclad birth plan. Things happen! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-98770 Thu, 22 Mar 2012 03:01:25 +0000 looch 98770@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>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.</p> <p>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. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-98761 Thu, 22 Mar 2012 02:46:08 +0000 Boogs 98761@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@banana: Wow, I wish I had such a great c-section experience! Did you feel like you were better able to handle the pain the second time around. Part of my fear of getting pregnant again is the giving birth part and whether I want to try to go the vbac route or just get a c-section again. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-98742 Wed, 21 Mar 2012 23:50:07 +0000 banana 98742@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@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! </p> <p>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! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-98692 Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:18:15 +0000 Nskillet 98692@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This is such an intersting topic. My OB office has been mentally preparing me for the reality of possibly having a scheduled C section due to babies size. Im 32 weeks and shes predicted already 5lbs or so!! They did say they wouldnt schedule until after 39 weeks or they will induce by then.</p> <p>I have a friend who had both. Vaginal with first baby and scheduled C section with second due to baby size. She said she loved the vaginal birth experience and the cessarian was a bit alien. However, she said recovery she would take a c section anyday. The pain is centralized and in a specific place. Where vaginal recovery is more messy, unpredictable, and tough cause youre using those parts to pee etc etc. That was her experience, I thought it was interesting!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-98661 Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:29:08 +0000 Mrs. Pen 98661@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@regberadaisy: haha, well after giving birth I am too lol!! I actually told my husband shortly after I delivered that I was never doing that again. I've had some time to get over it, so I think I will have at least 1 more child, probably 2... but it is seriously intense and rough. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-98575 Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:41:11 +0000 regberadaisy 98575@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not going to but i can see why ladies would want to.<br /> My friend's SIL is going for an elective c-section because she's scared shitless of labor! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/elective-c-section#post-98573 Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:38:44 +0000 tequiero21 98573@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@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! </p>