I am scared of having a c-section.?

Question

I am 32 weeks and my doctor is saying i am gonna have to have a c-section because the baby is still breech and is gonna be really big. i don t want a c-section. is it harder to recover from a c- section than vaginal delievery? can my baby not turn by then and are the ultrasounds a acurate in determining a babies weight?

Answer 1

First of all, don't worry yourself. Millions of women have had C-sections. Your number one concern MUSt be for the health of your baby, so you need to do whatever the doctors decide is best.

I had a C-section and yes it takes longer to recover from that than from a vaginal birth and yes you are sore but within 3 days I was up and around and they make the scar along the top of your pubic hair so you don't notice it even in the scimpiest bikini. I was 40 when I had my child so my body took longer to bounce back than it would have when I was younger but really, really really you will be so absorbed with your new baby that after 2 or 3 days you'll forget about your post-operative discomfort. Within a week I felt great again but it was probably a few weeks before I was totally good.

Answer 2

My daughter was breech. My OB scheduled a c-section for me but said they would do an ultrasound before the c-section and if she had turned they would just induce labor. My c-section was at 40 weeks. You still have 8 weeks to go, so there is a chance the baby could flip. However, if the baby is big, it's unlikely at this point that the baby has the room to flip. They estimated my daughter at about 7.5 lbs. at 36 weeks and my daughter was 9 lbs. 4 oz. at birth, so I don't know how accurate the u/s weight prediction is.

I didn't want a c-section either. I talked to many women that had both and they all told me that they prefer the c-section. They said the recovery was actually easier. I've only had one baby, so I don't know what vaginal delivery is like (I never even had contractions, so I don't know what those feel like either), but I don't think the recovery from the c-section was bad at all. The worst part was I developed an infection which caused my incision to open up (only about a 1/2" of it). That was actually a blessing because it was able to drain and didn't cause any internal problems. I'm not mentioning this to scare you, I just want you to know that even with that, my experience was not bad at all. Also, there is nothing I did that caused the infection and nothing I could've done to prevent it - it's just one of those things that happens sometimes.

Answer 3

While you shouldn't be scared of a neccessary c-section you might want a second opinion. Your baby has 8 WEEKS to do something as sim[le as roll over. They flip all over the place until the last week or so. Ultrasounds are not completely accurate either. I had a doctor telling me I was having a 9 1/2 pound baby even when other doctors said no. He was a perfect eight pounds. Unfortunately too many doctors are using c-sections as a quick fix for every thing. Including not wanting to deal with the "time" involved in a natural birth. Have confidence in yourself and your baby don't let them try to deliver early give your baby a chance to be born. Good luck and congratulations

Answer 4

I've had two C-sections, the first one was not my choice but the second one was. It is scary to think about, but the actual surgery and recovery aren't that bad. Ultimately, you're getting a c-section for the health of your baby.

They will numb you from the chest down and during the actual delivery, you'll feel a tugging sensation in your abdomen. Your husband will be with you during the surgery to give you encouragement and support.
After delivery and your anesthesia wears off, you will feel some pain, but the hospital gives you pain killers for that (usually vicodin & motrin) You'll be able to walk in a day or two and the more walking you do, the better you will feel. You will be back to normal in a few weeks.

My only recommendation is to request that your doctor gives you stitches after the surgery, rather than staples. The stitches leave a cleaner scar and do not have to be removed (they dissolve over time), plus you can take a shower with them. If you have staples, they don't let you shower until they remove the staples.

A plus to a c-section is your baby's head and features won't have the newborn "squished" appearance that vaginal delivery babies have from being forced through the vaginal canal. Your baby's head will be a perfect round little head!

Best of luck!

Answer 5

Don't be. They take many steps to make sure you don't feel what is going on and normally won't aprove a c-section unless there is a really good reason for it. I had one with my second baby due to how traumatic the first birth(vaginal with severe complications) To be honest I healed faster and felt better from the surgery compared to what happened the first time around. Mind you I did not have a "normal" vaginal birth. The first day you'll be kept in bed and then as you're feeling better they'll get you up on your feet and moving a bit. As soon as you are steady on your feet they'll take out the catheter. Don't be surprised if you don't feel hungry the first 24 hours and also that you don't have your 'normal' bowel movements since abdominal surgery will "shock" your bowels. I was starving by the time they got me into OR (emergency before me caused my surgery to be about 3 hours late) and I had no appetite until the middle of the next day. Just keep in mind this is for you and baby's health. Also FYI many L&D nurses do not generally offer additional pain meds past what the doctor prescribes. This doesn't mean that you can't have more or stronger pain meds if you need it after surgery, it just means you need to ask for it. It may be a good idea to keep a notepad next to your bed so you know when the last dose was so you know when it is okay to ask for another dose. I ended up with a spinal headache following a failed epidural(worst headache on this earth!) and some nurses would bring me another dose while others felt it was better to wait until I asked for it allowing the meds to lapse and the killer headache to return.

Answer 6

Yes, my ultrasound was right on, and my daughter did turn in the 38th week, but I did have a c-section from other complications. I was scared, but in the end....it wasn't really bad. The worst was not being with your baby immediatly because you have to finish surgery and then go to recovery. But healing wise, within 5 days I was up and walking pretty fine and doing pretty much everything on my own. My friend had a vaginal delievery with moderate tearing, and she couldn't walk right for weeks and was in so much pain, and that was routine! So, my feelings, I would rather have the c-section! Plus, big baby....means probably a lot or tearing and probably an episiotomy....which again, I am told are worse than the few pieces of tape from the c-section (yes, no stitches or staples, just special tape). It will be fine! Plus, any labor is painful, but the most worth it in the world. GOOD LUCK!

Answer 7

Well from my experience (i had a baby from c-section 10 months ago) if the doctor says he has to perform a c-section, then that's what he has to do. It's not about what you want, it's about what's best for your baby. If your baby continues to stay breech, then having a c-section is better for them. If you was to have a vaginal birth while your baby is breach, then it's possible that the baby could breath in that embryonic fluid that's in you during delivery. That could kill the baby. Don't be scared about it either. During the surgery, it's not painful since they numb you. I will be honest, it's a bit painful after the drugs ware off. But don't worry, they give you pain relievers and stool softeners to make sure that you don't put any strain on your staples (or whatever the doctor puts to close up the incision....every hospital probably is different.) If you do get staples, then make sure you don't do so much activity until they get taken out. They'll even give you meds for when you leave the hosptial if your still experiencing pain. I have no idea if it's harder to recover from a vaginal or a c-section delivery, but I assume that the c-section takes longer to heal. Even month after the delievry, you may experience pain near your incition, but that's just the nerves reconnecting. You'll get over it and it won't be that much of a bother esp when you know you did the best thing for your baby. Everything will be fine. Just concentrate on your baby's health and the joy of child birth! You'll do fine!

Answer 8

If C-section is the best way for the baby, I think you should go the route the doctor suggested, however I do understand your concerns. It is indeed harder to recover from a C-section delivery because it is the same as having a surgery. You will need as much help as possible after a C-section delivery. I believe that all things are possible and the baby can turn by then. For bot of my pregnancies the ultrasound has proved to be accurate with weight. Best of wishes on your childbirth, I will keep you lifted in prayer :o).

Answer 9

I have also had a c section. Its really not that bad, kinda cool actually. The worst part is laying there on the table while they are giving you the epidural because my a** was hanging out while there are tons of people in the room. You feel all tingly and then your baby is born. You feel nothing. Its really sore after for about three days and it took me about two weeks to completely be pain free from it. Having a baby born breech will hurt more and be dangerous. It may not be possible for your baby to turn. Just think about the way it has to turn and if its a big baby, that will be pretty hard to do. Ultrasounds are usually pretty acurate. Knowing the baby is big by ultrasound is very likely.

Answer 10

I had a c-section and when I get pregnant again I am having another. I healed up pretty fast. It just depends on the person. At least with a c-section it doesn't hurt to go to the bathroom. I did get VERY constipated, but your doctor will most likely give you stool softeners. I was back to work, light duty 4 weeks after I had mine.