C-section or natural birth?

Question

I have the choice of having a C-section or a natural birth. My first child had complications with natural birth. My doctors seem confident that they can make all the preparations for the child im pregnant with so as not to have the same problems, but there's no 100 percent guarantee. I think i want the C-section but I'd like to know what the differences are between recoveries, and what the best pain medication for a c-section would be. i heard spinal blocks are good. input ladies!! plz!!!

I had a fairly easy birth with my first (natural), its just that she had complications after. And theres a chance that this baby could have the same complications....my first spent 11 weeks in the hospital, and she was only 4 pounds.....the recovery was fine, but i dont think i want to risk the problems with this one.

Answer 1

I had my son at 35 weeks via c-section. He was very healthy and weighed 4lbs 15.6oz & was 17 inches long.
He did not stay in the hospital no longer than i did which was 3 days.

He was breech plus i had pre-eclampsia and this was the second time i had went into labor with him so this time they could not stop it with drugs.
They asked me did i want an epidural and i said "Are you crazy? Knock me out!".

I did not want to be awake knowing they were cutting me wide open. I knew i would see him when i did wake up. I don't regret how my c-section went. (I have had surgeries in the past so i was not scared).

When i woke up and i was in so much pain but they hooked a pain pump up to me of Dilaudid (Morphine) which caused me to "talk out of my mind" so my mom told them to take me off of it then they gave me two Percocet 5mg's every 4 hours along with Motrin.
Nothing helps the pain of surgery, it may take the edge off but it does not completely remove the pain.
They wrote me out 60 Lortab 7.5mg to go home on which helped but like i said not completely.
It took me 2 weeks to get around really good. I bled for 6 weeks. I was so tired and had to be put on iron pills.

The first day after my surgery i did not have to get up out of bed, they had a catherdar in me but the next day they took it out and told me to start walking around which was so hard but i done it. It hurts to cough.
You will think there is no way that your going to make it through the pain but you will.
To read about c-sections follow the link: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002911.htm

ADD: It does not hurt you to hold your baby after a c-section. You don't hold a baby on your stomach anyhow you hold them close to your chest.

Answer 2

The recovery times for natural child birth and c-section vary from woman to woman, some heal very well from a c-section, but what you have to remember is this is a MAJOR surgery and you are going to need recovery time.

Some things to remember (from my sister)

1. To really hold the baby for the first time many hospitals require that you wiggle your toes. This can take up to 6 hours or more, this means you will be in the recovery room, generally without your husband or child until you can do this.

2. Holding your child might be difficult as first inclination is to put hold the baby close and that can cause pain to the incision site.

3. You will be more restricted with what you can and can not do once you go home (my sister went home after two days), and that includes lifting, walking anything like that is going to be painful.

4. With any surgery there is risk of infection to the incision site, this is true of c-sections as well.

My sister had a emergency c-section with her first and two VBAC's after that. She was on the phone with our mother before she even pushed out the afterbirth on her last child, so she had a quick and easy recovery time. The second baby had to have help from the vacuum and she still swears that nothing was worse then her c-section. This is not to say that a C-section isn't a valuable procedure as it does save many lives (mothers and children). If your doctors and everyone else are confident why not give it a shot? You may find that this labour is vastly different then your last.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Caesareans sections have a much longer recovery rate, after all it is a major abdominal operation! There are lots of complications that can arise so if you don't really need one then don't have it. It is really something between you and your doctor, if he seems confident in you having a normal delivery then you should trust him, isn't that why you chose him as your doctor? Just remember, all pregnancies are different and because you had complications last time doesn't necessarily mean it will happen again. Most women who have elective caesareans these days, choose to have an epidural or spinal block, that way they are awake for the birth and can see their baby straight away and their partner can be in the room with them. With a GA the partner isn't allowed in the room so is left outside wondering what is going on! Think carefully about the type of birth you want before you jump to conclusions.

Answer 4

I have had 3 C-sections. The first was after 30 hours of labor and 5 hours of pushing. Ouch!! My second time around they wanted me do V-back. The thought of another long labor was enough for me to go with another C-section. After the second C-section the doctor said that the second birth would have ended up as a C-section anyway. Each C-section was an easier recovery than the last ( I was back to normal in 2 weeks with the first Csection and by the third I was back to normal in 4 days) and I was able to schedule the last two which made child care for the others so much easier. I HIGHLY recommend them!!

I had epidurals with each one and after wards was on a morphine pump. My kids are teens now so I don't really know what they do now for pain.

Answer 5

I never had a c-section. Recovery from a natural birth is fast. I was up and going the same day. I just took it easy because I was excosted. Many woman opt to natural child birth after they has a c-section.

Some dr love c-section as they are easy to schedule. They also get paid more. Last numbers was about $15 000 and up for c-section and about $4000 for natural birth.

Answer 6

Yes it stretches, however that's what it used to be designed to do. The traditional supply approach stimulates child's lungs and is helping filter all of the fluids in some way that a c-phase are not able to. Yes there can be stretching and potentially a few tearing, however the well information is that it heals. After having a child, ESPECIALLY should you breastfeed, your frame recovers good and "down there" truthfully can be tighter than earlier than, just like a virgin. Just brain the medical professional's orders and do not stress your self too quickly, or take a look at to renew intercourse too quickly, or the injured places won't heal effectively. Women had been having infants for hundreds of thousands of years with none clinical aid or c-sections, you are very able of it and a medical professional can be there to ensure you and your child come by way of ok. There are excercises you'll do, "kegels" that paintings the pelvic muscular tissues 'down there'. google it, that are supposed to inform you how. It's well to train earlier than child is born for the reason that the whole lot feels bizarre later on and it takes a at the same time in your frame to don't forget a few matters.

Answer 7

I was given the option too because my son was supposed to be HUGE. I had previously had a daughter naturally and recovered quickly even after having a bad tear and stitches (I think a thousand of them, lol). The Doc was concerned about shoulder dystocia (shoulders getting stuck in the birth canal) and was pushing me to have a cesarean, My cousin in law happened to have one about 3 months before I was due to have my baby and boy did she have some awful problems, incision tore open, got infected, took 3 months before she could drive herself anywhere. And when she has another baby the Gynos in our town don't like to do Vbac, so she has to have another cesarean which she is not thrilled about. The problems she had really put me off having one so the Doc and I compromised and I got induced (another bad move, lol). My super huge son was a whopping 8lb 5oz (3.8kg), boy was I glad that I didn't have a cesarean for that hugeness (I am being sarcastic, lol).Anyway if you have made up your mind that you would like to have the cesarean then do it that way......does it matter how your baby gets here as long as it is healthy??? Most of the time unless it is an emergency they will offer you a spinal block so you can see the baby straight away, and if you plan to breastfeed you need to let them know in advance, because of recovery. You will be on strong pain meds after the op, but don't skimp, you will need them, and after 24 hrs they expect you to get up and move about. where as I walked out of the delivery room to my own room in the maternity ward. The choice is ultimately yours and yours alone. Get that baby out the way you feel most comfortable with. Good luck, hope that helped.

Answer 8

I had a vaginal birth and recovery is very quick. I heard that it takes 2 weeks to recover from a c-section and that you cant lift heavy objects for a while after that. After a vaginal birth you can walk around straight away and a couple days later you are back to normal so to speak. If i was in your situation though i think id want to be safe and do the c-section.

Answer 9

If you are worried, a C-section is a good choice. I've known a couple of friends who thought they'd have a natural birth and ended up having a C-section anyway....after hours of labor!

Talk it over with your doctor. And realize that having a C-section is major surgery. Your recovery time will be longer and you will have a scar.

Answer 10

i have had two natural deliveries, the deliveries went well and the recovery was quick! i also was able to deliver both times with no drugs and felt it did not hurt much, i was back to a normal routine quickly without the aid of pain medication.

i had to have a c section with my twins, i hated it. the recovery took forever, i could not hold my older children for awhile, it was hard to walk, my milk did not come in as quickly as with my others, etc.

i now have to have another c section because they do not do VBAC's in this area, so i am quite disapointed with this.

so if i had the choice, i would go natural, it is so much easier on the body and the baby!