I am not in anyway undermining those women who have had C-Sections. I commend them as brave, strong individuals. However, I just cannot understand why you would want to go through that by choice rather than medical necessity.
When I had my two children, I found that the experience was varied. With boy there was a degree of medical intervention which left me traumatised to this day. With Fifi the birth was directed by one experienced midwife who was kind, patient and knew how to deal with childbirth. I walked out of the hospital on the same day with my daughter and didn't look back.
That's the thing, if you give birth naturally, you may bear some mental scars but you wont have the physical ones which leave you unable to do many of the daily tasks which you take for granted. Friends of mine who had C-Sections were stuck at home for weeks afterwards, unable to even push the pram. Is it worth it for a day of your life?
Now, I'm not going to be mercenary about this, if I need an emergency C-Section then so be it. However, it is not something that I want. I want to be able to drive my car, push the pram and after all, I have 2 other children who need looking after. I cant flop about on the sofa, I don't have anyone to look after me all day long. I cant even bear to look at the scar from when I had a mole removed.
Why would you opt for an operation unless it was a medical necessity? Seems rather bizarre to me. It also seems odd that in this day and age where I get four midwife appointments throughout my entire pregnancy due to staffing levels and cutbacks, that the money can be found from somewhere to enable people to actually choose this operation. An operation that might not be necessary. Sod the lack of funding for altzheimers drugs, the lack of incubators in Special Care Baby Units and so on. I imagine that most people wont even be considering the impact that their costly operation might have on others needing NHS care. But it's all about principals isn't it.
At the end of the day the most important thing is that mother and baby are safe. I know of at least one person that died following a C-Section. It is not the easy way out. I hope this will be drilled into mothers as they are offered the option and that many keep their options open, leaving the decision to the medical experts rather than the whim of what their favourite celebrity has just done.
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Really? In what world would it become normal for optional c-sections? Is this part of the new private NHS nonsense?
Having had three (medically necessary) c-sections I can report that I could push a pram within two days and drive a car within three weeks - it really wasn't limiting at all to me. I would also advise people to only have a c-section if the doctors are advising it. I agree with you Claire, there is a reason babies come out in the way they do and they are adapted to start life in that way. I would be baffled by a system which sought to increase c-section based on nothing more than whim.
I'm with you - being very squeamish, I was petrified of having to have either a C-section or even an epidural. Fortunately I didn't need either. If there's a medical reason for a C-section, it obviously makes sense to have one, but I read somewhere once, that if babies came to be born all the time by C-section, larger babies who could not be born any other way would be the eventual result. I don't know how true that it, but it's a pretty scary thought!
I'm with you - I had a c-section with my first (I had pre-eclampsia and didn't go into labour) and although recovered pretty quickly it wasn't really an experience I wanted to repeat...
I had #2 and #3 as VBACs and the not driving / easily being able to care for the others was my primary motivation. That said - my biggest fear was any attempt at induction and made it clear that I was either going into labour naturally or I was having an elective c-section!
I don't disagree with people having a choice *if* the choice is an informed one (a c-section isn't risk free). It's also important that people with birth fear are given support and counselling to overcome this if they want to rather than automatically getting a c-section. I also wouldn't want people's choice to have a VBAC isn't taken away.
My experience of one vaginal birth and two c-sections (medically advised after my first birth) was actually that I was actually far more mobile after the c-sections. I stayed two nights in hospital (as opposed to five after my first natural birth) and like Kat was up and about and driving after 3 weeks. C-sections are much safer now than they once were.
However, I feel that if I'd had better care the first time round, with enough experienced staff to support me through labour then the two subsequent c-sections wouldn't have been necessary. Saving the NHS money in the long run.
I have to agree with you with regards to this, plus you've given some very valid points too!
I pride myself on being a 26 year old lady who has never had a surgery in her life and don't pray to have one anytime soon C-section inclusive! If I have to have one with my current first pregnancy in a few weeks (I seriously pray not!), so be it, but it will definitely NOT be my choice...
I totally agree. I had an emergency c section after being induced and suffering hyperstimulation of the uterus, nearly 6 months ago and I can't explain the desire to have a natural birth. I feel completely robbed of a right of passage. I don't care about he pain, the desire is so strong. If I can't have a vbac, I don't think I'll ever get over it. Yes, in this day and age we should have more of a choice over our births and bodies, but sections should only be allowed if medically necessary. If I'm honest, I'm bitter. Those who get the chance to have a natural birth dont realise how lucky they really are. I understand people have real issues with injections, blood etc, so why not be responsable and have counselling before you get pregnant, rather then get pregnant and kick up a fuss down the line.
I had an emergency C-section first time round, which was very straight forward. The after pains were like nothing I've ever experienced. I was in absolute hell for two days afterwards.
I went on to have a VBAC with assistance which was a bit traumatic but the recovery was a little better, minus the after pains. Then had an elective c-section for twins as I'd had a previous. I was scared shitless and the after pains were worse than the first time round. But I was pushing a pram within days and driving as soon as I liked, not weeks like most people believe.
I support the belief that women should only have a c-section if they have to for a medical reason. Being scared of childbirth is not a valid reason. As far as I'm concerned, the birth is the easy bit, it's the next 18 years and beyond that is scary.
Yes, childbirth is traumatic and hard work, but it's over relatively quickly and you soon forget the pain. And trust me, going in for my elective c-section was the scariest thing I have ever done.
Nice post.
Great post, I agree, Ceaesarean is not the easy way out. Cheeky link to my post about the things people may not know about having an elective caesarean
http://theveggieexperience.blogspot.com/2011/11/ten-things-you-may-not-know-about.html
I had a normal vaginal delivery but during one point the consultant was called because the midwife thought she could feel a cord and there were murmurings of an emergency section--I was sick with fear. I never, ever wanted a section. All was actually fine and my daughter was born normally. Phew!
Having said that, a friend of mine who is an ODP (Operating Department Practitioner), has plenty of experience with maternity, has two kids through vaginal delivery but desperately wants a section this time because she had such trouble healing from the past two births. In her case (and probably thousands others who have similar but different reasons) I think she should be given the choice.
And sadly, one fact must be considered when comparing mortality rates of sections and vaginal deliveries--many sections are conducted because of a pre-existing maternal health issue, sometimes in an emergency situation, so the death rate will be influenced because of mother's health before she went into theatre, not because of the surgery itself.
All surgeries carry a risk, but so does 'natural' childbirth! Ugh!
Very thought provoking post, well said!
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