C-section? Or broken tail bone? Which would you choose?

[Anonymous]

I don't know if there is anyone out there who has experienced BOTH of these... but if so, I would appreciate hearing from you.

I've had 2 vaginal deliveries. Both resulted in a "broken" tail bone (actually, its a dislocation, but they call it a "broken" tailbone). The pain and recovery both times has been nothing short of miserable. A good 3-4 months of pain and not really being able to sit. I tried chiropractic treatment after #1 (which did little) and physical therapy after # 2 (which at least helped the muscles of my hips and back get worked out after "sitting" in bizarre positions all day).

I'm pregnant with my third. My OB has offered me a planned C-section. I intend for this child to be my last.

I'm really "against" C-sections. Don't begrudge other people doing them for whatever reason, but it is major abdominal surgery and I think that's always something to avoid if possible. Plus I'm scared about a C-section. It seems like a scary experience even if you can't feel anything.

But I'm pretty sure that #3 will break my tailbone again, and I'm really just starting to consider the recovery issues. My friends who have had C-sections have never had any complications. Frankly, I think they were in less pain than I was in (just from my observation), and after a week or two, they seemed "pretty good". Most of them felt pretty much fully recovered in 6 weeks.

Any thoughts from people on whether to opt for the C-section or not?

[Anonymous]

No advice, since I haven't experienced either, but can you talk to your doctor about a way to have a vaginal delivery without breaking your tailbone? I was just reading that there are certain positions during pushing that make it more or less likely (but can't remember what those positions are). It would probably require that you skip the epidural to have that much flexibility in positions.

[Anonymous]

OMG, you poor thing! Broken tailbone sounds awful! Go for the C section without question.

[Anonymous]

I've had one vaginal delivery and a c-section. I was afraid of having major abdominal surgery, but found that my fear was unfounded. The recovery was not bad, and I am not horribly scarred. I've never had a broken tailbone, so I can't help you out with comparing the two, but I was mostly recovered from my c-section within two weeks.

HTH

[Anonymous]

I've had two vaginal deliveries, but I have to say, if I was you, I'd go with the c-section as well. A broken tailbone sounds like no fun at all and my friends with c-sections did not have 3-4 month recovery times. More like 3 weeks...

[Anonymous]

I never had a broken tailbone, but I had a C-section and the C-section wasn't bad at all, sounds a lot less painful than a broken tailbone. I as able to walk, sit...etc, the very next day. The first 24 hours were difficult b/c they had me hooked to an IV so I could not get out of bed, but after that it was totally fine. I walked the next day, showered the day after that and then walked around the hospital wearing my normal clothes, I was ready to go home 2 days after the C-section. My mother who came to visit could not beleive how good I looked, she kept asking me if I was in pain and I would answer no and she would have that look of disbeleif on her face...I don't know why people tell you a C-section is horrible, it really isn't, I suspect people who tell you it is never had a C-section themselves...

[Anonymous]

I haven't had a c-section, but I have had major abdominal surgery. I have also had a broken tailbone. I am not a c-section advocate either, but I would go c-section. Recovery is typically much faster and easier from abdominal surgery than it is from a broken tail bone (not to say that either is a walk in the park).

[Anonymous]

Push your baby out while you are on your hands and knees. There is much less pressure on the sacrum and tail bone in this position, and much lower likelihood that it will dislocate. If your doctor does not know how to deliver a baby this way, perhaps you could find a hospital-based midwife to help you out. Also, "breathing" the baby out is far more effective than forcefully bearing down as the baby is crowning. Of course we have no idea how your last two deliveries worked out, but if they were not like this, then perhaps you still have something new you could try.

I would do the vaginal birth because it is better for the baby. Baby's born by c/s statistically have a tougher time breathing and have a greater chance of asthma as they get older. Or, if you decide you want a c/s, wait until you spontaneously start labor so your baby at least has the benefit of labor hormones, and then go in to get the c/s.

[Anonymous]

I'd do the c/s in a hearbeat. I would have done it with dc #2!

[Anonymous]

I appreciate all the perspectives everyone. Please keep sharing...

For those who are advocating a different position/more natural labor... I appreciate the thought, but I'm not sure I could do it. I'm not sure I'm a natural childbirth kind of Mom even under the best of circumstances. But I am especially frightened of not having an epidural, dealing with the real pain of labor, and FEELING my tailbone breaking at the same time. While its certainly possible that I could avoid the tailbone breaking by a more natural labor,... there are no guarantees... and I fear that once I get too far down that road, it will be too late for an epidural, and I will be in agonizing pain.

Sounds like I should really consider the C-section. Would love to do it when I go into "natural" labor... maybe that's the best way to go.

[Anonymous]

You will recover quickly from a scheduled c-section. I had mine in the morning, and by the afternoon I was nursing, had visitors, ate lunch and took a nap with the baby in the hospital. The worse part is walking at first, but after a day or two you are fine. I was ready to leave the hospital by day 3 and could walk up stairs without any problem. I took it easy, but it wasn't too bad and I didn't need any drugs except maybe some Tylenol after the third day and that was just for a day or so.

I think I broke, or at least bruised my tailbone once when I fell on the stairs (not when pregnant). It took about 6 months for it to feel better. The c-section would be easier I think. I didn't like labor much myself so I was happy to miss it and go straight to the recovery/holding the baby part. I didn't have a choice though - my second c-section was required for medical reasons.

[Anonymous]

that is a tough one -- i can really relate to your concerns, as i have had tailbone pain after both of my births. the first time it was very hard to sit and was really stressful and frustrating! i never investigated to see whether it was broken but it sounds very much like what you are describing.

for my first birth i was pushing in a sitting position and the postpartum tailbone pain was much worse. this last birth was at home, and i was in a tub of water, on hands and knees position, and i still had some tailbone pain afterwards, but it was much much milder. so i do think that position of birth, and whether your pushing is forced/directed (as in the case of hospital birth with epidural) or self-directed (which i was able to do at home) makes a difference. i never felt anything happening to my tailbone while in labor, even though i did not use pain medication either time.

i am a doula and have had some clients be on hands and knees even with an epidural, so with a supportive practice/nurses/hospital (and perhaps bringing a doula along), it is definitely possible, and could be a good compromise if you do decide to try a vaginal birth.

i know there are lots of women who have easy recoveries from c sections, but there are also women who have a really hard time. I have had several clients and friends who have had a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) and all have told me that after doing both "kinds" of birth, they found the vaginal birth much easier to recover from. but i am sure it depends a lot on the person and the circumstances.

even though i know how crappy and disruptive that tailbone pain can be, i myself would be hesitant to do a cesarean mainly because according to most research and evidence, it is much risker for mother and baby than a vaginal birth, especially if it's a non-emergency cesarean. the risk to your tailbone might be reduced, but your risk of other complications might increase. so it might be worth looking at some of the research to get a realistic sense of the risks. i know of some useful sites in that regard if you are interested.

i do think waiting until labor begins on its own before having the surgery is a great idea, because that way you at least know that your baby is truly ready to come out, and the baby will benefit from some of those important hormones that your body only releases before and during labor.

good luck -- i can understand why this is a very tough decision! regardless of what you decide i hope you have a great birth!

[Anonymous]

Go for the c-section -- I've never had a broken tailbone, but it sounds much, much worse than the c-section I had. Once you get past the first few days of a c-section, every day is exponentially better than the last.

[Anonymous]

I've had a c-section and only a bruised tailbone (unrelated to childbirth, but really miserable) -- I'd definitely vote for the c-section for an easier recovery. Yes, it's major surgery, but if you have some good assistance for those first couple of weeks, it's totally manageable. You'll be feeling human again quite quickly and though you'll move gingerly a bit, you can definitely sit and lay down quite comfortably.

[Anonymous]

I will chime in with what is apparently the minority opinion. I would avoid an unnecessary c-section (and I am NOT in any way anti-c-section - very pro medicine, pain control, don't think of IVs as scary "interventions"). I had the broken tailbone with my first and my second. Currently pregnant with third and would not consider a voluntary c-section just to avoid the tailbone recovery. Yes, it hurts, and it hurts for a good long while. The issue for me is risk - there are more known risks of serious complications from surgery than from vaginal birth. Blood clots, bleeding, infection, etc. I am willing to put up with a longer period of sore tailbone rather than risk a serious or potentially fatal c-section complication. I know that the likelihood of such complications is low - but I'm risk averse and any choice I make will be the choice that presents the least risk for my family. Not willing to have a freak pulmonary embolism after c-section and leave my three children motherless.