Debating Planned C-Section v. Vaginal Birth (1st child)

[Anonymous]

From being on this forum awhile I think in terms of rank it seems to be

1) Uncomplicated vaginal birth
2) Uncomplicated c
3) Urgent/emergent c
4) Complicated vaginal birth
5) Complicated vaginal birth that ends in an emergent c

And basically everyone agrees that 4 and 5 are WAY WAY WAY worse than 1/2. And that it is quite unpredictable as to whether or not you get 1 or 3 or 5.

But that yes, an uncomplicated vaginal birth is 'best' whatever that means.

PPs are right that most pelvic floor issues come from pregnancy itself but there are DEFINITELY women suffering from significant birth injuries that have impacted their pelvic floor.

I had three sections, the first was a #3 up there. And while that first one was rough it was more because I was on magnesium than the surgery. I walked same day for my 2nd and 3rd sections and was back to normal pretty quickly. And I was obese for all three! My planned c sections were wonderful, smooth and well executed.

My advice for recovery is to
1) Eat a lot of protein, it helps with surgical recovery and you will need calories even if you feel fat and like you want to get skinny. I'm not saying losing the weight isn't important, but its not important those first few weeks when you're recovering
2) Colace three days before and week after and really focus on your first bowel movement. This is the worst part of a c section to me, the first poop, like worst by far, and you can't let that get out of your head you have to get that moving quickly!
3) Walk often and early. The more you move (conservatively, while taking it easy) the faster you will heal.

[Anonymous]

Planned c section all the way. My bad vaginal birth wrecked my pelvic floor and I can’t poop
Or pee properly, leak, have prolapse, and wish I had had two c sections.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't have a c-section unless it was medically necessary. I've had 5 children (vaginal births), two who were 10lbs and no tearing or grazing with any of them. I didn't have any complications or other issues. Uneventful pregnancies. 3 pushes, and they were out. I was up immediately after giving birth, walking around, using the bathroom, showered, and BF.

Find a good OB who can guide you during pushing to help prevent tearing if that's your biggest fear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thanks for all of this feedback. My OB said she would schedule a C-section if I want one. Curious to hear more from women who had planned c’s on recovery time, level of pain, complications, etc.

I am not wrapped up in the “v birth” badge of honor or “natural way,” really I just want the best long term outcome for my pelvic floor and sex life after delivery.

i had two c-sections, and the second one left me with a bunch of complications due to the scar -- it's a very deep, complicated incision and scarring can be serious! Mine got attached to my abdominal muscles and was causing all sorts of issues (some muscles never work, blocked my colon, my posture was affected, etc). OBs refused to fix it (i guess its not within their scope of work), so I paid out of pocket for a plastic surgeon to do a scar revision. He did completely fix the issue (removed the old scar and detached it from the muscle, and created a much smoother scar).

When people talk about having a C-Section ledge, that's usually what's happening inside.

Just to note -- I would have said that I had healed quickly and well, but the complications showed up a couple years later. I don't think there is any guarenteed delivery that doesn't have some risk attached to it. If I could go back in time, maybe I would have pushed harder for a VBAC for my second; on the other hand, it is completely fixed now, so maybe it worked out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thanks for all of this feedback. My OB said she would schedule a C-section if I want one. Curious to hear more from women who had planned c’s on recovery time, level of pain, complications, etc.

I am not wrapped up in the “v birth” badge of honor or “natural way,” really I just want the best long term outcome for my pelvic floor and sex life after delivery.

i had two c-sections, and the second one left me with a bunch of complications due to the scar -- it's a very deep, complicated incision and scarring can be serious! Mine got attached to my abdominal muscles and was causing all sorts of issues (some muscles never work, blocked my colon, my posture was affected, etc). OBs refused to fix it (i guess its not within their scope of work), so I paid out of pocket for a plastic surgeon to do a scar revision. He did completely fix the issue (removed the old scar and detached it from the muscle, and created a much smoother scar).

When people talk about having a C-Section ledge, that's usually what's happening inside.

Just to note -- I would have said that I had healed quickly and well, but the complications showed up a couple years later. I don't think there is any guarenteed delivery that doesn't have some risk attached to it. If I could go back in time, maybe I would have pushed harder for a VBAC for my second; on the other hand, it is completely fixed now, so maybe it worked out.

other thoughts -- if you do opt for a c-section, follow all the rules for major abdominal surgery -- wear compression for at least a month while healing, and then massage the scar as soon as the wound has closed.
I learned from the scar revision that those are standard post-op instructions for most abdominal surgery, but they are barely mentioned for c-sections for whatever reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thanks for all of this feedback. My OB said she would schedule a C-section if I want one. Curious to hear more from women who had planned c’s on recovery time, level of pain, complications, etc.

I am not wrapped up in the “v birth” badge of honor or “natural way,” really I just want the best long term outcome for my pelvic floor and sex life after delivery.

i had two c-sections, and the second one left me with a bunch of complications due to the scar -- it's a very deep, complicated incision and scarring can be serious! Mine got attached to my abdominal muscles and was causing all sorts of issues (some muscles never work, blocked my colon, my posture was affected, etc). OBs refused to fix it (i guess its not within their scope of work), so I paid out of pocket for a plastic surgeon to do a scar revision. He did completely fix the issue (removed the old scar and detached it from the muscle, and created a much smoother scar).

When people talk about having a C-Section ledge, that's usually what's happening inside.

Just to note -- I would have said that I had healed quickly and well, but the complications showed up a couple years later. I don't think there is any guarenteed delivery that doesn't have some risk attached to it. If I could go back in time, maybe I would have pushed harder for a VBAC for my second; on the other hand, it is completely fixed now, so maybe it worked out.

other thoughts -- if you do opt for a c-section, follow all the rules for major abdominal surgery -- wear compression for at least a month while healing, and then massage the scar as soon as the wound has closed.
I learned from the scar revision that those are standard post-op instructions for most abdominal surgery, but they are barely mentioned for c-sections for whatever reason.

Thank you for those tips! Compression- do you mean belly binders? Or would high waisted c-section recovery underwear with light compression do the trick?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would seriously question the competency of my doctor if they gave me a planned c section for a non medical reason. Read up on asthma and c sections.

My kid who was born vaginally has allergies and asthma. My c section kid has neither. Don’t fear monger, the allergy stuff has been largely debunked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thanks for all of this feedback. My OB said she would schedule a C-section if I want one. Curious to hear more from women who had planned c’s on recovery time, level of pain, complications, etc.

I am not wrapped up in the “v birth” badge of honor or “natural way,” really I just want the best long term outcome for my pelvic floor and sex life after delivery.

i had two c-sections, and the second one left me with a bunch of complications due to the scar -- it's a very deep, complicated incision and scarring can be serious! Mine got attached to my abdominal muscles and was causing all sorts of issues (some muscles never work, blocked my colon, my posture was affected, etc). OBs refused to fix it (i guess its not within their scope of work), so I paid out of pocket for a plastic surgeon to do a scar revision. He did completely fix the issue (removed the old scar and detached it from the muscle, and created a much smoother scar).

When people talk about having a C-Section ledge, that's usually what's happening inside.

Just to note -- I would have said that I had healed quickly and well, but the complications showed up a couple years later. I don't think there is any guarenteed delivery that doesn't have some risk attached to it. If I could go back in time, maybe I would have pushed harder for a VBAC for my second; on the other hand, it is completely fixed now, so maybe it worked out.

other thoughts -- if you do opt for a c-section, follow all the rules for major abdominal surgery -- wear compression for at least a month while healing, and then massage the scar as soon as the wound has closed.
I learned from the scar revision that those are standard post-op instructions for most abdominal surgery, but they are barely mentioned for c-sections for whatever reason.

Thank you for those tips! Compression- do you mean belly binders? Or would high waisted c-section recovery underwear with light compression do the trick?

Light compression is not enough IMO. I used a serious binder from a brand called bellefit. The other benefit of that was that I was up and walking around and up and down stairs as soon as I put it on, maybe after one day. Very very helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would seriously question the competency of my doctor if they gave me a planned c section for a non medical reason. Read up on asthma and c sections.

My kid who was born vaginally has allergies and asthma. My c section kid has neither. Don’t fear monger, the allergy stuff has been largely debunked.

+1 and remember most comparisons of complications between vaginal and C-sections (for mothers and babies both) are very lopsided because the C-section bucket includes all th serious conditions that required a C-section, emergency situations, etc.

[Anonymous]

I had a pretty bad tear. Healed perfectly and was able to duck 6 weeks after birth. No issues. Went onto have 2 more kids and those births were easier, less tears.

I've actually heard quite a few bad c section stories from friends. There's no perfect choice.

Perfect vaginal birth > planned c section > difficult vaginal birth > emergency c section > emergency c section after laboring for hours

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a pretty bad tear. Healed perfectly and was able to duck 6 weeks after birth. No issues. Went onto have 2 more kids and those births were easier, less tears.

I've actually heard quite a few bad c section stories from friends. There's no perfect choice.

Perfect vaginal birth > planned c section > difficult vaginal birth > emergency c section > emergency c section after laboring for hours

I don’t agree with this. A bad vaginal can tear you from vagina to anus, cause severe pelvic organ prolapse, give you a fistula, break your tailbone, or cause tearing of your cervix, vaginal side walls, labia, urethra, and more. It can render you incontinent of urine and feces. It can cause nerve damage so your ability to experience orgasm is impacted or impaired, and make
You unable to control stool or gas. It can cause your pelvic floor muscles to permanently rip from your pelvis. These things don’t commonly happen with a C section. Plenty of other bad things can happen with a C section but often it’s the emergency ones that actually are somewhat protective of the horrible vaginal injuries (often caused by an excessive effort to birth vaginally). These births are often a medical emergency and involve forceps and vacuum. Forceps are the devil OP, and refuse them if you have a choice to do so. Ask me how I know so well about all this.

[Anonymous]

That's a major surgery op why would you put yourself through that if you don't have to? Lots of scar tissue can form too. No way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That's a major surgery op why would you put yourself through that if you don't have to? Lots of scar tissue can form too. No way.

Lol said the poster who didn’t read the previous post. A bad vaginal birth can cause tons of scar tissue. I tore my cervix. That can cause issues getting pregnant again. My good friend had horrible tearing and needed over 50 stitches.

You also really can’t prevent yourself from tearing or getting scar tissue in a vaginal birth, despite the bull about doing perineal massage ahead of time. It’s a roll of the dice! Consider where you’d prefer to risk having scar tissue. Inside your area where you pee and poop and have sex and wear tampons? Or on your lower abdomen and on your uterus?

Also, plenty of women who have to have emergency C sections don’t get to choose to avoid major surgery. There’s often not a lot of choice in a complicated birth, and when baby is not coming moms often do not have any say if they are having a vacuum, forceps, episiotomy, or a C if they want their child to arrive safely and healthy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That's a major surgery op why would you put yourself through that if you don't have to? Lots of scar tissue can form too. No way.

Lol said the poster who didn’t read the previous post. A bad vaginal birth can cause tons of scar tissue. I tore my cervix. That can cause issues getting pregnant again. My good friend had horrible tearing and needed over 50 stitches.

You also really can’t prevent yourself from tearing or getting scar tissue in a vaginal birth, despite the bull about doing perineal massage ahead of time. It’s a roll of the dice! Consider where you’d prefer to risk having scar tissue. Inside your area where you pee and poop and have sex and wear tampons? Or on your lower abdomen and on your uterus?

Also, plenty of women who have to have emergency C sections don’t get to choose to avoid major surgery. There’s often not a lot of choice in a complicated birth, and when baby is not coming moms often do not have any say if they are having a vacuum, forceps, episiotomy, or a C if they want their child to arrive safely and healthy.

DP. I'm really sorry your delivery was so rough and has caused such lasting damage. But that level of difficulty isn't the norm for a vaginal birth, just like the more severe risks of c-section (adhesions, hemorrhage, infection) aren't common, either.
Women should understand the risks of both forms of delivery, but they should also understand that such extreme complications aren't common.
I do agree that prolonged pushing, forceps, vacuum, etc has a much higher potential for lasting damage, though.

[Anonymous]

I had a c-section with my first at 29. In hindsight I don't think it was all that necessary; the doctor basically convinced me to pretend I was in labor so she'd have someone to deliver on her overnight shift, and then when the induction didn't move along fast enough, declared I needed a c/s right when her shift was ending. The birth itself was kind of disorienting -- a loud room full of chatting coworkers. I felt kind of disconnected from everything and had some PPD, I think.

For my second at 31 I had a VBAC. It was a much better experience. The high I got holding my newborn was something I've never experienced before or since. The recovery was much easier. I had a minor tear . . . I delivered with a midwife who used olive oil and was more committed to doing things slowly and correctly.

Obviously people have a range of experiences, but I share mine to tell you that having had both, I'm not in the "c-section all the way" camp. I would only have one if medically necessary. I still remember the uncomfortable feeling of the gas and constipation afterwards, and trying to compensate for those muscles when standing up, etc. It was all fine because I was very in shape and in my 20s, but would I want to do that at 40? Definitely not unless I had to!