I had one unplanned c-section after an induction and 36 hours of labor. Wanted to try VBAC, but baby was way overdue and didn’t want to go through a failed induction again. If you have any medical complications, recommend just doing the c-section. Recovery is a little rough, but manageable as long as you take it easy. I wouldn’t wish an experience like my first induction on anyone. Horrific. There’s a lot of ways induction can go wrong and also be very painful.

Thanks all. It was really helpful to hear all of your planned or emergency C-section stories.

The plan is sticking to our planned C-section for now. I feel good about it and just want baby to get here safely. There is no guarantee we will transfer a second embryo and it sticks but if we did our OB said it would be fine. They only get concerned 3-4+. But I'd likely have another multiple complication pregnancy so I won't be thinking about this for some time and by the time I do I'll probably feel too old even at 37 turning 38 this was a lot.

I'll ask about bishop score at my prenatal today but make sure the Dr still agrees. At the end of the day she said it's my choice/ we can always try for induction but the second things look sideways we aren't even discussing we would move to a section. I think she is just trying to make sure I feel autonomy and power in the decision but she stands by a planned C-section no matter what is the most controlled environment and the least amount of variables regardless of my complications

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had two vaginal births and two unscheduled C sections. My oldest was a vaginal with an induction and I hemmoraged after birth it was very scary.

Recovery from both IME was similar in terms of pain and recovery time. Very different in terms of what needed recovery lol.

If you are at risk of placental abruption I can’t imagine not doing a C section. A scheduled C sounds very easy from what I’ve heard.

Thank you. I know pain is subjective but good to hear that it was similar but different. What did you find most helpful post C-section?

the most important thing was I did nothing at all but recover. husband took care of the baby 100% and brought the baby to me to eat for the firs two weeks, which I spent in bed and moving slowly around my house. After the first two weeks, I didn't do a single thing around the house, didn't drive, didn't lift a dish, change sheets, cook, laundry, nothing at all other than light baby care until I was about 3 months postpartum. Buy high waisted underpants for the scar. I was fine with ibuprofen and tylenol just three days after giving birth by c-section for this reason, I think.

Nothing wrong with this at all, but my experience was completely different. I had an emergency c-section for severe preeclampsia. Within ten days, I was pain-free and walking/moving was comfortable. I had no issues with normal movement and handling things around the house within two weeks. It felt good to move again.

PP here, i felt fine about 10 days after the c-section, and in fact stopped the prescription pain tablets five days after birth and even ibuprofen a few days later. It didn't hurt that much, and I reasoned it was important to know what movements hurt in order to avoid doing that.

The reason I didn't do anything for weeks after giving birth was to heal fully. Although I felt quite good, my DH said, "you've got one chance to heal properly and you should be totally resting. Nobody would expect someone who had heart surgery to be up and caring for a newborn. Give yourself the full 8 weeks to heal."

My voice got really froggy after the c-section. Nobody explained to me that instinctively, your body tries not to cough after abdominal surgery. But, it's important to clear mucus from your throat, etc, and so when you do cough, it helps to hold a pillow over the incision site.

Anonymous wrote:If you want more children, try for induction.

If you’re one and done, c-section.

This is rote advice for a standard pregnancy. It's terrible and dangerous advice for someone with a placental abruption. And c-sections are only an issue if you want 4+ pregnancies, not just "more than one."

As a second time mom, I can see in hindsight that I was really snowed by a lot of the vaginal or bust pressure the first time, but seeing people pushing this woman into risking her baby's life to "attempt" a vaginal birth is really beyond anything. Might as well be a bunch of loons telling her to give birth in a tub by herself under the full moon because Womyn Power or something.

If you want more children, try for induction.

If you’re one and done, c-section.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP wrote

iknow in the best case scenario vaginal birth is "better" for baby and a better recovery but


- there should not be any quotes around better. Vaginal deliver IS better for both baby and for recovery.

We all know the obvious benefits of vaginal delivery. The c-section should only be used for true emergencies.

This is ridiculous. There’s one small study showing some possible benefits to vaginally delivered babies. As for recovery— planned c sections actually have the lowest risk of complications in the short term as well as the long term. Levator avulsion — 1 in 5 to 1 in 3 vaginal deliveries will suffer one, zero percent of c sections. Your pelvic floor muscle rips off of your pubic bone. It can’t be reattached. Perineal tears — nearly 9/10 FTMs will tear and the majority will have a second degree tear or worse. 1 in 8 will have a tear through her anal sphincter. OBs are NOT trained to repair these injuries well, and they are much more complex repairs because they are traumatic repairs. OB’s job is to stop the bleeding, not to actually put your muscles back together.

Prolapse — almost a given with a vaginal delivery; c section minimizes your risk. Urinary incontinence - higher risk with a c section. C sections do carry a higher rate of pain with sex, but a good PFPT can help.

Whoops, sorry. UI — higher risk with vaginal delivery. Fecal incontinence is actually about the same risk vaginal or c section.

Anonymous wrote:OP wrote

iknow in the best case scenario vaginal birth is "better" for baby and a better recovery but


- there should not be any quotes around better. Vaginal deliver IS better for both baby and for recovery.

We all know the obvious benefits of vaginal delivery. The c-section should only be used for true emergencies.

This is ridiculous. There’s one small study showing some possible benefits to vaginally delivered babies. As for recovery— planned c sections actually have the lowest risk of complications in the short term as well as the long term. Levator avulsion — 1 in 5 to 1 in 3 vaginal deliveries will suffer one, zero percent of c sections. Your pelvic floor muscle rips off of your pubic bone. It can’t be reattached. Perineal tears — nearly 9/10 FTMs will tear and the majority will have a second degree tear or worse. 1 in 8 will have a tear through her anal sphincter. OBs are NOT trained to repair these injuries well, and they are much more complex repairs because they are traumatic repairs. OB’s job is to stop the bleeding, not to actually put your muscles back together.

Prolapse — almost a given with a vaginal delivery; c section minimizes your risk. Urinary incontinence - higher risk with a c section. C sections do carry a higher rate of pain with sex, but a good PFPT can help.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had two vaginal births and two unscheduled C sections. My oldest was a vaginal with an induction and I hemmoraged after birth it was very scary.

Recovery from both IME was similar in terms of pain and recovery time. Very different in terms of what needed recovery lol.

If you are at risk of placental abruption I can’t imagine not doing a C section. A scheduled C sounds very easy from what I’ve heard.

Thank you. I know pain is subjective but good to hear that it was similar but different. What did you find most helpful post C-section?

the most important thing was I did nothing at all but recover. husband took care of the baby 100% and brought the baby to me to eat for the firs two weeks, which I spent in bed and moving slowly around my house. After the first two weeks, I didn't do a single thing around the house, didn't drive, didn't lift a dish, change sheets, cook, laundry, nothing at all other than light baby care until I was about 3 months postpartum. Buy high waisted underpants for the scar. I was fine with ibuprofen and tylenol just three days after giving birth by c-section for this reason, I think.

Nothing wrong with this at all, but my experience was completely different. I had an emergency c-section for severe preeclampsia. Within ten days, I was pain-free and walking/moving was comfortable. I had no issues with normal movement and handling things around the house within two weeks. It felt good to move again.

I would get my bishop score on the say they wanted to deliver. If it was a good score, I'd get an induction, and if it wasn't, I'd go straight to c-section.

Has anyone heard of gentle Caesarean? They pull the baby out in a way that is similar to going through the birth canal which clears fluid from the baby's lungs. I also just heard about vaginal seeding, where the doctors swab some of the vaginal flora onto a newborn's eyes and mouth. I had a c section after a failed induction and none of this was done for me but I will look into it more if I have a second child. I would definitely do a c section for my second child. It was an easy recovery for me.

OP, have you seen an MFM? They can give very good second opinions.

C-section in your case, OP. Good luck!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had two vaginal births and two unscheduled C sections. My oldest was a vaginal with an induction and I hemmoraged after birth it was very scary.

Recovery from both IME was similar in terms of pain and recovery time. Very different in terms of what needed recovery lol.

If you are at risk of placental abruption I can’t imagine not doing a C section. A scheduled C sounds very easy from what I’ve heard.

Thank you. I know pain is subjective but good to hear that it was similar but different. What did you find most helpful post C-section?

I had an easy recovery after my first C section and a horrible recovery after my second. I think some of it was that my child came during Covid and I was much less active during my pregnancy for that reason. For my first c section, the worst things for me were constipation caused by the surgery and post-surgical opioids in hospital. Definitely get colace and make sure you are well hydrated!

Anonymous wrote:I had an induction (not by choice) with number one and a planned c section with number two. Will have a planned c section with #3. Granted, my first birth is the stuff of nightmares, but a scheduled c section is such a civilized way to give birth . I think comparing it to an uncomplicated vaginal delivery it’s obvious that vaginal will win, but any vaginal complications I would take a c section every time. I had a fourth degree year + other issues.

This - my first was an induction and it all went fine, until the baby got stuck. Fortunately, baby was happy as a clam…stuck…but I was a mess after a forceps delivery as an emergency C was the only other option.

My second I had as scheduled C for medical reasons (elective but multiple risk factors). Hands down, so much easier in recovery from a terrible tear. Night and day. Can’t even explain how much better.

Easy vaginal delivery? Of course this is the preferred option. Those against C sections on here haven’t been thru a bad vaginal delivery IMO. Also, fwiw, I was in a midwife practice…and only one of about seven thought I should try a second vaginal delivery.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think for a first time mom not planning to have any more kids, a planned c makes a lot of sense. Inductions can be great, but first time vaginal birth is really hard and can be risky. The main worry with c sections is damage to your uterus and impact on future pregnancies—which doesn’t matter much if you’re not planning on any more.

What is this crap? First time vaginal births is not “really hard” nor “risky” for the majority of women. What is this crazy pro c section agenda?

This crap is the perspective of a woman who lost 5.5 liters of blood and ended up in the ICU when I gave birth for the first time, as a healthy 31 year old woman. My second birth was much easier. First time vaginal birth is risky because your body has never done it before.

Yep same for my first. My body was NOT meant to have vaginal births, I would’ve definitely died during childbirth pre-modern medicine, and it’s very very very traumatic to find that out during what should be a happy time of meeting your child, only you don’t because you’re unconscious and fighting for your life.