The best thing about a scheduled C is the ability to get a full night's sleep the night before you meet your baby! My first was a c for stalled labor after 36 hours. I was starving and exhausted and then recovering from surgery on top of that (though still, up and moving the next day and using only ibuprofen by discharge). My second I hoped to VBAC, but had low fluid and he needed to come out - so somewhat emergent, but not knock me out and wheel me in now emergency. I rested throughout the day while waiting for enough time to pass since breakfast, went into the OR for 20 mins, and there he was. I felt like a completely different person going into the first sleepless night with a full tank.

I healed much better and faster with my C than I did for my vaginal. Just make sure you are up and walking.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW I tend to get quiet during birth experience stories because I had an amazing planned C, and I was so happy and thrilled with the experience that I feel bad talking about it with people who had much worse vaginal birth experiences.

I can't imagine what's "amazing" about having major surgery. Most people would choose not to do so. I wouldn't classify my vaginal birth as "amazing" but I was up and walking around the day after birth and I didn't have to stay in the hospital for 4 days to recover from surgery.

I am the PP who wrote that. Yes, amazing is the right word. For me, I had such a feeling of pure, incandescent joy after my scheduled C-section that lasted for hours and hours. I couldn't fall asleep for many hours afterwards because I was so thrilled. It sounds like you didn't experience what I've heard described as a "birth high," which is okay -- lots of women don't -- but it was a remarkable experience. I directly attribute it to the ease of my scheduled C-section. I had almost no pain: all I had was this deeply emotional feeling of happiness, which I could focus on because I wasn't feeling pain, and wasn't tired and exhausted. In terms of logistics, I was up walking the same day (later in the day) and went home 48 hours later. My pain was entirely managed -- I don't remember feeling almost any pain -- and by the end of the week I wasn't using any painkillers, not even ibuprofen. I breastfed for years afterwards.

But there's a lot of people who are really really invested in all C-sections being horrible awful experiences that women endure. I've found that they don't really want to hear about my positive birth experience with a scheduled C-section, so I keep pretty quiet about it. I also feel really sorry for women who have terrible birth experiences (vaginal or C-section), and it seems tacky to talk about how awesome mine was. I only really talk about it in anonymous places like DCUM, and even then, only when people like OP are asking for positive experiences.

Based on conversations I've had with other women who had scheduled C-sections, my experience seems pretty common. But we don't talk about it with anyone else.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW I tend to get quiet during birth experience stories because I had an amazing planned C, and I was so happy and thrilled with the experience that I feel bad talking about it with people who had much worse vaginal birth experiences.

I can't imagine what's "amazing" about having major surgery. Most people would choose not to do so. I wouldn't classify my vaginal birth as "amazing" but I was up and walking around the day after birth and I didn't have to stay in the hospital for 4 days to recover from surgery.

I was up and walking 7 hours after my scheduled c section. It was pretty amazing for me too! Relaxed, fast, peaceful and recovered easily. I suppose it was able to be 'amazing' because it was directly contrasted to my first baby where I needed an emergency life saving c section without adequate pain relief where my baby was immediately taken to the NICU and I was bedbound on magnesium for 24 hours.

For the vast majority of women who have them, a scheduled c section is the way to go. From everything I've read it seems the order of good experiences is:

1) Fast and uncomplicated vaginal delivery (lets say <5 hours and no pelvic floor issues)
2) Scheduled C section
3) Difficult labor
4) Difficult unsuccessful labor that ends in an emergency c

The problem is that you have no idea if you're a #1 or a #3 or a #4 until after the show is over.

<5 hours - there's your impossible (and arbitrary) standard! Anyway most women who have an uncomplicated vaginal deliveries, of any length, don't have pelvic floor issues. And some women who have a c-section do. So you can't predict what anyone's experience will be.

Sigh. Another lucky woman who doesn’t have pelvic floor injuries is dismissing their incidence and impact. Please stop, you are insulting a lot of women.
Second, you are just plain wrong. Plenty of women have pelvic floor injuries from birth.

“Giving birth makes women more vulnerable to developing a pelvic floor disorder later in life. About one third of adult women will have a pelvic floor disorder, such as prolapsed uterus or bladder control problems, and twenty percent of these women will need reconstructive surgery to fix it.”
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/articles/link-between-childbirth-and-pelvic-floor-disorders

“Vaginal childbirth is associated with increased incidence of SUI and pelvic organ prolapse. The association of other pelvic floor disorders with vaginal birth is less well established; however, operative vaginal delivery is associated with overactive bladder symptoms.”

“Operative vaginal delivery significantly increases the odds of pelvic floor disorders; however, clinical decisions must be individualized based on the risk and benefits of this intervention compared with its alternatives.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3681820/

Strictly by the numbers, the PP is not wrong that "most" women do not have pelvic floor disorders. If 2/3s of women do not, that would be "most." And 20% of the 1/3 of women who suffer pelvic floor disorders works out to about 6% of all women require surgery. That is not to dismiss the suffering, particularly of the 6%; but your odds of not experiencing extreme damage requiring surgery are actually pretty darn high.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW I tend to get quiet during birth experience stories because I had an amazing planned C, and I was so happy and thrilled with the experience that I feel bad talking about it with people who had much worse vaginal birth experiences.

I can't imagine what's "amazing" about having major surgery. Most people would choose not to do so. I wouldn't classify my vaginal birth as "amazing" but I was up and walking around the day after birth and I didn't have to stay in the hospital for 4 days to recover from surgery.

I was up and walking around the day after my emergency cs.

I was up and walking around the day after both of my c's - gingerly, but it's part of the recovery protocol.

5 hours is insanely fast--it would be considered precipitous labor. 12-18 is generally the "average," particularly for first time moms. My labor was 5.5 and every nurse and doctor commented how fast it was.

And a longer labor is not by definition difficult. My sister was in labor for 18 hours, but she said it was slow and steady, and pushed for only 45 minutes. While mine was more like a panicky sprint and I still had to push for nearly 2 hours.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW I tend to get quiet during birth experience stories because I had an amazing planned C, and I was so happy and thrilled with the experience that I feel bad talking about it with people who had much worse vaginal birth experiences.

I can't imagine what's "amazing" about having major surgery. Most people would choose not to do so. I wouldn't classify my vaginal birth as "amazing" but I was up and walking around the day after birth and I didn't have to stay in the hospital for 4 days to recover from surgery.

I was up and walking 7 hours after my scheduled c section. It was pretty amazing for me too! Relaxed, fast, peaceful and recovered easily. I suppose it was able to be 'amazing' because it was directly contrasted to my first baby where I needed an emergency life saving c section without adequate pain relief where my baby was immediately taken to the NICU and I was bedbound on magnesium for 24 hours.

For the vast majority of women who have them, a scheduled c section is the way to go. From everything I've read it seems the order of good experiences is:

1) Fast and uncomplicated vaginal delivery (lets say <5 hours and no pelvic floor issues)
2) Scheduled C section
3) Difficult labor
4) Difficult unsuccessful labor that ends in an emergency c

The problem is that you have no idea if you're a #1 or a #3 or a #4 until after the show is over.

<5 hours - there's your impossible (and arbitrary) standard! Anyway most women who have an uncomplicated vaginal deliveries, of any length, don't have pelvic floor issues. And some women who have a c-section do. So you can't predict what anyone's experience will be.

Sigh. Another lucky woman who doesn’t have pelvic floor injuries is dismissing their incidence and impact. Please stop, you are insulting a lot of women.
Second, you are just plain wrong. Plenty of women have pelvic floor injuries from birth.

“Giving birth makes women more vulnerable to developing a pelvic floor disorder later in life. About one third of adult women will have a pelvic floor disorder, such as prolapsed uterus or bladder control problems, and twenty percent of these women will need reconstructive surgery to fix it.”
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/articles/link-between-childbirth-and-pelvic-floor-disorders

“Vaginal childbirth is associated with increased incidence of SUI and pelvic organ prolapse. The association of other pelvic floor disorders with vaginal birth is less well established; however, operative vaginal delivery is associated with overactive bladder symptoms.”

“Operative vaginal delivery significantly increases the odds of pelvic floor disorders; however, clinical decisions must be individualized based on the risk and benefits of this intervention compared with its alternatives.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3681820/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW I tend to get quiet during birth experience stories because I had an amazing planned C, and I was so happy and thrilled with the experience that I feel bad talking about it with people who had much worse vaginal birth experiences.

I can't imagine what's "amazing" about having major surgery. Most people would choose not to do so. I wouldn't classify my vaginal birth as "amazing" but I was up and walking around the day after birth and I didn't have to stay in the hospital for 4 days to recover from surgery.

I was up and walking 7 hours after my scheduled c section. It was pretty amazing for me too! Relaxed, fast, peaceful and recovered easily. I suppose it was able to be 'amazing' because it was directly contrasted to my first baby where I needed an emergency life saving c section without adequate pain relief where my baby was immediately taken to the NICU and I was bedbound on magnesium for 24 hours.

For the vast majority of women who have them, a scheduled c section is the way to go. From everything I've read it seems the order of good experiences is:

1) Fast and uncomplicated vaginal delivery (lets say <5 hours and no pelvic floor issues)
2) Scheduled C section
3) Difficult labor
4) Difficult unsuccessful labor that ends in an emergency c

The problem is that you have no idea if you're a #1 or a #3 or a #4 until after the show is over.

<5 hours - there's your impossible (and arbitrary) standard! Anyway most women who have an uncomplicated vaginal deliveries, of any length, don't have pelvic floor issues. And some women who have a c-section do. So you can't predict what anyone's experience will be.

Sure its arbitrary. A general statement based on what I've seen on this board. Maybe that's not the right line for every woman but there's some line. Let's say 15 hours with no pelvic floor issues. The point is the point. 1) Easy vaginal, 2) Scheduled C, 3) Difficult vaginal, 4) Difficult vaginal ending in emergency c

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW I tend to get quiet during birth experience stories because I had an amazing planned C, and I was so happy and thrilled with the experience that I feel bad talking about it with people who had much worse vaginal birth experiences.

I can't imagine what's "amazing" about having major surgery. Most people would choose not to do so. I wouldn't classify my vaginal birth as "amazing" but I was up and walking around the day after birth and I didn't have to stay in the hospital for 4 days to recover from surgery.

I was up and walking 7 hours after my scheduled c section. It was pretty amazing for me too! Relaxed, fast, peaceful and recovered easily. I suppose it was able to be 'amazing' because it was directly contrasted to my first baby where I needed an emergency life saving c section without adequate pain relief where my baby was immediately taken to the NICU and I was bedbound on magnesium for 24 hours.

For the vast majority of women who have them, a scheduled c section is the way to go. From everything I've read it seems the order of good experiences is:

1) Fast and uncomplicated vaginal delivery (lets say <5 hours and no pelvic floor issues)
2) Scheduled C section
3) Difficult labor
4) Difficult unsuccessful labor that ends in an emergency c

The problem is that you have no idea if you're a #1 or a #3 or a #4 until after the show is over.

<5 hours - there's your impossible (and arbitrary) standard! Anyway most women who have an uncomplicated vaginal deliveries, of any length, don't have pelvic floor issues. And some women who have a c-section do. So you can't predict what anyone's experience will be.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW I tend to get quiet during birth experience stories because I had an amazing planned C, and I was so happy and thrilled with the experience that I feel bad talking about it with people who had much worse vaginal birth experiences.

I can't imagine what's "amazing" about having major surgery. Most people would choose not to do so. I wouldn't classify my vaginal birth as "amazing" but I was up and walking around the day after birth and I didn't have to stay in the hospital for 4 days to recover from surgery.

I was up and walking 7 hours after my scheduled c section. It was pretty amazing for me too! Relaxed, fast, peaceful and recovered easily. I suppose it was able to be 'amazing' because it was directly contrasted to my first baby where I needed an emergency life saving c section without adequate pain relief where my baby was immediately taken to the NICU and I was bedbound on magnesium for 24 hours.

For the vast majority of women who have them, a scheduled c section is the way to go. From everything I've read it seems the order of good experiences is:

1) Fast and uncomplicated vaginal delivery (lets say <5 hours and no pelvic floor issues)
2) Scheduled C section
3) Difficult labor
4) Difficult unsuccessful labor that ends in an emergency c

The problem is that you have no idea if you're a #1 or a #3 or a #4 until after the show is over.

Anonymous wrote:I’m the PP who wished for a reason to have a scheduled c section instead of a VBAC. I’m aware that it’s my choice and I can make it without guilt. (No one is pressuring me into a VBAC—in fact my mom has gently suggested she thinks I shouldn’t do it and am not missing anything but stepped back after sharing her feelings. DH doesn’t care. OB is very supportive of trying a VBAC if I want but hasn’t pushed it either.)

I’m genuinely struggling with the decision and feel like fear of all the issues with vaginal deliveries mentioned here is the only reason I’d pick a c section and I try not to make decisions on fear alone. My emergency c section was traumatic; not even seeing my dd for 12 hours and not holding her for 36 hours and leaving the hospital without her for 6 weeks was traumatic. And while none of that had anything to do with me having a c section I do hate the idea of choosing another situation where I’m physically unable to immediately hold my baby and one where I’m in too much physical pain to lift the baby or care for him myself for probably 7-10 days. I feel like I really missed out on bonding with my newborn last time and it took months to build a bond with her. So while none of *my* reasons for hesitating to schedule a c section should impact OP since she already had a vaginal birth, it is a tough choice for me to make and I can’t help but wish it would just be taken out of my hands.

NP. PP I have never had a VBAC so cannot speak to that, but I have had exactly the kind of emergency section you describe (yay mag!) and ended up with a second scheduled c section because they couldn't induce me at 39 weeks and I didn't want to push my luck on my preesclampsia/HELLP returning.

I had all these exact same fears, and like I said I can't speak for a VBAC but I can say that the difference between that first c and the second one was NIGHT AND DAY. Like truly difficult to even compare them. I don't know about you but I only had an epidural with the first so could feel so much. With the scheduled second I got a spinal and couldn't feel a thing and was very alert throughout the procedure. Baby #2 was handed to me as soon as he came out and I was able to hold him and bond with him while they closed me up. He came straight to the room with me and I was able to hold him and strong enough to get him out of his bassinet while in the hospital. I walked same day (morning procedure, delivered around 9am, walking by 4pm). I was able to hold and care for the baby probably from day 2 onward. It was about 10 days before I could pick up my toddler again but we did a lot of hugs. I felt like I was able to totally bond with my son so quickly in a way I was deprived with my daughter. And unlike with my daughter, I had no PPD, no delay in feeling bonded to the baby, no PTSD from the L&D experience.

So like I said, no commentary on VBAC, but if your concern is that a scheduled c will be ANYTHING like the emergency c you describe, it will not be. They are entirely different experiences and I actually found my scheduled c to be an unbelievably positive and healing experience. I am relieved to not have had to go through any type of traumatic delivery the second time because the first was really really hard. I'm due with #3 in late November and actually looking forward to my scheduled c!

^^^ that is supposed to say "tight pelvis" - sorry

I mean, it is abdominal surgery, so it's not fun. Unless you're a bit of a freak, you will NOT be up and out of bed easily (note, I said easily) for a short while. HOWEVER, I had a planned c-section for my second because I am NOT a candidate for a VBAC, and the experience with a planned c-section was a HUGE improvement over my first c/s after an induced labor led to the conclusion that no baby is ever escaping my body through my vajayjay.

I felt like a normal human a lot more quickly. And I was moving easier than my previous experience. I actually was up and down the stairs with not much trouble a couple days after coming home. My biggest challenge was getting in and out of bed, so we actually switched beds for a couple nights as my master bed was just too high for me to get in and out of with the incision pain.

I don't know about these people claiming they didn't bleed for weeks - that was NOT my experience. I was bleeding for a good month, although it wasn't as heavy after about 2 weeks or so?

Overall, my second pregnancy and a planned c-section just were much better. It probably didn't help that my first c-section was my first surgery ever and my body just HATED it after 9 months of lousy pregnancy and a several hour induced labor (which they did because the docs apparently knew I had a "ticght pelvis", but were unaware of how bad the situation actually was).

Living baby and mom are what matters in the end. Do NOT feel bad about needing a c-section. Do what you can to plan ahead for the couple weeks of challenges post-surgery and then just enjoy that baby.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're three pages in and your defense for being a jackass is the title of the post is not worded to your taste so you're going to ignore the OP's actual query and respond to the title instead. You might just be a sh*tty person.

I have done nothing to warrant being called a shitty person or a jackass. I'm sorry that you are going through a rough time in life right now and are unable to regulate your emotions a'd have negative communications with others, but your anger is misplaced. Peace and blessings to you.

Sure, the original question is why a c-section it's better, but the OP has answered she is opting for a VBAC by choice. The input PP above is providing is indeed relevant information.

That is not anywhere in this thread.

The OP has to have a section. A PP is getting freaked out because she wants a VBAC. To that PP—use the UR Choice calculator to help inform your choice, it gives you actual estimates of risks of prolapse, incontinence, etc. based on known risks like your age and your family history and estimated baby size and weight (you can estimate based on your first). http://riskcalc.org/UR_CHOICE/

To the jerky PP ranting about how bad your section was and how great your VBAC was, you are failing to recognize the audience, the request of the OP and PP, and the reality that crappy births and good births happen all the time in both c sections and vaginal births, and your experience is one woman’s experience that does not mean it will be objectively true for all women. I know several women who had horrific pelvic injuries from traumatic vaginal births who loved their planned c sections that followed.

The focus should always be on ensuring the physical and mental health of mother and baby, minimizing risk to mother and baby, and doing all you can to ensure a good birth experience for the mom and family—NOT assuming that only one mode of delivery can equate to a good experience, which is just not the case, no matter what ICAN says.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're three pages in and your defense for being a jackass is the title of the post is not worded to your taste so you're going to ignore the OP's actual query and respond to the title instead. You might just be a sh*tty person.

I have done nothing to warrant being called a shitty person or a jackass. I'm sorry that you are going through a rough time in life right now and are unable to regulate your emotions a'd have negative communications with others, but your anger is misplaced. Peace and blessings to you.

Sure, the original question is why a c-section it's better, but the OP has answered she is opting for a VBAC by choice. The input PP above is providing is indeed relevant information.

That is not anywhere in this thread.