Vaginal Birth vs. C-Section

[Sunshine311]

Hey all,

As I've mentioned before, hubby and I are trying to have a baby. One thing I've been thinking about lately is whether I'd want a vaginal birth or perhaps a c-section. Is there anything anyone can tell me about the pro's and con's of each, or which one is better??

 

The reason I'm even contimplating the c-section (call me shallow, I don't care) is because I'm really worried about what a baby is going to do to my vagina! I really enjoy sex and I worry about ripping, tearing, scarring, and never being the same down there. I figure if I do a c-section then I can save that part of my body. I know some women have no problems with this, but I suppose you'd never know until it's over.

However, I've also heard horrible things about C sections such as ugly scars and your ab muscles being destroyed. I've accepted the chance of stretch marks as they are unavoidable, but I would hate to ruin my stomach by having a c-section.

 

Thoughts or opinion about either method of birth??

[melrich]

I'm really worried about what a baby is going to do to my vagina! I really enjoy sex and I worry about ripping, tearing, scarring, and never being the same down there.

 

The vagina is extremely resilient and will "rerturn to normal" very quickly even where there is tearing (which will be stiched).

 

Re. the pros and cons, the most obvious is a c-section will take you much longer to recover from and that can be hard when you are restricted but have to look after a newborn.

[Snoopy24]

I think natural vaginal birth is the way to go.

 

IMO a C section is an emergency alternative if something were to go wrong. I know a lot of woman do choose to do a C-section, but like melrich said, the human body works in amazing ways, and more than likely you will be absolutely fine down there.

[Hope_Springs_Eternal]

I have two children.

 

I rejected a C-section (except for a medical emergency) because:

 

1. The Vagina is MADE to stretch and accommodate the baby during childbirth and then return to its normal size regardless of doing pelvic exercises, but these excercises help it along.

 

2. After childbirth, the recovery time for the mother is greatly reduced after a vaginal birth.

 

3. If an episiotomy is performed, you will NOT feel it, and a couple of stitches immediately after the birth while your still full of painkillers plus a top up of local anaesthetic, takes care of it.

 

4. A C-Section is MAJOR surgery and will take much longer to recover from as the layers that have been cut through (skin and muscle) have to rebuild from the inside out. Whereas in a a vaginal birth you can usually go home the next day (or after a few hours if it was all OK), a C-section will see you unable to move around properly for about a week and not take care of the baby in the same way, from the beginning.

 

5. A C-Section, depending on how it heals, limits the number of children you can safely have in the future, as once the scar is there, there are only so many times they can cut you and restitch before the skin wont hold (in the UK its 3 pregnancies)

 

5. The scar for the C-Section may not heal in a thin neat line. You may be prone to keloid scaring (which you wont know till its healing).

 

6. As they have to cut through the muscles of the stomach, they may not heal and knit back as before which means you will have a slack stomach which excercise cannot correct.

 

These are the reasons I chose vaginal births both times and I do not regret my choice.

 

I did the pelvic floor exercises as per the midwifes instructions both times and can truly say I have had no problems with sex or anything.

 

good luck whatever you choose.

 

Hope your new baby brings lots of luck and laughter to you and your family, Hope x

[thejigsup]

I had a vaginal birth. It is completely doable. The female body is made to give birth with no lasting after affects. You can't tell I ever gave birth and I'm sure most mothers will tell you the same. Three months after birth, you are back to what you used to be. C-Section: permanent scars. No thanks. My niece has had two birth by this method. It took her forever to recover and let's just say she has permanent reminders. Her stomach will never be flat again and it's poochy beyond belief. It takes awhile for that to show but after a couple of years, it got really bad. She is thin, also. She had to have it done, so she is making the best of it.

[just M.E.]

I agree, I had vaginal birth and it does not change that (I have problems the other way, being too small), you absolutely return to normal. C-section is a surgery through the muscle wall and is far more damaging to the female anatomy, this really isn't a cosmetic choice, you do what is right for your health and the baby.

 

Besides returning that portion of your anatomy to normal is the least of your worries at that time.

[Mythical_Suicide]

You're worried about having a child come out of somewhere where its meant to come out of it and risk alittle tearing rather than having a visible scar on your stomach the rest of your life? I'm not attacking you but really! Babies are meant to come out of the vagina, it is meant to stretch and go back to it's original form. I had a 8lbs 14oz baby with a 14" head and wide shoulders and had an episiotomy(sp) and 4th degree tear.. I am "tighter" now than I was before having my child. As with any surgery, with a csection you run so many risks of complications (as with a vaginal delivery) but it's just that.. A surgery! Unfortunately my next child will be born via csection due to complications during my first delivery because of my body type and I hate the idea of even having to have it done for medical reasons. It's your choice, but do your research before you decide to do something with so many risks just because you're worried about your vagina being stretched out.

[Aurian]

My sister just had a c-section because she had twins and they were too big to stay in and finish to term.

 

It was a nightmare, and she had to have two operations. She was also unable to breastfeed her babies due to them being taken away from her and the operations, and missed the window of opportunity (apparently you have a short period in which you can start breastfeeding). She is quite upset that she can`t do this.

[sharsachan]

I had en emergency c-section after a minor auto accident [the placenta had been knocked loose in the accident and baby was suffereing]. I hated the entire thing and wished I could have had a normal delivery. my experiences:

 

I have two children.

 

2. After childbirth, the recovery time for the mother is greatly reduced after a vaginal birth.

 

4. A C-Section is MAJOR surgery and will take much longer to recover from as the layers that have been cut through (skin and muscle) have to rebuild from the inside out. Whereas in a a vaginal birth you can usually go home the next day (or after a few hours if it was all OK), a C-section will see you unable to move around properly for about a week and not take care of the baby in the same way, from the beginning.

 

I was released from the hospital 48 hours after being admitted. My husband's work would not give him time off and we don't really live near family or friends. I had a very hard first week. Sleeping was horrible; stomach was out of the question, sides were a little less intimidating, and if i was on my back, I had to either roll to my side or get my husband to push me up to sitting. i think EVERYTHING is harder with a c-section, possibly minus sitting down if you had some kind of tear as my friend did.

 

5. The scar for the C-Section may not heal in a thin neat line. You may be prone to keloid scaring (which you wont know till its healing).

 

 

*raises hand* they cut just above your pubic bone and they try to be unobtrusive but when you get down to it, it's still a 6-8 inch scar along my stomach. and many women experience numbness and abnormal sensations around the scar. my doctor says that can last as long as a year after ward. the craziest feeling in the world to me right now is my husband's hand rubbing accross my stomach, only to feel as though it disappear for a few seconds as he passes over the numb area.

 

and i'm prone to keloid scarring. i'm going to have a raised bumpy scar forever there, no matter how nice and neat the cut was originally.

 

i would definitely rather have a vaginal delivery, even with the chance of tearing. there is very little chance that your vagina will be stretched out enough to be noticeable or uncomfortable after the body has healed. it's made to be stretchable and it's made to be able to recover.

 

i consented only to the c-section because my baby's heart rate was dropping down into the 60's and my body showed no signs of going into labor after the accident.

[CarnelianButterfly]

Vaginal is my first choice. The vaginal is a resilient muscle, it can stretch, but it can also be toned. Its just like any other muscle, you have to exercise it to get it into shape. Kegel exercises before and after the birth make the delivery easier and the recovery, too.

 

I don't agree with doing c-sections for anything but emergencies. I read an article called "Too Posh to Push", women were actually opting for c-sections so that their babies would be 'prettier'.

[Mythical_Suicide]

 

I read an article called "Too Posh to Push", women were actually opting for c-sections so that their babies would be 'prettier'.

 

 

People like that don't deserve to have children..

[Whiplash Girl Child]

To Sunshine311: Thanks for posting this, this is a concern of mine as well. I'm nowhere near having kids, hell, I'm not even married. But I think about this sometimes. I've also seriously considered having a C-Section when the time comes.

 

To everyone else:

 

What about hemmorhoids! No one mentioned that childbirth via the vagina can cause hemmorhoids! Or-- do the hemmorhoids come DURING pregnancy? I'm sh** scared of getting hemmorhoids. Oh my god.

 

Also: Why can't the woman just get a tummy tuck and/or lipo after giving childbirth? Won't that help with the sagginess of the lower belly? Or will a new and different incision need to be made?

 

I am deathly afraid of pregnancy.

[Mythical_Suicide]

To Sunshine311: Thanks for posting this, this is a concern of mine as well. I'm nowhere near having kids, hell, I'm not even married. But I think about this sometimes. I've also seriously considered having a C-Section when the time comes.

 

To everyone else:

 

What about hemmorhoids! No one mentioned that childbirth via the vagina can cause hemmorhoids!

 

Also: Why can't the woman just get a tummy tuck and/or lipo after giving childbirth? Won't that help with the sagginess of the lower belly? Or will a new and different incision need to be made?

 

 

 

I'm glad

 

Hemmorhoids?? pregnancy itself can cause hemmorhoids, so what? Out of all the people i've known to give birth vaginally I have never known anyone suffer from hemmorhoids because of child birth. Now I have known a few people get hemmorhoids during their pregnancy.

 

Why can't a woman get a tummy tuck after giving birth? Because it's a freakin cosmetic procedure for crying out loud!

[CarnelianButterfly]

My 30 year old brother has hemorrhoids, he's never given birth. If not getting hemorrhoids is such a priority, I suggest adoption.

[Mythical_Suicide]

I suggest adoption.

 

I second this!

[just M.E.]

Any natural childbirth mothers experience this?

 

After my daughter was born I had two things happen:

1. Almost immediate amnesia or total lack of recall of exactly what the pain felt like.

2. An incredible feeling of well being, maybe it was the endorphin rush combined with the oxytocin (sp?) (hormone released during birth and nursing), but if you could bottle it and sell it, everyone would be addicted to that feeling.

 

My daughter experienced this also, when she gave birth.

 

By the way, oxytocin is released during nursing and causing slight, almost unnoticeable contractions of the uterus which helps return mommy's tummy to a nice pre-pregnancy condition eventually. It takes a little bit, but I wore a bikini the next year and I still do at times.

[Mythical_Suicide]

Any natural childbirth mothers experience this?

 

After my daughter was born I had two things happen:

1. Almost immediate amnesia or total lack of recall of exactly what the pain felt like.

2. An incredible feeling of well being, maybe it was the endorphin rush combined with the oxytocin (sp?) (hormone released during birth and nursing), but if you could bottle it and sell it, everyone would be addicted to that feeling.

 

 

I experienced this as well.. Even though I had a fourth degree tear pain was the last thing on my mind as I held my baby close to me. I could barely remember the labor pains and I was in labor for a long time.

[melrich]

After my daughter was born I had two things happen:

1. Almost immediate amnesia or total lack of recall of exactly what the pain felt like.

2. An incredible feeling of well being, maybe it was the endorphin rush combined with the oxytocin (sp?) (hormone released during birth and nursing), but if you could bottle it and sell it, everyone would be addicted to that feeling.

 

That's what my partner got.

 

First time she did no drugs by choice. Second time we got there too late for an epi (which she was going to have) so she was drug free again.

 

We could have gone out to dinner and a dance an hour after the birth of our second.

[just M.E.]

I had no drugs and they couldn't get an epi to my daughter quick enough. Her and I both agree we would do it over again without drugs. We'll see, she pregnant with her second.

 

I was in labor 24 hrs and exhausted, they woke me up to push each time, but after my daughter was born I would have run a marathon!

[melrich]

I was in labor 24 hrs and exhausted

 

Ahhh....my wife was only 4 hours first time then 2.5 hours....but she had a lot of tearing....but still didn't have any pain with that after the births.

 

There is no doubt, and our doctor said this, if you can do it without drugs the bodies recovery is that much quicker again. Having said that, I was at both births and no way i would do it without drugs

[just M.E.]

That's why us delicate flowers of womanhood have the babies

[melrich]

LOL...no argument from me!!

[JadedStar]

I dont' think doctors will give a C-section without a good medical reason. It is very invasive and much longer recovery and you end up with a scar. You don't want that unless there is a good reason why you can't deliver vaginally.

[Mythical_Suicide]

Actually, its pretty sad alot of doctors are becoming "routine" with unnecessary c-sections.

[melrich]

I dont' think doctors will give a C-section without a good medical reason.

 

 

They do actually. I know in my city there are hospitals that are renowned for very high rates of c-section and it is well known in the "medical world" that this is due to electives.

 

I remember reading not long ago that c-sections in the US outstrip all other first world countries 2 to 1 (Australia is catching up fast) and it is not because there are 2 to 1 more pregnancy complications in the US, it is because of patient electives.

 

A caesarean delivery of a baby was once considered only in an emergency and if the mother or child's life was at risk.

But a third of all deliveries are now C-sections, despite studies showing the risks attached to the procedure are still there.

Around a quarter of a million babies are born in Australia every year, but the numbers delivered by caesarean section has jumped by more than 10 per cent in a decade to one in three births.

Professor Michael Chapman, who has been an obstetrician for 30 years, said there is a danger in the popularity of C-sections.

"Women themselves have something to blame in relation to this rise in desire to have caesarean section," he said.

New mum Kate Ryan recently gave birth to her forth children Samuel.

"I've had all of my children by caesareans. The first two were emergencies and the last two were elective," she said.