c sections

I've heard that before... I personally would want vagainal birth to be my #1 choice (before c-section was considered). I personally wouldn't choose to have a c-section unless I absolutely HAD to.

I really don't understand how a doctor making a hole in your body for the baby to come out is preferable to using the one that was designed for that purpose. It is the mother's choice but I also would want her educated on the risks of that choice and make it knowing it's what she wants risks and all.

Women are taught to fear birth, taught that their bodies can't do it, that they need interventions which is wrong. There are cases where interventions are needed but by lying to women the line is blurred to where it's really needed and when the doctor or others just push it.

I was so happy to have a vaginal birth and will have another unless it's is absolutely vital to have a Csection, I will be reading up and finding out what situations really warrent one and where they'd just be pushed on me as well as how to avoid one (avoiding induction, an epidural that can stall labor, etc) so I have the birth experience I want.

My ex MIL who did it both ways said that her c-section was much better.
But to a girl like me who was 19 with a toddler and a newborn, whose only support system was a drunken passed out husband, we all would have died if I was recovering from surgery AND taking care of both kids.
I did not "enjoy" my vaginal births, but I enjoyed being able to jump up immediately, take a shower, and leave the hospital the same day. I was able to nurse immediately and care for my children immediately.

If this really is a "trend" it will end soon. Inusrance companies will not pay out for unnecessary surgery. If they do, it will only be private insurance, as government insurance is very, very frugal. In California, if you are on state insurance, you must be in labor 20 hours before they will do a c-section unless they were able to determine there was a problem prior to labor.

One reason for the increase in sections is that there is absolutely no oversight of what is an acceptable reason for a section and what isn't. There's a lot of fear in OB (in residency an axiom is that "the only section you'll be sued for is the one you don't do") and it translates into an increase in all interventions. You can always find a reason to do a section.

There's also a culture of intervention. There's a hell of a lot we don't know about OB, and a lot of the things that "have always been done" (episiotomy, supine pushing, routine electronic fetal monitoring) have recently been shown to be useless or actually hazardous.

Finally, OBs are surgeons. Surgeons cut. That doesn't mean they're bad doctors (I know and have enormous respect for a lot of them), but the paradigm for surgeons is that the way to cure something (like labor) is to cut. This isn't a conscious thing with the vast majority of docs, but I can really tell the difference between what a family practice doc or a midwife would start thinking "section" and when most OBs would.

I had a section with no labor (breech, preeclampsia, 37 weeks with totally unfavorable cervix). I actually know some OBs who have said they're jealous of me because I didn't "have to" labor and can have a section next time, no questions asked. Know what? I'm terribly disappointed I didn't labor, and I want nothing more than to be a successful VBAC next time. But I also know that for most women, recovery from a section with no labor is much easier than recovery from a section after a long labor, and that scares me. I feel like the option of scheduled section is hanging out there, taunting me.

I could write a 200 page essay about how infuriating this is for me, but I'll simply say that c-sections can also be dangerous for the baby, and for the mother, and this entire trend is ridiculous.

Why is it ridiculous? I think it's a great discussion... and I don't think anything in this thread is saying "Have a c-section even if it's unnecessary"... just stating opinions and personal experiences about our births and the opinion about just chosing to have a c-section.

She said the TREND is infuriating, not this thread :D

LOL opps, sorry I am tired :oops: thanks for pointing that out! SOrry InspireHopeDream hehe

My c-section was planned by my doctor because my son was small for his gestational age and she wanted him out in case my placenta wasn't giving him proper nutrition and because I had GD. Also, he was still breech during my last ultrasound. I'm no doctor, but I don't think my c-section was totally necessary. Still, I think I had a good experience, better than I expected anyway. I was totally nervous about having surgery and getting a spinal, but it turned out to be fairly painless. I had no complications and was pain-free afterwards for the most part (getting out of bed the first time hurt like hell).

Healing was the not so fun part, my scar itched like crazy and turned into a keloid. I had trouble holding my son because the incision area was very sensitive and getting him in and out of the crib for the first week or so was difficult. Despite the bad parts, I think I would choose a c-section again if I were to have another child because I know what to expect, but I'm not planning on having anymore so this shouldn't be an issue.

I went to childbirth classes so I learned breathing exercises and what to expect during a vaginal birth, but nothing about c-sections. When I was told I was going to have a c-section the following week I was very disappointed and scared.

I must say, I LOVED my csections... and will have one for every child.

Wow, what a double standard... it's fine if a woman chooses to abort the fetus, but not okay if she chooses to deliever it via csection?

WTF? :evil:

You either support a womans right to CHOOSE when it comes to her reproductive and birthing rights, or you don't. I'm sure I would get hell if I were saying negative shit about abortions.

I said It is the mother's choice but I also would want her educated on the risks of that choice and make it knowing it's what she wants risks and all. I do support a woman's right to choose.

It doesn't mean that people aren't lied to or forced into situations or taught to distrust their own bodies though, and I can be as against that as I want.

I was definately glad I didn't have to have a c-section. The woman who I shared a room with in the hospital was SOOO sick afterward, and I felt terrible for her. I supposed everyone's c-section experience is different, but hers didn't seem all that great.

I had a really stupid shallow co-worker tell me I should get a c-section (like I could choose???) so that my vagina wouldn't be stetched out. He didn't say it exactly like that, but that's what was implied. I told him where to go. That made me really mad. Some people can be so ignorant.

Mostly, I've only heard of celebrities getting elective cecarian sections for cosmetic reasons, although I don't fully understand what would be more favourable about a scar.

I think a lot of woman really view the delivery as a huge accomplishment and then feel like a huge experience was stolen from them if they can't deliver vaginally. I didn't have a c-section, but I still felt that way when my son was pulled out with forcepts. I felt like I didn't really do it myself, and that was disapointing for me. But, yes it is a woman's right to choose. Some feel this need to deliver naturally, and some prefur assistance. Although, I don't fully understand the other point of view, I have to respect their right do and believe as they choose.

Me too, I loved that I just pushed a human being out of my body and then got up a little while later to go pee! haha. I totally expected it to be different. For some reason I thought that I'd be stuck in bed. The fact that I needed barely any recovery time shocked me. I don't think I'd do a c-section unless I had to because I'm a sissy and recovering from that would make me miserable.

I don't see anyone saying it's not ok if a woman chooses to deliver via c section.

My concern is that the risks of c-section (and they are exponentially higher than with a vaginal delivery, both for mom and baby) are not fully explained/understood by some moms. There is a lot of societal pressure to do "what's best for the baby", and to defer to the doctor's authority. That concerns me. That said, I felt fabulous after my section and do believe I had one for the right (multiple) reasons. But the reason I feel okay about it is that my doctors respected my right to explore all other options.

The book "Misconceptions" by Naomi Wolf has a lot of interesting facts and research on this topic. What I've gathered from that book and other sources is that the majority of sections are medically unneccessary ( but some definitely are), and result from the OB or hospital's specific protocols regarding timelines or potential lawsuits. I would recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read it yet.

uhm, in some ways i kind of wish i would have had a c section....
i was almost going to have one....but i finally after 15 hours was able to push him out *talk about ouch* :P.
i wish i would have had one because i ripped so badly that i had like a million stitches and was in labour for sooooo long
but the bottom line is......i delivered vaginally and im proud of myself that i actually did it. i think if someone wants to choose wether or not to have a c section, thats their choice.

its hard for me to argue either way having had 2 c sections myself. on one hand there is no labor pains, and on the other, the whole experiance seemed cold. laying on a table not being able to fell my so bieng born and not being able to hold him for hours afterward. then there was the recovery...you cant hardly move for like a week. and i had a 2 year old to take care of on top if it. thank god for narcotics!

Yes.

I think unnecessary c/s are dangerous and I think it is very irresponsible for a doctor to perform unnecessary ones. I support a woman's choice to birth how she wants however. I just want informed consent. I know several people who had c/s and none of them knew some of the risks involved, such as that maternal death is 7x more likely in a c/s.

My MIL is a nurse in the icu unit and recently had to take care of a new mother who almost died because her iliac artery was nicked during her section. That poor mama almost died, need blood transfusions and did not see her baby for the first month of his life.