Elective C-Section Moms

I’ve had both. My c section was fine but recovery was terrible. I had really wanted to try vaginal so for my second I tried because I knew if I had another c section I wouldn’t be able to try again. Luckily I was able to have my vbac and it was amazing

Hey! My first pregnancy was c section because I was young & dumb lol my daughter was breech & back then I thought doctors tell you what’s best and give you ALL options on how to have the birth and experience you want. Wrong lol. My second was scheduled c section maybe 9 hours after I went into labor or my water breaking. My water broke at 4AM but by around 9PM I was in shambles from contractions. I also had a traumatic labor and situation with the father of the child lowkey abandoning me so I was dealing with a lot emotionally by myself & couldn’t handle it. Anyways long story short knowing how most health care people are when I got to the hospital around 11 they gave me medicine to to tolerate the contractions and I was only like 3cm dilated and was like yea no way I feel like this at 3. So I told them it was no point in trying to do a VBAC when I know they’re going to try & use their outdated protocols against me for an “emergency” c section anyway.

I’ll add recovery for both was easy. I was up & moving around soon as I could feel my legs again. I will have another one with my next which is fine. It’s “recommended” obviously from having 2 prior but I also don’t think I’m capable of bearing the contractions so it works out. And I know I’ll need an epidural for it which just delays delivery anyway so rather just get cut and not be in labor for hours. 🫂🩷

I had an unplanned C-section with my first and truthfully if I decide to have a second I will go the section route. I know what to expect and as someone with some high anxiety knowing what to expect will be a lot easier for me (and my equally as anxious partner) than trying a Vbac and potentially having an emergency happen.

No reason. Just like the option

I had a planned c-section with my first and I'm having a planned c-section with my second. I'm simply not willing to risk lack of oxygenation, the tendency of induction, vacuum, episiotomy etc. I like the idea of having a team of trained professionals booked at that exact time just for me and baby, calm and smooth.

My first was an “emergency” c section - found out later it could’ve been avoided. That OB told me I’d never deliver vaginally. My 2nd, 3rd, and 4th were all unmedicated VBACs! I got induced, had Pitocin, and the epidural with our first and after how awful of an experience it was I swore I’d never do that again - unless totally medically necessary of course! My VBACs were all easier than my first experience and recovery was all easier too. I have heard scheduled c sections are easier but I didn’t want to go that route at all. You just have to do what’s best for you and what you want to do. Do your research and make an informed decision for you.

Was told I'd need an induction but had been treated poorly by hospital staff leading up to giving birth (was given medication I shouldn't have without my consent which made me collapse and told it was all in my head etc. Really poor experiece) I couldn't stomach the thought of being around medicalnstaff in labour for days pumped full of medication and in pain, so chose a section as it was more predictable and likely less time in hospital

So I’ve 2 elective c-sections, both amazing experiences with easy recoveries. I wanted a birth plan that actually went to plan. Too much is simply left to chance with vaginal births resulting in emergency c-sections in a third of cases in the UK which are far more traumatic physically and psychologically plus a host other possible interventions. In the UK every year 25,000 women meet the criteria for PTSD following a traumatic birth experience. Something I was keen to avoid as well as the following: Tearing Episiotomy Shoulder dystocia Distressed baby Forceps/vontouse Days in labour Incontinence issues Prolapse Further surgery if either of above happened. Retained placenta Haemorrhage from tearing Staffing issues

Went in for an induction at 40w (planned to have a vaginal delivery) after 2 days of trying to get my body to progress and dilate, it stopped at 4cm so I chose to have an elective c section before an emergency occurred if I would have kept trying.

I progressed to 7cm and the pain was beyond what you would expect, so they recommended an epidural. I said yes and when they turned on the lights, we realised that I was bleeding heavily and I had a placental abruption so had to have a c section. The recovery was awful. I felt like I was still in labour for a week after and was still in hospital because of the pain. I didn’t want to risk the same outcome with my second as it was dangerous and traumatic, so I went for an elective.

I scheduled my elective c section with my second for after my due date. I was going to try a Vbac if I went into labor before the c section. But it didn’t happen. I was induced with my first baby and it ended up in a c section. My doctor wouldn’t induce after my first c section but I wouldn’t have chosen a second induction anyway.

After a very long, very painful (barely conscious) labour where one midwife showed a lack of care and I ended up with further complications and two other midwives who failed to communicate and laughed at my fears (We had a debrief after and this was accepted as happening) and then an emergency section which was calm and amazing, I couldn't begin to even think of attempting a vbac. Second daughter (and third daughter due in January) was via an elective section and I have no regrets.

First emergency, second planned. I chose this because after FIVE days of induction and labor, getting to 10cm, and pushing, my emergency c-section recovery was a BREEZE in comparison. I decided I would much rather go through that again vs the first part. And I have never made a better decision in my life. Loved my second, elective c-section birth.

First was emergency. With my second, I had zero desire to try for a VBAC.

I had an elective section with my first as he was breech and just wouldn’t flip. Turns out, he was stuck in my pelvis. He was difficult to get out even with the section. The midwives told me it would have ended in an emergency section anyway, so I’m very glad I chose a section! For me, it was the safest option as I was in a controlled environment and even if something went wrong, I was already down the section route for it to be fixed

The thought of a vaginal birth made my skin crawl and I loved my elective section! I’ll be doing it again for my second when the time comes!

@Skye 🤣🤣🤣 I think you're the first person to describe exactly what I feel about vaginal births

@Laura hahaha yes!!! I could never explain it that way to family that asked me but that’s how I felt 😂

With my first I ideally wanted a c section due to how bad my hips are (not diagnosed with anything medically wrong with them but they have been a problem for most of my life) but I chose to go for an unmedicated natural birth. How wrong I was. I was begging for an epidural and tbh the whole thing was traumatic especially for your first. In the end I ended up having to have an emergency c section because he was stuck in my pelvis and was very distressed by the time they left me until the section 🙄 once I was out on the recovery ward they told me that I wouldn’t be able to birth naturally due to my hips. So now I have to go for c sections. Of course recovery was hard but I pushed through and tbh that’s what made it easy to handle and was probably doing things I shouldn’t have been doing during recovery time.

I went to 42weeks and needed induction and didn’t progress past 3cm with my son. So with my 2nd I opted for a C-section 1. Because i think the same would likely happen again. 2. My due date was Christmas Eve and selfishly wanted baby here and me recovered before Christmas as it’s the first year my son fully understands (if my due date was another month I may of considered going to 40/41 weeks to see in labour intiated nautrally if not then opting to C-section over induction) 3. Convenient to organise who and when will have my son for when I gave birth. 4. Im a nurse and have been medicalised the thought of a C-section in an extremely controlled environment gives me a lot less anxiety than a vaginal birth which is a lot less controlled.

My first was the easiest vaginal birth ever, bump dropped on the Sunday, plug lost on the Monday at my midwife appointment and waters went on the Tuesday, couple hours later went in to the hospital was already 5cm gone and active Labour and birth took 18 minutes 😊 was in hospital for 3 days just to keep an eye on us because I’d lost a tiny bit too much blood (but I do that a lot 😅) and they thought she had Down syndrome but it was just where she was born so fast made her look a certain way. My second was a planned c section 2 weeks ago at 36+5 because our baby had a condition called anencephaly which meant the best option was a c section for her sake and it was just as easy and I’m healing really well and have absolutely no regrets about opting for it 🩷

I didn’t have a choice at my c section with my first son as I had a failed induction due to him reacting badly with it so had to have an emergancy c section that was 11 months ago the recovery after was sort of painful but I was up and about after a few days - I’m now currently 34 weeks and having a elective c section just waiting on finding out the date but I’m not sure if I will be having him early as I’m showing signs of him trying to make an aprence hopefully he dosnt and stays in for an extra 5 weeks xx

@Katelyn this is exactly how I feel/want to do. I just wanted to hear people’s reasoning. I wanted to go completely natural but since they broke my water and I wasn’t progressing past 4cm they just said we’ll have to do the c-section. With my baby now I already talked to my drs and told them I want to try for natural birth and they’re going to work with me and not do an induction unless absolutely necessary.

My labour was fairly quick with my first and ended in an emergency csection. We had an elective with our second a few weeks ago. The doctor gave me the choice of vbac or elective, but for myself and my husband, the emergency was very stressful and our son was in danger. We just didn't want to go through the stress again. The elective was great and it did also mean childcare was easier to organise (wasn't necessarily a decisive factor but a bonus!)

@Janelle 1000% avoid induction if possible! The more interventions the more likely for complications

My son was an emergency c section. His heart rate stopped recovering properly after contractions, and started to not recover at all, and he wasn't progressing after 10.5 hours of pitocin, so they said csection or well loose him. So c section it was and he never would have made it otherwise. His cord was wrapped twice around his neck and his arm was tied up next to the side of his head too. It took them over 4 minutes to get his heart beating and to get him breathing again, so not a moment too soon. But between complications of all that and how much work he is, were one and done.