C-Section or Vaginal....which do you think

[Cheesecake]

It's not a choice in the Netherlands, and I personally like that. It's always vaginal unless medically indicated. VBACs are also the standard after a C section, unless there's a very good medical reason to go straight to a C section. Infant mortality in NL is very low compared to the US, so I'm completely comfortable with that. (C sections definitely happen, but only when medically necessary.)

I've heard too many friends in the US who were almost forced into a C section by doctors because it was basically just more convenient for the doctors. Or induced at 40 weeks because that was just more convenient. That just saddens me. In my mind and feeling the baby will come out when it's ready to come out, not when it's convenient for doctor, mother or whoever.

That said, if you personally feel you have a good reason why you want a C section (or drugs or voodoo or whatever - and good reason can be 'I've thought it over and I just really want that') I won't judge you. I do hope that whoever chooses elective medical procedures has really read up on it, got well-informed and really thought it through, because it is a serious surgery, so it shouldn't be entered casually.

[thoseareradishes]

Oct 12, 2012 15:55:26 GMT -5 Cheesecake said:

It's not a choice in the Netherlands, and I personally like that. It's always vaginal unless medically indicated. VBACs are also the standard after a C section, unless there's a very good medical reason to go straight to a C section. Infant mortality in NL is very low compared to the US, so I'm completely comfortable with that. (C sections definitely happen, but only when medically necessary.)

I've heard too many friends in the US who were almost forced into a C section by doctors because it was basically just more convenient for the doctors. Or induced at 40 weeks because that was just more convenient. That just saddens me. In my mind and feeling the baby will come out when it's ready to come out, not when it's convenient for doctor, mother or whoever.

That said, if you personally feel you have a good reason why you want a C section (or drugs or voodoo or whatever - and good reason can be 'I've thought it over and I just really want that') I won't judge you. I do hope that whoever chooses elective medical procedures has really read up on it, got well-informed and really thought it through, because it is a serious surgery, so it shouldn't be entered casually.

I agree, but you have to be careful about the baby getting too big. Big babies are harder to get out and complications can arise if you try to push a giant baby out of a small opening- shoulders get stuck, lack of oxygen, etc.

[Cheesecake]

Oct 12, 2012 17:07:32 GMT -5 thoseareradishes said:

Oct 12, 2012 15:55:26 GMT -5 Cheesecake said:

It's not a choice in the Netherlands, and I personally like that. It's always vaginal unless medically indicated. VBACs are also the standard after a C section, unless there's a very good medical reason to go straight to a C section. Infant mortality in NL is very low compared to the US, so I'm completely comfortable with that. (C sections definitely happen, but only when medically necessary.)

I've heard too many friends in the US who were almost forced into a C section by doctors because it was basically just more convenient for the doctors. Or induced at 40 weeks because that was just more convenient. That just saddens me. In my mind and feeling the baby will come out when it's ready to come out, not when it's convenient for doctor, mother or whoever.

That said, if you personally feel you have a good reason why you want a C section (or drugs or voodoo or whatever - and good reason can be 'I've thought it over and I just really want that') I won't judge you. I do hope that whoever chooses elective medical procedures has really read up on it, got well-informed and really thought it through, because it is a serious surgery, so it shouldn't be entered casually.

I agree, but you have to be careful about the baby getting too big. Big babies are harder to get out and complications can arise if you try to push a giant baby out of a small opening- shoulders get stuck, lack of oxygen, etc.

Lack of oxygen and stuck babies would certainly be medical emergencies that call for less natural methods, I'd say. But babies rarely are too big. The female body is kinda super amazing in how it can transform itself. Stuck shoulders or oxygen issues happen with babies and mothers of all different shapes and sizes...

Sent from my phone, please disregard typos

[SallySparrow]

I've seen several c-sections, which is how I learned that they take your uterus out. I mean, it's still attached, obviously, but yeah, take it out, clean it up, inspect it, put it back. I thought "No f---ing way am I doing that". Unless medically necessary, of course.

I don't care what other people do. I do side eye the doctors who "strongly encourage" their patients to schedule c-sections to work around the doctor's schedule. And yes, that does happen, even though it's not supposed to.

ETA: I've heard that not all doctors remove the uterus during a c-section, but I don't know if that's true. Every one I've seen has.

[thatgirl2478]

So my two cents on this - I wouldn't necessarily rule out a vaginal birth based on what a gyno said - a lot of things change based on the hormones you produce while pregnant etc. HOWEVER, if you want a c/s, I can honestly say that recovery wasn't THAT difficult for me personally. Your results may vary - depending on how well you heal etc - but it wasn't horrible.

If we are lucky enough to have a 2nd, I will probably go for a repeat c/s because of my experiences the first time.

[horseoutside]

Vaginal unless a c-section is medically necessary.

I'll also admit to being a little judgemental of scheduled c-sections for anything other than medical necessity.

[pooh8402]

I'm a nursery nurse who attends deliveries both vag and c/s. Our docs do NOT remove the ute from the body every time, usually only when they are doing a tubal ligation or there was a problem like an abruption.

I am firmly in the vaginal delivery camp. I wouldn't mind being induced after 40 weeks, but when I am in labor, I want to be able to labor. None of this "failure to progress" after 6 hours bs. And please give me an epidural. :-)

Sent from my SPH-L710 using proboards

[Bumblebee]

My hope would be for a vaginal birth with an epidural.

[SallySparrow]

Oct 15, 2012 17:42:12 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

I'm a nursery nurse who attends deliveries both vag and c/s. Our docs do NOT remove the ute from the body every time, usually only when they are doing a tubal ligation or there was a problem like an abruption.


Sent from my SPH-L710 using proboards

See, I would be interested in knowing if it's doctor preference or hospital policy re: when to and when not to. Of all the c-sections I saw, only one or two included tubal ligations. And none of them had any kind of issue that made removing the uterus "necessary", but they did it anyway. I also wonder what the difference is between old school and new doctors re: who does it all the time, and who only does it in situations like you mentioned. Hmm...

[crimsonandclover]

Oct 15, 2012 19:02:14 GMT -5 SallySparrow said:

Oct 15, 2012 17:42:12 GMT -5 pooh8402 said:

I'm a nursery nurse who attends deliveries both vag and c/s. Our docs do NOT remove the ute from the body every time, usually only when they are doing a tubal ligation or there was a problem like an abruption.


Sent from my SPH-L710 using proboards

See, I would be interested in knowing if it's doctor preference or hospital policy re: when to and when not to. Of all the c-sections I saw, only one or two included tubal ligations. And none of them had any kind of issue that made removing the uterus "necessary", but they did it anyway. I also wonder what the difference is between old school and new doctors re: who does it all the time, and who only does it in situations like you mentioned. Hmm...

::coming out of lurking::

When I had my c/s with DD, a bit after she was out I felt a really strange sensation. I asked the very nice anesthesiologist what that was, and she goes, "Oh, he's putting your uterus back in." I went ... my uterus was out?!

That's just anecdotal, but this was in Germany for an unplanned but non-emergent c/s due to HELLP. I had no abruption, no ligation, it just seemed to be standard.

::returns to lurking::