Is a C-section really that bad?

So many replies and heres one more:

I have had two c-section, second one was elective

From personal experience, did you ladies that had a c-section really find it that sore and bad?
No. I found it less painful than having my appendix removed, which was very painful for me

Was the recovery process difficult?
I didn't find it to be. Like so many others, I was driving around after a few days home. I was worried about negotiating the stairs in our house (double storey) and kinda planned to hide out upstairs for a week or 2, but was up and down no problem.

How long did it take for you to recover?
Was fine by day 3

How soon were you on your feet?
C-section at 13h00 the afternoon and was in the shower by 9am the next morning. When nurse removed my drip, I asked if I could have my left over murphine in a doggy bag (about 1/2 left). She was not very obliging

Does it really interfere with getting back into shape after the birth?
Can't really say. Wasn't inshape before the birth, not in shape now!

Good luck with your decision!

I think an elective c-sec is much better than an emergency c-sec because I think that your emotional and psychological state plays some role in how u experience the whole thing and possibly the recovery as well.

Up to the day before my due date, I had planned on vaginal birth, but changed my mind the day before! there were a number of reasons which I don't really wanna go into. But I guess I hadn't given myself enough time to let the decision sink in and even whilst being wheeled into theatre I had doubts and the gynae kept asking me if I was sure...cos I was already in labour from about 4am that morning (c-sec scheduled for 8am)

Anyway, long story short, I think I kept taking the meds when I was already in pain instead of BEFORE so I had quite a bit of pain. also, what I was very uncomfortable with was having to be cleaned by the nurses-the changing of sanitary towels and all! I was VERY uncomfortable with that. Guess I'm one of the super coy/shy/conservative ppl about such things. I really didn't like that.

I know there is no dignity in a vaginal birth either cos your girly bits are all there for all to see whilst you push etc...but at least afterwards, you can clean yourself.

That was just my feeling...other than that, the entire experience was not so bad. Hoping for a vbac though. Just want the experience cos (AND THIS IS JUST ME) and probably cos I had made such a rash decision, I had very deep feelings of regret at not having "given birth" to my daughter when I was fully capable of having done so...

I had a c-section due to a failed induction, but I'm also a doula so I support mothers through all kinds of births. I also have a strong interest in birth choices!

My c-section was pretty ordinary. I was quite sore the following day when I got up to have a shower and I found it difficult getting in and out of bed when my son was crying. By the end of the first week I had stopped pain medication and just had to be careful picking up my son. I really struggled to breastfeed though.

My story seems to be pretty standard, but you do have quite a wide spectrum of experiences. One women I know was told by her doctor in early pregnancy that because she wore a size 4 shoe, she would never be able to give birth naturally and had an elective cs at 38 weeks.

As a c-section is major abdominal surgery, it carries the same risks as other surgeries (eg. heart surgery) because it involves cutting into an organ with a major blood supply. The most common side effect of any major surgery is thrombosis. This mother who was told to have a c-section had to be rushed to ICU the day after she was released from hospital due to a blood clot that reached her lung. She spent 2 weeks in ICU and not being allowed to see her baby.

A vaginal birth has it's own problems, but the risk of death is much much lower. I believe studies show about a 4 times higher maternal death rate for c-section compared to a vaginal delivery. However, because the surgery is being performed so commonly these days this rate may have improved.

From my experience I can only say that it comes down to personal choice. You are the person who will have to live with the results of your choices, and so no family member, friend or medical person should force anything on you - c-section or vaginal birth!

On the other hand, I feel strongly that 40 million years of vaginal birth must have been good for something and we shouldn't be so quick in dismissing the benefits of it! We also need to remember that the use of c-section is only just reaching a peak and so we don't yet know what the long term outcomes are of babies born this way.

The medical pro's and con's then also need to be weighed against your experience of the birth process. It would be much better to have a pleasant elective c-section than a highly traumatic, but successful, vaginal birth. Dealing with postnatal depression or PTSD from the birth is not the way anyone needs to start adjusting to motherhood!

There is no "easy" way to have a baby, and a vaginal birth is not as terrible or scary as it might seem, just like a c-section might also not be as easy or fuss free as it might seem.

I always recommend mothers to watch this film - "Labouring under and Illusion" - in order to dispel some of the myths about vaginal birth. You can watch the trailer for it on youtube -

It's a fab documentary and very funny, so definitely worth getting hold of a copy of the full thing.

My first c-sec was bad but my second one wasn't that bad although it's still tender 16 weeks later when I bump there or my daughter pushes there

Nayeela wrote:

Dont want to start an e-war herE as thats not the purpose.

@Vix - I believe Laliek asked about personal experiences so I dont understand why you think that the people that had no pain from a c-sec are lying or have forgotten the pain? Why would you think that they are lying? I truly have had no pain from my csec and it went well. It was tender but not painful. I ceratinly am not lying or have forgotten because that was the one thing that stayed with me after my csec. I kept saying to my DH that I cant believe I have no pain because I was actually expecting to be doubling over since its a major surgery. So clearly that cannot eb because I have forgotten.

Think each one of us must speak for ourselves instead of calling others liars or mushy brains. just because we had no pain.

I had exactly the same experience as your Nayeela. It's major abdominal surgery and we all deal with pain differently and have different pain threashold's. I was up the next morning bathing my own baby and taking a shower. I even shaved my own legs in the shower with no assistance. I took pain killers like they were prescribed and didn't try and be all tough about it and not take the meds like some people do. I was home for less than a week and I was totally off the meds and driving my car (Ok I know that's not allowed) I had elective C-Secs both times round and I do think that plays a major role in your recovery and also your mindset as somebody said previously. You are welcome to read my birth story about my "Natural cesearean" and that statement is not open to any derogatory comments as it definately was a natural experience to me. You will be stiff and tight around your tummy area but it is releived if you take the voltarens every 12 hours and the other anti-inflamotories every 6 hours as prescribed. I was sitting cross legged on my hospital bed the afternoon of the next day when my gune walked in and stated "Didn't you just have a c-section?"

Julz I'm just really getting annoyed when people make me out to be a sissy and telling me that it wasn't that sore and that I should have been more positive etc. etc. etc. And that it couldn't have been that bad. Argh anyways, I'm not going to get worked up again over this.

Again this thread is great but we really need to respect each others experiences.

For many of us the c section was really great. For others like myself it didn't quite go according to plan and we need to realise that we are all individuals and especially where surgery is concerned we all have difference healing times and different situations so while it is wonderful to hear from other moms regarding their experience, yours will be different.

I lost all my weight but I do have a pouch. Nothing I can do about it.