CEASER VS NATURAL BIRTH

I am hoping for VBAC this time. Really want to experience natural childbirth.

Was induced @40wks with 1st, wasn't dilating, eventually had C/S for fetal distress...my little girl is healthy and thats all that matters in the end.

I am one of those moms who get quite heated under the collar when this subject comes up - I chose to have three c-sections, and also felt I was "judged" that my births well, weren't really births by the vaginal set ... but ... to be honest I have moved on, and ... I try not to get so riled up.

I would like to comment with 20/20 hindsight if I may.

Background:

I chose a c-section the 1st time round - no pressure from anyone.

2nd time I had a OBGYN who scheduled a c-section at the 1st appointment. I had to fight tooth and nail to "allow" her to allow me to try for a VBAC. In the end, I did not go through with it and opted for a c-section under very rushed conditions.

3rd time - I went with a c-section as it made sense, and did not want to go through the stress as with the 2nd pregnancy.

I think if I had someone like Nef who I went to with my 1st pregnancy and who was able to guide me and give me the confidence that my body and my mind could get through labour, I do wish I could have a "do over" and would opt for a vaginal birth.

I do feel that I have "missed out" on something to a degree, but my choices were MY choices, and I need to accept that, and respect that at the time, that felt best for me.

But if I could "time travel" back to 2001 and be pregnant, I would seek out a Nef and explore my options and see whether I could allow someone to assist me to have a birth where I felt more in control.

<but I do get very pissed off by the often righteous-look-what-I-did-without-drugs tone of vaginal birth moms ...>

And we tend to forget that there is a large cut on your uterus too which can increase the chance of placenta previa amongst other things.

Vash, I had an episiotomy for my 1st labour, I literally screamed! It was horrendous. A couple of the stitches were not quite right either.
It healed well though and my 2nd birth was totally pain free with no medication and no tears. As every pregnancy is different the same is true for birth!! There are things you can do to help prevent tearing or the need for an episiotomy!
Given the choice I would rather take care of a 1cm cut from an episiotomy than a 15cm cut from a c-section

Consider a waterbirth. I had waterbirths and didn't tear. Kayla was born in the water, Megan a few minutes after I got out of the water.

I had a natural birth with episiotomy. I did get a pethadine shot during early labour because i was dialating very slowly and i could not relax. The most painful part of the birth was the episiotomy. I cried everyday for a week after the birth because of the pain. I couldn't sit or walk properly. I'm seriously considering a c section with the next baby. I definetly don't want to have stitches down there again.

Uhmmmmmmm wow Nefertiti, I know what you mean. I had a pethidine shot with Connor, my second child, as I was not coping well and highly stressed about having my shirodkar stitch removed I was more scared of having that stitch removed than I was of giving birth. So my gp who also did th edelievry, gave me pethidine to calm down. So, Connor was born like 40 minutes later and he slept for NINE hours because of that pethidine. it made me physically ill, throwing up after the brith for hours. So, because of that ONE bad experience with pain medication during brith, I vowed never to use drugs during birth again. My husband had a hard time convincing me to take even panado for migraines when I was pregnant, I just don't liek it. FOR ME IT WAS TEH RIGHT CHOICE. Again, not because I think I am braver or more of a woman because I had drug free natural births.