Vaginal or C section birth

It’s definitely not the “more easy” route. There’s so much to consider with both births obviously, but a caesarean is major surgery. Having another vaginal birth does terrify me but that’s due to the fact my OB and I decided a caesarean is better for me this time around due to prior complications and health. Either way I’m not looking forward to recovery and am nervous as hell regardless of a baby coming into the world via vaginal or being cut open.

I've only ever given birth vaginally but C-sections are not the easy route, they cut through 7 layers while you're awake, it's terrifying

the fact that ur numb and dont go thru contraction pain and vaginal tearing… 🤷🏼‍♀️

i used to think the same but I experienced a nice vaginal delivery. I didn’t even feel when I was getting the epidural cause my contractions were painful, but once I got it i felt like nothing. Didn’t even feel the baby come out 🥳 now I’m scared of c sections. 😆🙄

@Sam I think that can be offending to mamas who’ve had caesarean. You’re still being cut layer by layer. Pain medicine doesn’t fully last and wears off. Then a lot of woman experience pain in scars for years. I agree a vaginal is scary but if you’re able to work out a great birth plan with your doctor to calm your nerves it can make birth go a lot more smoothly.

@Sam that still doesn't mean C-sections are easier, it's a surgery and most of the time it's a way longer recovery time

sorry no offence to anyone who had painful deliveries with both types just trying to get advice on it im scared of pain😭😭😭

C-section mom here! You don't feel the cutting, but you feel being yanked around on the table. They cut you a little bit but because it's better for healing, they manually tear the rest of the incision open. I was so tired but thought that if I fell asleep, I would die. I threw up VIOLENTLY afterwards while still on the table and for 12 hours afterwards because of the medications. The abdominal pain made it difficult to stand up straight and walk by myself.

@Sam some people choose to have C-sections and there's no problem with that you just gotta know the risks and what truly happens during a C-section and postpartum before you choose to do that

I had a section and loved it. Mine was emergency because of unexpected complications which meant my son had to be born earlier than planned but I was going to be having an elective anyway. For me, I have friends who are midwives who have all went for elective sections so that told me a lot without them having to say anything lol. No pain at the time and nice relaxed environment and I felt safe. Obviously the pain afterwards it’s horrendous but that’s to be expected. The first 3 days are the worst but then I found it was more manageable. Completely up to you what you want to plan for but it definitely took away a lot of fears about the unknown for me x

Neither is an easy route unfortunately. I had a c-section due to baby being footling breech & I found the recovery very painful. I also still have numbness & pain in my stomach/scar area 7 months on that is likely nerve related & therefore won’t go away. It’s a legitimate choice to have one electively if you don’t want a vaginal birth however I’d recommend having a discussion with your midwife & a doctor to make an informed choice x

Ok speaking from experience of a 2 time c-section mom. It’s very very scary you get 7 layers of your inside cut just to reach one spot. The recovery will more than likely take the whole 6weeks if not longer. But both make you a mom so don’t ever let no one say you took the easy way out. Because I could have died or bleed out just like someone who delivered vaginally.

A c-section is a major surgery. I had a vaginal birth and was out and about right once I was discharged from the hospital. I haven’t had a c-section, but my thought is that the healing time takes much longer. My biggest fear was having a c-section, so much so that at 37 weeks pregnant I decided I was going to change doctors and hospitals. I ended up delivering at a hospital with a 10% c-section rate compared to the hospital I was originally going to deliver at that had a 34% c-section rate (and a rate much higher amongst black women).

C sections are not the easy way out, yes delivery is pain free but you have the pain for weeks afterwards. Its major surgery and your expected to be up.and about walking 4 hours later, look after a whole new human and walk out the hospital within 24 hours of birth. I'm 8 months PP and still feel pain at times. Nothing winds me up more than thinking c sections are the easy way out.

I’ve seen a c-section in nursing school and it was WILD! I’d much rather push it out. 😂

I had a planned c section ; it was what was best for me. It took 3 minutes to get her out, 25 to sew me up. The first 2 weeks were no joke; couldn’t bend, couldn’t hold my baby long. I made sure to stay up on my meds, rested, and at 3 weeks, I felt great. I’m 7 weeks now and am back to exercising. I think it really depends on the person, your team and the support you have. I’m very grateful for everyone that helped me.

Im sorry to everyone that took offence, I am just comparing it to my twin sister who also had a planned c section and is fine just a week after and has all the support around her to help her with baby… I too will have alot of support so thinking to choose that route as I wont be alone in my recovery… should have worded my post differently sorry!! I just want to know what will be easier for me, I am someone who suffered alot with bad period pains and dont think I can do contraction pains or the pain of vaginal tearing… Also I feel like the women who are so against c section and have negative stories about it are women who tried the vaginal route and it didnt work out and had emegency c sections, in comparison to planned c section where you dont go through the trauma of “emergency c section”…🤷🏼‍♀️

and women with positive c section stories are always the planned ones… am I wrong?

I’d 10000 percent choose natural over c section my c section was horrendous I could hardly get up by myself for days I was in tears constantly I got my tubes removed to ensure I never have to go thru a c section again 😩 I’ve heard others say they recovered easily from a c section. It’s different for everyone.

thank you all for your inputs xx

@Sam a week for your twin may be very different to next week and very different to your own experience. Pain medication needs to be taken religiously to help you navigate the first couple weeks. It masks it VERY WELL and other people only see snippets of what you're going through. Everyone's experience will be different and giving birth isn't easy whichever way you do it. Vaginal - longer labour, quick recovery (complications aside) Section - quick delivery (without complications), long recovery, possibility of long lasting pain and tingling. Only you can make the decision but never say either is easy.

C section is not easier at all. They cut 7 layers and sometimes take out organs. It's a major surgery. I've had an unnecessary c section with my first. It took a very long time for me to feel normalish. I can't wear anything too tight, or it bugs my scar, and it's been almost 9 years. I had to take physical therapy for it to stop hurting so much when it was almost 2 years after. I had a vbac with my 2nd and it's was so much better and easier recovery. I was up and walking around right away, could take care of my baby without worrying I'd fall or reopen anything. I was very wake after pushing him out. I'd do everything I possibly could to never have another c section. My body hates surgeries ever since having one and scars goofy even.

I didn’t find my emergency cesarean hard at all, nor the recovery (despite being scared initially because of all the horror stories on Peanut). I really want a VBAC but I’m worried it’ll be a lot harder than a cesarean… my friends with vaginal births complained a lot of tearing, soreness and difficulty using the toilet. All I had was a bit of stiffness getting up for the first couple of weeks 🤷‍♀️

People think a c section is easier because you don’t have to endure the hours of labor, but it actually isn’t it’s much more harder because not only did you get cut open now you have to take care of someone else while you are in recovery Granted some vaginal births can be harsh on some peoples bodies as well, but it’s a easier recovery

As for giving literal birth, it’s easier. Mentally it’s horrifying, knowing you’re about to have major surgery, and there are still risks. You could lose a lot of blood, die, lose your womb entirely. And you’re awake for it. The recovery is harder. You’ve just had MAJOR surgery, you’re expected to be up and walking within a few hours and care for a newborn who wants feeding every hour. You can’t get up, pick anything up, and your partner can’t stay with you at the hospital. Don’t forget your only pain relief, hardly touches period pain. I got contractions after I had her, they lasted 3 days, and I’ve had 2 infections in my wound because I can’t care for it when I have a newborn baby who won’t settle for hours at a time. She’s 5 weeks old and some days I still struggle getting out of bed with the pain and have to be a mum from my bed. My friend gave birth vaginally and was sat in the pub the day after with her baby. I couldn’t make it to the toilet at the point.

C-section is easier in the short run but harder in the long run. I was almost back to normal by like the 3rd or 4th day post partum, C-section is a much longer recovery with possible future complications

I had a c section and definitely not the easier route. I lost 8 x the normal amount of blood and was in surgery for 3 hours. It was an extremely traumatic experience with a very long and tough recovery after. It affected me so much mentally I’m still struggling with PTSD 7 months on. It completely affected my bond with my baby initially and when I look back on the newborn stage all I can think about is how low I was. Really heartbreaking! C sections are most definitely not the easiest route!

A Csection is definitely not the easy route. It’s major surgery cutting through 7 layers of skin. There’s also a lot more risks involved than a vaginal birth. You mentioned about a vaginal tear, I would rather that than accidentally have my bowels cut open for example, which does happen with c sections. The recovery for a csection is also extremely painful. You can’t drive for 6 weeks, you cant lift things, some people can hardly walk. I had a planned Csection last time but this time I’m adament I want vaginal!

@Sam you’re wrong. I’ve had 2 c sections. One emergency after 24 hours in labour and one planned. Both a positive experience and yes the first c section it took longer for me to feel myself but that was more to do with the fact that I laboured beforehand. I’m not against a c section at all, I’d planned to attempt a Vbac with my second if I went into labour before a certain date and also had a planned c section. I understand by your profile you’re due your first so you don’t know and are trying to get input but comments like that are ignorant especially for parents who suffered mentally, emotionally and physically after having to have a c section when it wasn’t planned. A vaginal birth isn’t guaranteed and neither are easy, both have their recovery times and both mean birthing your child. Good luck on your birth and I sincerely hope you get the birth you plan for.

I had an emergency c section and had a positive experience. I was walking outside on day 3 and the pain stopped on about day 10. It definitely wasn’t easy but I know a lot of others find recovery a lot harder. Just do what you feel is best for you.

thank you all xxx cant wait to be on the other end… praying for whatever is best for me and what my body can handle.🤲🏽

I had an unmedicated vaginal birth . I’d never opt for a C section , for me it just seems like unnecessary suffering . Recovering from a major surgery on top of postpartum, no sleep and adjusting to being a mum sounds awful. But that’s my opinion- You do what feels right for you. You could get an epidural if your worried about pain, or you may surprise yourself and manage well X

I had emergency section while awake after being in latent labour for a week, getting induced due to not progressing past 5cm. Got to pushing stage and heart rate was dropping and took too long to return. Failed forceps x3 and vontouse. Yes it was traumatic but I was up and walking about by day3. After 5 days I was discharged. Just kept on top of pain meds. Due to the internal incision I’ve been told I can’t even try for a VBAC as I could possibly have uterine rupture

My c section recovery was quite challenging so I’ll be definitely hoping for a VBAC. I was in labour for 23 hours and generally coped really well and enjoyed birth, but c-section was really hard for me as I struggled to walk/bend, needed help to shower/get dressed, couldn’t sleep as I couldn’t lay down, had wound infections. It is a major surgery x

I've had an induced natural birth and a planned c section and although the pain was worse during natural birth I'd much rather do it that way again. Once the baby is out, the pain stops but with a c section, the recovery is much longer and i struggled to even pick my baby up for a good few days. I couldn't even lie down in bed I had to sleep sitting up on the sofa. Everyone is different though and your recovery may not be the same as mine, but I'd rather a natural over a section based on recovery xx

It’s absolutely impossible to answer your question as no two peoples experience is the same. Same have horrific vaginal births while some have seemingly okay ones. Some sections go smoothly with an okay recovery, some go catastrophically wrong. A section is a major abdominal surgery. There’s nothing easy about that and it comes with many risks. Haemorrhaging, post operative clots, infections, longer hospital admission, damage to your bladder. Of course women have the right to choose how they bring their child into the world. I had a section (not through choice) and it was a good experience but I would still have opted for a vaginal had I the choice.

I think it varies person to person. But from what I’ve heard of people who had natural births it sounds horrific but that’s what the body is meant to go through, natural birth. People are very anti c section I don’t really know why, but they are. Like it doesn’t count as a birth that’s how it comes across. I had a c section and it was literally a walk in the park no issues, no dramas, no horrific recovery I was up and about fine with minimal pain which I feel blessed about. I do think that the more successful c sections seem to be the planned ones. Mine was planned for medical reasons. Just do what you think is right for you and baby🙏🏽🥰

I had a planned c section as birth terrified me. Was a beautiful experience x

thank you ladies xxx god bless you and your babies

@Sam wait till the numbness wares off though and you have a newborn to look after

I agree. I opted for one, no medical reason and will not hesitate to opt again. Loved it and considered it easy - the procedure itself and recovery. My list of reasons for wanting a c section: Tearing Episiotomy Pain and wound care in such sensitive areas 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 PTSD/trauma from any pain/unplanned issues. It concerned me that nobody spoke about the above despite quite a few being pretty common. Then there's the UK stats that 1 in 4 (maybe more according to recent data) end up with a c section anyway. Plus the updated NICE guidelines/info. And numerous maternity scandals. Emergency/unplanned c secs are often world's apart from planned/electives. Loads of positive stories in the c section mamas group. X

thank you for your reply!! @Vicky

@Vicky you seem to have mentioned all the risks of a vaginal birth but what about the risks of a Csection? -Infection in the wound -Infection in the womb lining -Excessive bleeding leading to blood transfusion -Deep vein thrombosis -Damage to your bladder -Damage to your kidneys -Cut in babies skin -Breathing difficulties for baby -Scar rupture in future pregnancies -Placenta difficulties in future pregnancies -Use of forceps (this can happen with both vaginal and Csection) You then have the extremely difficult recovery too. And not being able to drive or lift older children if you have them. I had a planned Csection and it was far from pleasant. Would never opt for a Csection again x

apparently its safest way to deliver a healthy baby also. Thats what my twin was told by her docs abroad…

@Letitia I just gave my reasons and experiences. OP this is why there is so much fear of c sections... anyone with an ounce of positivity is shouted down and attacked.

National Institute for Clinical Excellence has revised its judgement and now says that, overall, caesareans are no more risky than vaginal deliveries – though the risks are different. The risks of caesareans are related to having major surgery and there are longer recovery times and that can interfere with the initiation of breastfeeding. Women who have vaginal births have a slightly higher risk of internal injuries. There is no conclusive evidence on maternal and child death during the two forms of childbirth and what exists is conflicting. The risk however in both cases is very small. Children born by caesarean are nearly twice as likely to receive neonatal intensive care – but that is likely to relate to the reason they opted for a caesarean rather than the caesarean itself

OP if you are thinking of requesting one these are good points to raise if needed with consultant. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2008/jul/11/nhs.health1 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9536923/Women-plan-C-section-no-likely-suffer-poor-outcomes.html https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-10570261/If-mums-told-TRUTH-natural-birth-C-sections-like-did.html https://www.cmaj.ca/content/193/18/E634 https://www.itv.com/news/2019-04-18/caesareans-cheaper-than-natural-deliveries-once-negligence-claims-taken-into-account https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC343856/ https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/apr/14/i-was-told-they-didnt-offer-c-sections-the-dangerous-obsession-with-natural-births https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/feb/13/caesareans-or-vaginal-births-should-mothers-or-medics-have-the-final-say https://www.theguardian.com/news/blog/2008/jul/11/whydoctorsprefercaesareanb

C section was not easy. I had a vaginal delivery that turned into a c section after over an hour of pushing. The vaginal delivery wasn’t bad until the end (which was why I needed the c section bc he was in distress) The C section was honestly terrifying. My body had weird reactions to the anesthesia. I wasn’t even allowed to hold my baby until 2 hours or so after his birth because my body would not stop violently shaking. During the C section I almost threw up on myself multiple times. And the healing process has been hell. I’m 1 week in rn and i can’t even get out of bed without severe pain. If you’re scared of pain, def don’t c section electively. The pain from the healing is long and for me it’s still almost unbearable a week in. At the hospital I was in so much pain I couldn’t get up at all either. Def not an easy route. I’m sure others experience with their C section may have been different. I was literally so close to being done with my vaginal delivery 😭

I even was debating on doing an elective c section anyways so the idea of having the C section wasn’t something that scared me but my body did not react well to the C section or the meds at all. Def go into it with an informed decision Both deliveries can come with risks and difficulties. One isn’t more difficult or easy than the other , but one may be easier on YOUR body than the other. Some people have easier c sections , some don’t. Also there is a risk, as there is with any major surgery, so also weigh that in as well. My body doesn’t respond to pain meds that well at all so that also sucked 😭 Make a pros and cons list for yourself !! Make 2 of them 1 with the pros of vaginal and pros of c section Another with the negatives of vaginal and the negatives of c section Then compare them both, and whichever one seems more your style may be the one for you!

Also , as someone who was in labor and had to do a c section at the very end If you are still debating, an epidural??? Life saver. Now also keep in mind it doesn’t work for all women. But when I had the epidural, I literally slept through most of my labor up until I had to push and then the issue started. One thing I will say is part of me wishes I chose a C section simply because I ended up needing one anyways, so I did all that for nothing. It didn’t hurt when I had the epidural until the issue started up. Hindsight is 20/20 though I would’ve preferred fully vaginal , but also considering the fact that some people (like myself) go into a whole vaginal delivery just to end up needing a c section anyways? It’s a tough call. For that it’s like trying to predict the future. I remember even telling my husband “if I do all this just to end up needing a c section I’ll be pissed” LOL