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How bad is a C-section?`
Added: 1339 days ago.
Added by: MarcieB
Section: General.
Status: This question is Closed. (Questions will be closed after 10 days.)


My doctor and husband both are encouraging me to have a c section due to the fact that the baby is large and I`m not making any progress. Doctor said he will induce me next week but if I still had not made any progress it (induced labor)will be hard. So I guess my question is do I get induced from no contraction and 0 dialated or effaced or do I just opt for a c section. This is my first baby and they all seem concerned about her being a large baby. Help experienced moms, I just want to get my baby here safe and sound. What do I do?

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rhiannarussell - 1336 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) my daugter was nine pounds and one ounce. Didnt see that one coming!

rhiannarussell - 1336 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) I think that you should also wait it out. Always Remember that a c-section IS A MAJOR surgery. I started labor a at 41 weeks. Doctors thought my baby was smaller than she really was. I am a very small lady. 107 pounds and thin. Things were progressing right, until i got to 9 in a half cm dialated. My cervix is tilted. My baby would not come out. So i had to have a emergency c-section. Which went badly. I almost didnt make it. I would much rather have a vaginally, then almost not be there for my daughter or family. Im not saying that will happen for you. Just like last.one.for.me. said it should be your last resort, unless it WAS SERIOUS. And not all women recover well. So. I say wait until your due date. and good luck. :)

♥ her - 1338 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) I have had 3 c sections ... and 5 vaginal births! I will take c sections over Vagainal anyday!

BabyMakerMachine - 1339 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) Okay, I'm not going to tell you what to do. Ultimately it's up to you and your doctor (apart from a medical necessity if it comes to that.) And I've never had a c-section, so, I can't really say I have a preference either way. However, I personally am terrified of the thought of having a c-section (not trying to scare you---as I said, I've never had one.) However, I had a natural birth with my daughter and it was amazing....with my son, they had to induce because my labor stopped and induced labor is a lot harder and more intense than natural labor. I didn't want any medication with either of my children, but with my son, I was exhausted and just needed to sleep a bit, so I asked for medication. I know that if you go for the induction and it doesn't work and you end up in a c-section, you will have the recovery of the induction (because you will be tender) AND the c-section. I personally would try the induction because as I said, I am terrified of c-sections and I just down right want to have natural (or vaginal) birth. Also, my dad's girlfriend had her first baby vaginally and her second by a c-section and she said that the c-section was horrible compared to the vaginal. She said that with her first, the pain stopped as soon as he was born---after that she was just tender down there. With her second, she didn't start hurting until the medication wore off and it was a more drawn out pain. But as I said, it's ultimately up to you and your doctor. If you want to try the induction, I would start walking a lot to help things start and unless your doctor doesn't allow it, have relations with your hubby....because it can help ripen you up and could help with the induction. As always , BEST OF LUCK EITHER WAY! Do what you feel is the right thing....trust me, after your baby is born, you will not regret any decisions that made that happen.

mfbrown - 1339 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) A c-section... I had a c-section and it wasn't bad for me... I healed up within days of having it, barely have a scar, wasn't especially sore after the first 4 days.... And for me it was also because of safety precaution and after they did the c-section they found that she was sunny side up so had I tried to deliver I could have ended up in an emergency c-section anyways. C-section to me was a controlled environment so the likiness of something going wrong was MUCH MUCH lower and the numbing they give you is AWESOME you won't feel a thing. I actually laughed during my c-section lol :0) (you can read my birthstory if you're interested) :0)

readyfornumber2 - 1339 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) Well I had a small baby get stuck after 30 hours and ended up in section. Those hours of labor really slowed recovery for the first couple days but by the time I was discharged I was feeling about 75%. I would say I was 100% about 10 days later. I am pregnant again and a VBAC is not possible for me due to a malformity with my pelvic bone. So this will be another c/s so it must not be too bad right? Good Luck either way

blondie9504 - 1339 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) I've never had a broken bone or a stitch in my life until I gave birth. I had a really bad labor with several complications the whole way but I'm scared shitless of going under the knife so it was my absolute last option. I wasn't effaced or dilated at all 2 days before I had my lil girl. I actually went into labor on my due date! Everyone thought I was going to deliver an ox I guess so I was suppose to be induced the day after my due date and no later. After the blood transfusions and blah blah blah I had to have an epsiotomy(SP?) and ended up delivering a 6lb 11oz 20.5 in little girl! Everyone thought she was going to be 9+pounds because I had GD. I'm not a small person by any means(5'10 and 185 lbs) So delivering her shouldn't have been difficult at all but it was horrible. If I were you I would wait until my due date and if it doesn't happen, schedule a c-section because it's not worth the risk to go overdue and you are probably already done being pregnant, I sure was by 37 weeks. They'll give you meds to manage the pain and it's safer than going way overdue and having something go seriously wrong. JMO :)

last.one.for.me - 1339 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) Ultrasounds are NOT accurate at all - the can calcululate the length nad head circumference and thats pretty much it. My first was estimated at 7lb exactly - he was 9lb 10ozs born. My SIL was induced on her due date, due to a supposed 9lb baby at 38 weeks. She gave birth to a 7lb 3ozs baby after 4 days of forced, induced labour at 40 weeks. If your mother and grandmother have all managed a vaginal delivery, chances are you will as well. GEt a s econd doctors opinion.. I HATE when doctors try to force a section on people - yopu wouldn't find that happening here in the UK.. C-section is LAST RESORT. Even though my sister laboured for 4 WHOLE days, they would NOT resort to a section just to save on man hours and resources... She was fit and healthy enough to deliver vaginally, and even if your baby IS big, a bad tear is easier to recover from that major abdominal surgery... Of course you havent progressed at 38 weeks, why would you of? You still have AT LEAST 2 weeks of pregnancy left... I still hadn't progressed at 41 weeks and3 days overdue, my midwife couldn't even feel my cervix. Then at 41 weeks and 5 days, I gave birth in ONE HOUR from the start of the first contraction to him being placed in my arms.. It can happen out of nowhere...

xolblondieox - 1339 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) heidismummy: I had to have a section due to having a monochorionic twin pregnancy. I was informed at just 7 weeks gestation that this is how mono babies are born. It's extrememly dangerous to attempt a vaginal birth, because one baby will deliver and then the placenta may try to deliver before the second baby is out. My section was not for convenience. It was for need. Preserving my vagina was not necissarily a bad byproduct and I'm not ashamed to say it. Second or third degree tearing and stretching versus a 6 inch, hidden tummy incision? I'll take my section, thank you! Call me vain, call me self centered. I thought about these things and I'm not afraid to admit it. The condition of my vagina and future sexual relations are important to me. Do I support having a section JUST for this reason? No. But was it an added bonus in MY situation? Yes! And as others have said, your birth experience is your own. You do not have to have a vaginal delivery to appreciate your baby's birth or to bond with it. And it does not take 6 weeks to recover. That is how long you're supposed to "take it easy" for. It takes about 1 to be able to deal and function near normal. I had two babies sectioned and I was walking 8 hours later. Hubby went back to work and I was on my own caring for them 4 days later. Life goes on and section mommies can care for their babies perfectly fine.

MrsStrickland74 - 1339 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) A friend on mine was in the same situation a month ago.The doctors didn't think she would dialate due to the baby being so big. They wanted to section her on her due date. She asked them to let her try it first. They induced her on Thursday morning. She had no dialation or efacement before that. By 3 pm they broke her water and at midnight she gave birth vaginally to a 8lb 9 oz baby girl. They expected the baby to be well over 10 lbs. Doctors are wrong all the time. I would wait it out and see what happens.

luckywhite - 1339 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) some people have said that ultrasound can prdict a babys weight and that simply NOT TRUE.. the ulteasound technition measures the length of the thighbone the size of the head and a average calculation is made from that.. this does not take into consideration that the baby may have more or less fat laid down than the calculation allows for so the prediction can be up to a pound out either way..

heidismummy - 1339 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) if i were you i would wait and see what happens at further appointments. i always think its the better option to have a natural birth. unlike blondie i dont think its the better option to have a c section, only unless medical reasons suggets it is better for the baby. i think the baby comes first and not 'what your bits' may or may not be like in the future. most women are young and fit enough to get back to 'normal'. i just don't understand any woman who would say thats a good reason to opt for a surgical procedure instead of experiencing the immense feeling of pride and joy of working to bring your own baby into the world, i dont know any feeling yet that could possibly beat that! i was told i might need a c section as i was told i had a big baby and lots of water. so they had a surgeon on standby just incase, but thank god i didnt need one in the end and i gave birth to a big, healthy, bouncing girl, 8lb 12oz. they say you need 6 weeks rest with a c section, and with my husband being self employed and me wanting to breastfeed, it was an option that was really not entertained by either of us! my daughter was still not engaged when my waters broke and yet i had only a 7 hour labour with no complications and no distress to the baby at all, her heartbeat stayed perfect all the way through! what im saying is you shouldnt be put off by doctors trying to worry you. they did the same with me. my auntie is a doctor and she actually says every woman's body is designed to be able to give birth as its the most natural thing in the world. obviously there are always exceptions, but she talks from giving birth naturally to 5 babies, each of them 8lbs plus in weight. its very easy for them to pressure you and for people to conveniently not tell you about the pain a surgical procedure can cause you afterwards etc, stick to your gut feeling and dont let them push you out of having your birth experience!

Lovely3 - 1339 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) I was induced with my first pregnancy, 2 weeks past my due date. I labored all day long and never had much progress, finally for the health of the baby I had to have a c-section. At first I was disappointed but once my son was here it no longer matter. . .it became my birth experience and it was incredible and a moment I will never forget. I was awake and very aware, but numb from the chest down, so I felt only pressure, tugging and pulling not so much pain a few moments of discomfort but nothing unbearable. . .and they showed me my son right was . . .I touched him, held him and kissed him. . .by the time they finished me up I still made it back to my room before baby as even ready. . .the bonding was still wonderful and I had no struggles recovering. I have since had 2 other c-sections and loved everyone of my births. Your birthstory will become yours and it will be worth anything you have to go through. You will do fine either way. : )

xolblondieox - 1339 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) O gosh hun, I'd just take the section and run. Ask your doc when it can be scheduled. I'm sure he'll have to wait until you're 40 weeks exactly, or something close to it. I know too many people that were told they had a very big baby, tried induction and ended up going thorugh hours and hours of labor, just to be cut open. Ultrasound techonology is GOOD these days. They know that baby is big. I wouldn't even put myself through the whole ordeal. I had a section and it was awesome. Totally not as bad as people hype it up to be. It's a very controlled environment and much less traumatic on a baby then being trapped in the birth canal for God knows how long. Hubby was pleased too, because I'm a small girl and birthing two babies "through there" would have likely left me never the same again. I think hubby much appreciates that I'm "still the same" LOL.

RobinG - 1339 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) And I've had 2 sections and they were fine :)

RobinG - 1339 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) Ask your doc if the baby is a floater ~ when they are to big to be able to engage and drop ~ My first was a floater and 9 lbs 13.5 oz. I had a section because of it. If your baby is a floater then yes a section is what you'll need but if it is becuase you just arent progressing your doc is wrong to expect you to be progressing yet at 38 weeks! It is still early and plenty of time so def wait it out til at least 40 weeks.

Chloe:Laiden - 1339 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) Sorry to say but I would wait it out until 42 weeks. I waited until 41 weeks (42 weeks would have put me giving birth on Christmas day and that was not it "everyone's schedule". Ugh!) You might make progress by then. I had not thinned, dilated, and baby hadn't dropped at all when I went in. My induction failed and I had to get a c-section.... Ask your doctor if he can tell you why the baby might not be dropping. My baby wasn't large at all 7lbs 12oz) but she couldn't fit in the birth canal because I had a bony prominence (sp?) at the top and it was keeping her from coming down... I will honestly say that a c-section isn't as bad as you might think. As long as you take care of yourself afterwards and listen to the doctors, you should be fine. It'll hurt the first couple of days right after but the medication will help out a lot.

two2love - 1339 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) at 38 weeks u arnt even due yet! i had a failed induction and then a c sect and i will try for vbac next time too! doctors only want the easy ways out!

Luzaan - 1339 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) I was in the same situation. I opt for the c-section. Why induce if the chances are good that it is not going to work. I thought very bad of the c-section, but is was not so bad. I'm still very emo bc I didn't do the natural birth thing, but my baby is more important. I was awake in theater with a spinal. I felt nauseous, they gave me something for that and felt a litte 'not there completely'. Not everyone experience it that way. I didn't feel a thing. My baby was healthy and could breast feed right away without any problems. I recovered quickly without any pain. Dr gave meds for that didn't affect me or my baby. We were not allowed to have any pain. Good luck with your choice and all of the best to you. God bless.

luckywhite - 1339 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) you are only 38 weeks.. you have up to 42 weeks to deliver your baby.. bide your time ( i can say that im not the one uncomfortable !! SORRY!! |xx

luckywhite - 1339 days ago Rating: 0 (0 votes) ive had two babies first natural - well forceps was a big baby and a hard delivery. and a section because i found birth traumatic.. HOWEVER looking back, im glad i had the chance to give birth first time- although the actual experience of the section was nicer i do feel i missed out on still not giving birth 'properly' and the recovery from the section was horrible and far harder than i even imagined . (im not a good healer) they just think its going to be a big baby? whats the indicators that youwont be able to give birth? how overdue are you? induced labours are medically managed from the start. if i had my chance again and it was all fresh to me (first baby and all that ) but i knew what i did - i would say bide your time dont induce dont section and let nature do what nature does best. i honesly wish i could go back and do it all over for the first time. but you only have your first baby once!