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Sorry Ry, some of us also had to have them, and we were told by v____al moms and a relatively few c-section moms that the experience was a breesze. Obviously we believe them, for all things are individual. Just don't expect it to be as easy as some make it out to be, and also the hard ones are more and more becoming the exceptions as pain management has come a long way, especially in the first 48 hours. The mothers used to have it A WHOLE LOT rougher than they do now with c-sections. But there are still many instances of very painful c-sections with complications and you should not live in a rose-colored bubble about them. I am sure you can retell many a v____al "horror' story (which can also get bigger and badder as time goes on) So by reading all the posts you will have a general idea of the highs and the lows of the birth method. You will be okay, the operation is improved, okay? Some women are so worked up that the only thing they can feel is relieved after it is done, which isn't necessarily a bad thing to expect the worst and get a bit better experience. Good luck to you.

I've done it both ways, and neither one was a "piece of cake". My first child was a v____al birth, and she weighed 91/2 pounds. I was in labor for two days. Recovery from that wasn't easy, but at least I could get out of bed and go to the bathroom alone later that night. My next child was almost 12 lbs, and the doctor was concerned about potential problems related to his size, so she felt a c-section was the lowest -risk option for the situation. I didn't question her, I had very clear memories of the first childbirth I had been through, and I was terrified that, with my son being as large as he was, I'd be in labor for a week! Everything went fairly well, and I was happy with the outcome. Recovery was difficult, but there wasn't any major problems. When I got pregnant a year later, I told my doctor I really wanted to try a vbac. He said he thought that it would be fine, but near the end of my pregnancy, the baby turned sideways and decided to stay that way. Needless to say, a c-section was necessary then as well. Well, everything seemed to be fine, until I developed a bad infection about two weeks later. I had to have another surgery to fix it. I was told that I had probably been allergic to the sutures that were used after the birth, and the doctor says this time we have to use staples instead. I'm starting to get really nervous now, I'm due in about 5 weeks, and it's times like this I wish I had tried to talk things over with my first doctor and see if a c-section could have been avoided. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that every woman who needs one even has the option of reconsidering, but in my case, I wish I had at least thought about it a little longer. C-sections are a wonderful option in the event that they become necessary, but people need to keep in mind that they can make recovery very difficult, sometimes even dangerous.

i have had 4 c-sections 1st because i would not go into labor even after patocien for a day in a half and my other 3 were planned and i LOVED every minute of them

Just to encourage VBACs: My firdt baby was 8# 1oz and got stuck so after 6 hours of pusshing, the doc said c-sec and I was relieved to say yes. My next 8 babies were v____al-- the biggest being 10# 6oz. You can do it. Though if the doc told me my baby was breech, i think I would choose another c-sec. Breech babies scare me.

Sure you did. Your statement means one of two things: either you are taunting us or you enjoy the attention a surgical patient gets and the drugs that go with it. No one in their right mind ENJOYS every minute of a surgery even if it is a b___b job...what, do you think we are morons?

Ha-ha, last poster! I agree, perhaps we misunderstand her, or she has Munchausen's disorder? Even if a women elects a c-section she cant' possibly say that she enjoyed "every minute" of them. There have been things as ordinary as a BM that I didn't enjoy every minute of, certainly enjoying every minute of surgery and recovery is fantasy or inflammatory. Enjoy the baby, yes, the surgery? Puhleeze!

oops, we misquoted, not only did she apprarently enjoy them..she "LOVED" every minute of them. Makes the case for attention seeking even stronger.

that is hilarious. do you think that we are all stupid? What kind of game are you running on us?

Wow - I, once again, am really disappointed by the crudeness that seems to take place on these boards. I really don't understand why women can't just support one another and realize that everyone is completely different? Some people have good experiences, some have bad. It depends on your baby, your doctor, your body, everything. There is no right or wrong. Everyone is different. It's a baby ladies!! You are bringing a little life into this world - how people have to do it or choose to do it is nobody's business but their own. Try and be supportive ... don' t knock each other down. You don't have to live someone else's life.. so really... who cares what they do?

I was in labor for 26 hours after being induced and stopped dialating at 8cm. I had to have a csection and I was very upset. I regret being talked into being induced. I am convinced that he just wasn't ready and that is why I had problems. Right off the bat my doctor said, "well, the first one was a csection, so this one will be too." I don't plan on letting that happen. He has a very high csection rate. A nurse commented to me that he would do all csections if he could. I am thinking about switching doctors. It makes me angry that some doctors will talk you into csections for their own convenience with little concern for the fact that it is serious surgery and recovery is much longer for most people. It took me a long time but I finally realized that the doctor doesn't always know best. If there is a problem and I need a csection for the safety of my baby, I will do it in a heart beat but I don't want someone to tell me at 6wks pregnant that I need one when they have NO idea. There are reasons that people need a csection and thank God that they can be done safely in most cases, but I don't understand why people do it when they don't need to. Regardless, I hope everyone has a healthy baby and a quick recovery.

Hey, last poster, I so totally agree with you. Stick to your guns, regardless of "hospital policy" it is still within your rights to refuse to consent to a scheduled c-section! Every woman on here says they can't get around it, but by LAW you absolutely can. I am not saying go VBAC at all costs, or give birth at home without help, etc. what I am saying, is that if you present at a hospital in labor, they can not refuse you if you are in real labor AND they can not make you have an automatic c-section. You don't want to do this at a tiny country hospital at 3 in the morning, but if you go to a normal sized hospital you are in good hands no matter what and if they do emergency c-sections for other mothers, they should be well equipped for you if something were to necessitate one. See, that is the illogical aspect of hospitals saying "we don't do VBACs", if they aren't good enough for a VBAC that ends up needing a c-section, how are they possibly good enough to deliver at in the first place.

So right, last poster and others. I can't believe women actually ask for these things. Some baby show forgot to show the REAL c-sections (or at least left the painful parts on the editing floor) again. The doctors are starting to back pedal a bit too, they fear they have created a big problem with initially thinking a scheduled c-section would be an ok alternative to v____al delivery. Now there are doctors saying "wait a friggin' minute here" we haven't done any ethical studies on this that have given us any indication the risks have been removed and that we haven't caused harm down the road for women.

I had an emrgency c-section with my first child after 18 hours of hard, induced labor. Apparently, I stopped dilating at 6cm, but some stupid nurse examined me and said a had dilated to a 10 and made me start pushing. I must have pushed for 2 hours before the doctor finally came in and examined me and said I was still only dilated to a 6. Later, I developed a fever and they decide to perform a c-section, but the baby's head was stuck in the birth ca___l from all of the pushing and it took them a very long time to dislodge her head and free her. She was 9lbs 12oz. I was not given any pain medication during the procedure, other than the epidural I had been given 18 hours earlier that was no longer working, so I felt everything. I truly thought I was going to die! If that wasn't bad enough, I had a nurse come up to my room that night after I had fallen asleep (and was actually sleeping quite comfortably) and turned on every light in my room and demand that I wake up and hold the thermometer in my mouth so that she could take my temperature. After she left, I could not fall back to sleep due to the enormous amount of pain I was in and to the fact that she left every light on and moved my call b___ton from out of my reach so that I could not call for a nurse. My husband had gone home to take a shower and change clothes, so I was all alone and helpless and just laid there sobbing for what seemed like an eternity. It gets even better, though. I began hemoraghing the next day and no one, including myself, seemed to be aware of this. The nurses never even checked me and it was my husband who was having to clean me up and change my pads. I guess the two of us must have thought all of the bleeding was normal until I began fainting whenever I lifted my head. A nurse came in that afternoon and told me it was time to get out of bed and start walking around and when I told her that I couldn't she called me a baby and forced me to sit up on the side of the bed and then into a standing position where I immediately pa__sed out and hit the floor. Finally, the doctor came up and acknowledged the fact that I had lost a lot of blood and changed the dosage of my pain medication on my chart so that I wouldn't OD, but that night, after I fell asleep, something inside of my head kept telling me that I needed to wake up. I remember fighting the sleep with every fiber of my being because I knew that something was terribly wrong, but I just couldn't seem to snap out of it. I kept trying to call out to my husband, but could not. Finally, I was able to wake and I remember telling my husband that I was dying and asked him to start praying for me. He called in the nurse who admitted to giving me the wrong dosage of pain medication by mistake. She and my husband both began praying over me until help could arrive from the ER. Obviously I lived through the hellish experience, but I will never forget it. The scarriest part about it is that this all happened at Baylor Hospital in Dallas, which is a very reputable hospital and probably even the best one in the area. Needless to say, I had a VBAC with my second child and it was a wonderful experience. I am 37 weeks pregnant with my third child and am scheduled to have a c-section in two weeks because I have diabetes and the baby is already too big. I'm terrified, to say the least, but this time there will be no labor or pushing and I have the best doctor in town. I have already decided that I'm not going to take any pain medication, other than some extra strength Tylenol, after the surgery and have told my husband that he's not allowed to leave my side under any circ_mstances. I hope that everything will be fine this time around, but I would definitely never opt to have a c-section. Good luck and God bless to anyone who is forced into having the procedure done.

Mongomrs, I had a similar experience having my first c-section but it was due to preeclampsia and the dr and nurses were not on the ball either and I almost died. But the good news is my 2nd and 3rd were really good and and went smoothly. I know the worry though because you are araid it will happen again. The good thing is your dr and family will be aware of past history and will be that much more cautious this time around. best of luck.

I used to feel like that too, until I had a v____al birth that I am still suffering from 6 months later. I think I am now leaning towards informed choice. Once you know the risks of both ways I think the patient should be able to decide.

J, I am sorry you are still suffering, give it some more time. I am not very post_tive, but I am suffering YEARS later from my c-sections and so are many people I know. There just is no easy birth, but at least with v____al suffering you can pin-point where the problem areas are and try and remedy them without more abdominal surgery to find what the problem is. I hope you get better soon but I still can't in good conscience say an elective, non medical c is a good option.