C-Section versus VBAC
If I don’t go into labor in the next six days, I will be having a baby in seven.
My surgery is scheduled and in the early morning hours next Sunday I am heading to the hospital to deliver my second son via cesarean section.
This is the second time I will deliver this way. But this time will be so different from the first.
At my first prenatal visit for this pregnancy my OB-GYN asked me if I wanted to do another c-section or if I wanted to deliver vaginally. At that point I really wasn’t sure. Months later I would not have the option of choosing.
When I was diagnosed with complete Placenta Previa I was told I would have to deliver via c-section because the placenta was completely blocking my cervix. There would be no delivering vaginally. Then my placenta moved completely out of the way and the option was mine again.
I’ve been back and forth about it but in the end I think I have always planned on having another c-section. Early on I would tease about why would I want to “ruin both ends”. I ended up having to deliver my first son via c-section after 24 hours of labor, broken water, and not progressing enough to push. It was so not what I planned.
But life doesn’t always go according to plan.
And since I have the option this time around, I am going to choose a cesarean section.
No pushing.
No pooping on the table.
No episiotomy.
Just another major surgery.
A due date I can put on my calendar.
A baby in my arms in just one week.
I know there are many out there who will not agree with my decision. What they need to remember is that it’s just that—my decision. A decision that wasn’t made lightly. One that I will not fret over whether it was the right or wrong decision. A decision that I will not beat myself up over.
All I really wish for is a healthy baby. In a week that wish will be coming true.
If I could do it over again, I would FORCE my doctor to give me c-sections. Maybe if I had one, I wouldn’t piss myself every time I sneeze.
How I would’ve forced him is still up in the air. Maybe I would have crossed my legs or something.
Did it the same way here sista. Two C-sections. I had ZERO desire to try a VBAC. My second one I was out of the hospital after two nights and up and around at home. I’m 6 weeks now and feel completely back to normal (surgery wise – obviously I’m tired as shit
). That’s so funny, I have used the “mess up both ends” line, too 
ONE WEEK?! YAY! So exciting!
xoxo
You have made your decision, but I did have a VBAC and it was so redeeming after a very difficult first labor experience. And my recovery with a VBAC was so much easier than my c-section.
I can imagine the long moments of thinking and thinking and thinking about it. I know after all my thinking last time, I was plain old happy to be healthy and my baby was (is) perfect. Little else matters when you wait most of a year to meet a person you will love so fiercely.
I’ll be thinking about you this week and your life journey to get to this point. Every happiness to you and your family!!
me, I dont give a damn how the baby is born, I just want to log onto FB and read “Mom and baby doing AWESOME”.
I went into spontaneous labor with both pregnancies between 36 and 37 weeks. The first time around I was in labor for 2 days and ended up with an emergent cs (the baby’s head would not descend even though I was dilated to 10, I began to run a fever, baby became distressed etc… Scary stuff. Especially the rushing around part). The second time around I was immediately given the option to labor or have a cs. I chose the cs and let me tell you, it was a trillion times less terrifying/horrific/ what-have-you the second time around. The natural birth folks may get all up in arms and judgey but a planned cs where everyone can walk calmly to the OR instead of sprinting you back cannot be beat.
I’m pregnant with my second after having an emergency c-section with my first (progressed normally, pushed for two hours, baby’s head was literally stuck sideways and they were unable to turn it). I’m leaning towards doing a VBAC right now, but of course will wait until later on in my pregnancy to see what my options really are (I’m only 14 weeks along). I can totally see the appeal of having a repeat csection though…no unknowns. Good luck with everything in the coming week and congratulations!
i had a csection with the twins, it was ‘planned’ to a point, like, ‘keep them in, keep them in, okay, you are not doing well, out they come’. It was tough but then so was the pregnancy. we are not having more as of this moment but if we did i would not even entertain VBAC. i had major wound healing issues and pretty bad scarring and who knows what the uterus looks like in there and and, i could go on, but i am of the opinion ‘you choose, you do what you need to, you go home with a healthy person(s) to love’. that happens in many ways these days but most importantly, it has to happen
A-freaking-men. If I don’t go into labor (which I am 90% sure I will) before then I will have my 4th section in 4 weeks. I don’t regret a darn one of them. I debated VBAC with my second, but he didn’t give me a choice since he too was breech and a version wasn’t worth the risk to me. THANK GOD I did. When they opened me up my uterus was SO thin they could see him through it. I will happily be wheeled in this time.
I recently wrote about my choice to have a c-section. It was a breech birth. *Technically* I had choices (my baby was breech) but I felt I didn’t have a choice when I weighed all the options for the health and safety of my baby. I will admit that I cringe every time I hear a mother choose a VBAC. I personally know of 2 cases where the uterus ruptured. In one case, the baby was delivered via emergency c-section and luckily was born healthy. The other baby was deprived of oxygen and was not so fortunate. The parents are now dealing with a special needs baby.
It breaks my heart because I have yet to hear of an experience that made it worth the risk for the baby. Maybe I don’t understand enough. I don’t talk about it. But I *do* judge. Privately. I don’t know if that’s any better.
I’m really just an advocate for healthy moms and babies, in the easiest way possible.
I had long only planned to have one child, but if, on the very off chance I have a second, I will be attempting a VBAC because recovery from my emergency C-section was awful (in ways that have little to do with the “emergency” part–suffice to say, drugs and I are not friends).
I won’t judge, though.
I’m SO with you! I had a planned cs with my first; he was breech.. I had a great experience, and easy recovery. Only downfall was I didn’t get to hold my son for FIVE hours after he was born, bc they were monitoring his breathing. This time around, I’ve chosen a cs vs a vbac. It’s not worth the risk of uterine rupture for me, especially since chances are.high bc the kids will only be 16 months apart. I want at least 2 more kids, I’ve known that for years… So why risk it? At least with another planned cs, I know what to expect (essentially).
Before I even read this or any of the comments I want to say how brave you are for even bringing up the topic in this public manner. The internet is an especially nasty place to talk about your c-section decisions and I commend you for it. I am heading for my 3rd one in Dec. I am lucky that I have exceptionally easy recoveries so for me I don’t see what the big deal is. I have known women that have had very difficult recoveries from c-sections and I have also known women who had to sit on donuts for 4mnths from 4th degree tears from a vaginal delivery. We are all different and we will all experience things differently and we need to respect the decisions of each other as women. It is one thing to help educate someone before they make a decision and another thing to degrade a person for their decision. I just hope the tone of the responses are to educate and not degrade but somehow I doubt it. Good Luck w/ your c-section and I hope you have as easy of a recovery as I have had in the past…
Wow, after reading the responses I am amazed at the supportive nature of everyone that responded. This is the nicest group of people I have ever seen respond to a c-section post. It restores my faith in the ability of women to support one another and the decisions they make for their families. Good Job Ladies!!
I’m with Bluepaintred.
i wish i had been given a choice with my second. my first pregnancy ended in a c-section because my labor stalled and my blood pressure was outrageous. my recovery was awful, spent 2 weeks in the hospital and it was a full 3 months before i could get up from a laying position by myself. being a single mom at the time i slept in a recliner the whole 3 months, not fun. i planned on trying a vbac when i found out i was pregnant with my second child 6 years later. my first prenatal appointment ended with the doctor telling me that he would tentatively schedule a cs at 40 weeks. i protested but was told that vbacs were against hospital policy and were not an option. i was devastated. i called the 3 other hospitals within an hours drive and was given the same answer. i spent the rest of the pregnancy dreading the surgery. on the bright side though when i had him he weighed 8lbs 15oz and i was much less upset about not getting to try to have him naturally lol and as an added bonus i recovered MUCH faster from the second cs than i did the first. im glad youve come to a decision that works for you, im sure it wasnt one you made lightly, i just wish i had been given a choice. if i were to have a 3rd and be given the option to try a vbac i think i would take it just because i still feel that ive missed out on something by having both of my children surgically.
Im with you!