From the article: Why not just schedule a c-section?
If you avoided a c-section, what do you think was helpful? Why did you want to avoid it and did that influence your choices that helped you avoid a c-section? Was it your choice of doctor or midwife? Your place of birth? Epidural or no? Your health, baby, risks, pain... you name it. Share Your Advice
Adequate support
- D point is with adequate support from spouse, family, d right health attendants and ultimately, God's blessing, it is very easy to avoid a c section. U start by having an informed desire to have a vaginal birth and by using pro vaginal/vbac birth practitioners, and not forgeting that God is the ultimate - with Him all things are possible. He has done it for a lot of people before, can and will still do it again.
- —Guest Nomso
VB always d best all things fine
- There is no reason why a normal healthy mom should want to go under d knife for no just reason. But we have a problem with d prevalence of pro cesarean practitioner who just can't support womenadequately to achieve vaginal or even Vbacs. Rather they use all forms of jargons to intimidate and make u go thru c/s. I have gone thru c/ sections twice and I'm convinced d reason for them (fetal distress) were shabby and could have been avoided if things were done right. The EFM can never provide comfort or any form of relief to a labouring woman, can never be like having a nice birth attendant who could help massage or even make get a little mobile. It restricts u. It gives its own discomfort and I believe, even depresses d baby. I've gone thru it twice on my back and I could tell. But how many OBs are ready to listen to u except God himself helps. God bless mothers and help them in this area
- —Guest Nomso
I couldn't avoid my c-section
- I was in labor for 4 days ; 2 of this days I was working the other 2 I was at a baby shower and hanging out with my family. I decided to wait until my ccontractions were 2-3 mins apart to head to the hospital. When I arrived to l&d I got hooked up to monitor my contractions I was doing great on monitor but I wasn't dialating I was stuck at 5cm for 14 hours. They wanted me to walk around for 2 hours to see if would help plus I was bored so I was like thank God I got to go look at all the new babies in the nursery :) after the 2 hour walk the doctor came in to check me again she wanted to pop my water but here's the shocker it has been popped for day or even weeks so she pops her head back up and says he has a full head of hair and he's stuck get ready for a c-section. So I get wheeled into surgery tells me to hunch over like a cat.because I got a spinal that hurt like no other. :( but once they got me cut open I was joking around for a tummy tuck after they got MT sob
- —Guest anna
hmm.
- Lena, your statement is not fair. There are no facts stating that if you have an induced labor or c-section that your child is more likely to be raised by someone other than the mother. I have had two necessary c-sections and I alone raise both of my children. I have relatives who have had natural births without inducing and aren't there for there children. Mothering abilities depend on the person and if it a c section is medically necessary, you are taking the first step to being a good mother by making the choice to surgically deliver for the health of the baby. Wether a natural/induced/or surgical delivery; if you make the beat choice to ensure the health of your little one then that already make you a good mom.
- —Guest Jennifer
Avoiding 2nd csection
- When I had my daughter I had to be induced as I was almost 2weeks overdue. I had hoped for a vaginal delivery. Everything seemed optimal. She was correctly positioned and I had begun to dilate. Then after 12 hours of labour I was told that I had "failed to progress" and needed to have a cesarean. At the time I was relieved. I was exhausted and glad to just have her born. Looking back now I am constantly disappointed I didn't get the whole birthing experience. I hemorrhaged in surgery and never got to see of hold my baby until I was in recovery. You just can't get those moments back. I am currently pregnant with my second child and I really want to avoid another c section. I am tired of being told by friends not to get my hopes up. If anyone has any suggestions on how to prepare or avoid the same issues please share!
- —Guest Lauren
Avoiding a C-section?
- There's no real way to avoid a Cesarean. I did everything in my powers possible during my pregnancy to avoid this surgery. My daughter was in the correct position from week 28 to be delivered. Even the day before my induction was scheduled, she was head down in the pelvis - correctly positioned. During the induction process, she turned and would not turn back around. The nurses tried everything they could think of but after 10 hours of trying to get my stubborn daughter to move into the right position again, I gave up. Her heart rate dropped and she started to become severely distressed. To avoid infection and do what was best for my child, I delivered by Cesarean. I did not want this and cried for an hour after it was suggested to me but I don't feel like I am any less of a woman or mother. In fact, my husband states this makes me a better mother. It wasn't done our of convenience but medical necessity for myself and my daughter. Sometimes there is no way to avoid a Cesarean. (GUIDE NOTE: Induction can increase the likelihood of cesarean and/or fetal distress in SOME mothers/babies.)
- —Guest Danielle
major surgery
- It is important to remember that cesarean is major abdominal surgery that carries with it more risk than vaginal birth. Risk of death is less than 1 in 2,500 births with c-section. With vaginal birth it is less than one in 10,000. Cesarean is clearly an invasive way to give birth, and should be only used when medically necessary. It is likely that if your doctor already knew a cesarean would be necessary, you would be experiencing a high risk pregnancy. One common reason given for cesarean is "big baby" or cephalo-pelvic disproportion (CPD). True CPD is a rare condition. I highly recommend you look into c-section more. I have compiled a page with resources as well as a radio documentary on the topic. http://birthtrueblog.wordpress.com/cesearean-awareness-companion-page-for-radio-piece/ There are several websites there with information to help you decide what is best for you. As well as further reading here.
- —Guest Kelli
ICAN
- I'd look at risks of a cesarean section. Check out ICAN online.com. Also, labor is also a very important part of you & your child's life. I know there are benefits to Your baby to have labor begin on its own. I've had both a vaginal & surgical birth. Cesareans can be life saving.
- —Guest Sarah
Red Flag Alert
- This is a SERIOUS red flag alert regarding how a provider philosophically views labor and birth without a serious risk association already present going against a vaginal birth (say a previa or HELLP syndrome, maternal cardiac issues, etc. you get the picture). This is a very careless and potentially extremely harmful POV and cookie cutter obstetrics. A second OB or even flat out provider switch to someone who has a healthy POV of labor and birth along with low intervention and cesarean rates. This also may be a provider who has the idea that once a cesarean, always a cesarean - ask that question as well. I am so glad you asked this question!
- —Guest DoulaDes
"Natural" childbirth for a reason...
- I would suggest taking some childbirth education classes other than those offered at your local hospital. Designer births or births that women schedule to avoid natural labor and delivery when there isn't a medical need to is in my opinion harmful to the baby's health in many ways. Just because you have gone a certain number of weeks does not mean that your child is fully developed. Labor starts when the baby is fully developed and ready to be born. Why would one labor artificially and not give their child time to develop? When you go into labor your body secretes hormones that do valuable and important things like helping your uterus go back to prepregnancy size faster, helps you bond more with your child increasing the likelihood that you will feel more protective of your child (is there a correlation between the number of c-sections, inductions and the number of children being raised by grandparents/foster parents these days??) and your milk comes in faster.We were created for birth
- —Guest Lena
What matters...
- Where and with whom you give birth really matters when it comes to giving birth vaginally. Choosing a practitioner who has a low primary cesarean rate (ASK!) and who has a facility (including birth centers and home) with low rates of cesareans/transfers for cesareans will provide you with the best vaginal birth outcomes. It's not about LUCK.
- —Robin
