c-section question

[agnes_day]

ok..the midwife i have been seeing for the latter part of my pregnancy has it in her head that i am diabetic..im not though. i did fail the first test they give you but its because i ate some zingers right beforehand since i was told i didnt have to fast. i had asked her about being induced since i tend to have large babies and maybe avoid some extra pain and she not only agreed that this might be a good idea, she said i need to talk to the doctor about a c-section. i didnt even know you could just ask for one like that, to be honest..should i ask? i really dont think i "need" one, but the idea of not going through labor is so appealing..i do have big kids and it does make it a lot harder and if i can get out of it somehow, i am all for it but i dont know..is it worth it?
*i am also getting cold feet now that i am nearly due and am getting very anxious.*

 

[HEChicken]

Personally I wouldn't. The recovery time from a c-section is so much longer and harder than from a vaginal delivery. And if you have older kids around, not just the new baby, recovering from the c-section is that much harder. Not to mention that c-section is not as good for the baby. Being pushed through for a vaginal delivery serves to help expel fluids from the baby's lungs which helps them take that first breath more easily. There is a time and place for c-section - such as when the mother or baby is at some kind of risk from a vaginal delivery. But if all is working properly it is really better for both mother and baby to do the vaginal delivery. Just my .02c.

You said you want to be induced to avoid the pain but labor is usually more intense when induced, rather than less intense....

 

[ebwy]

bear in mind that it IS major surgery and has a long recovery time in which you can't do all the things you'd like to do... and I'm told (by someone who had first one naturally and second by caesarian section) that she'd take the natural birth every time in preference to the amount of pain she went through after the section. And that's before you consider possible complications.

Generally I've been told by the midwives etc that the amount of pain is probably about the same as a vaginal birth.

Not trying to put you off, just saying what I've been told.


it wouldn't hurt to ask your doctor about it though, get his views and some medical facts about it.


my mother was induced with me, and it was a comparatively short labour.

I tend to think that if you NEED a c-section, the obstetrician will tell you.

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

Induction is the first step to having a c section forced on you. Neither is natural.
Induction forces a hard labor on you, when niether you or the baby is ready.

All those little things that they say are required in the hospital, such as monitering, not being allowed to move around, having to lie down, not progressing on their schedule, constant interuptions.......they just help you have to have a section. They cause you to not progress well.
Your body can have any size baby that it grows, as long as you relax, move around as needed, and pay attention to what it is telling you to do.

You will not stay pregnant forever, and your baby will not get too big. History has proven that very well.

 

[jeaucamom]

I agree that being brought through the birth canal is a very important part of delivery both for you and the baby. It compresses the lungs to fill them with surfactant, and several other, very, very important reasons. C-section is reserved for emergencies of very mismatched sized mom and babies to prevent an emergency. That being said, there are many, many unethical Dr's around the country who would rather schedule C-sections than be called in the middle of the night or on a weekend. This IS a MAJOR surgery that goes through all your muscle groups, there is the risk of nicking your bladder and you WILL be creating scar tissue which can make it hard to get pregnant in the future. There is also a 6 to 8 week recovery time and major risk of infection. Please only do this if you absolutely have to for your sake or the babies.

And yes, the pain instead of only lasting the time of labor, will be lasting for weeks on end. And I am a surgical nurse and I have had MANY abdominal orperations.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Perhaps you can have another glucose tolerance test done to know for certain if you have issues with your blood sugar. You can then manage it through diet & exercise so it won't be an issue for you & your babe by delivery time.

You should also discuss all the variables about your labor & delivery with both your midwife & your OB. Find out what criteria they would use to determine if you should be induced, allow to labor naturally, have a c-section, whatever. A c-section is major abdominal surgery and nothing to opt for just to avoid some natural labor pains.

If they are planning a c-section for you, or even considering it, find out details about how they conduct the procedure & see if you can have some choices. I was bullied into a c-section with my firstborn & it was awful. I felt no connection with his birth, did not see a thing, it was like listening to a birth on the radio. The OB & the OR staff were cracking OJ Simpson jokes the whole while.

The midwife I saw for my other children's births told me what they do during a c-section. The tone is calm & respectful, you can have music played low, someone holds a mirror so you can see the baby coming out, you're even told to "push" so you feel a connection with GIVING birth, rather than having someone come TAKE the baby out.

Find out all your options so you can better make your plans.

 

[MandyH]

Docotor's are quick to hand out c sections in the last few years, but it is MAJOR surgery and can have major side effects and complications, not to mention the restrictions and recovery time. They induced me but thank God I didn't have to have a c section. I already had it in my mind that unless my baby was in dire straights I WAS NOT gonna let them force me into a section. My baby weighed 8lb1oz and was only 18 1/4 inches long, so she was about as big around as she was long LOL.

 

[Dar]

Speaking as a home care nurse...

Please do not "request" a C-section. it is really hard on everybody involved. the chance of infection rises exponentially. As for being diabetic... did you only have the 1 test? or has the mid-wife been dipping your urine weekly? (or every visit) and what has the results been?

your baby will come when s/he is good and ready. Dont rush mother nature.. she has a way of kicking yr butt for it.

risks of a C- section
* Infection. The uterus or nearby pelvic organs such as the bladder or kidneys can become infected.
* Increased blood loss. Blood loss on the average is about twice as much with cesarean birth as with vaginal birth. However, blood transfusions are rarely needed during a cesarean.
* Decreased bowel function. The bowel sometimes slows down for several days after surgery, resulting in distention, bloating and discomfort.
* Respiratory complications. General anesthesia can sometimes lead to pneumonia.
* Longer hospital stay and recovery time. Three to five days in the hospital is the common length of stay, whereas it is less than one to three days for a vaginal birth.
* Reactions to anesthesia. The mother's health could be endangered by unexpected responses (such as blood pressure that drops quickly) to anesthesia or other medications during the surgery.
* Risk of additional surgeries. For example, hysterectomy, bladder repair, etc.
* Risk of adhesions.
* Risk to future fertility and babies.
* Increased risk of placenta previa in future pregnancies.
* Risk that all future births may be surgical.
* Maternal death (very rare). (6 in 100,000 for a scheduled cesarean birth.)

In cesarean birth, the possible risks to the baby include the following:

* Premature birth. If the due date was not accurately calculated, the baby could be delivered too early.
* Breathing problems. Babies born by cesarean are more likely to develop breathing problems such as transient tachypnea (abnormally fast breathing during the first few days after birth).
* Low Apgar scores. Babies born by cesarean sometimes have low Apgar scores. The low score can be an effect of the anesthesia and cesarean birth, or the baby may have been in distress to begin with. Or perhaps the baby was not stimulated as he or she would have been by vaginal birth.
* Fetal injury. Although rare, the surgeon can accidentally nick the baby while making the uterine incision.
* Increased risk of asthma in babies born via cesarean section.

 

[agnes_day]

i dont mind the induction at all, i have had all but one of my kids induced...and i am so very tempted to get a c-section but it just seems so odd that they are willing to hand them out so easily. a long time ago, they wouldn't have even thought about it. i am all for a doctor directed birth..i never cared a bit about the whole bonding thing or even watching the actual birth, i just want it to be done and over with, but i don't want to end up hurting for weeks when i can just hurt for a little while. i have always been up and around the day after but from what i read, recovery is a lot longer with a c-section.

 

[agnes_day]

Quote:
thats the thing..i have never had any real signs of being diabetic..ever. with any of my pregnancies.. i think the reason i have 10 pounders is because i am big and my husband is tall..i am supposed to take a 3 hour test next week and then get an ultrasound but i dont know..i just get the feeling that they want to make my pregnancy higher risk than it actually is. oddly enough, i have had an easier time with this little one than my others, mainly because i have been able to lay around more i think. i am probably going to tell them no...it really is tempting though but the pain and risk of problems afterwards cancels out the convenience.