Elected C Section?

At today's DR visit we spoke about delivery a bit and he mentioned how I can elect to having a csection and of course there are pros and cons to both methods.

Has anyone else's dr mention this to them? Anyone doing this?

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I asked my doctor about this...He told me they only do about 1 elected c-section a year.

I'm not doing it - but I do like the idea I have a choice

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I've never had a doctor give me the option of a c-section. It is surgery, and I do not see why someone would choose to have this surgery if they were otherwise healthy and could give birth naturally instead.

ETA: I wasn't trying to say that scheduled c-sections were a bad thing. Just IMO there is no reason for a first time mom who has no complications during her pregnancy to have one.

Message edited 6/17/2006 7:23:45 PM.

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My doctor told me that they will accommodate my wishes whatever they are, but we haven't gotten further in the discussion.

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Those are big here in LA so you can have the tummy tuck at the same time

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I dont know if this applys but I'm probably going to elect for a c/s next time around. After 22 hrs of labor and then the baby going in to tacachardia and me having a fever of 102...leading to an emergency c/s, I'd rather just schedule one next time. The pain of labor was llike nothing I ever felt before and ended in surgery anyway so I think next time I'll skip the 22 hrs of labor part LOL

It was actually NICE staying in the hospital for 4-5 days and being taken care of and having the baby being taken care of.

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If you're planing on having a large family then c-sections might not be right for you

Interesting Article

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my dr. mentioned this to me - that due to some changes within the insurance world they are now required to present patients with an elective option. the reason they would state on paperwork would be "fear of labor" .

i had a scheduled c-section due to size (both mine and the baby's), position, GD, and lack of any progress at 39 weeks. i think it's nice to have the option, but would have much rather gone the natural route...

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I had a c/s with my first 2 years ago because he was breech. He was also big, but that had nothing to do with it.

This time around when I got pregnant, of course, my doc asked me what my birth plans were. I was so undecided throughout the entire pregnancy. So many pros and cons, like you said, of electing to have a c/s. Most doctors still practice under the "one a c/s, always a c/s" and I think that is completely insane, IMO. I am very glad I have a doctor who would let me go vaginal.

I will say I began to feel strongly toward the end of the pregnancy that I wanted to VBAC (have a vaginal birth after c/s). My doctor supported me 100% as long as all the conditions were right. In the end, I did have a vaginal birth, and although the labor was not fun at all, it was so different and so much easier and nicer of a recovery. I know the "fear of labor" and trust me, the epidural became my best friend, but if I had to do it all over again, I would most certainly elect to go vaginal (and I had an excellent recovery from my c/s and that still doesn't sway me at all).

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With my dd, she was measuring big and I kept asking my doc if we should schedule something. He was pretty adamant that there was no medical reason to do so, so I should wait and see. I finally went in for an induction 5 days after my due date. The induction didnt work and I wound up having a C-section and a 9lb 10 oz baby...with a very large head. The doctor that did the c was not the same doc fromm earlier and he said there was NO WAY I would have been able to deliver her vaginally. I still wonder if I saw this doctor at 39 weeks if he would have scheduled the c then.

It seems even from the other posts that all doctors have different opinions on these.

When I have another baby, I would like to have a VBAC but if they tell me from the sonograms that the baby looks big I will trust it, even though I know they can be wrong, and I would schedule another C.

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My roomate had a C-section and was in soooooo much pain. Even with meds she moaned all night long. I always thought I would want a C-section and then after seeing and hearing her(besides the fact that my daughter flew out in 5 pushes) I would not opt for it unless there was a true reason to do so.

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Elected c/s are very controversial. This does NOT apply to a c/s after having a c/s or a women having a c/s because of a medical issue. This is a NON-medical surgery. This is about a women saying "I do not want to have a vaginal birth or even try to have one so I will have major surgery instead".
It is actually against insurance policy to elect a c/s for no medical reason. I would think the OB has to put something down for the insurance but I am not sure what they write.

There are some emotional issues that could cause a women to need a non-medical c/s such as a previous sexual assualt. I have read that some rape victims or victims of childhood sexual assualt actually emotionally cannot go thru a vaginal birth. But I think that is a rare situation.

I believe in a women's chose for birth..but I do not believe that most OBs truly explain the "cons" to women. There are very little pros to major surgery. It is almost as if a women walked into a heart doctor and says 'forget the medication, just give me open heart surgery". And the cardo dr just says "okay, no problem". That would never happen so I am not sure why it does happen in the OB world. I was forced into my c/s for a breech baby..instead of being given the option to try to vaginally birth my baby. Not one doctor told me that I could have scaring issues and need a 2nd surgery- not to mention a full year of pain that I needed mutiple tests to figure out what was wrong, that I could have an allergic reaction that will forever flare up for the rest of my life. So I do believe it is all of our right to chose how to birth our children but we also need to understand exactly what is going on and what the true risks are.

Message edited 6/18/2006 7:31:47 PM.

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I also cant imagine someone electing to have a C the first time around, "just because". But Im sure there are reasons, some of which Michele mentioned, that may very well call for not even trying a vaginal birth.

None of us has walked in another person's shoes, so for certain reasons that are valid and understandable, I can see it happening, but I cant see someone WANTING to have major surgery, when its so much safer to have a vaginal birth.
Again, Im not saying there are not Cs that dont recover perfectly or with no pain or V-births without complications, but the odds are strongly in favor of a vbirth. I guess thats why Cs are not performed unless truly necessary.(I guess in most OB practices, or thats what we're told until it comes down to it)...

My SIL is having fertility issues and I dont want to get into details here, since its her personal and private info, but she did have a CS 2yrs ago, and her RE (who's a big wig in the OB world) directly asked her on her first visit who performed her C, in a way which led her to beleive (and also based on the problems shes having) that the C had a strong affect on her issues. (its not medical issues, more issues with her organs being out of wack lets say ) not to scare anyone, but this is the case. (I may delete this in a few days for her privacy reasons, and Im just posting it as FYI info now, if you guys dont mind).

Either way, Im not bashing or promoting either decision

Message edited 6/18/2006 12:36:55 AM.

Re: Elected C Section?

Posted by anna

I also cant imagine someone electing to have a C the first time around, "just because". But Im sure there are reasons, some of which Michele mentioned, that may very well call for not even trying a vaginal birth.

None of us has walked in another person's shoes, so for certain reasons that are valid and understandable, I can see it happening, but I cant see someone WANTING to have major surgery, when its so much safer to have a vaginal birth.
Again, Im not saying there are not Cs that dont recover perfectly or with no pain or V-births without complications, but the odds are strongly in favor of a vbirth. I guess thats why Cs are not performed unless truly necessary.(I guess in most OB practices, or thats what we're told until it comes down to it)...

My SIL is having fertility issues and I dont want to get into details here, since its her personal and private info, but she did have a CS 2yrs ago, and her RE (who's a big wig in the OB world) directly asked her on her first visit who performed her C, in a way which led her to beleive (and also based on the problems shes having) that the C had a strong affect on her issues. (its not medical issues, more issues with her organs being out of wack lets say ) not to scare anyone, but this is the case. (I may delete this in a few days for her privacy reasons, and Im just posting it as FYI info now, if you guys dont mind).

Either way, Im not bashing or promoting either decision

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Posted by anna

I also cant imagine someone electing to have a C the first time around, "just because". But Im sure there are reasons, some of which Michele mentioned, that may very well call for not even trying a vaginal birth.

None of us has walked in another person's shoes, so for certain reasons that are valid and understandable, I can see it happening, but I cant see someone WANTING to have major surgery, when its so much safer to have a vaginal birth.
Again, Im not saying there are not Cs that dont recover perfectly or with no pain or V-births without complications, but the odds are strongly in favor of a vbirth. I guess thats why Cs are not performed unless truly necessary.(I guess in most OB practices, or thats what we're told until it comes down to it)...

My SIL is having fertility issues and I dont want to get into details here, since its her personal and private info, but she did have a CS 2yrs ago, and her RE (who's a big wig in the OB world) directly asked her on her first visit who performed her C, in a way which led her to beleive (and also based on the problems shes having) that the C had a strong affect on her issues. (its not medical issues, more issues with her organs being out of wack lets say ) not to scare anyone, but this is the case. (I may delete this in a few days for her privacy reasons, and Im just posting it as FYI info now, if you guys dont mind).

Either way, Im not bashing or promoting either decision

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My situation is a little different because I am having twins, but when we found out they were twins, my doctor said he only did c-sections on the type of twins i am having due to the potential of complications for both me and/or the babies. I was totally fine with this and now am actually looking forward to hopefully having it planned and going into the hosptial in the morning and having the babies be here by the afternoon and getting a few extra days in the hosptial to recoup.

I am not fearful of labor, but if my doctor asked me if I wanted a c-section i think i would of said yes. Just my opinion on the matter.

And while there are woman who experience issues with a c-section as some have mentioned here, there are many more who recover wonderfully and want a c-section again with their other children. Every woman's birth story is going to be totally different then another's so it's very hard to determine what is best for everyone.

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Its not something that is 100% sure that its "caused by" her C. Im sure there are other issues that contributed (medical issues in the past), but her Dr did question who did her last C. I hate to and I dont want to "blame" her last C, (and I really dont think her Drs are blaming it 100%), but maybe it did have something to do with it. who knows. Her main focus right now is being blessed once again

But in general about Cs, we do hear of scar tissue buildup over additional Cs, and major surgery is major surgery. It will affect one person different from the next person.

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and again, about Cs. It bothers me how the OB world is so against VBACs
and how they schedule your C like it was a morning breakfast date at the diner.
I guess they know more than we know, in that its the safer route compared to VBAC.

I know someone who just had a VBAC after 3Cs. but of course it was a home birth.

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DebG, what is your cousin going through? Issues of her organs being out of place ? or just fertility issues and she had a C last ?

To everyone:
I hope this thread doesnt send the wrong messages out there. This is a VERY rare occurence, she even told me it was one in some huge number that this happens, and its not a "because you had a C" thing, so please understand that.

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VBACs are not unsafe.and actually a women who is having any child can have a risk of uterine rupture. I think many of us who have researched the issue know that lawyers are making VBACs unpopular, not even medical reasons anymore. It is digusting how women's medical decisions are made by lawyers and not our doctors. There is also a few studies that have shown that OBs in certain areas will do more CS when their billings are down..since they get more cash when they do them. Again, major surgery has risks and those all need to be explained fully to the patient and questioned and researched. JMO

My scar tissue surgery was a direct result of my c/s..and I only had 1. It wasn't a 'bad" doctor either..it was just how my body heals and reacted to the surgery.

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michele, good point, that that's how your body reacted and healed. thats why I didnt want my posts to come across as scaring anyone if they are having a C. EVeryone's body is so different and will react to things differently.

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I haven't approached my dr about this yet but I want to have a c-section. I have had issues with my lung collapsing in the past and do not want to run that risk during labor. Some say it shouldn't be a problem but I rather have a c-section than a chest tube. I have had major sugery and the past so I know what surgery entails.
I think it is a very personal decision. Besides out of everyone I know, oddly enough, only 2 have delivered vaginally. Everyone else has had to have c-sections at the last minute.

I am sorry to hear that some people have had so many problems though