STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

tara t · Marc Jacobs

question for the moms..

Cricket · Gucci

C-section pros ( IMO):

My c-sections were planned, and that was great for me. I knew I'd be having my baby at 9 am on Tuesday, the 16th of January. Same with my second. That's not a plus for some, though. No labor pain is nice, although sometimes I wonder what it is like to go into labor. I wanted to do a natural birth with my second, but that didn't work out.

Because I knew the birthdates, I had my hair/nails done the night before I had both my girls. And because I wasn't a sweaty mess during labor, I looked all nice and pretty for visitors (sad, I know. But I was in the hospital for 3 nights. I needed a blowout that would last).

Another plus for me (and for my hubby) is, ahem, no "stretching". And vaginal birth (pregnancy in general too) can leave some women w/ bladder problems.

And according to my husband, the operation was "bitchin". During the first, he watched it all, but had to stay behind the sheet that was put up in front of my tummy. He took pictures and all that. With Sophia, our good friend was the surgeon and she let him stand pretty close to her and he got a closer view of it all.

Oh, no stiches in your hoo-hah. I'd rather have them in my tummy.

Cons: Natural birth is a wonderful, natural experience. Part of me wishes I'd experienced it.

Can't say from experience, but I'd expect natural childbirth would be easier to recover from. Recovering can hurt like hell.

You have a scar above your hoo-hah, but you can't see it w/ even a low-rise bikini on.

You can't eat for quite awhile after a c-section. It's major surgery. I was famished, but could only have ice the first day and broth on the second.

I've heard some women talk about how having a c-section would be the worst possible outcome. Like they're less of a woman for having one, or you don't bond as much w/ your baby if you have one. HOGWASH! IMO, the baby's out safely and in your arms, and that's all that matters.

-- Edited by Cricket at 15:52, 2005-09-16

Karina · Chanel

when you say naturally, do you mean vaginal without drugs, or vaginal with drugs?

tara t · Marc Jacobs

karina, i guess i just mean vaginal - with or without drugs.

itsapinkthing · Coach

I can only speak for one comparitive experience:

While I was pregnant with my first I had to have a laparotomy, same surgery as a c-section, to remove an ovarian cycst along with the ovary and part of the tube. Now it may have been that I was also 15 weeks pregnant, but it took me a week before I could really walk/stand on my own. Recovery was horrible for me. If this had been a c-section I would have no idea how I could have enjoyed my new baby. How I could have held, rocked and walked with her.

23 weeks after surgery I gave birth, natural/vaginal, to my daughter. While labor was not exactly fun, mostly due to fear and anxiety of not knowing what to expect from labor, it was over in a few hours. I was only uncomfortable for maybe 2 hours total, I did have an epi. Once my baby was here, man I felt like I could do anything. And by the next morning I was walking around showing the baby off to other moms on the floor.

With this baby I hope to also have a natural birth. The experience made me feel completely confident in my body and it's abilities.

Tati · Chanel

I've never had a c-section, so I cant tell you about that. but I have 2 kids and I got the epidural (sp?) with both of them, thank goodness! I still felt the labor pains before that but only felt pressure after the epidural. and I've had 2 different experiences with epidural, so thats a different story.

I know some girls that give birth down there and are walking fine the next day, running errands what have you. Not me! I dont know if it has to do with the baby weight or not, but my first was almost 9lbs. and my last one was 9lbs. with my last one I felt i was in more pain down there. I even asked the nurse for a bag of ice to try to help! and it was painful to walk for a few days! and each time I was scared to have sex again! but having sex again was not as bad the first time after, but still, just scary.

BargainQueen · Marc Jacobs

I also can only speak for one experience:

I had a vaginal with drugs. . .my mom had us w/o drugs & said it was so painful she didn't really pay attn to details cuz she was in so much pain. I wanted to experience the 'labor or love' without the frenzy of screaming and hollering w/pain (and secretly I wanted hubby to see the hell I was going thru) It wasn't that bad at all, all I had to do is push. That said. . . .

Pros: I agree w/Cricket, vaginal birth is a wonderful, breathtaking(literally) experience. I also think it should be shared w/someone you love, whether its your hubby/BF, mom, sister, BFF. I don't think I would have wanted to have a vaginal birth w/o someone special there w/me.

I don't agree that you 'stretch out' if you have a vaginal birth. If you do your kegel exercises, you should return to your "before" size. The first few weeks after I was ok have sex again, I felt like I lost my virginity all over again. I think it was worse than childbirth! I also have a close guy friend who's wife has had 2 babies in 2yrs who said that is also not true. But it may vary by person.

Cons: Getting stiches down there. Ouch!! Long & difficult delivery (for some)

Edited for typos

-- Edited by BargainQueen at 16:50, 2005-09-16

Tati · Chanel

oh, and the best experience for me was pushing them out and having the doctor put the baby on my stomach for me to admire them, and the hubby cutting the cord.

this didn't happen to me, but I know of girls that pop/get hemorroids (sp?) when pushing, ouch!

and the stretching? well of course we strecth when the baby comes out, but it goes back to normal.

blink · Coach

Vaginal birth with epidural was relatively easy for me. I didn't go into labor by my due date on a Friday, so I was pre-scheduled to be induced by manual water break and pitocin the following Monday. I was lucky enough that I was in labor nearly 5 hours, and only had to push for about 15 minutes, I also had no tearing. I did choose to have the epidural after a couple hours went by. I plan to try no drugs again next time, and I am thankful that my hospital has a CRNA on staff at all times so that patients can request the epidural all the way up until the moment they need to start pushing. Apparently waiting-to-decide on epidural or not isn't an option everywhere, so this made things relaxed for me.

I didn't really feel horrible pain at all...the pain I remember most was right when the head was pushing out, I felt some stretching pain, and I know I yelped at that last push or two. But I worked through it and when it was over I was seriously saying to myself...that was it? Oh, and I didn't even break a real sweat during labor, I did cry when I held the baby for the first time and that made my mascara smudge (next time I won't be wearing makeup, ick!).

Only hard part for me about recovery was coming down off the epidural and the aching pain in the vaginal area. But that went away quickly, I don't remember it being an issue once I was home two days later.

Long story short, I was thankful that I hadn't had to have a C-Section birth, surgery and heavy meds scare me (probably irrationally, but still), I had been seriously stressing about this possibility and I know I would have been disappointed at missing out on vaginal birth. I loved the experience of giving birth, honest.

-- Edited by lorelei at 23:45, 2005-09-16

hotcocoa · Kate Spade

i had a c-section with my son and IF i have another child i will elect to have another. i don't think i can weigh in on the pros and cons since i've never experienced "natural" childbirth but i can say that i don't feel like i missed out on one single thing by having a cesarean. my c was not scheduled but a decision made between me and my midwife at a certain point after my labor was induced. sure, i was a bit sore for a day or so but something about the urgency of taking care of your newborn makes you forget about the discomfort. you experience the same joy and surprise of meeting your little sweetie no matter what your childbirth experience. i'd elect a c-section with any future children simply because i don't have any immediate family nearby to help out with childcare on a moments notice. with a scheduled date i know i could count on my mother to arrive in town on a specific day to be able to take care of my son for a specific amount of time until i came home. (in an ideal situation) the idea of cesareans make some people very nervous (i have many friends who don't understand my viewpoint on this or think it's "taboo" to talk to others about my c-section without my consent). i have no qualms about them whatsoever or any regrets or bad/gulity feelings about not having a natural birth. in the end i felt truly fortunate to simply have a healthy baby in my arms.

KaffeeKlatsch · Marc Jacobs

Ok, I'll speak up for the natural route...as in natural (no drugs, no epi, do pain killers)...that's the route I went. I think it was partly out of a desire to prove to myself that I could and mostly because I truly wanted to experience the act. My son was 10lbs, 7oz....and I have to say it went fairly well. To keep things in perspective, I'm 5'8'' tall and about 115 sopping wet...so the big baby was a BIG suprise. I was lucky in that I only stretched and did not tear...perhaps because I was really good about doing my Koegels in preparation. And the only really bad part was that I had back labor for about an hour....SO much more painful. But I got through it and lived to tell the tale...so in the end...I say it is worth it. :)

JMR · Dooney & Bourke

I just saw something on TV about this...

They mentioned that a vaginal delivery is actually much better for both baby and mom in terms of recovery (for mom) and some advantages for baby (like squeezing through the birth canal jump starts their lungs, and gets more of the fluid out).

I had a very long a painful labor/delivery. I had an epi but it wore off so my actual labor from 8cm through delivery was without meds. In addition, I had a fever and the baby was rushed off to the ICU for a few days.

I did have an episiotomy - and stitches..and I have to admit they still hurt a little, but I think its becuase I am doing too much around here - I need to be resting more.

A lot of my friends have had C-sections and complain it gets in the way of holding the baby or feeding - but I cant speak from experience.

Having this baby was the absolute worst and best experience I have ever had. I have to admit though - I feel so proud of myself and my husband that we did it - and I feel a bond with the baby that we went through it together. Holding her when she was just born was so amazing. I am sure I would feel the same way though if I had a c-section.

Oh - and for me the biggest pros of having a vaginal delivery were that I could eat, drink, shower afterwards, and that I was only in the hospital for 2 days not 4.

I am rambling - so I will end this by saying I think both have pros and cons, and both hurt, and both are amazing. It doesn't matter which you do - in the end you have an amazing creature that was worth it all!

Karina · Chanel

i had vaginal with drugs both times. my first labor was 12 hrs long, my epidural ran out, just like jen's, and i felt the last hour of pushing (i was pushing for 2.5) .. it was HORRIBLE. i couldn't get out of bed for about a week and my business didn't feel better for another 4 weeks or so. i also had an episiotomy, which is guess is what caused most of my pain.

my 2nd labor was wonderful (for a labor lol).. i was in labor for 6 hours, pushed maybe 30 - 45 min.. my epidural rocked and i didn't require an episiotomy again. i did have a MINOR MINOR tear, which she used one stitch on. i was fine after a few days - i felt brand new.