A Mom Shares: Why I Chose to Have a C-Section
Photo: Veer / The Bump
Before I got pregnant, you could say I was pretty undereducated about the birth options. I just figured I’d have an epidural and have a baby. I didn’t even realize that my own mother had had two natural (drug-free) births before my youngest sister was born via C-section. But once I saw that positive pregnancy test, I started reading up on what my options were and psyched myself up for a non-medicated, vaginal birth.
Then, at 13 weeks, I found out I was having twins. After the initial shock wore off, I was left with so many questions. One of the most pressing: What about my natural delivery? My OB-GYN, a mother of twins herself, said it was up to me, but that if Baby A (the baby closest to the “exit”) was presenting breech, it would have to be a C-section. I would also have to deliver in an OR regardless of my choice, and I would have to have an epidural (because of the chance of an emergency C-section or in case the doctor would have to manually flip one of the babies.)
There are other doctors who have different rules, and I could have looked for one who would attempt a breech extraction with twins, but I felt a rapport with this doctor who was easy going and laid back, someone to ease all my worries and who had actually been there herself.
One concern with twins is the possibility of the “double whammy” or mixed delivery — that is you deliver the first baby vaginally and the second one goes into distress, resulting in an emergency C-section. The chances of this happening are very low, but I personally know a set of twins who’d been delivered this way, and when I brought this up with my doctor, who I expected to alleviate my worries, she acknowledged that it was a valid concern.
Because I didn’t want to end up in an emergency situation, and because I wanted to plan as much as I could ahead of time, I chose a C-section well before the time the babies were born. I didn’t want to wait and see, and then have my dreams of the ideal birth be shattered. I ignored my mother’s stories of how awful her recovery was, and instead looked to online forums whose posters called their recoveries “NBD” (no big deal).
My recovery was not NBD, but I had a lot of help from my husband and my family. I couldn’t have done it without them. I was at peace with my decision for a C-section because I really believed I didn’t have another safe option (and Baby A was breech, anyway).
I recently read that studies are saying C-sections aren’t any safer for twin births than a vaginal delivery, and I’ve started to second guess myself. I wonder, if I had sought out more information specifically for twin mothers, and not just hearsay, would I have changed my mind and/or changed doctors? I wish my doctor would have urged me to do more research, or suggested some reading, or something, anything, rather than just “leave it up to me.” Making this decision can be so scary, and I needed more support — not horror stories, and not someone brushing it off as NBD.
In the end, though, my babies were born healthy and continue to thrive, and I’ve recovered just fine after a few initial hiccups. If I do get pregnant again (someday in the faraway future!) I will have this experience to inform my choices as I navigate yet another decision-making process: VBAC or repeat c-section?
Did you have a C-section? Share your story with us!
Plus, more from The Bump:
Care and Recovery After a C-Section
10+ Things No One Tells You About C-Sections
Do You Always Have to Have a C-Section With Multiples?
The Knot Blog
The Nest Blog
I did have a c-section and it was something that was planned. My son was a bigger baby measuring two weeks ahead. I had multiple ultrasounds to monitor his growth. I had one the day before my scheduled c-section and Gabriel was measuring off the charts, they couldn’t even tell me what he weighed. The doctor did say well over 10 lbs and that his head was 12 cm. I have the c-section and he was 9 lbs 2 oz, so smaller than they thought, but they were still glad they did a c-section. My healing time was fast, I was released early and moving around and felt great just a few days after.
For my second baby, I decided to have a c section from the beginning as they say the second baby is always bigger and if you were to do a VBAC they wanted the baby smaller. Natalie was 10 lbs and 6 oz!! She was my chucka monka! Like the first one, I healed great! Released early again and moving around with no problems a few days later, but not as fast as the first one.
I found out that my DD was breech at 36 weeks, was told that I would need a C-section. I was very upset, but only had a few days to get used to it because my water broke 4 days later! I did not have a single contraction, between my water breaking and my c-section! So I have no idea what labor is like. My recovery seemed so easy for me!! I am 35 weeks with DS and I have chosen to have another C-section. Other Mommies have tried to talk me into a VBAC, but I honestly don’t want to labor ever!
You should watch the documentary “The Business of Being Born.” Doctors get paid a lot more for C-section which is why the rates are so, so high… so that is why you will get horror stories and No Big Deal responses from most doctors. Its a very good documentary!
Fortunately in my country we have free health service. So in our maternity hospital you can have a c-section or you have the option of private hospitalization which costs a fortune. So thankfully “The Business of Being Born” wouldn’t apply here.
I had 3 c-sections. No one pushed me into any of them, every Dr I spoke to pushed for a vag birth whenever possible. I have never met a Dr or nurse who said the section was NBD…but some moms thought that of their own experinces. I am one. First section baby I went straight from the hosptial to a dinner party- with baby. Second section baby I cooked dinner for the whole family including grandparents and cousins. After the third section I stopped a a grocery store on the way home and shopped. It does speak to the fact that a section by an good Dr is not any more debilitating than a vag birth. All 3 babies born with high Apgars and needed no assistance.
Over the past 12 years I have know hundreds of mothers and not only have I never met anyone pushed towards a section, I have met several who had to fight for it as it was best for their family. I sometimes think documentaries are made by people who had questionable experiences and filter the info to suit their experience. I have however met several women who slam the need for sections every chance they get…which is insulting to me as woman and a mother for anyone to assume they know what my body or my baby needed. If the goal is to have a healthy mother and child the route taken should be second to the outcome. Not everyone agrees that pushing through risk on principal when a perfectly reasonable alternative is available makes sense.
Although I started my journey to motherhood assuming I would give birth naturally I am grateful medical technology was available to me when I needed it.
It is also of note that while researching my options there were several articles I read that found a correlation between the rise in c-sections and the increase in size of humans. Even good nutrition has its down side ! The one negative reason I did find was related to insurance and the problem of lawsuits and insurance hikes. We sometimes forget birth is inherantly risky under the best of circumstances and the unwillingness to accept that fact may lead to overly conservative practice in some parts of the country. By far the most pervalent explanation seemed to be the increasing safeness of the procedure and the decreasing recovery times associated with it.
For me personally, I was more scared to deliver naturally and elected for a C-section.
Why? I would rather have the baby taken out than deal with scary things like a wrapped chord, forceps, vacuum, distress…
I know a lot of people will say I’m wrong, but personally it was the best choice for me and my family.
Hey there! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any problems
with hackers? My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended
up losing many months of hard work due to no data backup.
Do you have any solutions to prevent hackers?