The Price for being born - Natural birth or C-Sections

I don't have my own kids. I used to think "knock me out, wake me up and hand me my kid wrapped in a cute little blanket!" was the way to go. Now - if I *could* have my own baby, whatever the medical professional I trusted told me was the best way to get the baby here safe and sound - I would go with that. Period.

The best research to do is talk to your mother and her female blood relatives. Not always, but pregnancies and deliveries tend to run in families. It helps a doctor to havean idea what to expect - if the doctor cares. Many are just there to cover their own butts and cash the check.

Before having my baby girl 11 months ago, I was probably the most anti c-section person that I know! My pregnancy was a tough one and I was on bed rest from week 28-36 because they thought I was at risk for pre-mature labor. I had ultrasounds and fetal monitoring weekly as well as fetal fibronectin tests to confirm whether or not she was going to be born. Fast forward to week 41 and still no baby! My doc finally suggests I schedule to be induced as she thinks that the baby is going to be born fairly large.

So I go in to be induced and end up not even needing the Pitocin as the Cervadil put me into labor. I progressed rather quickly and spent about 2 exhausting hours trying to push her out. I used only pain meds...no epidural. After the two hours of pushing I was exhausted and couldn't go on any longer. I asked the docs to just get her out of me. They unfortunately had to use the vacuum to extract her and her shoulder got stuck. So..in addition to the episiotomy to use the vacuum I went home with a 4th degree tear and a 10 lb 10 oz little girl.

Here I am a year later and I am seeing doctors about repairing damaged tissues that never healed up correctly as most OB's don't really know how to repair a 4th degree tear. Sometime in the future I will have to go and have another surgery to repair the damage from the delivery. At no point in my pregnancy, until week 41, did my doc suggest that my baby was going to be large. At no point in my pregnancy or one of the 15 ultrasounds I had did the doc request a weight on my baby. At no point did my doc ever talk with me about what can actually happen to your body if you attempt to deliver a very large baby. At no point did my doc suggest anything about C-section.

To date I have learned I will never be able to have another vaginal delivery , all future births must be done via C-section to prevent any further damage to my body.

So, as much as you want to trust your doc and hope that they are looking out for what is best for you, it isn't always the case. As a first time mother, I didn't know the right questions to ask or topics to bring up with my doctor. I figured that they would guide me as they are the EXPERTS! This isn't the case. My advice is to just read and research as much as you can to learn about all possible scenarios that can happen. Be open to whatever is needed to get your baby out safely and to keep you health as well! It may not be the birth plan you intended when you went into it but you and the baby are the most important thing!

As for me...I didn't have gestational diabetes and I went into my pregnacy at a BMI of about 25.4. Yes overweight, but barely.

The only reason I had a c-section was because of the size and position of my twins. They never turned and were out of room by the time they were supposed to turn downward. They would have both been breech. I wouldn't have minded the other way.

that's the exact same thing that happened to me. I went into it naturally, but baby A (my daugher) was a footling breech AND her cord was between her legs, so it was into the OR we went I'm actually still kinda of mourning over my birth story but I am very happy that my twins and I survived!

I have 2 babies - both by c-section. First was "emergency" after 32 hours of labor. I was fully dialated, and pushed for 2 hours, but with each contraction he progressed, then slid back when it was over. Turns out he had the cord wrapped around his neck twice. He was literally at the end of his rope and couldn't move any further. I was absolutely against having him that way, and cried when they took me down for surgery. Second baby was a planned c-section. LOVED IT! If we have another, I'm planning that c-section too.

Cost-wise, our insurance has a reasonable "max-out-of-pocket" amount, so it cost me the same either way.

I had my son naturally and let me tell you....you will never feel more empowered in you life after you go through it.

I had my son naturally and let me tell you....you will never feel more empowered in you life after you go through it.

I will say that I agree with this. My daughter was born in a hospital with an epidural, and it was fine. My son was born in a freestanding birth center with absolutely no drugs. And while it was kind of awful the second time around, and I was in pain for a really long time (I was in labor for days), and I had complications -- I'd still do it that way again a million times before I had another epidural. I felt awesome. At least, I felt awesome after I regained the liter of blood I lost. :laugh: Still... no more babies for me. I have enough.

From my understanding a lot of insurance companies won't cover a VBAC due to the risk of complications.

That’s a horrible factor Americans have to consider when birthing children.

Luckily in Canada it's all Free! - giving birth at least....

It's not free. You don't see the charges, but the taxpayers pay for it, and the doctors still try to bill as fast as they can so the government pays them faster. I worked in medical malpractice and saw how often doctors go too fast so they can bill more time.

I have three children (17, 13, 10). They were all born at home. It was the most exhilarating, empowering thing I have ever done!! (and my labors were 36, 25, 30 hours respectively) Having said that, it was for ME. I feel very strongly that a woman has to decide for herself what she is most comfortable with, certainly listen to your partner, but not even they should be able to make the choice for you. Be very comfortable with your practitioner - you are literally trusting your baby's life with that person, so make sure they are trustworthy. I totally advocate and border on preaching about breastfeeding - but not homebirth!

I too had a few complications with my first birth, but I knew that what ever my midwife said was in my best interest, because I trusted her completely!

My husband was less than excited that I chose a homebirth the first time around, but grew to appreciate it after the experience and fully supported me the next two times.

Good for you for doing your research before hand, and the best of luck with what ever you choose.

Can I also throw in that my mother is 5'2" and 120 lbs when she got pregnant with me. I was born at 10 lbs 4 oz. My mother also has very slender hips. So its a little hard to believe the line about how some women couldn't have a child naturally. God made our bodies the way they are for a certain reason. That's why our hips widen during pregnancy.

I think some c-sections are necessary. But not all. If there is no health risk to be foreseen there is no reason to "schedule" a delivery. Just makes it more convenient for some mothers (I do know mothers that want to schedule their delivery the day they find out they are pregnant) and doctors/hospitals.