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bellaluna
Baby come on out!
Member since 11/08 1934 total posts
Name:
Jess
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Re: Elective C-Section??
Its nice to hear both sides since I was terrified of vaginal birth, but the more I hear about everyone's experiences, I will attempt to get over my fears and deliver vaginally .
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Posted 2/5/09 10:45 AM  |
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Long Island Weddings
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babyonthebrain
Brotherly Love!
Member since 1/08 6209 total posts
Name:
Rafaela
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Re: Elective C-Section??
Even before I got pregnant I always wanted to have a csetion. I've always been terrified of vaginal birth. I did find a doctor who was willing to give me the elective csection, It turned outr though my baby was breecha nd I would've had to have one anyway. lol
funny how things turned out!
XOXOXO
BOTB
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| Posted 2/5/09 11:47 AM |
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babyonthebrain
Brotherly Love!
Member since 1/08 6209 total posts
Name:
Rafaela
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Re: Elective C-Section??
Posted by SecretlyPlanning4Baby
Oh my goodness, people got ugly about it, thats just horrible.
I am genuinely interested in the topic b/c for example, I have suffered from Panic Disorder and Aniexty attacks since I was a child, and although this is not necessarily a PHYSICAL reason to get a C-section, some women will find it harder then others to get thru the pain of a usual labor and delivery.
On another note, I have read about celebrities getting C-sections by choice and I was so curious if that also happens in real life and how often.
If you find the right dr. and explain your reasons they would do it. I wanted one for the exact same reasons as you.
I get panick attacks too and I felt I would have one during labor. It's your body you should do what you feel is right for you!!!
XOXOXO
BOTB
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| Posted 2/5/09 11:49 AM |
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Eireann
Two ladies and a gentleman!
Member since 5/05 12165 total posts
Name:
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Re: Elective C-Section??
I will tell you this...I had a panic attack during my first c-section. So I don't know if having one is going to resolve your situation.
Also, I think the reason this topic gets tense is that those of us that have had c-sections may feel that those who haven't present it as "no big deal" or the easier alternative. It's SO not easy--neither way is.
Either way though, good luck to you.
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| Posted 2/5/09 11:53 AM |
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MarisaK
HELLO Manolo !!
Member since 5/06 14562 total posts
Name:
Marisa
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Re: Elective C-Section??
There are absolutely Dr(s) who will do it .......Give a patient a C section 'just b/c they want it' -
I have friends who have had it done -
I personally think people SERIOUSLY underestimate major abdominal surgery.
I think the fear of a 'normal' delivery is the fear of something totally unknown - WHAT the hell is it going to feel like? What is going to happen to my body etc etc .........w/ a C section peopl kind of feel more 'comfortable' thinking - Ok, routine surgery, Dr goes in, cuts me open, takes baby, sews me up - end of story .........
If that's the mentality, I can understand the appeal ..........but you really have to consider the 9 billion other things involved in major surgery - Possibility of infection and recovery time are the 2 that deter me !!
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| Posted 2/5/09 12:39 PM |
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neenie
Member since 5/05 22351 total posts
Name:
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Re: Elective C-Section??
Posted by Lillykat
those risks - btw are common risks of any surgery - anytime you have surgery you risk blood clots, pulmonary embolism, and hemmorhage
Yes, they are risks for any surgery, but are far more common in abdominal sx which is why is considered such a high risk type of surgery.
I'm not anti-csection, just anti-uninformed decisions. Of course there are reasons for them, and in most cases, the reason to do it outweighs the risks involved, but the problem is with the situations where it doesn't.
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| Posted 2/5/09 12:47 PM |
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Lizzy
Carson's Mama
Member since 2/08 2430 total posts
Name:
Elisabeth
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Re: Elective C-Section??
Posted by davenjess
my SIL just gave birth - she was pushing for 19 hours and had to have a c-section - she was DEVESTATED that she and i'm quoting here, 'got all stretched out and didn't even have the baby that way'. I could relate to her honesty....i really could...i would feel frustrated if that happened as well..
This is my biggest fear.  I would be so frustrated if I pushed and pushed and pushed and then had to have a c-section.
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| Posted 2/5/09 2:08 PM |
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Diana1215
Living on a prayer!!!
Member since 10/05 29450 total posts
Name:
Diana
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Re: Elective C-Section??
Posted by neenie
Posted by SecretlyPlanning4Baby
I just think you know, some women have it in their head that the labor pains and contractions they can avoid at least THAT part of the pain if they plan ahead for a C-section.
C-sections aren't that cut and dry (excuse the pun) and i think part of the problem (and reason it can get heated) is that some people really just don't get that. It's major abdominal surgery. Abdominal surgery is the HIGHEST risk of all surgeries. Blood clots, pulmonary emboli, hemmorhage, etc are all very common- more than most are aware of. Also, you may think that you can avoid "that part of the pain", but you have no idea what you're in store for during recovery. My SIL's incision never closed correctly, she almost became septic, they had to reopen her, have a nurse come to her house to repack the wound everyday for over 3 weeks and it took months after that before it completely healed correctly.
I think it's great that c-sections exist for emergency (and certain other) situations, but it's so hard for me to comprehend some people's casual views of it.
Neenie - you just freaked me out reading this and I already had a c-section. How friggin scary!!! And, I'm trying for #2 now and will have to do that all over again
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| Posted 2/5/09 2:15 PM |
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SweetTooth
I'm a tired mommy!
Member since 12/05 20105 total posts
Name:
Lauren
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Re: Elective C-Section??
I had a scheduled c-sec but it was not elective. I did not want one at all, but DS (who was baby A - closest to my cervix)was breech and they cant't try an external version with twins, it too dangerous, not to mention no room for it. My recovery wasn't bad but I would still want a vaginal delivery if I had the choice. If I ever have another baby I would want to try for a vbac.
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| Posted 2/5/09 3:42 PM |
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Lillykat
going along for the ride...
Member since 5/05 16253 total posts
Name:
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Re: Elective C-Section??
Posted by neenie
Posted by Lillykat
those risks - btw are common risks of any surgery - anytime you have surgery you risk blood clots, pulmonary embolism, and hemmorhage
Yes, they are risks for any surgery, but are far more common in abdominal sx which is why is considered such a high risk type of surgery.
I'm not anti-csection, just anti-uninformed decisions. Of course there are reasons for them, and in most cases, the reason to do it outweighs the risks involved, but the problem is with the situations where it doesn't.
That I do agree with - it is a risky surgery but there are other ones like bariatric surgery that are MUCH higher risks. Unfortunately I do agree many are uninformed. Doctors do not do a good enough job with informed consent these days and brush off the risks to emphasize the benefits which they are not supposed to do.
Unfortunately I doubt anyone on here wants my old job it is NOT one for anyone who is pregnant (although those were only a portion of the type of suits I saw). I used to work in med mal insurance so I not only saw tons of every case out there - but I had to be medically knowledgeable about my cases so I was forced to do a lot of research on all those topics and reading the expert opinions alone can be scary. I'm definitely NOT trying to trivialize csections - b.c they ARE major surgery- but at the same time for the majority of them they are medically necessary so at the same time I don't want to scare moms out there who need them. Although I have to say some of the scary stories I saw related to vaginal births and moms who didn't listen to their OB's advice and insisted on going naturally rather than the csection route and ended up with children with shoulder dystocia or severe permanent brain damage b.c they got stuck in the canal too long, etc.
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| Posted 2/5/09 4:12 PM |
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sfp0701
Liam's Mommy!
Member since 1/07 9764 total posts
Name:
Tricia
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Re: Elective C-Section??
I just thought I would share this link. I came upon it when searching for prenatal yoga in Nassau County... ( I guess Google is not so intuitive.) But, I found it to be really interesting. Click here- Scroll down to the part about increased section rates.
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| Posted 2/5/09 4:38 PM |
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sfp0701
Liam's Mommy!
Member since 1/07 9764 total posts
Name:
Tricia
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Re: Elective C-Section??
Posted by neenie
Posted by SecretlyPlanning4Baby
I just think you know, some women have it in their head that the labor pains and contractions they can avoid at least THAT part of the pain if they plan ahead for a C-section.
C-sections aren't that cut and dry (excuse the pun) and i think part of the problem (and reason it can get heated) is that some people really just don't get that. It's major abdominal surgery. Abdominal surgery is the HIGHEST risk of all surgeries. Blood clots, pulmonary emboli, hemmorhage, etc are all very common- more than most are aware of. Also, you may think that you can avoid "that part of the pain", but you have no idea what you're in store for during recovery. My SIL's incision never closed correctly, she almost became septic, they had to reopen her, have a nurse come to her house to repack the wound everyday for over 3 weeks and it took months after that before it completely healed correctly.
I think it's great that c-sections exist for emergency (and certain other) situations, but it's so hard for me to comprehend some people's casual views of it.
I agree. I think c-sections have thier place. They do. I am using a midwife and I am CONFIDENT that if I get a section it will be because I really and truely needed it (i.e., a real true emergency). Ask your doctors what thier section rates are. Most on LI are above 50%. (my OB told me that her's was over 55%. I never went back. She was quite proud of that rate and rattled off all the reasons why someone would need one. IMO you should be looking at it as a last resort.) I find it very hard to belive that half of all pregnancies end in an emergency. The national rate is 1/3 of all get c-section. Why is Long Island so much higher? There is something going on in the medical community and no one likes to talk about it.
ETA: I think that the doctor's say they are doing it for medical reasons and use scare tactics. But, many of those reasons are not scientifically proven to be reasons not to TRY a vaginal birth first. Then move to a section. Look all I'm saying is that people put a lot of faith into doctors and don't question them at all.
From a non-pregnancy related perspective. My aunt was just given 3-6 months to live. She has been in and out of hospitals. Treating symptoms and never looking for the cause. Now she has terminal cancer. Could it have been prevented? We will never know. But, they should have found it a while ago. AND when my mother, a nurse, questioned why they weren't doing certain tests, they looked down thier noses at her. She was right all along.
So the lesson? Be your own advocate. Research what the doctor tells you and research both sides of the debate. You will find heated information on both sides. Weed out the truth and be an informed consumer.
Message edited 2/5/2009 4:50:40 PM.
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| Posted 2/5/09 4:44 PM |
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Hofstra26
Love to Bake!
Member since 7/06 27915 total posts
Name:
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Re: Elective C-Section??
My OB wouldn't let you elect to have one "just because". It had to be medically necessary. I had a C-section with Emerson (medically necessary) and after having one I don't know why anyone would "elect" to have it. The recovery was god awful, painful and uncomfortable. I hated that I had to have one. I envied those that delivered vaginally while in the hospital........they were up and around in no time. It took me weeks to feel like my old self.
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| Posted 2/5/09 4:54 PM |
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Lillykat
going along for the ride...
Member since 5/05 16253 total posts
Name:
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Re: Elective C-Section??
Posted by sfp0701
From a non-pregnancy related perspective. My aunt was just given 3-6 months to live. She has been in and out of hospitals. Treating symptoms and never looking for the cause. Now she has terminal cancer. Could it have been prevented? We will never know. But, they should have found it a while ago. AND when my mother, a nurse, questioned why they weren't doing certain tests, they looked down thier noses at her. She was right all along.
So the lesson? Be your own advocate. Research what the doctor tells you and research both sides of the debate. You will find heated information on both sides. Weed out the truth and be an informed consumer.
I can't speak about the rate of csection on the island - b/c I delivered at Columbia. With those rates though there are doctors out there who are quick to section - which is why it is important to research your MD's not just go to someone b.c a friend likes them. There are a lot of bad doctors out there just like there are good ones. The problem with the numbers out there is that do they take into account how many of those were high risk (more likely to need a section than a normal pregnancy with no complications), how many were 2nd or 3rd time csections?
As far as the other issue - THAT is horrible sounds more like bad doctors and malpractice than anything. Your mother (I hear you on that one my mom was a nurse too so she asks all the questions) was very right to question - sounds like her doctors weren't doing their job and they MISSED it - but without details I can't say for sure.
I'm a firm believer in researching - but I think many people don't know how to properly research and just google and they get articles and other information that is NOT accurate or from a reliable credible source which makes it hard - not everyone has access to the top medical journals or knows how to access the better research.
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| Posted 2/5/09 5:05 PM |
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stickydust
Now a mommy of 2!!!
Member since 4/06 3164 total posts
Name:
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Re: Elective C-Section??
Posting every scary fact about c-sections is really not going to help anyone because it does not present the whole picture. All it is going to do is scare those who already have to go and get a c-section or those who will need an emergency c-section. The facts are that a majority of c-sections go off without any complications. Yes, one needs to be aware of the risks but the truth is there are inherent risks in everything. Pregnancy in itself is very dangerous - you have a high risk for blood clots, pre-eclampsia etc. all of which are life threatening. I personally had a BP of 220/120 3 days after delivery.
Yet despite all this we all choose to get pregnant - multiple times for many. We also choose to drive in our car everyday etc. I agree that one should be informed and not take unnecessary risks but that information should come from OBs who can provide accurate information and statistics. We should not try to care anyone out of a v-birth or c-section because the vast majority of us got most of our medical training from the internet
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| Posted 2/5/09 5:25 PM |
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neenie
Member since 5/05 22351 total posts
Name:
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Re: Elective C-Section??
Posted by stickydust
Posting every scary fact about c-sections is really not going to help anyone because it does not present the whole picture. All it is going to do is scare those who already have to go and get a c-section or those who will need an emergency c-section. The facts are that a majority of c-sections go off without any complications. Yes, one needs to be aware of the risks but the truth is there are inherent risks in everything. Pregnancy in itself is very dangerous - you have a high risk for blood clots, pre-eclampsia etc. all of which are life threatening. I personally had a BP of 220/120 3 days after delivery.
Yet despite all this we all choose to get pregnant - multiple times for many. We also choose to drive in our car everyday etc. I agree that one should be informed and not take unnecessary risks but that information should come from OBs who can provide accurate information and statistics. We should not try to care anyone out of a v-birth or c-section because the vast majority of us got most of our medical training from the internet
Some of us didn't get our 'medical training' from the internet Also, i don't see people posting 'every scary fact' about csections- just risks that DO exist. No one's trying to scare anyone out of anything, just give them the information to make an INFORMED decision. Of course it doesn't present the whole picture- it presents the response to why csections for the sake of convinience only, should not be taken so lightly.
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| Posted 2/5/09 5:38 PM |
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sfp0701
Liam's Mommy!
Member since 1/07 9764 total posts
Name:
Tricia
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Re: Elective C-Section??
Posted by stickydust
Posting every scary fact about c-sections is really not going to help anyone because it does not present the whole picture. All it is going to do is scare those who already have to go and get a c-section or those who will need an emergency c-section. The facts are that a majority of c-sections go off without any complications. Yes, one needs to be aware of the risks but the truth is there are inherent risks in everything. Pregnancy in itself is very dangerous - you have a high risk for blood clots, pre-eclampsia etc. all of which are life threatening. I personally had a BP of 220/120 3 days after delivery.
Yet despite all this we all choose to get pregnant - multiple times for many. We also choose to drive in our car everyday etc. I agree that one should be informed and not take unnecessary risks but that information should come from OBs who can provide accurate information and statistics. We should not try to care anyone out of a v-birth or c-section because the vast majority of us got most of our medical training from the internet
See that's the problematic thinking. Pregnancy is not very dangerous. It is a perfectly natural condition. There are medical conditons that occur with pregnancy. But, pregnancy itself it not dangerous. Doctors are thinking of pregnancy as a "medical condition that needs to be managed" When in fact, most pregnancies are perfectly fine and most of the "problems" have no long term studies to support that these are actual problems and not just normal flucuations and expected conditions of pregnancy.
I am not anti c-section either. I think they save lives and they do have a place in L&D. I just belive that they are being overused. Doctors are recommending them for some reasons that have no basis in science.
ETA: In re-reading this... I realize that may have come off a bit rude. I am sorry for that. I didn't intend that. I am just having a VERY bad day and I didn't take the time to plan out the post. Sorry. 
Message edited 2/5/2009 5:59:39 PM.
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| Posted 2/5/09 5:46 PM |
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stickydust
Now a mommy of 2!!!
Member since 4/06 3164 total posts
Name:
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Re: Elective C-Section??
Posted by neenie
Posted by stickydust
Posting every scary fact about c-sections is really not going to help anyone because it does not present the whole picture. All it is going to do is scare those who already have to go and get a c-section or those who will need an emergency c-section. The facts are that a majority of c-sections go off without any complications. Yes, one needs to be aware of the risks but the truth is there are inherent risks in everything. Pregnancy in itself is very dangerous - you have a high risk for blood clots, pre-eclampsia etc. all of which are life threatening. I personally had a BP of 220/120 3 days after delivery.
Yet despite all this we all choose to get pregnant - multiple times for many. We also choose to drive in our car everyday etc. I agree that one should be informed and not take unnecessary risks but that information should come from OBs who can provide accurate information and statistics. We should not try to care anyone out of a v-birth or c-section because the vast majority of us got most of our medical training from the internet
Some of us didn't get our 'medical training' from the internet Also, i don't see people posting 'every scary fact' about csections- just risks that DO exist. No one's trying to scare anyone out of anything, just give them the information to make an INFORMED decision. Of course it doesn't present the whole picture- it presents the response to why csections for the sake of convinience only, should not be taken so lightly.
That is why I said most I know there are some medical professionals here (both nurses and MDs) But in light of other posts it does seem that people are getting scared which is neither productive or safe. I think it suffices to say that the procedure carries inherent risks that should be discussed with an actual physician.
I agree no c-section should be taken lightly but the reality is every time we are a patient in a hospital we are accepting all sorts of risks that things may go wrong - even in a vaginal birth. It is the potential for things to go horribly wrong which has caused so many OB's to turn to c-sections for liability reasons.
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| Posted 2/5/09 5:56 PM |
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Diana1215
Living on a prayer!!!
Member since 10/05 29450 total posts
Name:
Diana
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Re: Elective C-Section??
I'm not quoting bc it gets too long. I think neenie's post was informing people that a c-section is by no means an easy way out. People are scared to push out a baby - I was --- but people also do not know the risks involved with a c-section. The OP asked a question and Neenie gave an educated answer.
I had a c-section - my son was 10lbs -- but it still to this day freaks me out when I think of what they had to do to my body to get him out. My husband saw my insides --- that is not something I want to know.  The recovery was not easy at all. Most women who I know who have had vaginal births were up and walking two hours later....24 hours later and I was in excruciating pain when they made me get out of bed. 19 months later and if I overdue it one day - I will still feel slightly sore at night.
I think some women look at c-sections as the easy way out and that is not the case at all IMO.
Message edited 2/5/2009 6:03:15 PM.
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| Posted 2/5/09 6:02 PM |
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stickydust
Now a mommy of 2!!!
Member since 4/06 3164 total posts
Name:
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Re: Elective C-Section??
Posted by sfp0701
Posted by stickydust
Posting every scary fact about c-sections is really not going to help anyone because it does not present the whole picture. All it is going to do is scare those who already have to go and get a c-section or those who will need an emergency c-section. The facts are that a majority of c-sections go off without any complications. Yes, one needs to be aware of the risks but the truth is there are inherent risks in everything. Pregnancy in itself is very dangerous - you have a high risk for blood clots, pre-eclampsia etc. all of which are life threatening. I personally had a BP of 220/120 3 days after delivery.
Yet despite all this we all choose to get pregnant - multiple times for many. We also choose to drive in our car everyday etc. I agree that one should be informed and not take unnecessary risks but that information should come from OBs who can provide accurate information and statistics. We should not try to care anyone out of a v-birth or c-section because the vast majority of us got most of our medical training from the internet
See that's the problematic thinking. Pregnancy is not very dangerous. It is a perfectly natural condition. There are medical conditons that occur with pregnancy. But, pregnancy itself it not dangerous. Doctors are thinking of pregnancy as a "medical condition that needs to be managed" When in fact, most pregnancies are perfectly fine and most of the "problems" have no long term studies to support that these are actual problems and not just normal flucuations and expected conditions of pregnancy.
I am not anti c-section either. I think they save lives and they do have a place in L&D. I just belive that they are being overused. Doctors are recommending them for some reasons that have no basis in science.
Pregnancy or conditions related to pregnancy CAN be very dangerous for some people. There have been people on this board who have been told never to get pregnant again because they will not survive it. I, personally, as I stated before had my BP go to 220/120 and my liver enzymes highly elevated. I was put on an IV of anti-seizure medication and boluses of BP medication to prevent me from stroking out. It is not an aggravation of any current condition as my BP is usually 110/ 60. So yes, while pregnancy my be a natural condition there are also many diseases that are natural as well. It is very easy to see pregnancy as not a medical condition until your life is hanging in the balance because of it.
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| Posted 2/5/09 6:03 PM |
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KateDevine
*
Member since 6/06 24950 total posts
Name:
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Re: Elective C-Section??
Posted by Lillykat
Posted by neenie
Posted by Lillykat
those risks - btw are common risks of any surgery - anytime you have surgery you risk blood clots, pulmonary embolism, and hemmorhage
Yes, they are risks for any surgery, but are far more common in abdominal sx which is why is considered such a high risk type of surgery.
I'm not anti-csection, just anti-uninformed decisions. Of course there are reasons for them, and in most cases, the reason to do it outweighs the risks involved, but the problem is with the situations where it doesn't.
That I do agree with - it is a risky surgery but there are other ones like bariatric surgery that are MUCH higher risks. Unfortunately I do agree many are uninformed. Doctors do not do a good enough job with informed consent these days and brush off the risks to emphasize the benefits which they are not supposed to do.
Unfortunately I doubt anyone on here wants my old job it is NOT one for anyone who is pregnant (although those were only a portion of the type of suits I saw). I used to work in med mal insurance so I not only saw tons of every case out there - but I had to be medically knowledgeable about my cases so I was forced to do a lot of research on all those topics and reading the expert opinions alone can be scary. I'm definitely NOT trying to trivialize csections - b.c they ARE major surgery- but at the same time for the majority of them they are medically necessary so at the same time I don't want to scare moms out there who need them. Although I have to say some of the scary stories I saw related to vaginal births and moms who didn't listen to their OB's advice and insisted on going naturally rather than the csection route and ended up with children with shoulder dystocia or severe permanent brain damage b.c they got stuck in the canal too long, etc.
ITA (and I also worked in med mal!)
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| Posted 2/5/09 6:03 PM |
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Jen2999
Baby girls & beagles rock!
Member since 8/06 10356 total posts
Name:
Jen
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Re: Elective C-Section??
Ill post my story. I was terrified of having a csection and I knew every day more that I was late I was closer to one due to her size and possible need for induction.
I am not posting a "birth story" because I didnt want to freak anyone out...my labor was obviously not typical.
I wound up going into labor ob my own 8 days late. I went into labor at 3am. Everything was great ...got the the hospital and was 2-3 cent. dialted but never really progressed. Got the epi and pitocin, started progressing more. At about 8 cent. all hell broke lose. My blood pressure was throug the roof, the epi STOPPED working, I spiked a fever, they were concerned about a possible uterine infection and talking nicu for the baby. I had a headache so bad I could barely see and the contractions were every 1.5 minutes and unbearable. Even still, my Dr. let me continue to labor while monitoring me VERY closely. I got to 10 centimeters and pushed with all the above complications and a full 24 hrs of labor and no sleep behind me for over 2 hrs. Sadie was face up and never dropped...I was screaming in pain and vomiting for the last 3 hrs of my labor while pushing and finally that is when they decided I couldnt take anymore and resorted to a csection.
The point of me writing all of this is that you cant really know what is going to happen until it does. If you speak to your dr and make sure that he/she knows your wishes, they should do anything they can to honor them or you need to find a new dr. Given all of my complicaqtions, another dr may have called a section way sooner.... I was terrified of the surgery and I dont get how people are more scared of a V birth over csections...but I guess everyone is different.
After all of that.. I barely remember my daughter being born. I was exhausted and very drugged up and was in and out for the csection. Next time.. I want to remember and enjoy it and I will probably elect to have another C. The recovery wasnt bad and I had to essentially recover from over 24 hrs of labor plus the C.
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| Posted 2/5/09 6:16 PM |
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sfp0701
Liam's Mommy!
Member since 1/07 9764 total posts
Name:
Tricia
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Re: Elective C-Section??
Posted by stickydust
Posted by sfp0701
Posted by stickydust
Posting every scary fact about c-sections is really not going to help anyone because it does not present the whole picture. All it is going to do is scare those who already have to go and get a c-section or those who will need an emergency c-section. The facts are that a majority of c-sections go off without any complications. Yes, one needs to be aware of the risks but the truth is there are inherent risks in everything. Pregnancy in itself is very dangerous - you have a high risk for blood clots, pre-eclampsia etc. all of which are life threatening. I personally had a BP of 220/120 3 days after delivery.
Yet despite all this we all choose to get pregnant - multiple times for many. We also choose to drive in our car everyday etc. I agree that one should be informed and not take unnecessary risks but that information should come from OBs who can provide accurate information and statistics. We should not try to care anyone out of a v-birth or c-section because the vast majority of us got most of our medical training from the internet
See that's the problematic thinking. Pregnancy is not very dangerous. It is a perfectly natural condition. There are medical conditons that occur with pregnancy. But, pregnancy itself it not dangerous. Doctors are thinking of pregnancy as a "medical condition that needs to be managed" When in fact, most pregnancies are perfectly fine and most of the "problems" have no long term studies to support that these are actual problems and not just normal flucuations and expected conditions of pregnancy.
I am not anti c-section either. I think they save lives and they do have a place in L&D. I just belive that they are being overused. Doctors are recommending them for some reasons that have no basis in science.
Pregnancy or conditions related to pregnancy CAN be very dangerous for some people. There have been people on this board who have been told never to get pregnant again because they will not survive it. I, personally, as I stated before had my BP go to 220/120 and my liver enzymes highly elevated. I was put on an IV of anti-seizure medication and boluses of BP medication to prevent me from stroking out. It is not an aggravation of any current condition as my BP is usually 110/ 60. So yes, while pregnancy my be a natural condition there are also many diseases that are natural as well. It is very easy to see pregnancy as not a medical condition until your life is hanging in the balance because of it.
Yes, I agree, for SOME people pregnancy can be very dangerous. And I am very sorry that you have had to deal with all those problems. I can't even imagine.
But, you stated that "pregnancy in itself is very dangerous". That statement is a huge generalization. (As I think mine might have come across as well. And I apologize for that.) But, for the vast majority of the population pregnancy is perfectly safe. The reason why we have prenatal care is for the rare case where pregnancy brings on life threatening conditions. I would never advocate not having pre-natal care. I don't think you implied that I thought that anyway. I just think this whole thread is so full of generalizations anyway and of course things need to be looked at on a case by case basis. I just think that people need to do thier homework and be an intergral part of the decision making. This is your body and and your life.
I really pray that everything is okay with you and as I edited above earlier.. I think I came across kind of harsh. I didn't mean that and I apologized for that before you responded to this. 
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| Posted 2/5/09 6:22 PM |
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sfp0701
Liam's Mommy!
Member since 1/07 9764 total posts
Name:
Tricia
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Re: Elective C-Section??
Posted by Jen2999
Ill post my story. I was terrified of having a csection and I knew every day more that I was late I was closer to one due to her size and possible need for induction.
I am not posting a "birth story" because I didnt want to freak anyone out...my labor was obviously not typical.
I wound up going into labor ob my own 8 days late. I went into labor at 3am. Everything was great ...got the the hospital and was 2-3 cent. dialted but never really progressed. Got the epi and pitocin, started progressing more. At about 8 cent. all hell broke lose. My blood pressure was throug the roof, the epi STOPPED working, I spiked a fever, they were concerned about a possible uterine infection and talking nicu for the baby. I had a headache so bad I could barely see and the contractions were every 1.5 minutes and unbearable. Even still, my Dr. let me continue to labor while monitoring me VERY closely. I got to 10 centimeters and pushed with all the above complications and a full 24 hrs of labor and no sleep behind me for over 2 hrs. Sadie was face up and never dropped...I was screaming in pain and vomiting for the last 3 hrs of my labor while pushing and finally that is when they decided I couldnt take anymore and resorted to a csection.
The point of me writing all of this is that you cant really know what is going to happen until it does. If you speak to your dr and make sure that he/she knows your wishes, they should do anything they can to honor them or you need to find a new dr. Given all of my complicaqtions, another dr may have called a section way sooner.... I was terrified of the surgery and I dont get how people are more scared of a V birth over csections...but I guess everyone is different.
After all of that.. I barely remember my daughter being born. I was exhausted and very drugged up and was in and out for the csection. Next time.. I want to remember and enjoy it and I will probably elect to have another C. The recovery wasnt bad and I had to essentially recover from over 24 hrs of labor plus the C.
That is awful and I am sorry you had to go through that. That is exactly the situation that the section was designed for. (not an overuse of the section for various unproven reasons) As I said, If I have one with my midwife I know that it will be because I really need it as did you. I hope you are feeling better now.
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| Posted 2/5/09 6:25 PM |
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babyfaith
Onward and Upward!
Member since 2/08 3210 total posts
Name:
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Re: Elective C-Section??
I will not ask for a c-section because I am afraid of labor pains. I will ask for one if things are not going well during labor or if there are any complications during the end of my pregnancy.
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| Posted 2/5/09 8:23 PM |
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