C-section or Natural?

Question

A friend of mine said this: "Do u know if ur going 2 have it c-section or natural? Pray c-section, u might have a scar but im sure it'll feel better than natural."

My answer was Im not going to have a C-section unless it is a last resort, Im goin natural with a option for pain meds if I cant take the pain.

This is my first pregnancy. She didnt tell me which one she had but I got a little curious.....

Which is more painful to have?

Is a C-section better than going natural (or vice versa)?

Answer 1

c section is definitely the most painful...they have to cur through your skin and fat, then rip your abdominal muscles apart and cut your uterus open to get the baby out...it is major surgery and has a lot of risks and a long recovery time...

the least painful is probably vaginal with an epidural...i did natural for 11 hours and was still only 4 cms dilated so i got the epidural and omg i wish i got it from the beginning...didnt really feel much other than some pressure..

good luck :o)

Answer 2

No one can say which is "better".  Even those who have had both would only be giving their opinion, just like I am about to :) I gave birth one year ago last week, vaginally, and am sooo thankful I did not have a C-section.  The recovery is longer for a C-section, its like having MAJOR surgery, you cant get up right away, you cant breastfeed right away (so Ive been told due to meds) and in my opinion if god wanted the baby to come out that way he wouldve put the hole on top of the stomach.... I know in some cases its medically necessary and in those cases I would be willing to have/recommend it but definately go for vaginally, its also harder to have a vaginal delivery ever after you have one C-section...I'm due in October and am praying everything goes ok and I can deliver vaginally again.  I did have an epidural and of course recommend that....;)

Answer 3

OMG!!

Natural is the best way...that's why it called natural. Yes it is painful, but in the grand scheme of things, the pain is short-lived.

I have had both. 2 natural births and one c-section. You heal so much faster naturally, and usually you are out of the hospital in 2 days. With a c-section, you are having major abdominal surgery with all the risks associated with it. And you are in the hospital for about4-5 days, and you ahve an incision to worry about. It is difficult to hold your baby cause you cant sit up at first. Also, when you give bith naturally you can usually start to feed your baby right away, with a c-section, you have to wait until you get out of post op etc.

Now I know many women have had difficult births and welcomed thir c-sections. And that is completely understandable, but every situation is different and it just does not make sense to put your body through major surgery if it is not necessary.

Answer 4

would u want to have to take a pillow and hold it too your chest every time u had to couch or clear your throat. i had a friend not good for her both of my sisters had c sections one had too cause baby wouldnt come. the other the doctor looked at her and said she had too. i am smaller then her by looks and i didnt have to have one. i went all the way up to five then wanted pain meds but i had been in pain for the three days before giving birth. but i walked every day that i could till it got too hot. i think that helped out so much. i didnt have to get cut i told them not too. when your body does it itself it can heal it better and my husband wouldnt of let them. i ended up pushing for like i think 15 mins if that. but my water broke at 6 am and i didnt have my son till almost 10 at night. i would do natural it is what your body is made for. if u get a c section u will have staples in your belly and u cant pick up any thing other then baby. i had limits but not as much. during u dont feel muck if u have pain meds but after is the big thing. i have an aunt that did her with out pain meds she said that it hurts till the baby comes out then u are fine. she said it was weird cause u are in so much pain then it is all gone. but she didnt have any pain meds. she did both natural. she said she was up and walking aroud with in an hour.i couldnt cause of the pain meds. but after 6 hours of labor i needed them. i say go as long as u  can and remember God wont give u any thing u cant handel trust me on that one. oh and most doctors wont let u pick and if they do find another doctor. they found out that babies born through c section are more likey to get sick and have more prombles then ones that go through the all of it. so there is that to also think about. i know my sister said when she got her c section done that she was so out of it that she couldnt see her little girl that much till after the durgs they gave her wore off.  i got to see my son the sec he came out. and no pain just alot of people around me checking on me and baby and daddy with a big goofy smile on his face. well good luck.

Answer 5

c-section is unnatural and should be a last resort! it is a major surgery that poses risks and is not as easy on the baby.  

Answer 6

You should try to go natural.  Your recovery time is so much quicker.  A C-Section is major surgery (they are cutting through all your layers to get to the baby.)  Only do that if medically necessary.  My twin sister has had 2 C-Sections and it's been painful for her during recovery.  My older sister had a C-Section and her incision ripped open and got infected.  I had my son naturally (no pain meds either) and recovered much quicker than they did.  I was able to get up and walk around the same night and use the bathroom which they weren't able too.  

Answer 7

when i have a baby c section all the way...but thats just me ...but i have heard natural is more painful

Answer 8

Both are painful, even if you do have drugs either way.  The recovery for C-section is more brutal than natural birth - it takes longer and there is much more to heal, as your abdominal muscles as well as the wall of your uterus will have been cut and then sutured.

Many people have tried to pressure me into having a c-section with my baby, simply because "it's just what people do nowadays".  Just because it is trendy doesn't mean that it is right for you.  Remember that a woman's body is designed to know what it is doing and women have been giving birth naturally for thousands of years before c-sections.

Don't let anybody bully you.  Choose what is exactly right for you, and don't be swayed by other people's preferences.  Whatever way your child enters the world is the right one.

Congrats and good luck!

Answer 9

I had a c-section with my daughter & will have a repeat in about 10 weeks with my son out of necessity and by no means was it easy.  Recovery was slow and painful and I needed lots of help (which I hated).  I never got to experience natural childbirth but I'm sure that one is no easier than the other.  Childbirth, no matter which method is painful.

Answer 10

i think its pretty equal with both...with natural labor you can go through hours of pain...  c section you dont go through hours of pain but recovery is difficult.... and also everyone takes pain different..you might do better recovering with a c section over labor... or vice versa....  dont listen to everyone saying a c section is alot worse with pain afterwards...its not...  you are put on medications..dont get me wrong it does hurt getting around....but its doable...    and if you choose a c section or happen to have to have one...you can still interact with your baby...you dont have to wait 12 hours... you can hold, feed and interact whenever you want to and whenever your up to it.  either way the birth of your child will be rewarding!  :-)   good luck!  do whats best for you though..dont listen to other people.

Answer 11

Can you imagine having to care for a newborn after having major abdominal surgery?  Oh geeze...

I haven't had a c-section, but I had major surgery on my kidney when I was 9.  I know recovering from that took a while.  I can't imagine having to get up with baby every few hours on top of that!

Answer 12

i had a 100% natural birth my best friend had a c-section 2 days after i had my daughter..the c-section is better with the pain during labor and the vaginal is better after you heal faster and etc..i would suggest talking to your doctor

Answer 13

I have a friend who has 4 kids! she has had BOTH! she says she prefers 100% c-section... look the deal about natural birth is it hurts like h**l but once its out (the baby) that's it... you get better soon! the c-section you don't have to go through the pain BUT once the baby is out and you are home you are gonna have to take care of that... A LOT of celebrities are have c-section though!

Hope i helped you in any way!...

Answer 14

The c-section is worse. You don't have pain during the procedure but it takes six weeks to recover. People forget it's a major abdominal surgery. You are prone to nausea and itching after the anesthesia starts to wear off, you have an IV and catheter for 24 hours and can't get out of bed for 12 hours even to pick up your crying baby, you can't eat solids for 12 hours, you are prone to gas build up and gas pain, you can't drive for weeks, you cant lift anything heavier than the baby, you are on prescription pain meds, you have an incision that you have to care for, etc, etc, etc. I mean obviously if its what you have to do to have a healthy baby it's what you have to do. But it is definitely not the easy way out.

A vag on the other hand has the pain of delivery which don't get me wrong is painful but if you get an epidural it's totally great after that. My pain was probably an 8/10 until I asked for my epidural (I could have asked much earlier bu I was one of those stubborn ones) then it was a 1/10. I felt the contractions but they didn't really hurt and I didn't feel her crown or come out. It was great. And after a vaginal delivery you can walk within hours, you can eat right away, you have no catheter, you go home on just motrin, you can drive right away, it's easier to take care of the baby, etc.

Either way you will do fine. Neither are horrible and neither are a walk in the park.  But nature knows best in this instance I have to say.

EDIT- and there is a reason why more and more hospitals are banning people from choosing c-section for no medical reason. It has increased risks on both mom and baby. When the baby comes out the v****a its chest wall is compressed and most of that fluid that i filling it's lungs comes out. With a c-section the baby is popped out with lungs full of fluid. They suction it but sometimes that's not enough. Most of the babies I take care of in the nursery are in there for respiratory difficulty after a c-section. It can take hours for that fluid to reabsorb.  And sometimes people's dates are wrong and they opt for a c-section but they baby wasn't totally ready to come out.