Want a scheduled c-section...
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steph72276
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Just curious, why would you WANT a c-section if it is not medically necessary? It is major surgery and hard to recover from while caring for a newborn. I certainly wouldn''t have chosen a c-section if I had a choice.
TravelingGal
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With all due respect Steph, Peepa didn''t ask if she should have one or not. People have their reasons for wanting scheduled c-sections and I would hope the decision is made after doing their homework.
Peepa, are you talking South Bay in NorCal or So Cal?
MichelleCarmen
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Is this your first baby? Most drs. will NOT schedual a c-section unless it''s the only way to have a safe delivery. I had c/s for both pregnancies and only the SECOND one was by choice, mainly due to my fear that I would have the same complication as my first labor (I pushed for three hours and my son never budged!). Doctors usually give you the option for a VBAC or a repeat c/s for your second labor.
steph72276
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You''re right...sorry.
neatfreak
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Having recently had a c-section (twins, no choice) and thus discussing c-sections a lot with my Dr., he mentioned that while there are some very qualified doctors willing to do scheduled c-sections by choice, in his opinion the majority of them that are willing to do them for first births by choice are not the most qualified or best doctors because medically speaking a c-section is riskier than a VB unless there is a medical reason for it. So just something to keep in mind...check anyone out thoroughly first.
robbie3982
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Someone posted this on thebump.com today. Thought you might find it interesting:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123138530855663493.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123138530855663493.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
MichelleCarmen
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Also, in addition to researching drs., check out your insurance plan to see how much they cover. C-sections can be expensive. . .mine were $10K + a piece. I'm pretty sure the first one was nearly $15K, possibly because I had also attempted labor and had pitocin and other misc. expenses. My insurance covered 80% of each one.
somethingshiny
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ditto to neatfreak''s advice.
Since you know this is what you want (for whatever your reasons) you have plenty of time (I hope) to research and prepare. I''d start by asking your GP for some referrals, then you can narrow it down by the info the surgeon will release to you. Also, you have the opportunity to clear the surgeon/anesthesiologist/staff/hospital with your insurance which will save you headaches after delivery.
Also, my own $.02, I had an emergency c-section. While it wasn''t the most delightful experience of my life, I recovered quickly and with limited pain.
--And, IF you''re considering a c-section in order to do a sterilization procedure at the same time, ask the surgeon if he/she will do that. I only say this because I have a friend who had those intentions and her dr felt otherwise.
Since you know this is what you want (for whatever your reasons) you have plenty of time (I hope) to research and prepare. I''d start by asking your GP for some referrals, then you can narrow it down by the info the surgeon will release to you. Also, you have the opportunity to clear the surgeon/anesthesiologist/staff/hospital with your insurance which will save you headaches after delivery.
Also, my own $.02, I had an emergency c-section. While it wasn''t the most delightful experience of my life, I recovered quickly and with limited pain.
--And, IF you''re considering a c-section in order to do a sterilization procedure at the same time, ask the surgeon if he/she will do that. I only say this because I have a friend who had those intentions and her dr felt otherwise.
packrat
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I had an emergency c-section 5 years ago and since hospitals in this area don''t do VBAC, I had to have another when our son was born almost 2 years ago. The first time was frightening b/c of the anxiety of being in labor already, the unknown etc..but the 2nd time, having everything planned out ahead of time made it so much easier. I can''t say I would''ve wanted to have it elective the first time around tho. The recovery is harder, and being major surgery, there are risks. I agree w/checking around for Dr''s who will perform an elective section..in bigger cities/bigger hospitals it would be easier to find a good one..I don''t know of any Dr''s in our area that will. Your primary care Dr. should be able to point you in the right direction! Also, I wonder about checking with your insurance too, to make sure it would be covered.
steph72276
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I didn''t mean to offend the OP, but I was just a little miffed. I had to have an emergency c-section, and would never have wanted to have one if it wasn''t necessary. I guess I have just never heard of someone wanting to have a c-section, especially if their original doctor didn''t want to do it and was confused about it.
TravelingGal
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I actually know so many women who want an elective. It''s more and more common, especially here in LA where stars seem to make it seem like the norm.
I had an emergency as well. My recovery was very easy. However, I would have loved to have a vaginal delivery. Area hospitals do not allow VBAC so I do not have a choice if I want to deliver near my home. And now that I have had a c-section, I''m not all that excited about possibly butchering things "down there" when the c-section has already left a lovely scary and an apron which will most likely never go away.
People have made a good point that insurance may not cover an elective c-section...they are way more expensive and hospital stays are longer. Mine was 6 days due to complications.
steph72276
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hmmm, very interesting. What would be the benefit? Just being able to pick your delivery date?
neatfreak
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I was curious about this so I checked with my insurance (which is one of the best plans I have ever encountered. We did not pay a penny for any of my prenatal care or delivery) and they said they absolutely would not cover an elective c-section...and after hearing the price of what one costs I can't imagine paying out of pocket, but that's just me!
Dreamer_D
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I saw this article and it was interesting and seems to be reputable! For those who don''t read links, it basically says that if you are going to do a scheduled c-section, just be sure not to do it prior to 39 weeks... earlier than 39 weeks can lead to a lot of added complications for baby.
TravelingGal
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No. Benefits (perceived or otherwise) would be:
- better chance of not having incontinence either right after or later on in life
- Tighter in happy places
- no chance of tearing which would have made it quite an unhappy place
- lesser chance of hemerrhoids
The benefits are usually for the mother and not the child. However, maybe one can argue happy mother, happy child?
I myself will admit I AM happy that my bits were left unscathed by having a c-section. However considering how scary it was to have my newborn cough out fluid that was still left in her lungs because they were squeezed out since she didn''t come out vaginally...well, I would without question choose to have vaginal delivery. I will say though that Amelia seems perfectly healthy now, minus the gimpy refusing to crawl thing.
packrat
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I''m wondering why it is w/celebrities that they seem to prefer sections over vaginal deliveries? I''ve had a couple people tell me they were scared of labor, so wanted to have a cesarean instead, but my guess is you''d have to travel (here anyway) a couple hours to find a hospital that would do it. My recovery after the 2nd was harder..I suppose b/c it''s going right back in over scar tissue, the muscles weren''t near as strong as the 1st time around and I had a 3 1/2 year old to chase after. I think it''s a lot more stress to put on your body, if you don''t really need to. JMO of course. I remember being quite jealous of friends who''d delivered vaginally and they''d be up and at em shortly afterwards..while I was stuck shuffling around, cursing every time I had the smallest sneeze or cough or needed to blow my nose. Generally, the reaction I''ve gotten when people hear I had c-sections is "Oh, I''m so sorry". I do remember 1 person saying "Jeez, you''re lucky" and my husband burst out laughing.
We got a big charge out of picking our son''s birthday, and it was nice knowing what to expect, having done it before. Husband took 1 week off w/our 1st, and when the 2nd one came, he took 2 weeks off. Even little things are harder to do after major abdominal surgery.
I know on a pregnancy board I used to belong to, that some women who''d had cesareans were upset afterwards. I''d watched so many baby shows on Discovery when the baby would be delivered and immediately placed on mom''s tummy/chest..and it would make me bawl, I was so excited to experience that. And then I got to see my baby''s face for about 5 seconds, and then it was another 1/2 hour or whatever in recovery until I was able to actually hold her and nurse. So that''s something to think about too..would it bother you to miss that bonding experience?
I wouldn''t want to pay out of pocket for something like that either..Elective surgeries generally just aren''t covered, or are covered at a way lesser extent. When I called the insurance company before our son was born (I didn''t need to pre-certify, but I figured I should, just in case), they did ask what type of delivery we anticipated, and I said it was repeat c-section, and was told that was fine, but they did ask what the reason for the 1st one was as well.
Wow-sorry to be so long winded!
We got a big charge out of picking our son''s birthday, and it was nice knowing what to expect, having done it before. Husband took 1 week off w/our 1st, and when the 2nd one came, he took 2 weeks off. Even little things are harder to do after major abdominal surgery.
I know on a pregnancy board I used to belong to, that some women who''d had cesareans were upset afterwards. I''d watched so many baby shows on Discovery when the baby would be delivered and immediately placed on mom''s tummy/chest..and it would make me bawl, I was so excited to experience that. And then I got to see my baby''s face for about 5 seconds, and then it was another 1/2 hour or whatever in recovery until I was able to actually hold her and nurse. So that''s something to think about too..would it bother you to miss that bonding experience?
I wouldn''t want to pay out of pocket for something like that either..Elective surgeries generally just aren''t covered, or are covered at a way lesser extent. When I called the insurance company before our son was born (I didn''t need to pre-certify, but I figured I should, just in case), they did ask what type of delivery we anticipated, and I said it was repeat c-section, and was told that was fine, but they did ask what the reason for the 1st one was as well.
Wow-sorry to be so long winded!
TravelingGal
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I was in recovery for at least 2.5 hours. That SUCKED.
And then you know what? They wheeled me back into a regular room (bigger delivery room, not post delivery since I had complications and they needed to monitor me). The nurse was holding my daughter as they got me set up. My SIL was there and said, "she''s so cute!" The nurse said, "You want to hold her?" And so my SIL did.
I must have looked absolutely crestfallen because TGuy, who is normally not an overly sensitive guy, said, "you''ll get her in a minute honey," in a sweet apologetic way. I know others held her before I got to hold her...nurses, etc. But sitting there feeling nauseous and not being able to hold my daughter first while my SIL cradled Amelia gently in her arms...well, that will be something I always will remember and be pretty sad about, as petty as that sounds. I still wish my SIL had been way more sensive and my brother smart enough to intervene and say that I had waited long enough and should have held her first. All I could think about while in recovery was that I wanted to hold her. Had I not had a c-section, this would not have even been an issue.
Vent over!
packrat
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Oh TGal, I''m sorry your SIL was so insensitive! That would''ve bothered me too! W/both mine, I remember being thoroughly irritated that my husband was able to leave right after w/the baby while I was stuck on the table getting stapled up. He gave our daughter her first bath and changed our son''s first poopy diaper. Husband and my parents had already held the kidlets by the time I got up there both times, so I got them right away. You know, thinking about it, it had to have been quite a while that I was in recovery b/c the nurses had to check on me..I do recall that I''d been freaked out about being away so long this last time, worried that the OB nurse would give Trapper a bottle and then he wouldn''t want to nurse. The first time, with London, I had been awake for 40 hours, so by the time she was born and they''d wheeled me to recovery, I zonked out and then remember being wheeled into my OB room..hahaha I bet that''s why I say 1/2 hour! Oh the worries of a mom!
steph72276
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Ok. Gotcha.
steph72276
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I had major complications, too. Another surgeon had to be called in to help. It was so lovely being operated on for 2+ hours while completely awake. Afterwards, I was shaking for several hours, was on oxygen and they were debating whether or not to give me a blood transfusion....so yeah, I didn''t get to hold my little guy until the next day! So everyone including my DH, both sets of grandparents, and sister-in-laws got to hold him before me and I missed out on that whole bonding experience. I guess I would never in a million years expect that some people WANT to go through that, but whatever it is their body and they can do whatever they want to with it....
neatfreak
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Just thought I would comment here, a lot of the things you guys were so unfortunate to experience don''t often happen with scheduled c-sections...it''s a whole different ballgame than an emergency C IMO.
Mine was scheduled because my twin B was butt first, and I had a pretty great experience. My DH was with me the whole time, I had a spinal for anesthesia and my anesthesiologist was really great so I felt pretty much nothing and he controlled my nausea very well. When the babies were born they popped them over the curtain for me to see, then took them to be checked out by the NICU team (protocol with twins), then they let DH take them back into the room with me while they were stitching me up. So while he held them first, I was able to see them and touch them right there in the delivery room.
Then they wheeled me to recovery and were able to give me the babies pretty much right away to snuggle with.
Add those things to the fact that your body isn''t stressed at all because there was no stressful situation beforehand, your surgeon has the time to make a nice incision, and the stuff TGal added and I can understand why some women would want an elective C. My incision is so small and well done that even the nurses in the hospital were having a hard time finding it days after surgery. I am not kidding here.
Would it be my choice after going through one already and quite frankly having a super easy recovery? No, because I don''t think that it''s worth the additional risks to mom or baby. Medically it does not seem like a smart decision unless you need one. But I can see the appeal for some people.
TravelingGal
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Exactly. My understanding is that elective is different from emergency. One thing I heard (although I can''t verify) is that you don''t get the shakes as bad. My incision is nasty and I am hoping with my 2nd c-section, they can make it look better!
Jas12
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Everyone has already brought up really good points on both sides so i won''t repeat, but i will reinforce how important it appears to wait until 40 weeks to have a section (if u still decide to go that route) . In addition to plain old scheduling, I''ve heard reasons for having a C before 38 weeks that have to do with avoiding the last little bit of weight gain or stretch marks that often appear approaching 40 weeks.
But with new evidence showing that being pre-term could be detrimental to baby, it would not be worth the risk IMO.
My hairdresser just had scheduled C (this is her second child and her first birth was an emergency C with complications). Due to scheduling conflicts with the OB she had to have her baby a tad earlier than 38 weeks. This doesn''t seem too early but her daughter was very small, had some breathing complications and due to poor oral development still has trouble taking either a bottle or breast. Her own OB said she would have greatly benefitted from 2 more weeks of development (or more if her dates were off at all).
I think of my own son. He was born extremely healthy at 42 weeks--if i had scheduled a section at 38 weeks he would have been robbed of one whole MONTH of development. That''s very significant and just something to keep in mind.
But with new evidence showing that being pre-term could be detrimental to baby, it would not be worth the risk IMO.
My hairdresser just had scheduled C (this is her second child and her first birth was an emergency C with complications). Due to scheduling conflicts with the OB she had to have her baby a tad earlier than 38 weeks. This doesn''t seem too early but her daughter was very small, had some breathing complications and due to poor oral development still has trouble taking either a bottle or breast. Her own OB said she would have greatly benefitted from 2 more weeks of development (or more if her dates were off at all).
I think of my own son. He was born extremely healthy at 42 weeks--if i had scheduled a section at 38 weeks he would have been robbed of one whole MONTH of development. That''s very significant and just something to keep in mind.
steph72276
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I agree with you 100% Jas. And this is not directed at the OP, but more for celebrities that are doing this for the reasons Jas mentioned, less weight gain, stretch marks, etc...this seems like a really bad way to enter into motherhood...putting your needs in front of the needs of your child. Just my opinion though.
Tacori E-ring
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My father kept telling me to have a c-sec instead to preserve my figure
He said with a VB the hips actually pop out slightly during delivery. I tend to believe him b/c he is the smartest person I ever met and is in the medical profession. Still...NOT enough reason for me to want one.
I also wanted to say that just b/c you have a VB does not mean there will be no complications. I was in the hospital for 5 days with a VB. I believe they charged my insurance close to $30,000. Of course it was paid for. B/c of meconium (sp?) in my water I also did not get to hold my daughter right away (with a VB). Nor did DH cut the cord. She was sent into the corner with the NICU. I briefly held her when they were done but she was sent to the nursery for observation and a bath quite quickly. My point is L&D is unpredictable no matter *HOW* you give birth.
You need to do what is best for you and your child. Good luck finding a doctor!
I also wanted to say that just b/c you have a VB does not mean there will be no complications. I was in the hospital for 5 days with a VB. I believe they charged my insurance close to $30,000. Of course it was paid for. B/c of meconium (sp?) in my water I also did not get to hold my daughter right away (with a VB). Nor did DH cut the cord. She was sent into the corner with the NICU. I briefly held her when they were done but she was sent to the nursery for observation and a bath quite quickly. My point is L&D is unpredictable no matter *HOW* you give birth.
You need to do what is best for you and your child. Good luck finding a doctor!
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