C section v natural birth

[dtc1982]

Hi All

I am 8 weeks pregnant with my second child and am 31 years old with an average FEV1 of 70%.

My CF team have told me that all their pregnant CF ladies get delivered by C section. I am not very happy about this as I really wanted a natural delivery. I had a child 10 years ago and had a natural delivery then, and there were no problems with my lungs. Then my FEV1 was about 80%. But I had that child at a different CF centre.

I read up on the net and was surprised to see that lots of CF ladies said they had been advised AGAINST a C section because of increased recovery time and strain on the stitches when coughing... I just wondered what experience any of you have had with giving birth?

Thank you xx

 

[Melissa75]

I would get a second opinion. I have non-CF bronchiectasis, so take my experience with a grain of salt, but that seems odd especially for someone who has already delivered vaginally. If all else is equal (that is, of course, a big "if"), subsequent vaginal deliveries are much easier than the first. In my case, labor one was 16 hrs of labor followed by 2 hrs of pushing. Labor two was 2 hrs long with 2 pushes. Labor three was a bigger baby than the others and took a bit longer than baby two, but no where near baby one.
Congrats on your pregnancy!

 

[alegris]

Did your team say WHY all CF women have to have a C-section? I'm curious to their reasoning. I'm in Canada and my center's policy is that you have to at least "try" giving birth naturally (like you can't just go in and request a C-section). Their reasoning is exactly what you stated - longer recovery and added complications from coughing. My doctor specifically will only use it in an emergency because it is major surgery. I would get a bit more information from your doctors as to why and explain your concerns to them exactly how you explained in your post. Do you have one specific doctor for delivery? At my clinic there are quite a few different doctors you can choose from and they each have their own preferences, so maybe you can switch to one who is more open to natural childbirth. At least you have some time to work things out. And congrats!

 

[ms.rowan]

A C-section is major abdominal surgery which requires much harder and longer recovery time than a natural birth or a medicated birth..seems crazy that your doctor would tell you that it was a 'must' for CF women. Usually, but not always, labor time will get shorter with each baby. I second asking your cf team WHY they prefer CF women to have c-sections, especially if your are in good health and have an alright pregnancy.. it just doesn't make very much sense. I would reccomend hiring a birth doula and taking natural childbirth classes so that you will be very prepared when it come to energy preservation throughout labor and delivery. Also, the support would help so much. Good luck!

 

[Jakesgirl05]

I had to have an emergency c-section after being in labor for 27 hours and finally getting to 9cm they had me do a "practice push" they told me to stop and left 10 mins later they came in and said we have to go to surgery now! My baby's heart rate kept dropping. Plus they didnt know if I could push him out because of how small I am.

 

[marisalynn]

I agree that you should get a second opinion. I delivered my now 2-year old naturally. I was very adamant about not wanting a c-section unless absolutely necessary. I am a nurse and have seen how painful abdominal incisions can be, and obviously as much as we have to cough, I wanted to avoid the extra pain, not to mention increased risk of post-op atelectasis, pneumonia, and infection versus ******l delivery. In fact, at my 37 week sonogram, they measured her at 7 lbs, 2 oz, and my OB said that if I made it to 39 weeks, that they might need to consider induction so that she wouldn't get to big to push out. Thankfully, I didn't have to be induced, as I went into labor at 37 and 1/2 weeks, and everything went perfectly.

Marisa 26w/CF

 

[triples15]

Congrats to you! So exciting!

I am absolutely shocked that they have told you to go with an elective c-section. UGH.

As everyone else has stated, I would look for a second opinion. I know it's not ideal to have to look elsewhere at this point, but I think it would be worth it. My worst fear going into labor was needing a c-section for the reasons others have stated, longer recovery, pain with coughing at the incision, risk of infection, and so on and so on.

Good luck to you and let us know!

Take Care,

Autumn 33 w/CF

 

[Beccamom]

I had two children ******lly both before I was diagnosed with CF. My girls were both premature or they may have been too big for me. I am only 4 ft 10 inches. My gestational diabetes grew my 32 weeker to 5 pound 10 ounces of water weight. She went down to 4 pounds before she left the hospital.

I would have frequent ultrasounds, so a medical decision specific to you can be made verses a blanket decision.

The only CF thing that happened was I coughed my second child out on the bed. I had an epidural and she had the chord around her neck. She is nearly 12 years old and fine, but don't under estimate the power of a CF cough. It may your secret weapon for pushing.





UOTE=dtc1982;952324]Hi All

I am 8 weeks pregnant with my second child and am 31 years old with an average FEV1 of 70%.

My CF team have told me that all their pregnant CF ladies get delivered by C section. I am not very happy about this as I really wanted a natural delivery. I had a child 10 years ago and had a natural delivery then, and there were no problems with my lungs. Then my FEV1 was about 80%. But I had that child at a different CF centre.

I read up on the net and was surprised to see that lots of CF ladies said they had been advised AGAINST a C section because of increased recovery time and strain on the stitches when coughing... I just wondered what experience any of you have had with giving birth?

Thank you xx[/QUOTE]

 

[liveitup]

That's insane! I am 11 1/2 weeks, and my doctor told me that ******l is the way to go. She doesn't want me to go past 40 weeks, so I will be induced if I don't go before that. If you aren't comfortable with the scheduled C - get a second opinion. Best wishes!

 

[LittleLab4CF]

OK* What is going on with this ****** censoring? "Cesarean" is far more profane word than an anatomical part for 50% of the population. End this please!

LL

 

[Melissa75]

yeah, I felt like quite the perv when I saw my words bleeped out.
I purposefully don't use the term "natural birth" vs. c-section because I've had friends who had c-sections who were offended at the implication that their children came into the world unnaturally. Plus, some people take natural to mean no pain meds, so it is an imprecise term.

 

[LittleLab4CF]

I had this encouraging post written recalling CFers here that discussed great experiences with at home-mid-wived "natural" births. So much was censored I deleted my post. Anyway, research showing that C section babies are developing asthma and such because they were not exposed to probiotic microbes from the mother's "doo-doo". In fact C section babies culture the mother's skin bacteria in the gut despite a surgically sterile field.

A new awareness of this issue has a solution for C section babies. Mothers need to ask for this because it is relatively new. They can place a sponge with special additives to culture vulva (bet they missed that word) flora to anoint and inoculate baby.

At 8 weeks you have a lot of time to examine your options. C section births have quadrupled in the last decade while at risk births are at an all time low. Your pregnancy will take a greater toll than the last few days as the labor pains present. Common surgery or not, the gross insult from being cut along 8" of skin, have the abdominal muscles sliced, ripped and bruised and the same done to the uterus to reach the baby. Then everything gets sewn and stapled for weeks to heal.

C section delivery is supposed to be a last resort, it is about to surpass births, um, the "other way". The information I have read/watched or listened to the upshot of studies poking some serious questions at these trends are finding C sections are best for the doctor and delivery team. As awful as it sounds, convenience is the overarching reason for recommending a C section. At 8 weeks pregnant and told of your single birthing option demands a solid explanation. You can probably have a non-C section birth even if you are not in shape just yet. This is one time a female OBGYN can be a criteria in insuring a birth like you want.

I didn't intend to convert this conversation into a 1st Amendment rant. I hope the hours or days I spend researching a topic and trying to write complete and thoughtful posts are of some value. Censorship is truly vulgar, it frightens me and offends me to the very core of my being. Thee topic posts running currently are about CF and having babies. God, what wonderful issues to see being discussed by CFers. In my lifetime, my contemporary CFers rarely lived long enough to consider having a baby. Being censored implies somebody wishes to control what I say. I will go one better and devote my time elsewhere if this doesn't stop.

The last sensor program was imposed by a member. If a member is doing this, speak up, and state your case. CF is a medically complex disease involving nearly every body system especially the endocrine glands and those intimate moist mucosal epithelia that clog both ***es.

End this censorship please!

LL

Melissa75, it probably was an element of feeling judged a perv that was at the root of my reaction. I guess even book burners can write viruses. Thanks for the note of support.

 

[Melissa75]

LL, I'm guessing that parents with internet controls were having trouble accessing the site? I don't know because I have that set-up at home, too, but with no issue. Maybe there are tiers of blocking.

I'd read the bacterial biome studies also. Very interesting stuff. I agree that c-sections for non-medical reasons should be avoided, but many of them are life-saving both for mother or baby, or both....and I know those aren't the ones you're talking about.

 

[Melissa75]

Duh...I think I figured it out: The Obamacare thread and its F-bombs.
I do prefer the **** to posts or entire threads being deleted.

 

[mamaScarlett]

Wow to the OP...I don't know your doctor or you, where you live, how accessible a second opinion is but I'd strongly suggest you get one. I've had two healthy births and that advice goes against all I've ever heard. C section can be a life saving surgery. But an elective one without a true medical need can put you as a cfer at risk for pneumonia complications bc of possible sedation, ballooning of the stomach cavity and the increased recovery time you'd not be able to do PT.
im sure you and baby will be fine whatever happens. Just hate to see a cfer go through that if its not needed.
wish you the best

 

[LouLou]

Not much to add that others haven't already said other than...
- Is this the Director of an accredited CF center saying this? or the head OBGYN in charge of delivering the cf mother's babies?
- Good for your that data from their clinic alone is not enough to convince you its a good idea, ask this doctor where the literature is that states this is a good idea. I've never seen a publication that suggested cx as the best choice.

If you are giving birth in a hosp with a high cx rate I highly recommend you hire a doula (not one provided by the doctor). Interview a few and decide who is the best fit to be on the journey with you, your husband and baby!

Good luck!