Our Crazy Wonderful Life: Cesarean Birth: Pros and Cons

Part Two:

Cesarean Birth: Pros and Cons

Everybody has their own opinions on everything in life, I did not want a cesarean birth because I felt like I was going to be a “failure” in everyone else’s eyes for not giving a natural birth, but frankly I don’t care what others think, because by having a cesarean delivery, I have a beautiful, healthy, 1 week old baby boy today. Yes, MAYBE everything would have went fine if I went to a different hospital and they did let me try vaginally. But I could have also tried for hours and still had to have a cesarean, I could have had Birth Trauma and never wanted to have children again, or even worse yet I could have risked both of our lives. So when Dr. Reber told us we needed to have a cesarean birth, yes I was devastated that I couldn't have the birth that I had planned for but I knew it was the right choice.

After having Mason here are my pros and cons of his birth:

Pros: He is here, healthy, big and ALIVE--Healing process really isn't that bad like others make it out to be(I was up walking around not even 15 hours after he was born)--We got to stay in the hospital longer and were able to get more help since we don’t have a lot of family around which helped since he is our first baby--I was still able to have our friend that photographed the birth of Mason IN the operating room with us--Not 12 hours of labor(give or take some hours!)--Everyone was very accommodating and good at explaining things especially during the birth--

Cons: It was still a major surgery and I am sore(but not terribly considering my incision is much larger then most since he was so big, but I can’t move like I did before, YET!)--I can’t take a bath for 3-4 weeks(I love baths!)--I can’t drive for 2 weeks--I can’t carry Mason in his car seat for at least 3 weeks(maybe more depending how I’m healing)--I can’t go in pools/lakes/rivers for 4+ weeks--

Would I do a Cesarean or VBAC for the next birth and why? Cesarean - I felt like it went really good, considering Mason’s size I wouldn't have been able to do it all natural how I wanted. I feel like the healing process is going good and I am moving around quite fine. However I would plan the next baby in the spring, then I still get to enjoy the summer by going to the pool etc.

--Picture overload!--
Photography by: Katie Galbraith