Gettin' to the end! C-Section v. Vaginal?

I haven't posted in a while, so I thought I'd give a little update. As of tomorrow I will be 3 weeks from my due date! I just have to say I am ready to have this little girl! I am all set with being pregnant. Plus I really can't wait to meet her!

I had an u/s on Wednesday. She is measuring very big. Already at 8 lbs. 2 oz. I know from experience that these measurments are usually way off, but it still makes me a little nervous. I still have a lot of excess fluid. I try to explain to the docs that I think this is just the way I carry my babies. It's like verbatim with what happened with Lorelai. She was big and I had excess fluid. No diabetes or anything else, it's just the way it is. They still want me to do bi-weekly NST's. but I can really only make it once a week.

The bigger problem with the u/s is that she is not head down anymore. She was for the longest time, but now she's transverse. So I might end up with a C-Section. I never really thought that would happen so I never researched it ar anything. For all of you out there who experienced both a C-section and vaginal delivery, is the recovery WAY worse with a section?

Lastly, I am going today for #3 out of 4 iron infusions they are giving me. I feel quite a bit better after the first 2 and am looking forward to how I will feel after the next 2. It feels like my brain is functioning again!

Talk to you all soon!
Tina

Personally I had a hard time with the c sections for one reason.  i was limited on what I could do.  But that was also when I had another little at home who wanted to be held.  As far as pain goes, it wasnt a big deal either way.  I will say this, Ethan was turned the wrong way on the Friday before he was schedule for an induction so they say c section.  During that weekend I felt him flip around and Monday when I went in he was head down.  They started the induction but his heart rate dropped 4 times so they did a c section to save him.  That was my personal deal.  I had one vaginal and 3 c section.  Both ways was really no big deal for me.  (But then again, I never really felt the contractions on any of them.  I was luck)  I was contracting according to the machine but I never felt any of them.  even with my vaginal birth.  Hope all goes well for you.  Cant wait to see pictures of your angel and hear your birth story.

Did your doctor talk about trying to turn the baby? Also, google spinning baby or something like that....they give you ways to help turn the baby! I never had a c-section, so I don't know which is worse....but I would think c-section would be much worse. Best of luck to you!

Like the other poster stated it is more the recovery as in restrictions.  Yes you have pain afterward for several days with a section where as with vag for me once the kiddo was out the pain was gone (that's even with an extensive epsiotomy..?sp..and tear).  I just can't stand not being able to take care of myself or others, but again i live 1500miles from my family so it's all me after hubby went back to work.  I am hoping for a vbac this round, but will get whats best for me and baby.  Good luck and hopefully your little girl will read up on her geography and figure out which way is south...lol.

I've only had c-sections.  The pain is not that bad to be honest.  The worst part this time is not being able to lift Sage, and I know it would be hard not lifting Lorelai for you.  I would try and see if they could turn her! good luck momma!

My births were a c-section and a VBAC, labored with both.  The vaginal birth was soooo much easier to recover from, and I had a pretty easy c-section recovery.  The biggest thing for me was that I was easily able to pick up and hold my older daughter right away after the delivery of my son.  It would have been really hard not being able to pick her up, or let her climb on my lap, etc...  Hopefully she'll flip back into position for you!  Either way, good luck!

Hi Tina,

I'm right there with you!  A litle under 3 weeks.  Mine isn't quite as big as yours... measuring around 7 pounds yesterday.

I've had both types of births too.  The section for me wasn't too too bad physically to recover from.  The pain was there, but manageable.  I had a little trouble with wound healing at 320 plus pounds, but it also wasn't a huge deal.  My problem was more emotional with the section.  It wasn't the same after.  I got to see and touch the baby for like 2 minutes, and off they took him and I didn't get to see him again for almost 2 hours!  Also had trouble with my milk supply... and really struggled with nursing.  

I'm opting for a VBAC this time with full support of the docs and am really hoping I'll be successful. 

Google exercises to turn transverse to cephalic presentation, and there might be some good suggestions.  Baby still my turn head down in the next days!

Very best wishes to you!!
Linda

I hope she turns for you ! ! ! I personally never experienced a vaginal delivery. I labored with my son(13yrs ago) and ended with a csection due to failure to progress. With Tatum, I chose a csection without any hesitation due to other health issues, and was considering a tubal at the time of delivery. I went into labor 2 days before my scheduled csection, labored all day without even realizing I was in labor, and had an uneventful csection. I can honestly say that I recovered extremely quickly with both csections.I was at WalMart 3 days after delivering my son, and with my daughter, I was at Home Depot 9 days post delivery, (my mom was here for Tatum's arrival and wouldn't let me do anything).  I had minimal pain, and was actually off all pain meds the day after delivery. I had more discomfort with my first csection, but I attribute that to the fact that I was 235+ pounds and this time around I was 160lbs at delivery. I admit that I've never had this "motherly instinct" to have a vaginal delivery so I don't "get" that part of it, with my most recent delivery, I was with her within an hour in our private room, and she immediately latched to nurse without issue. I have always recovered quickly after most surgical experiences. The military hospital where I delivered requires a 12 hour wait on walking after a spinal, but I started kicking my legs and "mock walking" in my bed within 2 hours of delivery and was up and walking as soon as I was allowed to get out of that bed. In the event, you do have to have csection, I swear that having a belly band helped tremendously. The true abdominal binder was way too uncomfortable, but a smaller than needed belly band really helped hold everything in, and helped with the bloating/swelling post-op.

Best wishes and I'll keep you in my thoughts ! ! !

This thread makes me go hmm...  I was so worried about nutritional needs of my baby after WLS that having a big baby never occurrecd to me in the slightest... (my sister has now had three 10+ pounders, and she is of "normal" size, in fact got pregnant at 90 pounds with her first...)

BUT... I am 36weeks, 2 days today and as of a week ago baby was already measuring 7lb 5oz... They do NOT want to do a Csection because of my history of diabetes, yet are not sure vaginal birth will be a good idea as well - one of my nieces was caught in the birth canal and had complications... Actually on my mother's side of the family there has not been a vaginal birth in my generation or my mother's due to size and mother's complications...

Ugh!  What to plan for, we are having another growth sonogram on the 6th of March to make a decsion, unless of course baby decides to make an earlier appearance... (First baby, but I can hope she takes the decision from us!!)

Good Luck - keep us posted! So odd to think of 3 on one board in the same few weeks due with larger babies though!