Considering a Section

Unless it’s medical I doubt they will agree to a section. If they do won’t be till the 39th week x

My second pregnancy I went for section to, because he was breech and I didn’t want to try get him turned incase anything happened. I really regret this now. I know everyone’s different, but the recovery has been hell for me. If I could go back and have a natural birth I would definitely try everything to have one 😓

@Amy of course they will, it’s considered a maternal request. It’s a woman’s legal right to give birth the way she chooses.

OP, yes you can request one. Legally they cannot refuse you. If there is no medical need it will likely be done in your 39th week of pregnancy. I’ve had an emergency and a planned section and recovery was brilliant both times, keep on top of your meds religiously, keep moving as much as you can but don’t overdo it

If you're in the US, just make sure to check with your insurance! They might not cover it/cover as much if it's not deemed medically necessary!

@Grace I’m in the UK

@Amy they definitely will agree, it’s a right

your body, your choice! I am 6 months post c section and to be honest I was lucky as my healing was very easy and I was up walking around 10 hours after! It will be sore but it is manageable. Took a few weeks to feel back to normal but like I said i was walking around quite quickly afterwards . Would do it again :) Everybody is different though, that is my personal recovery. I had my c section at 39 weeks. They try to schedule it before your due date to minimise going into labour beforehand. They usually don’t do it before 39 weeks unless there is medical necessity.

Everyone is different when it comes to recovery unfortunately so couldn’t say what recovery is like I was ok out walking after a week round the shops but then I know some people who took 6 weeks to be able to go for walks. I’ve got to have a c section in January and I’m allowing myself longer for recovery knowing I also have a lot to contend with so have got extra help on hand. They tend to do it about 39 weeks onwards unless your health or babies is at risk x

As has been said above, yes you can request a c section! The recovery really can vary a lot from person to person but also every c section recovery is very different whether it is your 1st or your 5th! I had an emergency section with my first after my baby showed signs of distress after 52 hours of labour and reaching 10cm! The recovery was ok if I stayed well and truly on top of pain medication but it was still a month to be off the pain killers. With my second which was a planned one, I was up and about feeling really good (although still on pain killers but not nearly as much as the first time around) I was up going shopping with my baby in a carrier and my toddler in a push chair after only 4 days. Either way. Don’t let the recovery worry you, at all.

If you’re in the UK you have every right to a c-section with no medical reason. Some hospitals do question you/ encourage you to try vaginal but if you advocate for yourself then it’s fine. I had an elective section with no medical need and it was the best experience ever. First few days were a bit rough but no more than I expected, pain wise I hardly even took paracetamol because I kept forgetting but I’d say the dressing was more painful than the wound as the adhesive was pulling at my skin. As soon as they removed the dressing on day 4 I was so much better. Just take it easy but get up as soon as you can. You’ll find walking takes it out of you for about 6 weeks and you’ll bleed more if you over do it. I wouldn’t have wanted my birth to go any other way! Amazing surreal moments. I had her at 39 weeks when it was booked. I was last in surgery and it took 40 minutes from first cut to being stitched up

I had a c-section due to being diagnosed with gestational diabetes and being on insulin and metformin. Although the team wanted me to have a natural birth I asked them for a c-section, 6 weeks to be fully healed but you will be okay by the second week. And 38 weeks is when I did mine. You can ask your team at the hospital or your midwife

Had mine done 9 weeks ago and I have had the easiest recovery people are shocked with the things iv done, I probably shouldn’t have done some of the things iv done but my body felt normal again I didn’t hurt or anything I was hurting for just a few days while still on the hospital but when I got home I was up and walking around in town within a week of having it, i was walking around slowly it did hurt sometimes to get in and out of the car and the pram helped a lot when walking around but apart from that it didn’t hurt. I was finally able to lay on my belly 😂 it’s how I used to sleep before getting pregnant it’s the main thing iv been waiting to do again 😂, I went bowling 2/3 weeks pp, walked around Harry Potter world two weeks ago iv already been on two or three nights out cos I’m not breastfeeding. Had my c section at 39 weeks exactly since he was breech and turning him didn’t work, tried turning him at 37 week it was more painful than the recovery of the c section

I’m 4 weeks pp from my second Csection. I will say my recovery this time around has been so much better. Walk! Even if it’s slow, walk around the neighborhood or a store. The movement will help keep things from getting too sore. It sounds silly but I would also recommend getting a grabber tool- it helps picking things up without bending/putting pressure on the incision. Most hospitals (I’m in the us) won’t do the Csection until 39 weeks unless something medically necessary pops up.