Do you think I should have a C-section or vaginal birth?

Ok, so I'm not actually pregnant yet, but my boyfriend and I are discussing having children in the near future. Anyway, I have this rare eye disease where I have abnormal blood vessels in my eyes that can burst and cause my eyes to bleed internally when there is pressure or strain put on my head. I then have to have expensive laser surgery to stop the bleeding, and it could still do serious damage to my central vision and will leave a permanent blind spot. Because of this I have been told I should have c-sections when I have children. The problem is, having one totally freaks me out. I have always wanted to have several children and I have always wanted to deliver vaginally without an epideral (I have a high pain tolerance and think it would be fine). The thing is, if I do this there is the risk to my eyesight. Is there anyone out there who has maybe delivered both ways and could give me a comparison? The thought of a c-section really freaks me out, so I could use some reassurance!

Do you think I should have a C-section or vaginal birth?
I've only had one child vaginally, but I've known many women who had a c-section. It's so common now that it's not something to freak out about. I wanted the same as you, but I ended up being induced and had to get an epidural after 12 hours. I refused a c-section. I would recommend birthing classes. They can help you learn breathing exercises and pushing technique that will help prevent pressure on your eyes. My mom told me to push with my stomach not with my face. It sounds funny, but you'll know what it means. You can feel pressure on your face when you push wrong. You should be able to release your a little breath slowly while pushing. Try it sometime on the toilet. The pushing needed there is strangely similar to birth. If you start to feel pressure under your eyes, kinda on your upper cheekbones, let out some breath. Good luck!


By the way- my eyes are somewhat sensitive and i actually broke a bunch of blood vessels in them just from vomitting and they were fine after giving birth. And during the pushing part (the epidural had been turned off and worn off by then) the closest I got to screaming and cursing my husband and such was when her head was half way out and I frowned and said, "I don't like this. This really is not comfortable"
Reply:I think risking your eyesight is far more important than how you deliver your baby, the important part is that they get here healthy and mom stays healthy right? dont be afraid of a c-section, i havent had one but i know plenty of people who have, they were fine. so ideally you need to discuss both options in detail with your doctor to decide which way is the safest way, dont jeoprodize something so important(your eyes) if you dont have to, your baby will be fine either way, and you would have your c section and be fine, your i eyes might not, and i think alot of woman actually prefer that over vaginal birth. so talk to the doc.
Reply:Well, first of all, let me just tell you that I have a physical condition called a Chiari malformation, where the base of my skull protrudes too far down beside my spine, and my doctor insists on a C-section, but my specialist that I see because of this condition doesn't see the need for a C-section. I am a registered nurse and I have to say that I totally agree with my regular OB for the simple fact that when you have conditions like you and I do, a C-section is probably the safer way for us AND our babies because of the increased intracranial pressure, or in your case increased intraocular pressure. This is my first pregnancy, and I am 20 weeks, I am scared, but I have seen a million C-sections done, and they are very controlled procedures that way more often than not have good outcomes, and by that I mean the mother isn't extremely sore or sick as a dog from the anesthesia. I would personally go with a C-section if I were you. Good luck in the future.
Reply:Since you have a health condition I would pick a c-section. I had a c-section with my daughter almost four years ago. It was because I was very sick and I was having contractions and I was not dilating. I'm 31 weeks pregnant and I will be having another c-section on July 31. The one piece of advice that I have for everyone who has a c-section is don't lay in bed the minute you can get up and walk around do it. My c-section was wonderful because I have a high pain tolerance yes you are sore but after any major surgery you are sore.
Reply:You should speak with an OBGYN about what would be best for you.


I personally have never had a c-section(nor do I want one) but have had friends and family who did and it seemed like I recovered ALOT faster then they did. I was up and around about half an hour after birth while the others were still sore and laying in bed 2 hours later. But that is from me and doesnt mean everyone is like that.
Reply:Don't let the thought of a C-section freak you out. Having it done is really not that bad. The only thing that is annoying about a C-section is that, when your baby is born, you won't be able to move around and cater to it like you want to because you won't be able to move around very easily. You will be VERY sore for a few days afterwards and will need lots of help. But they will help you out in the hospital by helping you stand up and make a few steps. It's very painful at first, but you have to push yourself to do it, and you get very used to it. The thing that really helped me was walking around holding a pillow against my abdomen where my incision was. This stuff might sound a little scary, but trust me it's not as bad as you think. I would choose a C-section over vaginal delivery if I were you because you could save yourself all the eyesight worries, and be able to play with your baby without being bothered with your eyes. Of course you want to see your beautiful baby when it's born, so I'd definately go with the C-section. I'm sorry for the long response! I wish you all the best!
Reply:well i had a c-section. it isn't that bad. My child was to big to come out vaginally wise. and i've had friends who did it and siad you get sore for awhile, but after wards things will get better. Everything down there will look weird,a nd if you do epidural, than you kinda won't feel anything. With a c-section you don't feel nothing. theyhave this big curtain so you see nothing. you might get tired and fall asleep to. At least i did at first. YOu won't realize til the baby comes out that you had it. After words, you will feel weak, and maybe hard to walk, or take showers and will need time to gain your strength. but overall it's not bad at all!
Reply:If going vaginally could make you go blind??!! I would go with the C-section. Now I watched a lady on the Discovery Health Chanel and she had a really bad heart. Was told that a delivery would be to stress full and raise her blood pressure to much. So they did a vaginal birth but the OBGYN used forceps and the nurses pushed the kid out. I just would go with the C-section. I know a whole lot of people that have had more than 2 kids that way Just talk to you Gyno and they will tell you what your options are!!!
Reply:Here's a little advice.. Firstly the option of vaginal birth or c-section is yours alone to make after getting the information from a qualified professional.. or two. Never go with just one answer because you'll find that different doctors have different opinions.. hence your eye doctor may say never have a vaginal birth but a OBGYN who understands all the aspects of birth may tell you otherwise. Look on the web or in your local phone book for parenting classes or pregnancy wellness classes and ask the instructor about your concerns.. Also find information on the internet and in magazines/books/articles about the pros and cons of both a vaginal birth and c-sections... Be informed before you try to make a choice! Good luck
Reply:When it comes time to have your baby your pain, your discomfort fall into the background as you prepare to meet your new life.... don't sweat the small stuff, talk to a good doctor and cross bridges when you come to them!
Reply:I have talked to people who have had vaginal and sections and they say vaginal is worse. Even if you have a high pain tolerance, when you get to the pushing stage, you have to bare down, which will increase the pressure in your head. It's like having the largest bowel movement of your life. And sometimes it takes hours.
Reply:Sweetie, I had a C-section, and it's not that bad. I absolutely had no pain. I was put to sleep. The bad part of a C-section, in my opinion, is the scar it leaves (I'm a little vain), but the scar healed nicely so even that is not horrible. The worse part of a C-section is the lack of energy after the birth. It took me a while to get my energy level back to normal. Other than those minor things, it's not bad, honestly.





I only had one birth, so I am sorry I never experienced natural birth to compare it to.
Reply:do what u want when the time comes





there is also birth in water