This was something i really missed too, that and my OH not being able to cut the cord. I remember being terrified and asking a nurse to go see if my son was okay as he was taken straight away into another room (with daddy in tow) and i heard nothing. I am just so thankful that he was delivered safe and sound no matter how it was done

I was induced due to polyhydramniosis. After 30 odd hours I had only got to 6cm and wasn't making progress so had to be taken in for an emergency c section. They think the epidural I had got through to LO so she was very drowsy and taken to SCBU for a while as she wasn't feeding (swallowing complications can be indicated by having polyhydramniosis so they were extra cautious about this).

I didn't think I was particularly traumatised by the birth until I tried to watch one born every minute last week - I made it about 3 minutes in before I was in tears!

I also have moments of feeling like a failure as I couldn't give birth "properly" and as a result couldn't BF either although I know that she's here in one piece and that is all that really matters.

I'm sorry that some of you feel like failures but I don't care how she got here, only that she is safe. After six days in labour, being induced and then her heart stopping twice (they whisked us off to theatre for ECS after the second stoppage - her cord was wrapped around her body once and her little neck twice) I'm just so grateful that she's here with me at all. My hubby thought he was going to lose us both (my bp plummeted) and I'm so relieved she's here and that I'm here to look aftr her.

My body (and yours all did too) grew this perfect little person who I get to love and enjoy everyday. Ladies just try to think that thanks to your ECS you are able to enjoy your lo's.

Xxx

I was in labour 28 hours from the first contration 21 in the hospital I had a c/section for failing to progress past 7cm I was disappointed that I had to have a c/section but Emilie was born healthy weighing a good 10Ibs 8

You're absolutely right, Buffy. We have grown these perfect little creatures and it really doesn't matter how they got here in the end!! I've no problem with it normally but when it's 3am, LO has been crying for an eternity and I've had no sleep for days, the hormones take over and it adds to the failure feeling. Thankfully LO falls asleep eventually and a bit of sleep allows me some perspective again!

I was also sectioned due to "falure to progress."

I had planned a home birth... didn't quite go how I intended! My waters were leaking when I woke up Friday morning, and then all day long I had erratic contractions. They started getting more regular and frequent around 5pm, and the midwife came around 7. She examined me and found me to be at 3cm. I had a really rough evening - my contractions were way, way more painful than I expected for the early stages. They came every 2 min and were ~1 min long - that went on for 4-5 hours... However, when the MW examined me again at midnight I was heartbroken to learn that I had not progressed at all... still 3cm. Also, Lily's head was slightly off centre, and the MW said this was perhaps the reason I wasn't dilating, as there wasn't the correct pressure on the cervix. She wanted to transfer me to hospital and I agreed - all that suffering and nothing to show for it, and I'd already started on the 1 canister of G&A we had... I knew I couldn't last at home.

In hospital I had diamorphine, which was fabulous - with that + G&A I laboured through the night, mostly on my feet walking around the room. They knew I'd tried for a home birth and wanted to let nature take its course, so they didn't suggest a drip until the next day around 11am... when they found that I was STILL at 3cm. Also, Lily's head was still not properly centred. That morning my contractions had actually slowed down considerably, and I believe that my body was trying to stall labour to allow Lily's position to correct. I wish I could have let that happen. My biggest regret is that I could not obey nature and let my body and my baby sort it out. However, since my waters had already broken, over 24 hours before, that wasn't considered a safe option.

So I went onto a pitocin drip to "augment" the labour. I also went onto an epidural at the same time. Saturday was easy... I spent all day on the drip and the epidural. However, the drip didn't work. I mean, it did... I dilated more... but by midnight Saturday night dilation had stalled out again, this time at 8cm. As well, Lily was STILL in the exact same position.

The doc came in and said he wanted to do a C-section. I asked whether I could just keep going on the drip, and he said yes but that it was unlikely that anything would change, and the longer it went on the more likely complications such as hemorrhaging would become. I started crying and said I had to think about it... I did, and do, believe that many OBs are too quick to go the surgical route. Over 30% of births in the US are by section, which I think is insane. And although logically I'd known I could need one, I never really imagined that I would... My pregnancy was great - I loved it. I guess that made me overly confident about the birth.

Anyhow, DH and I took a moment in private to talk, but there did not seem to be much choice. Then one of the midwives said, "Your baby wll be with you soon." And that put it all in perspective - nothing else really mattered, after all. And Lily was born at 1:07am Sunday morning. Some 41 hours after waters breaking and the first contractions.

I would not say I feel like a failure for this (I do for not breastfeedng but that is another matter!), but I do wish I could've given birth the way nature intended. Most of all, I regret that I have not had the full experience of giving birth, especially as I didn't even get to the pushing stage.

But, it is only the mother that a section is hard on... It makes me feel better to know that it is the easiest, safest option for the baby.

I have only a half formed uterus so its only half the size meaning DD could not turn and was breach, because its a weird angle it also ment I could not deliver her normally and the only option was an EMCS. I have a terrible fear of needles in my spine so I freaked out when they told me the epidural was used during an EMCS so I would stay awake. I was then offered a GA so I did not witness any of it. It makes me feel crap but its not my fault and DD would not be here if I did not have the CS. She ended up in SCBU when she was born as well so I didnt get to see her until I begged to get taken down.

I ended up with an emercency c section after 72 hours of labour ... and they left me 72 hours after my waters had broke. LO went into distress after 72 hours otherwise i think they would have left me tbh. then he got taken to scbu coz he couldnt breathe and he contracted strep b which if they had got him out earlier he wouldnt have been so bad ..... i still am effected by this and i feel robbed of the most natural thing a woman can do ... i couldnt bf straight after but i did start bf ing at 3 days old . i wasnt going to ruin that aswell . i do feel like a failure tho espeially to my OH i feel i couldnt give him what my baby was supposed to have x