QuestionWhen I gave birth to my daughter I pushed for 3 hours lying on my back and she broke my tailbone. I was a petite person and she was 9lbs. I couldn't walk for the first week without major painkillers and it took over a year before I was able to sit without pain. With this pregnancy I am having a c-section. I noticed people preaching about how much easier natural labor is to recover from than a c-section. Do you think recovery from a c-section will be worse than the recovery from a broken tailbone???
AnswerIf you are only comparing the two directly, then a good c-section recovery would be better than a broken tailbone. I broke my own tailbone last year, so I know what the recovery is like. Something to consider, though, is that with a c-section, you will almost certainly be spending the majority of the first few weeks postpartum lying on your back, or sitting up and leaning back. As I'm sure you are aware, these are not going to be comfortable positions for you and your injured tailbone.
I would encourage you to investigate alternative birthing options. If you were to try birthing instead on your hands and knees, your tailbone would likely be completely spared this time, and your recovery would be a thousand times better than from a c-section. When you are on your back, your tailbone is compressed into the pelvis, creating a bony obstruction to the baby and, as in your case, causing unnecessary problems. When you move into an upright or forward-leaning position, such as squatting or hands-and-knees, your tailbone is able to curve outward, away from the baby. Also, your pelvis becomes more mobile; your pubic symphysis joint regains its flexibility, and your pelvis can stretch to accommodate the baby. You may be able to spend much less time pushing, even if your next baby is the same size.
Remember, at any time, you can always request a c-section if you feel it is necessary. However, you can not stop in the middle of a c-section and go back to a vaginal birth.
