You probably will not wear a post partum girdle after having a C-Section.
You can request that you NOT have a C-section unless your life or that of the baby's is in danger.

I wouldn't worry about having a C-section unless your doctor says it is imminent.

One of the primary reasons for c-section is because of the failure for the pregnancy to advance (dystocia). Some things to remember as your contractions start:
1) the sooner that you go to the hospital after you go into labour, the more time they have to "play". Meaning that the Dr's feel a stronger need to advance the birth (use of pitocin, epidurals etc). Many women, especially their first pregnancy, will panic when the contractions start. I guarantee you that the longer you are in the hospital, the more things they will try to do. The longer you are in the hospital, the more tired you will get and dystocia may result. This often leads to c-section because mom and baby are tired.
2) Take your time during the contractions. Walk around the house, play with other kids, try to relax and get things ready to go. Talk to you care provider about when would be a good time to head over to the birth centre.
3) Did you know that women under chiropractic care showed 39% shorter laboiur times, 56% reduced pain and need for interventions? I would recommend finding a chiropractor near you who works intimately with peri-natal care. Here is a link for more info:
http://www.icpa4kids.org
God Bless,
Haze

the best way to avoid a csection is not to go to the hospital.
I had five hospital births
6 uc
2 csection

I am a strong advocate for UBAC mostly because of the political climate being anti vbac. UC meaning unassisted by medical personel and Ubac being unassisted vaginal delivery after cesection.

The last thing you want to be is uninformed of choices ahead of time.

Many women are forced into csections they do not want. Many avoid them by being informed. Rarely will the hospital override your decision with a court order. You need information to be empowered to avoid a cesection being done solely for your doctors malpractise insureance coverage.

I sugguest looking up information about posible reasons. Decide whether you are willing to take the risk of hands off breech delivery rather than a csection.

Know the pros and cons to every procedure. IE. if you are not in labor 24 hours after rupture of the membranes have them test for infection or treat for infection, but don't get a csection because you might get an infection, the csection carries a higher risk of infection for you and pneumonia for the baby.

Anyhow, There are lots of sites on line for learning. Ultimately you have to live with the decision, not your doctor.

Many doctors use terms and statistics to scare you into their view of child birth.

OBs deal with complications more and will have more fears to bring to your birth. You don't need an OB till you need a procedure you have decided on.

Choosing attendants that are confident in you and your ability to birth and that make you relazxed and confident are a must. You also need to feel free to choose a csection if you think it necessary.
Placenta abruptia where the placenta breaks away.. Get plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables to avoid this.
Placenta previa, not common unless you've had foreign objects in your uterus before, and usually corrects before birth.
Failure to progress, get out of the bed and go home till the baby is crowning.

My babies heart actually stopped for two whole minutes. I had been in a car accident four weeks earlier and another two weeks before and was on full monitoring for the week before delivery just to get that baby big enough to be born period. It could have been a flaky machine but we checked for that. I chose the csection though I knew I'd have greater risk being hyper sensitive to drugs. I knew the emotional garbage and the poor treatment from the nurses following. I made the choice for my baby and am still paying the price in my health. If you knew you would be sick well over a year from liver stress you may have chosen to leave the baby in God's hands... there will always be choices. You have to be informed to combat misinformation and make the best choice for you and your family. If that means baby will die to protect you... and your mental health, that is your choice. The Doctors can not give you any garantee.

Do not discount the mental effect of Csection nor the mental effect of not doing everything in your power to deliver a healthy child.

Long winded I know, but please trust your instincts. The staff can only give you their opinions, they can be wrong. BUT, don't make a decision out of fear be well informed and have a complete birth plan and csection plan. Let your caregiver know exactly how you feel about every aspect of birth and healthcare. You don't need their approval, you just need their services if you require them.

Csections aren't the end of the world. Just an option to keep open for yourself.
Bananna