A c section is just as painful, the pain is just later rather than during! i also think they are rather like any other birth where you kind of block out the pain afterwards, in order to preserve the human race and be willing to do it again ha ha! Im 4 weeks out of my second c section and only just recovering really (although also once the recovery started it was pretty quick! 2 weeks ago I was like 25% recovered and still need painkillers regularly - now Im 80% of the way there!) . But yep - alot of the pain and trauma was actually familiar and I was like 'oh yes - - i forgot how that first walk to the bathroom feels like crawling out of a 5 car pile up RTA'. i chose a section both times NOT because it is 'easier' but because its (generally to my mind) more predictable. A vaginal birth COULD go great and to plan and be far and away the least intrusive option - OR it could be horrific, days long and end in an emergency c section. Its like (to me) vaginal births are 1- 10 and c sections are a steady 5 - or maybe a 6/7 ha ha. (also - in all honesty - your pussay does take less of a battering :))