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Childbirth

C Section after failed induction

8 replies

numberjack99 · 22/01/2015 18:43

Can I start by saying hello as I haven't used this forum before.
Something has been bothering me for quite a while now and I want to say from the outset that I am not slating the NHS and I am very happy that the end result of my pregnancy/labour was a healthy happy baby. There was nothing terrifying about my birth experience and I was well cared for.
However, I am not happy with the circumstances surrounding my unplanned (did not even feel like an emergency) c-section. It was also nearly 4 years ago.
I went the full 2 weeks over my due date and didn't have an appointment in the last two weeks until the day before they sent me in for induction. The maternity unit were not happy about this as I was there when the call was made. I had absolutely no sign the baby was coming (but I do ovulate on day 19 and know that conception was a week after the "normal" 12 days). Out of sheer ignorance I refused the cervical sweep the day before induction as I thought the drugs would just move everything along. Lol.
I am sure you don't want to know everything so I will try and be brief. I had the full lot of pressaries and only really had mild labour pains. Got sent down to delivery where they broke my waters (7.30pm) left me for a short time then hooked me up to pitocin. Only pain relief was Diamorphine. For a good while my contractions were not strong enough and they kept upping the dose.
It was between 9-930am the next day when they decided I was to have a section. I had gotten to 8cm and was ready to push, they told me not to and left for a good 15mins to deliberate.
This is the part I am not happy with. The baby was fine, and had been throughout. I was ready to push and wasn't tired (in fact I was geed up and ready to go). Then about 5 people came in the room telling me I was having a c section and the only reason they gave was "my labour had not progressed and they could not give me anything else."
I feel I was pushed into it far too soon.
I am really looking for opinions on this, if you want anymore info just ask.
Having been through it there are a number of things I would be pushing for to have been done differently.
Thanks for reading.

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Showy · 22/01/2015 18:51

Hi there. I am sorry you feel let down. And disappointed I imagine. I had two emcs and have felt the same way. Can I recommend you attend a birth debrief and have a midwife go through your notes with you? It really helped me to see how and why clinical decisions were made and a few things I missed. It is also massively cathartic.

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ChocolateBiscuitCake · 22/01/2015 19:44

Were they monitoring the baby with a clip to its head?

I had no CS but was asked for consent and begged them to try vontuse first, so they wheeled me into theatre, prepped me for EMCS and managed to pull him out fairly fast.

They had been monitoring his heart with the clip and he was becoming tired and distressed. Perhaps they felt the same about your baby?

Also, from the breaking of your waters there was nearly 14 hours before they decided to do the EMCS - maybe there was an infection risk at this point. You can't push at 8cm - you would tear your cervix and the baby would not descend.

It sounds like they made a calculated decision in your best interests. Showy's suggestion to meet with a midwife sounds sensible Flowers

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Jackieharris · 22/01/2015 20:00

Most inductions for 'overdue' babies end up in either forceps or emcs. Did they discuss this with you before the induction. I refused induction for this reason.

8cm after 14 hours of arm and drugs isn't good progress. Usually they would say the baby is showing signs of distress. Did they mention the fetal monitoring readout?

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elliejjtiny · 22/01/2015 21:16

That must have been so frustrating. I had an EMCS for a failed induction too. Although my circumstances were different as my baby was very distressed and needed to come out faster than I was labouring. A birth debrief sounds like a good idea.

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numberjack99 · 23/01/2015 12:29

Thanks everyone. I did not know you could have a birth debrief, I think it would help.
The only monitoring they did was via the pads on my stomach, every time I asked how the baby was there was no problem and it wasn't the reason for the emcs. There was no mention of emsc until I had the STRONG urge to push and was only 8cm. It wasn't even a discussion, they pretty much straight up told me. It was all very matter of fact, maybe it was more of an emergency than they let on to me. To me it just felt unplanned.
I think I should have been having cervical sweeps, never even offered until the day before I went in for induction. I know when I conceived and it was a week after a "normal" cycle, I would have insisted on leaving induction another week provided everything was okay with the baby. I also would have had either a spinal or epi with the pitocin as I think there would be a better chance of being able to relax more and maybe the labour would have progressed better, it may have been an assisted birth rather than an emcs.
Hindsight eh? Anyway, everything worked out well in the end.

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rallytog1 · 23/01/2015 13:46

I think a urge to push before you're fully dilated can lead to problems. I was in a similar situation to you - failed induction then emcs, although I did get to 10cm and tried pushing for 3 hours with no further progress.

I got a debrief, where they told me that my dd wasn't distressed at the time the decision was made, but had things been left much longer, she could have been and that would have meant a crash cs under ga and a certain level of panic. In effect, it was less risky to go for the cs before it got to being a genuine emergency. So I wonder whether your situation was similar?

Definitely get a debrief if it's still hanging over you though. I'm sure there was a good reason why (they don't do surgery willy nilly) but sometimes I think they forget to tell you why.

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Jackieharris · 23/01/2015 13:56

Studies show that epidurals actually increase the risk of further interventions.

If you think they induced you a week too early that is the route of your problems. Firstborn safe typically not born until 41+ weeks. Later pregnancies are slightly shorter. Imo they should change their induction guidelines for firstborns.

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rallytog1 · 23/01/2015 21:37

Ahem Hmm

Studies show a correlation between epidurals and interventions - they don't show that epidurals are the cause of interventions.

It's quite possible that women who feel they need epidurals are having difficulties or complications that lead to a greater likelihood of interventions, regardless of whether they had an epidural.

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