Elective CS Maternal Request - where in NHS?

[IBelieveInHappyEndings]

Hello,
Looking for members who have had a maternal request Caesarean section within the NHS in the past year (2015). If you are able to tell me which hospital you went to and who your Dr was I would be most grateful.
Just looking for data, not to start a discussion on reasons & opinions re maternal requests.
Thanks

[QueenMolotov]

I'm interested in this, too.

[Fairylea]

Mine was in 2012 but I had one at Norfolk and Norfolk under Dr Lee. I asked for one due to a previous traumatic birth (67 hours long ending in ventouse etc). My elective c section was a fantastic experience.

[Fairylea]

Norfolk and Norwich !

[ThursdayLastWeek]

I'm interested in why
Also marking place

[QueenMolotov]

Seeing as Fairylea answered, mine was in 2012, too, at Birmingham Women's Hospital under Mr. Pirie.

I'd had a traumatic first birth which damaged my tailbone. The consultant didn't think it was a good enough reason and the process to have one agreed was a total ball-ache. However, he agreed in the end and did an excellent job.

[youcankeepyourhead]

Mine was in 2010 so won't give the details, but just wanted to say that I asked exactly this question before mine and a helpful MNer gave me the name of her consultant and her agreed to my ELCS (post-traumatic birth also).

I also used the Dr Foster site to look up the hospitals local to me to discover which had the highest ELCS rates.

[IBelieveInHappyEndings]

Thanks for the responses & info, apologies for being so vague in my initial post but I know how controversial maternal request cs procedures are and I wanted to keep to topic as I have seen so many threads taken over with opinions rather than useful info.

I am 36 weeks and have been asking for a cs since week 9 at the John Radcliffe in Oxford. From the start they told me that they don't do maternal cs requests but because I stated a psychological reason they agreed to explore it further. I have jumped through every loop including consultant meetings, psychologist meetings & mode of birth meetings but they have only just decided this week that my psychological reasons (not going into it on here) are not part of their clinical reasons and that I fall into the maternal request category meaning that they won't do it. So I am now back at square one and have a very limited amount of time left to find a hospital willing to do it as a maternal request.

Unfortunately going private is not a financial option for us.

Any information re successful maternal request experiences would be gratefully received.

Many thanks

[Icklepickle101]

Royal Berks and Dr Selinger

Mine was due to mobility and fear of damage because of my restrictions.

They did make me jump through hoops and see half the antenatal team before finally agreeing at 36 and in fact encouraged it

My GP advised Royal Surrey were usually more happy to oblige.

[QueenMolotov]

I think you either need to argue your case further or look into changing to a favourable mat request ELCS hospital right now (good idea to find the website another pp mentioned) as you don't have much time. I has my ELCS at 39+3.

I saw a registrar first at 20w (who was awfully dismissive. I actually refused to talk to him and waited longer to see the consultant). Then the consultant, who was also dismissive and then scared me by pitching what I later realised was the worst-case CS outcomes against the best-case VB outcomes. It was almost as if 'You're young. You have a vagina. You can push another baby out.' He told me to have a think (which I did and consulted a physiotherapist and osteopath about what mode of birth they'd recommend. Both leaned to CS).

I had to see the consultant midwife at 26w who was largely unsupportive ("why scar your uterus when you don't have to?" "Mr. Pirie doesn't want you to have a CS"). I listened, but was not confident that they would handle my tailbone issues. I saw the consultant again at about 32w and he was dismissive again. I almost cried but just was constant about what evidence I'd found and that I'd prefer to take the more predictable risks of ELCS. I think however, if DH hadn't been with me, I would have caved and been pressured into another VB. As I demonstrated that I understood the risks and it was what I wanted, he booked me in at that point but kept saying "some women change their minds when they're on the table. I hope you're one of them". It was a total mindfuck! We're ttc dc3 (who would be our last child) and as I've already had one CS, I hope that means I'd have another CS without the epic fights and head fuckery.

I don't know what your reasons are and don't want to push it by asking you (although it might someone give you specific help if you say why) but if its took phobia you need to be insistent and don't give in by even one inch. Do you have support? Has someone been in the meetings with you?

The poster RedToothbrush is usually brilliant at answering questions relating to CS, so I hope she turns up soon.

[QueenMolotov]

From my POV, CS is another perfectly valid mode of delivery. It carries risks and benefits, just like a VB. It needs to be your choice. Don't listen to people who would try and cast doubt or guilt on your choice. It's your body and as long as you know what the risks and benefits are, then that's it.

[QueenMolotov]

• tokophobia

[IBelieveInHappyEndings]

Thanks for sharing your experience QueenMoloTov, you are right about the mind games. With your injury I am surprised that they stil classed you as a maternal request & not a clinical one. I feel like they would rather act once something has gone wrong rather than prevent the trauma.

I am going to return to my gp tomorrow & see if they can get me referred to another hospital outside of the Oxford University Trust that they know will be more agreeable & able to 'process' me quickly. I am assuming that a new hospital will still want me to jump through all of the consultant, psychologist, mode of birth loops too.

I have one final consultant meeting on Wednesday so if the answer is still no, which I highly suspect it will be, then in theory I could ask for a second psychiastrist a opinion. The problem is that drags things out further so at this late stage I think it's better to cut ties with Oxford and concentrate what little time I have left on finding somewhere new.

The NICE guidelines count for nothing if individual NHS Trusts are able to make a blanket decision not to agree to maternal requests in their hospitals as the OU Trust are doing and by the looks of it the same applies to Gloucestershire Trust & South Gloucestershire. Worcestershire seems to be amenable to maternal requests but they are having a major staff shortage & only one of the two hospitals is running a maternity ward so I doubt they have capacity for out of area patients. I can't find a great deal of info on the Northamptonshire Trust's views but their hospitals have some seriously bad reviews which is not very appealing.

Roll on tomorrow when everything will be open again & I can get on the telephone to hound people!

[TaliZorah]

Heart of England NHS trust. They were fine about it.

[FizzyFeet]

Might be worth getting in touch with Milton Keynes, I think they are more favourable than Oxford. I would go straight to the head of midwifery and ask what their policy is. I did hear that Reading and its associated trust have recently changed their policy to the same as Oxford but worth ringing them too in case. Good luck!

[QueenMolotov]

Tali, do you mind if I ask which Heart of England hospital were you at?

[hazeyjane]

Ibelieve - I had an elcs by maternal request at GWH in Swindon (so not too far from JR). I was refused at first, but spoke to the consultant, who agreed it on the first meeting ( it was due to previous birth injury) - this was in 2010

[RuckingMarvellous]

Winchester usually do elective CS for maternal request with no questions asked.

The trust where I work often turns women down for non clinical maternal requests (how you define non clinical varies between consultants!!!).
However if a maternal request is not approved they have a duty to refer you to a different consultant who will support your request. At my trust they often refer women to Winchester.

[TaliZorah]

Queen I'll message you

[QueenMolotov]

Thanks Tali, I have replied

[ElectraAzalea]

Ibelieve I had an ELCS in 2015 at GWH in Swindon, please PM me if you think GWH may be an option for you and I'll be happy to give more details. Sorry if this is too late to be any use!

[runnerbean2]

Mike Wylds at Heart of Englad is personally sympathetic to these and does them in private practice. Not sure what HEFT's policy is on accepting referrals. I had an ELCS at Warwick Hospital recently for "non-obstetric clinical reasons" ie anxiety, but there was a fairly lengthy process to go though. I had a very good experience in the end. Have you asked for a referral elsewhere in line with the 2011 NICE guidelines? Have a look at these if you haven't already done so. Your consultant should do this and may be more willing to if it means they don't have to carry out the procedure themselves!

[Junosmum]

This is rally interesting. I'll only consider a second child if I can be guaranteed a section, it would be maternal request. From reading this thread it appears that won't happen. Looks like DS will be an only child :(

[studentvera]

Had one for tocophibia last year and another this year!
Dr norri agreed at queen Charlotte's Hammersmith

[glueandstick]

I have been seen under three different trusts during my pregnancy and I'm utterly amazed how practices and interpretations of 'guidelines' vary from area to area. Remember they are only GUIDELINES- however some are very good at pressuring and down right refusing when actually they shouldn't. Good luck and I hope you get the outcome you want. After all, what you decide to put your body through is your decision and you need to be happy with it. Take guidance from professionals but if you genuinely feel happier going a different way then do what is right for you.

(I could rant all day about maternity services but I won't. Suffice to say this has not been a positive experience so far)

[FoodPorn]

How are you getting on ibelieve? I'm hoping the JR gave the go ahead at your final appointment.