Hi ladies,
I'm due my 2nd DC in November. I have an appointment at the birth choices clinic in a couple of weeks and I'm trying to get my head around how I feel and what I want before I go.
My reason for my EMCS first time around was failure to progress, after 36 hours of strong labour plus drugs to bring things on I was only 5cm dilated and so the decision was made to go for a CS. My poor DD came out with a huge haematoma on her head causing jaundice and poor feeding (a whole other story). Basically she was in a terrible position and was never going to make it out naturally.
So here I am thinking about number two and having spoken to my dad (who is a consultant obstetrician) I think I may have to opt for an ELCS as failure to progress is a strong reason for failed VBAC.
I feel very trapped because I don't really want a CS because of looking after my toddler and concerns about difficulties with feeding but I really really don't want another EMCS.
Would like to hear your stories good and bad and especially those of you who failed to progress first time around.
Sorry very long.
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Pregnancy
ELCS or VBAC? Your experiences please.
Littlepic · 08/07/2013 09:37
Hello there - you should probably have posted this in Childbirth for more traffic 
If it's any help, I could have written your post excepting the haematoma, which was rotten luck. This is going to be really long sorry!
DD1 was EMCS due to FTP after approx 36 hrs, and every drug going. I felt like a total failure as friends had been popping them out with some gas & air and the thingy that electrocutes you [brain freeze at the mo]
6 week recovery for me and I felt fine, feeding was poor to start prob due to all the drugs and emcs causing a delay on milk to come in. So lots of weight loss and had to start mix feeding. More guilt. Joy. DD1 is happy and healthy and in retrospect it was an awful lot of angst as a first time mum. I wish someone had sat me down and pointed out how lucky we had been and how small a CS and some formula is in the grand scheme of things.
So fast forward to No.2 pregnancy. I know that the previous CS usually means continuous monitoring and antenatal appointments indicated that this would be the case. Home birth out etc etc. While it would be nice to do water birth/home birth/vbac etc I'm not going to run contrary to medical advice for something which for me is a lifestyle birth choice. Far better to get the baby out safely imo.
Had a birth notes review with a senior midwife at the hospital. Edifying stuff. Continuous references throughout the 36 hours to narrow pelvis, difficulty accessing the cervix to ascertain level of dilation, and the fact the the baby was back to back. All total news to me 2 yrs down the line. 
Senior midwife states that on the basis of these comments which are inconclusive and subjective she would refer me onto a consultant to discuss ELCS but indicated it would be my choice.
Saw two obstetricians as consultant permanently unavailable. First was jolly hockey sticks," give it a go and you can always have another EMCS type" and second was pretty much " I can see why you would go for an ELCS and I will support your decision"......
My quandaries were these
Natural was as likely to cause injury to me or the baby and recovery period could be long. [three friends have had surgery to pelvic floor]
To have DC3 was still TBC - another CS might create problems
Recovery period after CS with a toddler.
Perception of "too posh to push", jokey references from DH to my drug haze and implied easy time of it with friends and family. Still a latent feeling of not having done it properly
I spoke to a distant family member at that point who is an obstetrician and the feedback was that multiple CS's are usually safe, that the 2 yr gap is a recommendation but that they would be happy with 1, and that the narrow pelvis thing is inconclusive and it could go either way.
So I decided to have an ELCS as the devil I knew. The hospital was supportive, it was scheduled in and we all got ready. Then I spontaneously laboured at 37 weeks and got to 8cms in approx 4 hrs while we waited for theatre to free up. Midwives and obstetrician were all "you are nearly there now - should be out very soon" and I was doing ok, managing with gas and air and so made the decision to carry on. Actual delivery took another 4 hrs so not quite the 30 mins I imagined when I turned down the surgery 
Needed forceps in the end as baby's stats were getting flakey and had two "minor" tears internally needing stitches. Other than gas and air, and some local for the stitching it was drug free. I was discharged the next day and was really pleased about the sucessful VBAC. Euphoric at having done it!
However, baby had a mild haematoma [from forceps and monitor I guess], became jaundiced and wouldn't feed. Hospitalised for phototherapy in the end. I had plenty of milk but had to express and bottle feed her for 6-8 weeks.
However, between the "minor internal tears" and some piles which appeared at the pushing stage, I can honestly say that I was in agony after 24 hrs. Needed v regular painkillers and it was about 10 weeks before I felt normal. I certainly couldn't wear anything other than jogging bottoms and sitting was v painful. It was easily as painful as post CS just in a different location. I was obviously able to cuddle my toddler etc without risk of damaging stitches but it was certainly not a painless experience. I wished I had opted for the ELCS for a good 6 months. I am fully recovered now but my pelvic floor is definitely not the same.
It came out "in vino veritas" when out with friends recently that my husband felt that we had been managed, that the hospital staff kept delaying the trip to theatre until we got to a point of almost no return, and that the only reason that we did not have another FTP was that DD2 was 1lb lighter than her big sister. She was back to back again and got stuck on the way out hence the scary forceps.
In your shoes I would stick with the ELCS. You can always cancel it if you change your mind and always remember, your baby might have other plans. On that basis regardless of your decision it's worth boning up on the whole birthing and when to push process again. I had to get quite cross with the midwives as I literally had no idea what I should be doing.
I had an ECLS for medical reasons. For me, the recovery was awful. After my first birth which was natural but had complications, I had my mum stay when DH went back to work after two weeks but I didn't need her much. With the ECLS, I felt so unwell that my mum stayed for weeks. I was 11 weeks post section before I could pick up my toddler without my scar swelling painfully. I felt very unlike myself for the first eight after which it improved.
Lots of people have much better experiences though - I just don't seem to get on well with c-sections. Unfortunately I don't do well with giving birth generally so it was still the best option. 
However, I had no problems feeding at all. Much easier than DS1. DS2 was put to my breast in recovery, latched straight on and that was it. The surgeon said that the placenta removal triggers your milk so it should all proceed as normal with feeding. We had skin to skin in theatre and if DS2 had been able to find an angle to latch on then and there, he would have done. So I don't think it's a given that it is harder with a section. It was harder to move with the section and feed comfortably because I was numb and then in pain a lot but the actual feeding itself was fine.
Thanks so much for all of your stories and advice. I feel much calmer about things now. Both my DH and DMIL are prepared to clear their diaries if I opt for a ELCS, which is really reassuring. Just starting to talk to everyone about it with everyone has helped me to feel more relaxed.
On a happy note I had my 20 week scan today all was well and we found out we're having a boy. DH was very happy!!
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