Did you request a c section? If so was it difficult to get it?

Oh please.
You can request a swab and exact microbes that would be introduced through pushing through vagina can be transfered to a baby via swab.

Why would you be withiut pain meds if BF? Pleanty of paunkullers can be taken safelly while BF.

Your body can 100% grow a baby too big for your frame. Women died en mass from this century ago. I am perplexed how people tgink childbirth in the past was funtivity and everyone was ok. No.
Men just married again.

You are a great midwife 🖤

I’m a midwife. The NICE guidelines state you can have an elective section for whatever reason you have. Whether they agree or not, your midwife should be supporting you to have the birth you choose. For me, that’s meant I’ve referred to different consultants where my locality has refused a patients’s choice (which they shouldn’t, but they do).

I've had 4 children, first 2 were normal births, 3rd was a emergency c section totally the midwives fault she'd put the picotin too high so i was getting no rest between contractions and my son couldnt handle them and his heart rate kept dropping so that had to get him out, the consultantthat did the section shouted at the midwife when she came in and saw how high it was, this was 2 years ago. My 4th who is 4 months old was an elective section as I was scared by the previous birth but also sterilised at the same time. It was easy to get, I spoke to a consultant, signed the forms and was given my date, it was such a lovely experience I was first down in the morning everything was just so calm and relaxed and I saw them take my son out my stomach still in his amniotic sac (was watching in the massive light above my head). I don't regret it at all.

Oh that’s so rude/nosy of them! Yes people will continue to be this nosy and opinionated on all things related to feeding/sleeping/nappies etc so just do what works for you.

For me it might have been the easy way out but I’ll never know if in some parallel universe I’d have had a super smooth labour and delivery or a really difficult one. And that was key, having more control.
It took a little while for milk to come in but I breastfed beyond a year so don’t let people say c-section means you can’t breastfeed. There are stronger painkillers than paracetamol available.

@IceCream889 Oh some people love to give their opinions don't they, and even a lot of the medical ones are just their personal opinion (eg when midwives push vaginal birth because that's what they love doing) or consultant says go for vaginal just to save money.
I went into my first pregnancy thinking.. this is my body, I'm not just a number. I'm the one who has to go through it, has to live with the consequences for life.. to these people I'm just another patient in that shift who they will forget about once I leave (not in a bad way, it's just how it is) so unless there is a danger to life having a c section then nothing and no-one will change my mind.
And the randomers giving their opinion! As if we care 😂

@Disturbia81 It's my first pregnancy so I had no idea people had opinions on it! Apparently it's the easy way out LOL

I am tiny but I'm also a nurse with some midwifery training so I knew not to go for a section if I could avoid it.

What a load of nonsense. Perhaps with your ‘training’ you could look up the stats on the number of obstetricians who go down the elective CS route - eye opening!

@arecklessmanor they outright asked! The first few times I answered c section immediately as I wasn't expecting opinions, didn't realize people felt so strongly about how a virtual stranger gives birth!!

How do they know this private medical information?

I asked for an elective c-section at booking appointment and had the date by about 19/20 weeks I think. No midwife tried to dissuade me, a few said it was a good idea. And it was because they were fairly short staffed in the hospital and most of my NCT group who did try labour said the shortages made for an unpleasant experience (and half of those needed a C-section, a quarter needed forceps, another had an episiotomy, nobody got a straightforward vaginal birth).

Well they can fuck off, no-ones opinion matters more than yours, even medical opinions (unless it's a danger to life)

I wanted a C section because it was a forced birth (found out I was pregnant over halfway through pregnancy and had no choice not to go ahead). I had injuries after previous precipitous labour. I felt really uncomfortable describing my injuries to a male doctor so I politely requested a female. There wasn’t one available so I agreed to speak to a male consultant who was off with me from the outset because he took it so personally I requested a female. I really wasn’t able to sit in front of him and describe my vaginal problems.
He made lots of presumptions ignorant comments and he said no to getting a C section. So that was that. Baby arrived prematurely and I needed a blood transfusion and we both nearly died.

@IceCream889 However, random waitresses serving me breakfast, colleagues I barely speak to, husbands of friends of mine, have all had an opinion and felt the need to express it to me.

Why on earth are you divulging your medical decisions to random waitresses or colleagues you barely speak to?

I've had no push back from medical professionals on my request for a C section (first time mum, hip injury, very severe PGP and tailbone pain).

However, random waitresses serving me breakfast, colleagues I barely speak to, husbands of friends of mine, have all had an opinion and felt the need to express it to me.

With my 4th child I asked for a c/s from the start as my 3rd child was almost 12lb and he got stuck ( arm up to his head) so I figured the next baby would be even bigger ( also I’d developed gestational diabetes) I did not want to put another baby through natural birth with the risk he was going to be bigger. My consultant agreed with no problem and as it turned out on my 37 week scan baby was transverse lie with no room to change position so a c/s was the only option. Yes you’re sore afterwards but I was 38 so I wasn’t as quick on walking far for a few days .

I had an elective for my 3rd dc after 2 natural deliveries. My midwife was completely supportive but my consultant tried to change my mind at every appointment. It made the whole thing so stressful as I felt I had to be ready for a fight every time I spoke to him. He was really dismissive of my reasons & I was really worried that I wouldn't get one when the time came. It makes me angry to think about it now.

@Alli88 I have the opposite experience. I work in healthcare and obstetricians and midwives overwhelmingly choose sections as they have seen it all and have made the best judgement.

I'm sorry you had such a painful birth.

Let me tell you about mine. Zero pain to have my babies, and only a tiny amount after, which was due to the afterpains.

Thank goodness for planned sections!

I actually googled 'when do c sections start to hurt ' because I was waiting, and it never happened. I kept up pain relief as I didn't want to be without it if it did start, but it was really fine.

I was out shopping etc within 3 days.

Interesting that you state that because you're a nurse you 'knew better than to go for a C-section if [you] could avoid it'. Insinuating that your medical training means you know better than us mere mortals when it comes to vaginal vs C-section, and that the former is obviously the best option and should remain the default position.

Yet stats show that the proportion of doctors who opt for a C-section themselves is significantly higher than the general population.

Do nurses know something doctors don't?

OR, maybe a woman should be allowed to make a decision how she gives birth?

C sections are discourages as hospitals have limited number of doctors and theatres and you occupy hospital bed for longer time. If you are in doubt please go and look how initial papers on preeclempsia blood tests are focused on cutting hospital costs exclusivelly.
But I guess you are too narrow minded to see where you work so you go around as million other idiotic medical professionals repeating "but doctors know the best".

Elective after emergency is obviously not the same as asking for elective without any sections before.
How you don't know that??

It depends on the trust you're with, some are more supportive than others. I had an ELCS with my first for mental health reasons. No pushback whatsoever even though I decided at week 36! Went in with all my notes and had read up extensively. My dad is a doctor so I planned to throw that in too but never needed to. It was an all round positive experience apart from the postnatal ward.

I had to jump through a lot of hoops and be very insistent, but I never met anyone who outright refused my c section request. I mentioned it at my first appointment at 8 weeks and every single time I went in after that. At 36 weeks, they hadn't booked it yet. When the midwife asked how I was feeling, I basically said appallingly stressed because no one will 100% confirm I can have a c section. She went and spoke to the consultant and then called to book it for me then and there.

To show willing, I went to a birth choices clinic at around 30 weeks. It was a total waste of time and the midwife running it was an idiot who didn't listen to me at all. But at least after that I could use it as evidence that I was educating myself and still wanted to go ahead.

The c section was an amazing experience, recovery was easy, I've never regretted it for a second and would never choose any other option if I were having any more children.

Why would you need stronger pain relief?

I didn't take any after leaving hospital. With either of my sections. That's because I didn't need any.

Sorry your "better" vaginal birth required codeine. And don't guess about things you clearly have zero knowledge of and declare it like fact.