In labour - need urgent advice!

[Ineedadvicee]

Well.. kinda in labour, kinda not!

Waters broke 27 hours ago, arrived at the hospital shortly after they broke but contractions failed to start. The hospital said that if nothing happens in 24 hours (24 hours after works breaking), they will start the oxytocin drip to get things moving. Apparently they can only allow 24 hours as you are more prone to infection once waters have gone.

Problem is… the 24 hours are up but there are no beds on labour ward so they want to take me in for a c section. I’m gutted because I haven’t even been given the chance to try for a vaginal birth… of course I need to follow their advice but it seems so unfair that the reason for the c section is purely down to lack of beds, not because of anything medical?

I don’t know what to do…

Has it not occurred to you that they might have beds on the post natal ward? Many hospitals still have Labour wards and post natal wards separated!

Congratulations OP on your new baby. That's wonderful.

Not so wonderful the care you received. I am so saddened at the state of maternity care now in the UK

Everything seems to astound you! Actually as you claim to be an ex NHS nurse, firstly you would know there is a huge shortage of midwives. multiple hospitals have closed to be replaced by one shiny new hospital with significantly less beds! Whist the scenario isn’t ideal the priority is the mother and baby! I had a very traumatic vaginal delivery involving both forceps and when tgg hear failed a ventouse which took months to recover from whist a friend a week later had a C-section, guess who recovered the quickest? It want me

As you know the longer you leave it the more open to infection and complications you are, why not accept the medical advice?

Precisely why I'd have asked the question. Also, I have found that if one asks questions, and seek justification for what the NHS is telling you, the wheels sometimes turn a little faster.

I am sorry you had a difficult birth.

Congratulations, so glad you are both ok.

If you have it in you, I'd complain, BC it's clearly wrong a: there was no bed for a safe labour
B: c section was your only option.
C: if no one complain, nothing changes.

If there was a risk of no beds, option to transfer should have been talked about earlier. Remember you are complaining about the system rather than individuals. A good complaint system should recognise this.

Btw: All lovely names, but very popular everywhere.
Maybe if you are torn, choose something different.

It’s worrying to hear about the state of our hospitals , if men were the ones who gave birth I think things would so much different and better, much more investment in NHS & maternity wards etc would have been made. But because it’s women who have to bear the burden of child bearing and child birth then we’re expected to accept the bare minimum.

Theo-Isaac Noah ?

Congratulations! The process wasn't ideal but the outcome is and your beautiful baby boy is with you now.
Theo, Noah & Isaac are all beautiful names, but a note of caution depending on your local accent of the Th in Theo becoming Feeeeo, my daughter has a th in her name and it makes me squirm - don't mind it normally day to day just with her name.

Congratulations. Please make a complaint as soon as you can. Its important. Even though it isnt their fault and out of their control things need to be improved and lessons need to be learned.
It seems you weren't given options that are available and that is their fault. Its hard to let go in these situations because your birthing experience should be a good one, it is important, but please dont let it consume you. You have a baby to bond with and make positive memories.

my Labour didn’t start and ended up giving birth 68 hours later with no intervention but I did have to decline active management. Hope all has ended well x

I’m so happy you are safe and your son is too. I didn’t want to burden your imagination but I had a ‘dry’ birth ( days after water broke, a 23 hour labour in the end they had to give me a general anaesthetic to turn baby with internal forceps.. I lost 2 and a half stone. An 11 lb daughter. She was cot nursed for a bit then we were inseparable.
I think once the birth process starts going wrong ( labour doesn’t progress after waters breaking) you take all the help offered. It turned out my contractions went into overdrive and were unproductive and she had turned and shoulder was presenting. we were both lucky to come out alive.
I just had to check in today to see if you were ok and so glad you are safely delivered.

Can I just tell everyone reading this that no you absolutely do not have to do what they say and that Hospital procedures are often not based on any evidence. Funny how it was essential to get the baby out after 24 hours, then suddenly theatre was full so it became ok to just monitor her. Fucking bullshit. The chances of infection after 24 hours of waters breaking are still very low. They are higher if the midwives keep sticking their hands in your vagina.

You can absolutely say no to a C section. You do not have to do what they say. This is why educating yourself about labour is the best chance you have of the birth you want. Most times it's just policy, not based on you as a patient at all. It's their job to offer, not to insist on anything.

Because often it's based on policy rather than evidence, or the patient themselves, Aunt Lydia.

I had both types of birth and to be honest, the section was the easiest to recover from and I was up and about quickly. I just wish I had pushed for a section with my second child.

not a single word of that is true. There are 4 categories of c-section and the OP's will have been a cat 3 or cat 2 depending on the exact circs. The 'form' would be a consent form 1 (unless for some reason the patient is lacking capacity and then it'll be a form 4). For an 'average' section the operation is the same whether it's a planned or an unplanned procedure so the consent form doesn't usually differentiate between the two IIRC. The paperwork that will be generated as a result of the incident though (of not being able to start an augmentation appropriately) will be copious and a lot more than just two forms.

Lack of resources is NO excuse to shepherd women towards surgery. It's completely irrelevant how someone else recovered from any kind of birth, it couldn't be more irrelevant. She doesn't need to just be grateful. What is relevant is the impact of lack of consent and control on women in healthcare. We all deserve much, much better than we're getting as a general demographic.

@Ineedadvicee op congratulations

I've had both ways with the planned and chosen section I had a special v pillow and baby stayed wedged there so I didn't have to transfer.

Be very very careful reaching and think about a co sleeper cot at home much much easier with or without sexrion

Personally I’d always take the medical advice, while a csection is a major op they must think its the safer option!

Wow, this just terrifies me. It doesn't read to me like it's medical advice, but more a resources issue. They pushed OP to undergo major surgery because they don't have enough beds to allow for any alternative. Women deserve better than this.

The 'medical advice' was "we don't have a bed for you".
It was not based on clinical need.

Augmentation?

Google may help you here.

It's different to induction as labour has already started but is not progressing.

Hope all is well OP and you are home with baby now?

Hi everyone, sorry I haven’t been the best at updating. Name update - he is officially baby Theo!

We are home, we actually got home yesterday late afternoon which I was pleased about. He hates my nipples but loves his bottles so trying to accept that!

I do still feel so sad that I never got to try for the birth I wanted, but I suppose over time that might fade? I know it was mostly out of my control but do still regret not pushing more for the transfer, and earlier on that is.

DH is having his knee surgery very soon so we’re both hobbling around the house trying to get by! Luckily I batch cooked some meals beforehand which we’re grateful for.

Thank you again for your lovely messages - it’s been lovely reading them this afternoon :)

Theo may have problems latching on to your nipples and prefers the bottle because he cannot suck properly which may be caused by the tongue tied.
this can be easily remedied in the correct hands.

Tongue-tie (ankyloglossia) is a condition present at birth that restricts the tongue's range of motion. With tongue-tie, an unusually short, thick or tight band of tissue (lingual frenulum) tethers the bottom of the tongue's tip to the floor of the mouth