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…

I had the same. Take the section.

My daughter and I nearly died and a section would have been so much safer for us both under the same circumstances as you’re describing.

You’ve waited nine months for a healthy baby OP, not labour. Honestly I’d take the ELCS. You could wait for labour and end up with an EMCS (and increase baby’s risk of infection). You’re going to have to stay in after anyway now for monitoring. Moving hospitals would be a faff.

On both occasions my waters broke and contractions started within 24 hours but I still needed monitoring after as baby was born so long after waters had broke. Second time around hospital was full so I had to go to another one to labour (which didn’t have gas and air!!!) and ended up with an EMCS anyway.

You know ultimately what is best for you and baby, just don’t make a decision purely because you want to experience labour. Either way your baby will be born and that is so much more special than the experience of being in labour.

Personally, I wouldn’t want to consent to major surgery that carries risks for me and my baby when there is no clinical just because they don’t have a bed.

I would tell them that and ask to speak to an obstetrician to discuss alternatives and the risk of waiting versus the risk of a c section. Don’t let them fob you off with some poor foundation trainee who will have no idea!

I would have the CS, as others have said you’re already on the treadmill of intervention and it’s been advised as it’s safest for your baby in the circumstances.

Oh I’m sorry OP. This must be hugely disappointing. Under these circumstances I would take the medical advice and have a c-section but please be incredibly kind to yourself and know that any birth preparation you did before this point is not wasted.

Having nearly lost daughter and grandchild after 26 hours labour then emergency c section. I'm a convert after being anti for mine. Other daughter had c section both times. She recovered so quickly.

Once you have one intervention, it's more likely to lead to another, so I would go straight for the c-section if the hospital have suggested it.

On the subject of waters breaking - labour doesn't always start before or immediately after waters break. I don't know whether medical evidence based advice has now changed, but my midwife told me that the time between waters breaking and hospitals 'strongly encouraging' women to go in and try to force labour to start was getting shorter and shorter, despite there being no medical evidence to support this change. I (safely) waited a week after my waters broke before going to hospital. I didn't take my temperature every 4 hours and I didn't take (or need) any antibiotics and nor did my baby. I was checked on by my midwife every day, but that was part of the arrangement anyway. The only advice was not to have sex, not to have a bath and to call the midwife straight away if I was concerned or anything changed. Obviously others have had less positive experiences. The only thing you can do is keep calm and ask for whatever information you feel you need to make an informed decision. Just keep in mind that there's no right or wrong way to give birth. The most important thing at the end of the day is a healthy baby and mother.

Of course they work. The wouldn’t waste Dr and midwife time on them if they never worked. I had an induction at 37 week 3 weeks after my waters broke and DD was born in 11 hours after just a dose of the internal gel. It was totally fine.

But OP you’ve said you’re tired and emotional, and it sounds like a stressful situation - I would go for the c section at the point.
If you really don’t want to, I’d ask again about a transfer. How long would it be until you can actually have the c section? I imagine that you could potentially be in another hospital much quicker than you could be in surgery.

My body doesn’t seem to go into natural labour even though my waters have burst. I was induced by drip and it was horrific. I never want to go through that again. I would certainly be taking a c section over the drip. I actually begged to have one but they didn’t have the resources. However, I had experienced a vagina birth before and hadn’t had a c section so can’t compare. Also, after I was glad I didn’t have a c section to recover from but I was still very ill from the drip. Not sure if it was just me but I was very low the weeks leading after the birth having a drip and some research It did led me to believe it partially because of that.

with my first I had to go over 42 weeks because there were no beds available at mine or another local hospital. So these things do happen with lack of resources shocking but not surprising where the nhs currently is. Is it a bed that isn’t available or lack of staff to care for you?

Ps - I’ve had both a vaginal birth and an ELCS and I promise you that meeting your baby is just as magical no matter how they arrive.

How come they have a bed for you post C-section but nothing for a natural delivery?

What would happen if you'd come in in natural labour about to give birth?

They want the baby out because of increased risk of infection, which is fair enough. I don't quite understand why it's only 24 hours though... I had 4 weeks between my waters breaking and having my lo, they were prem though which might be why it was an exception.

They still shouldnt be able to force you onto some you don't want though!

I have had two inductions first with a pessary only, second with waters being burst and then the drip. Both reasons baby wasn’t coming out naturally was due to a cord wrapped round his neck and back to back. I believe there is always a reason why inductions are needed.

Because they’re in different sections and looked after by different staff.

ante natal ward afterwards

post natal ward before

they dont mix them

I had an emergency section after a failed induction and long labour and was bloody knackered and sore all over

Then an elective section and it was so much better.

If the baby isn't wanting to come out now, he/she probably won't if you wait. Could be a presentation problem.

Just take the section and you'll recover better than if you wait and labour and need one in the end anyway.

Safer for your baby if there are complications I would think

But it's your decision. My recovery was fine both times just need to take it easy for a couple weeks.

With Induction chances of infection and emergency c-section grow significantly.
Be safe and deliver your baby safely. Is not worth the risk. You are a mum giving birth no matter how you give birth.
I had an induction and ended up septic both me and my son. I I could go back I would push for a section immediately. Not worth the risk

I hope everything went okay / is going okay. Thinking of you. Sending all the love to you and your new baby ♥️

Different beds. Different wards. Different staff.

Go with midwifes' advice: C section? You just want a healthy baby to hold and bring up.

Can you discuss the risks and benefits of them giving you antibiotics to help prevent infection due to your waters having broken over 24 hours ago? I wouldn’t want a c section just because of the bed situation but equally my dd was very poorly when she was born over 76 hours after my waters broke (however I was not given antibiotics). There is no right or wrong here op, neither situation is ideal.

My waters went 2 weeks before my daughter was born and 5 weeks before my son was (although both were premature so not the same scenario). I had prophylactic antibiotics with the first but not the second, I just had loads of blood tests and monitoring.

Induction is done in ante natal ward not in delivery suite

post natal ward for recovery

your case may be different as there may have been more benefit in keeping baby in balanced with infection risk. This woman is full term so risk of infection v birth is different

But they aren't pushing it for medical reasons. Theyre pushing it because its easier for them!

Hoping your next update is that you’ve had your amazing new baby via safe c section and all is well.

As a midwife, this is one of the most shocking examples of poor practice that I’ve ever read. There is no justification for this, unless there is more to the story (like the maternal or fetal condition is compromised). There is not a snowball’s chance in hell that I’d agree to this.

Against mum's wish.
NHS can be so shitty.

But it's Friday night. You have the staff and beds no more - and tonight it's not enough (again).
But they should have worked on a transfer hours ago to another hospital with a free bed and a midwife.