Colleen Rooney, due in October, plans CS in September to fit in with football season

[StealthPolarBear]

What do people think? I have no problem with people planing CSs, but this (assuming she's planning it for 2 or 3 weeks in advance of her due date) seems a bit of a superficial reason. I know babies are OK to come at 37 weeks if they're ready but surely this way there's a high risk of delivering a 'not ready' baby. Aren't CSs usually scheduled for about 39weeks? What do people think about this?

It sounds like you had a dreadful time cazzaben but that was a pretty extreme 'elective' c-section.

My elective was nothing like that and it was performed at 37 weeks as i went into labour and my ds did have breathing difficulties and spent a week in nicu.

However i would still have had that elective as its my belief and my consultant's that i wouldn't have been able to deliver him vaginally. I'll be having another elective in july and really hope that i manage to get to 39 weeks this time.

Blimey, colleen will probably end up giving birth in a lovely birthing pool, surrounded by aromatherapy candles . . .

But i do really think that women should be allowed to make their own decisions regarding childbirth. And the whole 'too posh to push' stuff is just a load of rubbish.

Well, that may be the case in your hospital.

I had traumatic 1st birth with big baby. Carrying another big baby now, and doctor agreed to a CS.

So there

I'm puzzled by the "why should they get a say in how they give birth?" question you keep asking, though. Why shouldn't they? Why shouldn't all women get a say in how they give birth?

I think Cazzaben, your last post illustrates a point I made earlier - all this anti-cs sentiment seems to be borne from resentment that most women don't have the choice, that we should all be in it together and opting for a cs is somehow 'cheating'.

But I don't resent those that choose an el cs, I resent the lack of choice on the NHS - the NHS options are very poor (for example, the lack of availability of mobile epidurals).

So Cazzaben had a horrible experience with CS. I (and many others here) had a horrible experience with vaginal birth.

The difference is that I am not saying things like "Why would anyone want to have a VB? Nobody should have one" etc.

What I am saying is that I'm not doing it again. Others can go the natural birth route to their heart's delight, and may very well have glorious experiences. I wouldn't think of judging anyone for their choice of how they birth their own babies from their own bodies.

Cote

I personally would agree that women should be able to do whatever they want with thier bodies, as long as they are making an informed choice.

The reason that I think a non medically indicated C section is different is because of the cost elements - what health services would have to be stopped if the spending on C Sections and associated complications is increased? Though obviously that doesnt apply if someone has private healthcare.

And also, the higher risk to the baby (IMO the additional risk isnt huge, but it is present).

Generally i think consultants deal with things on a case by case basis.

So i'd had an emergency c-section and they definitely encouraged me to go down the vbac route but were fine when i said no.

Friends who have had bad tears have argued their cases and been able to have an elective which i think is fair enough.

Not relevant to colleen but i think a lot of women perhaps would go down the vbac route if maternity services weren't so overstretched.

Is Wayne Rooney the only dad in the UK who can't take paternity leave?

No, I think anyone being paid a very high salary finds it difficult to take their full paternity leave. There's a reason they get paid so much, and relates to the fact they are indispensable.

As we read in the research you previously linked to, the increased risk of respiratory morbidity with CS at 39 weeks is "not statistically significant" - i.e. no such increased risk to be found.

Is there another serious risk to the baby born with a CS that I should know about?

My research suggests that for the big baby I am carrying, CS is actually safer than VB - he won't get stuck and risk shoulder dystocia, he won't be pulled from the head by vacuum extractor and risk cerebral palsy, etc.

My CS is scheduled for the day before my 40 weeks, by the way.

www.wddty.com/03363800369784516151/c-section-aftershocks.html

This outlines some of the arguments for and against.

Cote you are having a section because you are carrying a big baby and chances are that you will have to have a section anyway...

That is medical grounds... Not sure why you are being pretentious I agree that every woman DESERVES to have input into their births.
If women had more of an input into their pre-natal care then I would suspect half of EMCS wouldn't be nessesary. women need to be given informed choices... EG if she chooses to have a section 2nd time around then the chances of having complications in subsequent pregnancies is higher... But it should still be HER choice.

I was in Tesco the other day and I was buying food for my sons 1st birthday party. The lady said oh a lot of pushing going on this time last year then... I said no I had a section...
she then said 'oh you had it easy then'...

Of course I did... I didnt tell her the whole story I just said it wasn't as easy as you think...

I believe women who haven't had a section think its somehow easier to have a section than to give birth naturally.

And this:

www.csections.org/versus.php

Personally I don't think women should have "lifestyle" c-sections unless they are prepared to pay for them.

Fear of birth/other medical reasons, yes. Because you want to fit in around the footy season?? Stupid. But she's paying for it so [shrug].

"The reason that I think a non medically indicated C section is different is because of the cost elements - what health services would have to be stopped if the spending on C Sections and associated complications is increased? Though obviously that doesnt apply if someone has private healthcare."

oh well if we are going to get to choose what the NHS spends it's money on then I would like the NHS not to spend money on people who harm themselves because they take drugs or drive whilst drunk. I also don't want the NHS money spent on anything for cosmetic reasons.

Cazzaben - I'm having a c-section not because I'm having a 4.3 kg baby because I cried buckets to the maternity psychologist and now my doctor is convinced I wouldn't mentally survive another birth that would probably result in another episiotomy.

Friends have had babies of 4.5 kg vaginally here in this hospital and they weren't offered a CS.

Why would you think I am being "pretentious"?

I think many women have lost confidence in maternity services after a traumatic first delivery and a C-section offers a measure of control over proceedings.

I certainly elected for C-section after my first delivery and part of the reason was that I just didn't trust the midwives.

I think women will continue to elect for c-section, when weighing up the pros and cons, until maternity services improve.

If I knew I had one midwife at my bedside offering support and encouragement, someone who was on my side, I might, might have felt differently and taken the risk.

Ok Cote what I meant was you are having a section because your doctor and the psychologist merrited it...

I am trying to say that you needed to have one...

Your not having one because you just fancy one and you want it to fit in with your lifestyle or to have it at a certain date...

Smallorange... You are one of the reasons I want to become a midwife... I want to be there for women and help them have a positive birth experience...

There are far too many women who have traumatic experiences, its not right. I hope that one day I will become a midwife and help people like you! x

Just to be clear also Cote... I've had 2 sections. One was emergency the other was elective...

I'm sure you had a terrible experience with your first birth...
If I knew that the reason for me having placenta preavia in my 2nd pregnancy (and not being able to have anymore children) was mainly because of my section scar (the placenta attached itself to my scar) then I would've fought tooth and nail not to have a section... Especially when I had to spend 3 months in hospital. Seeing my DS1 for 2 hrs a day.

sections can cause lots of problems (not with everyone) post-natally. You talked about the effects a section can have on the newborn but you mentioned nothing about maternal health.

I have no doubt that an episiotomy is painful and not a very nice experience at all. I can only speak for myself (and a few others) that say sections are not a nice experience.

So Cazzaben despite the fact your first cs was for foetal distress if you had known what might happen in your 2nd section you would have fought tooth and nail not to have that first section? Really?

I think i'm frightened of you becoming a midwife, because all your posts seem to say that you don't think people should have c-sections unless there is a medical need that shouldn't be a midwifes call that should be the mothers call.

What an odd thing to say, Cazzaben.. would many women call any sort of childbirth a 'nice experience'?????????

FWIW, my El CS was nicer and better than I had expected and my recovery time much, much faster than I had been warned to expect. But, I don't think it's what I would call a 'nice experience' - Worthwhile, neccessary yes, but nice... no...

Yes Libras exactly... The reason for the feotal distress was the fact I had no support throughout my pregnancy... I had no help with my anxiety. This was the main reason for feotal distress. So yes I would have fought tooth and nail to get the support I so badly needed. I felt abnormal to say I was very unhappy thorughout my first pregnancy. If I knew then what I know now there is no way I would have kept silent.
To clarify I'm not claiming to be a midwife at the moment I'm beginning my training in September. As it stands at the moment its definately not a midwives call or the mothers call whether or not women have c-sections... Yoiu cant just walk into a maternity unit and demand a section... Especially not for your first birth.

Haribos...Lots and lots of women have amazing birth experiences. Not all women have a bad time. I know lots of people who have enjoyed the birth experience very much. Its good to hear that you had a good Elective birth.

I just wanted to add that I have not stated that EVERY WOMAN has bad experiences with sections. Just like I haven't said every woman has a great time. Each birth experience is different. Yours Haribos was obviously ok for you. But if you were to ever get pregnant again and you found out you had a condition that made you unable to have more children and it was because your placenta attached itself to your scar you cannot tell me you wouldn't have thought about decisions you made previously.
My point is that women who do not medically need a section should be informed of the side effects of having one. Especially with sub-sequent pregnancies.