To request ELCS ...

[KeepOnKeepingOnAndOnAndOnAndOn]

After instrumental birth and haemorrage with dd 1 ( which resulted in anemia and no breast milk)

I was induced at 10 days over and in and out of labour for over 48 hours. I was totally and utterly dejected and very ill by the time dd came.

I have just foun out I am pregnant again :) - I know this time maybe different, but quite frankly I would rather skip at the distress for the ext dc and me , and have a ELCS. I know it will be a longer recovery (can be) but my last born left me with weeks of pain (plus exhaustion )

AIBU to request a. ELCS? Will I have mucho hope?

Fairylea - aww this sounds idyllic !

Ha! Oh congratulations hadn't read whole of thread.... I think I asked at my first appointment....

Midwife looked at me very strangely

It was idyllic for me :) I loved every minute of it. It didn't turn out straightforward for me as it turned out I had undiagnosed placenta previa and lost 2.5 litres of blood (I don't do pregnancy and birth well! Ha!) But even that was nothing compared to my first birth.

I'm getting broody again at the moment. Must stop reading threads like these... ! Would have another c section without hesitation.

Good luck x

Thanks fairy and only!
Fairy, do it do it do it! (But wow you do seem to have had it verrry tough!)

Also will add.... Twas a wonderful experience ....very calming and care was great.

Feel very lucky to have experienced such a wonderful birth.

Good luck in your mission

thanks only!

I had an elcs three weeks ago and it was absolutely amazing. First birth was long and protracted with ds heart rate dropping, episiotomy, three days in hospital and at least two months to feel back to normal.

Elcs on the other hand was a dream! One night hospital and in marks and Spencer's the following day!! I was driving after 11 days and felt pretty much back to normal after a week.

I did feel quite emotional about my first birth as it was so much harder than my second and I was made out to be overreacting about how traumatic I found it when requesting my csection. I'm just so pleased that I stuck to my guns and had a fantastic birth. So much so I'm already planning no 3

That is lovely to hear, Josie.

You 1st birth sounds like mine. Dds heart rate dipped a few times too :( I remember all the doctors running in and my my dh and dm crying as we really didnt know what was happening. I just kept praying. The midwife said practically every eventuality had occured for me - then the next time I saw her said 'oh what drama ? You laboured well' when I spoke about how traumatic it had all been ...

I think they try to minimise it all for our own good (as maybe they think it helps us get over it!) but, like you, I still want my ELCS! Thanks for sharing your positive experience! Annoy believe you were in Marks and Sparks the next day!

Cant believe *

I had an awful birth with DD1. Only a 16 hour labour but contractions were every minute right from the start so I didn't get a break in between them and DD was back to back so was extremely painful. I ended up giving birth in theatre with forceps and the threat of an EMCS hanging over me. Recovery was awful and it took about 12 months to start feeling normal down there.

When I decided to have another baby, I was swayed by all the 'this time it will be different' and 'it will be easier this time because your body has done it before' and did a hypnobirthing course. I was hoping that by staying active in labour, I would avoid any problems (with DD1 I was strapped to the bed flat on my back by the monitor.) Even when I was told that DD2 was a big baby, I kept up with the PMA that everything would be ok and carried on with the hypnobirthing exercises. I ended up having an even worse birth this time. DD2 was over 10lb, was side on and I ended up in theatre again with forceps. Only this time I had a retained placenta and a postpartum bleed too and was very poorly afterwards. Recovery has been easier but the whole experience was horrible and scary and not one I want to repeat.

It is unlikely I will have any more babies but if I do, I will not hesitate to insist on a ELCS. Not a chance I would go through another vaginal birth. Good luck, I hope you get a sympathetic ear from the healthcare professionals.

See if the hospital have a birth afterthoughts service and find out how to access it. That might help you decide what to do, and the midwife there will most likely advocate for you to get your choice. YADNBU.

Yanbu. Many women are scared about childbirth after an horrendous experience. Ask for a debriefing about your previous birth with your consultant, they may be able to explain things about what happened.

I personally had 2 emcs. Dd1 labour horrible then her heart rate plummeted when I was 8cm. I was whisked away for cs. The recovery was horrendous. I struggled to get up to feed her during the night.

Dd2 was planned for a VBAC but we soon discovered I had Grade 4 Placenta Praevia and had bleeds on and off. So I was meant to be an elective cs. Then I hhaemorrhagd at 34wks and was rushef by ambulance to hospital for emcs. Dd2 was in nnu for 3 wks. The recovery from that cs was even worse. It took weeks for me to get up from a chair without pain.

I have witnessed elcs and everything was calm and lovely. Sometimes an elcs is the best choice for some women. Going into labour absolutely petrified will effect your experience and probably would end up with some sort of birth intervention. Its proven that fear can inhibit contractions and lengthen labour.

Best of luck and remember to ask to speak to your consultant

I will request a debrief definitely. Sorry to hear of your struggles to ladies.
I forgot to say I laboured all in my back too, does this mean dd was back to back?

I had 2 easy births , so don't know what it's like to go through a traumatic birth.

Yanbu to have a elcs.

YANBU, but...just bear in mind that you may well have a very different experience second time.

My experience is similar with ds1...I had pre elcampsia, 8 failed inductions from 37 weeks. Waters were finally broke at 39+3. I was in labour for 16 hours, 3 hours pushing and nearly an emergency CSec. Episiotomy and ventouse birth, haemorrhage, blood transfusions, in hospital for 4 days very weak and no breast milk as a result. My honest opinion is that a lot of these problems were due to the oxytocin induction drip and being flat on my back following an epidural.

2nd experience with ds2 - was still induced with the pessary as he was 12 days late. But I argued and argued and point blank refused to have the drip, or an epidural. I also refused to be constantly on my back on a monitor and instead went for 10 minutes off, 10 minutes on. Instead I was up and doing laps of the corridor, which I could feel was helping him to drop down. Even when the pessary had clearly worked, I'd gone to 4cm dilated in an hour, they were STILL trying to pressure me into having the fucking drip to 'help things along'. Anyway...total labour was 3 hours from first twinge. 4 minutes pushing, no after problems, gas and air only. Out the next morning.

Were there any other potential contributors to your birth op? Such as - epidural, induction drip, being on a monitor so unable to walk around. All of these are things you can have some control over and refuse, which may result in a very different experience.

I had a labour debrief this week as we are thinking about having number 2. I had an EMCS at 37 weeks with DD after heavy bleeding and I wanted to understand what the risks were of it happening again. It was all very quick, started bleeding about midnight and she was out by 4am. I found the debrief really helpful and funnily enough had gone in thinking I would DEFINITELY want an ELCS next time (as I found my recovery was not too bad) but now I am a bit more open to considering a VBAC... Still, I'm not even pregnant yet so lots of time to think about it!

YADNBU to have an ELCS. As others have said just stick to your guns.

I heartily recommend a labour debrief! It was very informative and quite cathartic.

Thanks badger- glad your debrief was comforting to you. Hopefully mine can be as insightful :)

System- you actually raise a lot of valid points for me to consider. Indeed, I was on my back being monitored for the whole labour infact! I did take all the monitors off of me at one point as i was so uncomfortable I had to walk about. Its like my body was telling me to fuckig mooooove!!

I also had diamorphine, epidural and drip... When I said to my midwife about epidural contributing to ventouse delivery (after the birth) she did agree this was probably it.

My dilemma is I simply cannot endure the agony of an induced labour withou drugs. My contractions were every two minutes and agonizing - all in my back. This started about an hou after the pessary was in. So I woul need an epidural if I was induced again.

However, maybe if I am not induced I could consider a vaginal birth again. No drug this time. I do not want to sound Goady but once the pessary contractions wore off I could actually cope with the 'normal' contractions just through breathing. But I asked fr epidural as I was terrified it would get painful again! I have heard when you are induced the contractions are worse - midwives agree with this too.

Hmm, it is something I may consider. I do want a ELCS - it is just the aftermath that is a gamble.

You'd be well within your rights to ask for an elective section. Have a read of the NICE guidance guidance.nice.org.uk/CG132

Thanks for that link Becca! You star, shall have a nosey

I heard ds screaming his little head off and then saw him wiggling and waving his arms about just above the sheet tent. So beautiful. And because I wasn't in pain or knackered or any of that I just enjoyed the whole thing

YY !!!!

Same here, I could take her in so much more...and enjoy it!

I had an emcs with DS and felt dreadful afterwards. I was in a great deal of pain and took at least four weeks to recover. I was dead set, therefore, to have a vbac with dd. However, at 7days overdue the consultant advised me that I was unlikely to respond to induction and might end up in a similar situation to my first birth - exhausted after a long labour and still having an emcs. I therefore opted for semi-elective cs and the difference was amazing. I wasn't exhausted after a long, traumatic birth process, I was able to bond with dd and I was out of hospital in two days (last time was in for four). It is major surgery but I'm already out and about and healing well.
YANBU, you should have the birth you choose this time, especially given the trauma you've experienced.

beyond awww, again this emcs sounds so beautiful in comparison to my first birth :(

dino thankyou for sharing both sides - elcs seemed to work wonders for you. I agree tht emcs are often not as nice (for obvious reasons)

I really have such a low opinion of epidurals, and I think MWs are far, far too free in both agreeing and offering them.

With ds1 I had an epidural in as soon as my waters broke, before i'd even started contracting. I was never asked if I wanted one...I was told 'right the anaesthetist will be here to do your epidural at 7pm', so being naiive I just went along with it.

With ds2, I got the point where I shouted at the MW to FUCK OFF and that I didn't want a poxy epidural. I'd had a problem free labour, pessary had worked and kicked things off within an hour (so he was clearly ready), I was managing fine etc. 5cm (after an hour and a half from first twinge) and the MW was still asking me if I was really sure I didn't want an epi. After being checked after 2.5 hours I was 7cm...progressing beautifully.

The last time the MW was offering me the epidural (prompting the FUCK OFF!) was just after I told her I felt the need to push. 10 minutes or so later, ds2 was born.

Out of interest KeepingOn - how old is your dc?

Reason being is that ds1 is 6. When I had the pessary with him, it was like a gel/tablet...so obviously once it's in, it's in and kind of stays there.

By the time I had ds2, the method had changed and the 'pessary' was actually like a tampon, which falls out when you've dilated enough. So once it's out, the labour is then more 'natural'. I have a very low pain threshold complete baby but I found the contractions very manageable the second time. My understanding is that it's mainly the drip which causes the overly-strong contractions.

Just wondering if you had the gel, and if you were aware that there are other options also? (Should you need induction of course)

YANBU I had horrendous tearing from an instrumental delivery with DC1 so asked for an elective section from the word go when pregnant with DC2. Yes, I knew the delivery could have been completely different and I could have had no trouble delivering vaginally, but equally I could have had the same thing happen again and be left rectally incompetent (consultant's words during a follow up appointment after DC1) so I was not willing to take that risk. I was terrified of the section, but it was a wonderful experience for me and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone in a similar situation.

Just to warn you though, it wasn't plain sailing for my DD - she had some problems with her breathing following her delivery though, which I believe is common after a section as they don't get the fluid squeezed from their lungs like they would with a vaginal delivery, and she spent some time in SCBU for observation. She was mucusy for a couple of weeks following her birth but there have been no long-term problems at all. So although it was great for me in terms of the delivery itself and the recovery (which was much better than my vaginal delivery!), it wasn't quite so good for my DD.

Obviously the ideal is giving birth vaginally, but given the problems with your first delivery, I don't see any problem with you asking for, and getting, what you want.

Good luck OP