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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think seven Caesareans in eight years is a recipe for disaster?

427 replies

ElizabethG81 · 29/05/2016 21:04

What's happened to this woman is horrific, but surely having so many Caesareans in such a short period of time is recklessness bordering on insanity? www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3615027/Mother-eight-relives-nightmare-waking-C-section-discover-legs-amputated.html

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 29/05/2016 21:57

YANBU

witsender · 29/05/2016 21:58

A risk of multiple CS isn't leg amputation. That is the result of something else, something that she is well within her rights to want answers about...this isn't a risk she should have been aware of. Poor woman, I hope she has a decent prosthetic service locally as many are dire.

megletthesecond · 29/05/2016 21:58

She took repeated risks and her luck ran out.

I stopped at 2 sections, didn't want to risk anything going wrong with further ops.

Northernlurker · 29/05/2016 21:58

It sounds like the hospital may have admitted some failure in post op care which doubtless will cause a hefty compensation bill but the true cause of the situation is her proceeding with pregnancy after pregnancy in dangerous circumstances. She's lucky she didn't bleed to death.

MrsSpecter · 29/05/2016 21:59

How awful. Her whole life will be different now. How does she know they didnt check her for 6 hours if she was in a coma?

MrsSpecter · 29/05/2016 22:00

I've read the winter rose baby name thread

I thought that too! But i also think its one of those fad type names that there will be 20 of in each class in 5 years time.

SaveSomeSpendSome · 29/05/2016 22:00

I think if you need a c section for every birth then you cant have a large family.

witsender · 29/05/2016 22:01

The multiple CS is a red herring...the coma (potenatially and poorly managed coma) causes these life changing issues. I am amazed at the lack of empathy on here, such harsh attitudes.

DinosaursRoar · 29/05/2016 22:03

Sad, but I can't see how the hospital have done anything wrong. Hospitals do explain the risks, at DC2, if she had said she was planning a very large family with short gaps between DCs, they probably wouldn't have booked her in for an elected Csection. After each DC the doctor doing the 6 week check will have told her that having another csection is dangerous.

That she said she was 'aware of the dangers' because she'd been through it so many times really does sound like she's just not listened over and over and thought that as the advice didn't suit her, she could just ignore it.

WellErrr · 29/05/2016 22:04

Poor woman.

They really do make the risks very clear though. 7 sections in 8 years is incredibly risky. I feel for her but there's always a limit Sad

shazzarooney999 · 29/05/2016 22:04

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witsender · 29/05/2016 22:04

She isn't complaining about the coma. But about the poor management of it that resulted in a double amputation. It takes time for that level of damage to be done.

soapydopeybubbles · 29/05/2016 22:05

Clearly if you fall pregnant you have to deliver the baby somehow so doctors can't refuse to perform a c-section no matter how many you've had previously.

Attempting a VBAC after your third c-section is considered v dangerous due to the large amount of scar tissue, weakened areas of the uterus, increased potential for the uterus to rupture etc.

I know that most (if not all) doctors will strongly advise you to be sterilized after your third section due to the massively increased risks to your health if you accidentally fell pregnant again.

From the article it seems that this woman has ignored any and all medical advice she has been given but still thinks the NHS should have magically prevented anything from going wrong.

It is an awful thing to have happened to her but I fail to see how she could have had so many c-sections without being aware of the risks.

It was her decision to have the number of children she does and gamble with her health the way she has.

MrsSpecter · 29/05/2016 22:06

witsender the coma was a result of losing so much blood during the emergency hysterectomy which was a result of the placenta attaching to scar tissue from previous C sections.

witsender · 29/05/2016 22:06

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PurpleRainDiamondsandPearls · 29/05/2016 22:06

The article says she "alleges" they did not check on her. Either way, of course it's very sad and shocking for her.

witsender · 29/05/2016 22:06

I know. But the hospital should have managed the coma they put her into better.

MumOnTheRunCatchingUp · 29/05/2016 22:07

What's the policy on post surgery checks? She must have seen her notes

MrsSpecter · 29/05/2016 22:08

We dont know they didnt manage as they should. She says they Didnt. She was in a coma so i'm not sure how she can know that.

AugustaFinkNottle · 29/05/2016 22:08

Terribly sad for her but I can't see how the NHS is at fault here. All those C sections aren't God for anyone. Somewhat baffled at how she claims the doctors didn't check on her hourly as they should have, despite the fact she was in a coma at that time.

She knows because they admitted it.

Unwise as getting pregnant again and again undoubtedly was, the true cause of the situation was the fact that the hospital didn't make checks and therefore didn't act on the thrombosis for far too long.

Gileswithachainsaw · 29/05/2016 22:09

placenta previa can happen in a first pregnancy can't it?

appropriate checks should be given regardless of whether it's number 1 or number 20.

where's I question a person's reasoning and ability to sufficiently provide and care for large families.

that does not mean that the care should he second rate.

I've only got 2 kids. I know.all too well at how lacking care can be.

they missed a partial placental abruption in my case

MumOnTheRunCatchingUp · 29/05/2016 22:10

Maybe this is a result of nhs 'cutbacks'

Not enough staff to do the routine checks

VestalVirgin · 29/05/2016 22:10

It was a bit reckless to have so many CS, but if they didn't check on her properly, then they are to blame.

They performed a hysterectomy, and I think that was a risk she knowingly took with so many CS, but her legs could have been fine.

I also think it changes matters somewhat that she had tried natural birth and it didn't work for her. I can imagine she'd not want to go through the pain again.

shazzarooney999 · 29/05/2016 22:10

witsender really? im sorry but guess what? she knew the risks, yet she wants to sue for money and yet the nhs have done feck all wrong!!!! fpr every idiot that sues the nhs there is probably someone loosing theyre life, and im so sorry i dont have sympathy for her but...........................................

Original poster
ElizabethG81 · 29/05/2016 22:11

The multiple CS is a red herring...the coma (potenatially and poorly managed coma) causes these life changing issues. I am amazed at the lack of empathy on here, such harsh attitudes.

But the condition that led to the huge blood loss and the subsequent coma (placenta accreta) was most likely a consequence of having had multiple Caesareans.

OP posts: