Maternal requests for C sections

[littlepippip]

AIBU to ask for your experiences of a maternal request for C sections? What are your experiences asking your GP/Midwife/consultants through to the birth and after. Very much appreciated thank you

It's not a MW decision. As long as you see the consultant with facts on why you want a c-section they can't stop you.

Thanks people. The not knowing if they will grant it is making me anxiety even worse, when I think about my due date I get cold sweats/ feel sick/ hysterical crying. She Lourded it over me like she was the voice of decision, it was dreadful. She made me feel like a fool. Luckily there was a midwifery student sitting in on the meeting and she held my hand

I had 3rd degree tear with dd and was asked whether I wanted to deliver vaginally or have an ecs. I wanted to give birth vaginally and luckily went on to do so without any complications.

Ds was transverse until 37 weeks so thought I was going to end up with a csection after all. (I had decided I did not want the consultant to try and turn him.) The little monkey sorted himself out though.

South west here. Midwife took me very seriously, referred to consultant who brushed me off as if I hadn't said anything and handed me a load of leaflets about vaginal "natural" birth. I was too scared and shocked to keep explaining and tried very hard to just say thank you and leave quietly and unfortunately DH said nothing. But ended up having a full blown panic attack in reception and had to be moved into a separate room and the consultant came to see us and backtracked rapidly.

No issues after that but had to be referred for CBT and have a home visit from the head midwife. The CBT people said it wasn't appropriate for me and the head midwife wrote to consultant recommending a section straight away saying she thought it would pose a medical risk if I was allowed to go into labour. I was very angry at the consultant but had valid reasons and luckily everyone else was as shocked as I was by the way the consultant reacted. A default response perhaps...

In my experience pip the midwife treated me like a dramatic time waster

Mozfan1 I'm so sorry to hear about your experience, it makes my blood boil when women aren't listened too about this. I'm sure everything will work out for you Mozfan1

I had a very traumatic vbac with dc1. Physically, it took me a good 9 months to recover. Mentally, I'm still not over it.

A lot of the trauma could have been avoided though if I'd been listened to while I was in labour.

Second pregnancy was consultant lead and they were happy for me to have an elective c section when I requested it.

Same hospital but a really positive experience second time around.

First time around I spent a lot of time planning the birth - music, etc. Second time, DC was born to the sound of the ads on the local radio station. I didn't care. A safe delivery with good communication is the most important thing.

I am not even pregnant (yet?..) and have already had c section approved if it ever happened. I have type 1 diabetes, history of preeclampsia and failed induction and ovarian cysts that need removing though. For my pregnancy with ds I vaguely suggested it and was talked out of it, ended up with an emcs anyway!

My midwife sneered at me, laughed and said "we won't be talking about your birth plan until 36 weeks". I

^^ did you report her and complain?

My MW bit her lip said nothing and simply refereed me, I met a consultant and my request was immediately granted. I had a previous birth with no physical issues at all really but I couldn't emotionally go through it again and she agreed.

I hope you ladies are reporting all these sub standard medical profesionals

BTW my elc was a lovely calm way to bring dc into the world I loved it! Recovery was OK not as easy as some women have - but everything was so much better.

The midwife told me I was stupid for asking!! Consultant was lovely and agreed to my request. My ELCS was a positive experience. I hope that you have the same op

Interested in this as definitely want a c section next time and worried to get pregnant in case they say no!

Its your body you dont have to do anything you dont want too.
if you want a section you ask to speak to other consultants you push it until you get it

I'm in Yorkshire and have had a maternal request for my first, and having one for my second. Each midwife had told me that anyone can ask for one, consultants don't have to agree but they then have to refer you to a consultant that will. The consultant I've seen in both cases just gave me a leaflet with both choices on and said I could decide what I wanted. Even the midwives I saw told me they would have sections when they get pregnant after the stuff they've seen can happen in natural birth.

I think this is the right way, women should be able to choose the method. I had a great experience with mine and it took away all the worry about the birth. It was painful after but I could control it myself.

DD was a planned csection as she was breach and I had previously broken my pelvis. The consultant was brilliant about it and said well it is your choice but if I was you I would be choosing the csection but the midwives huffed and puffed and said well a breach delivery is perfectly possible and they were sure my previous broken pelvis would be fine in labour (considering they couldn't take xrays and are not doctors I was not remotely convinced it would be fine). I then had a serious complication so DD was delivered by emergency csection 5 weeks early. I was treated like a 2nd class citizen by the midwives on the ward for copping out with a csection. Errr I didn't know coming within 30 minutes of dying and having to have immediate delivery was copping out but anyway. The bastards even took my csection bed away the next day and told me I needed to get over the pain and find a way to get out of a normal bed. If I ever have another child it won't be in the same hospital

Saw a dr who was very condescending and suggested it would be much easier if I had a repeat CS. (Fir whom?) Pushed very heavily towards a repeat CS by medics.

Saw a lovely midwife who actually listened to me. Consequently gave birth naturally three times.

I had my kids in Scotland. Second was a highly traumatic emergency section, ending with me and DS in intensive care units 35 miles apart. When I had my debrief, consultant offered an elective CS if I wanted it in the future. She wrote it in big letters on my notes, right in front of me. Midwife still tried to coerce me into 'trying' a trial of labour at every freaking visit - even though the consultant said that at a population level, vaginal birth was safer, at an individual level for me that was not the case. My GP thankfully was also highly supportive, as was my HV who was incredibly kind to me when she came across me sobbing in my car after a midwife visit.

I had an EMCS with my first, and planned a CS with number 2.
My 2 are only a year apart and my consultant said she was happy for me to try VBAC, but it would be in a theatre with a 60% chance of it all going to plan, purely due to the fact I hadn't completely healed after my first CS.
She was completely supportive of my CS decision, which I would've chosen anyway regardless of success % with a VBAC

I'm a midwife and I would never be condescending to a woman who has chosen a section. Where I works she would get one fairly easily. She would have to see a consultant and discuss her reasons and listen to risks. If she still wanted one she would get one.

My job is to be an advocate for women and to ensure they're making informed choices. They don't have to be choices that I would necessarily agree with. But I am not other women. People have different priorities and different thoughts on stuff. Which is fine.

Ive argued with a locum consultant before now who told a woman she couldn't have a section and backed her up.

I had an elective section with my daughter. No previous childbirth. Had for medical reasons (including breech baby amongst other issues). It was a lovely experience but the recovery was hard - I had to have multiple blood transfusions and was treated for sepsis. Felt shocking for a while afterwards which made looking after DD difficult. Couldn't change her nappy or pick her up myself. Very tearful and barely able to eat for days

I guess what I'm saying is don't assume an elective section will go swimmingly and without unforeseen problems - make sure you are fully informed about vaginal birth v elective Caesarian if the choice is there. Sure my undercarriage is intact, but I had other issues to contend with that I don't consider insignificant

I was under consultant led care anyway so at my 17 week appointment I came in clear about my reasons for having a section, that I knew the risks etc. Despite my previous experience with my first meaning that natural birth posed a significant risk to my baby, he did still try to convince me to have a natural birth but did consent to my section and it was booked that day. I don't think he was against my reasoning (though he did at one point try to downplay it) more that he was under pressure to reduce section statistics and save money.

I've had 2 emcs. After my first I requested, and was granted, an elcs if I went overdue - I didn't want an induction. I went into labour naturally and ended with an emcs anyway.
I had a meeting with the midwifes after my second - it was not a good experience or at all well handled and they said they would recommend I chose a elcs if I had another baby but it would be my choice

Thanks pip can't wait for consultant appointment, he was at the birth of my son so will hopefully be more understanding

Dearie me, so many awful experiences! to you all

justgivemeamo no, I didn't report her. I thought it was probably me being hormonal . With hindsight and having spoken to other mums in the area wih similar complaints I realise this midwife was unprofessional, incompetent and had a poor manner. Other mistakes include giving me the wrong day and time for a scan following early bleeding (previous MC), hiding the fact I was entitled to a flu jab (it was the year of swine flu) and dismissing my concerns about a shrinking bump: "I won't measure you because you are having your section next week anyway" (DC was borderline low birth weight when both DH and I are 90th centile)

I must admit that the way she treated me is one of the things that puts me off having more children.

I didn't know when I had DS that I coudl have insisted on a CS 2nd time around. Instead I was pushed into VBAC. While it all went well, I feel that nearly 13 years later I would have recovered better from the CS. I recovered so well after DD was born by ELCS (pre-eclampsia).

If I knew then what I know now, I'd have insisted.

After a traumatic birth with my second child I knew as soon as I discovered I was pregnant with my third I would demand an elective section. It wasn't easy - I had to speak to a specialist midwife and even a psychiatrist in order to get it. So many hoops to jump through it was ridiculous. I did not waver in my decision, despite the attitudes of others and armed myself with my previous medical notes and the nice guidelines. If you were especially shy/vulnerable/scared it would have been so easy to give in :-( Birmingham btw.