To ask how many people have asked for a cesarean out of preference?

[VioletteValentia]

I did it. I’ve never met another person who has, or who has admitted to it. I have come across people who seem convinced that supporting maternal choice would lead to everyone asking for cesareans, which I think is bullshit. Not everyone wants one!

Did you do this? Would you? Would you be more likely to if you felt the option was equally acceptable?

I’m interested in how many women feel like I did.

I shouldn’t have to say this but...no “natural v cesarean” insulting please.

Surely if vb was riskier overall than cs then NICE guidelines would reflect this? And then the NHS would move towards advising them. Especially with the costings you mention, with electives being cheaper than emergencies and instrumental deliveries

Heh. Sadly not.

The way we fund the NHS doesn't help this. Managers and trusts are responsible for their budgets in their department, now. So if eg VB cost on average £500 less than ELCS at the point of delivery, no pun intended, but £500 more in the next 20 years from treating the complications, managers will still be making decisions based on what's cheaper for their department now. Because the complications 5 years down the line come out of someone else's budget. The people making the decisions don't have the option to say, I want to take a course of action that will cost obstetrics £1 million more now but save physio £2 million later. (I've invented those numbers for ease of working but that's the approach).

This is before we consider the general cultural climate. Healthcare and policy decisions are not always taken based purely on best practice, or even most efficient use of resources. The natural fallacy is shockingly prevalent, and research doesn't always do a good enough job at separating ELCS from EMCS. There are also frankly some things that don't get researched enough, such as our use of forceps, which is much higher than the norm for wealthy countries. So policy makers don't have the tools.

Yes.

I was holding another lady's baby when I was about 35 weeks. I sent my Dr an email 10 minutes later (benefits of private) having noticed how big their head was and how small my vagina was.

I told the same Dr I wanted a c section with my second at the first (4 week?) scan.

Don't regret it for a second.

Then there's all the women who struggle on in silence just wanting to forget horror... Who never get noted because it takes guts to go to doctors with some of the issues that women suffer with after.. As well as mental trauma..

Then there's all the women who struggle on in silence just wanting to forget horror... Who never get noted because it takes guts to go to doctors with some of the issues that women suffer with after.. As well as mental trauma..

Exactly. How many women are too afraid to say?

Snow- this is exactly why threads like this are IMO really important.
The relative risks of elective CS/VB are not explained, and even if people are aware, and decide on CS, a lot of them face a battle.
And there is so much societal pressure for whatever reason to have a 'natural birth'.
My MIL, who had suffered awful complications from breech baby in 1960's, was still horrified by my decision to have elective CS...

I’ve had 3 sections so far and if eventually we have a 4th child it will never be my first choice. Recovery is so painful plus you need to recover from major surgery and look after a newborn
But it’s a very personal choice and you should do what you’re more comfortable with

My family were really supportive. Everyone had had horrible births except my aunt who had a cesarean, so they encouraged me. I think that makes a difference

Due to medical problems I absolutely have to have a c section, under a general anaesthetic. There isn't any possibility of a vaginal birth for me ever.

Despite this very well known fact, the anaesthetist still tried to talk me into a vaginal birth and then a c section with a epidural.

So even though it was a must I still had a battle and was questioned about it.

I do wish I could have a v birth though, I'm not a wimp and have had several major operations but the c section was up there with one of the most painful recoveries, and I recovered well. It definitely isn't an easy option.

Over- sorry you had a difficult recovery.
I suppose CS like VB, and different for each person.
I was out shopping 3 days after mine, but a work colleague had a much longer recovery.

I had an emergency one for my first and asked for one - and got it - for my second, would have another planned one if I have another

The average internal NHS cost of a delivery is around £1,600, but a c-section alone is an additional £1,700.
just so you know that those who request a CS without a medical reason (which would justifiably be an EMCS) are costing the 'on its knees because of all the old people' NHS double the cost.

Ollie- not according to some studies.
With costs of treating complications/payouts for cases where things have gone seriously wrong with VB, they work out cheaper overall.

I'm currently pregnant with my 2nd. My first birth was traumatic for me. In my booking appointment I discussed ELCS and was told as low risk we didn't need to discuss it now. At that stage I said that if anything went wrong or they wanted to induce I'd be pushing for a c section immediately. However it's been a week since my booking appointment and the more I think about it, the more I don't want a vaginal birth and want an ELCS. On my next appointment I'll be going in full prepared and asking for a referal to a consultant. I may be low risk, but I'm in no way mentally over my last birth and am not prepared to be that terrified again.

How much does an abortion cost? Contraception? STD checks? Or literally any other type of medical procedure that’s technically a choice.

Why is it only women who choose a cesarean that get told they’re draining the NHS?

I had to have an emergency CS after a failed (and horrible) induction of labour. If I'd known then what I know now about induction, I would've asked for CS straight away.

I had an ELCS a variety of reasons: didn’t fancy the pain, didn’t want to go overdue, didn’t want to risk complications leading to emergency c section, didn’t want to risk no epidural, wanted to be surrounded by several medical staff including doctors rather than just one in order to give myself and my child they best possible outcome. It was the most wonderful experience ever and I wouldn’t do it any other way. Each to his own, I say. If you want a vaginal birth devoid of pain relief, good luck to you. If you want an ELCS, good luck to you too. I have no problem telling people about my birth choices if they ask but equally I don’t necessarily bring it up in conversation when discussing childbirth (a rare occurrence in itself). Choice is a wonderful thing.

This thread couldn't have come at a better time for me! I'm desperate for an elective csection due to awful first birth and this baby measuring very big, (nearly 37 weeks) but consultant basically laughed it off. I'm seeing her next Monday and I want to go in armed with the right "speech" planned so I am taken seriously. Is too late??

Where exactly did you get those stats from Ollie? They don't look very accurate. Do you include the treatment of complications following attempted vaginal birth, and the legal costs? Because you need to. Have you read anything NICE have to say on the subject?

Also, why on earth would you bring up care of the elderly on a thread about obstetrics and midwifery? The fact that older people cost the NHS more on average is completely unrelated to mode of birth.

I had a c section. I do not regret it one bit

I’ve had 2 CS: my second and third DD were both breech and I refused the ECV as I didn’t want the risk. First CS classed as emergency as I went into labour first; second CS was elective. Both were lovely, very calm experiences.

My first DD was a VB (she was stillborn; nothing to do with the labour or care I’d had) - while labour was textbook and I didn’t have fears about giving birth to DD2 I also didn’t want to go over a certain gestation (DD1s gestation, at term) as I knew my mental health would suffer to the point where I knew my fear hormones would scupper labour progress. So initially I was booked for induction then changed to CS.

I did. I was given a choice of wait it out with various complicated risks to my health and babys or have a c section later today.
Really a no brainer. All I wanted was a healthy baby and me not being seriously ill was a bonus. A bit sore but seriously I couldn't care less how she made her entry to the world - all that mattered was she was ok.
I'd make the same choice in a heartbeat tomorrow

I was laughed at by the consultant for asking for a section for my 2nd child. I was not impressed.

First child was emergency under general for all sorts of reasons. Me and my DC nearly died. Horrendous time.

I ended up changing hospitals due to moving and went back to where I had my first child. No hassle, no fuss. Said yes of course straight away and booked me in.

A woman should not have to fight for one if it is severely affecting her mental health and well-being. I pretend I would have preferred to do it naturally but I'm lying and so glad I had a section both times. Just my own preference.

With normal birth rates plummeting, induction rates going through the roof (up roughly from a quarter to a third of women in one year 😳) It’s becoming more and more logical to have a planned c/s, than try for a vaginal birth, which these days often comes hand in hand with induction, syntocinon, labouring on a bed, fetal distress, episiotomy, forceps, emergency c/s, postnatal infections....

I’m one of 4 women in my extended family. Between the 4 we have 8 babies born after the age of 35. One morbidly obese, older, hypertensive mum; one type one diabetic with poorly controlled blood sugars, one with GDM, 3 babies over 9lbs and two over 10lbs. 12 healthy births altogether, not one planned or emergency c/s.

The difference is that this all happened 10 - 30 years ago. These days we all would have been sliced and diced and almost all of those babies would been induced/born by emergency or planned c/s.

We’ve got to make a decision - start helping more women to avoid interventions and routine interference which is buggering up their labours, give them a better chance of a straight forward birth, or just carry on as we are but offer women the alternative of a planned c/s.

I only ever wanted to have a vaginal birth but I ended up having a EMCS. After that very scary birth and a long, complicated road to recovery I'm asking for a section next time around. That decision was made after finding out that what happened the first time will probably happen again. It's great that we still have the choice in the UK...for now.