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.

Aaron I don’t know, sorry. I just asked very early on about it, and received support.

I try to use the pain as a learning experience now.
When exercising my husband is like "how bad is the pain from 1 to 10?" And I think about how I handled the pain after the c section and I know i can do more than I give myself credit for.

I an very positive about the c section I had. But facing another, and having suddenly developed a sore stomach around where the placenta is, must admit I am now panicking myself a bit worrying about placenta accreta. That's the sort of risk that you increase by having a c section sadly - there's no easy way to give birth, is there? It's 2018. I bet if men had to do it, this would have been sorted centuries ago.

Beetlejizz, there is a real shortage of obstetricians in the NHS.

More surgery - much more surgery - requires more surgeons surely?

Again, these are no more than assumptions on your part minifingerz. Sections are performed by obstetricians, who also attend patients engaging in vaginal births, some of which are complex and/or high risk and take more time and resources than an ELCS. This is before we even start to consider the efficiencies that become possible when the timing of more births can be planned.

Stating that maternal choice of mode of birth must be prioritised regardless of pressure on resources is also making assumptions no?

No. It's a statement of principle. They're two quite different things.

Oops, bit of a quote fail there. The first two lines were quoting minifingerz, not agreeing with her!

The best pain relief for me was peppermint capsules! My biggest source of pain was trapped wind all over my body and the capsules had me farting all night when I got home But I went from walking like a hunched over old lady take one step every few seconds.. to upright and walking normally the next day! If I had to only give one tip to someone having a section- peppermint.

I had an emergency section with my first who was 5 weeks early and breech. Chose to have an elective with my second and my first consultant was lovely and perfectly happy to proceed with that, another did everything he could to stop me from doing so and actually delayed my date from the Friday to Monday because he said I wouldn't need an injection beforehand, even when the midwife in the room challenged him on it. Ultimately I did need it and when I went in on the Friday to have it my baby they wouldn't go ahead becuase of the decision not to give me the injection. I am sure he did it deliberately as he had been so against my choice and when I wouldn't change my mind, he tried to prevent it from happening. If I had a third I'd have another section as well.

I'm really not surprised that people opt for a CS - I've had two very straightforward vaginal births - I've often ruminated how I got the kind of labours most people dream about but it was still scary, painful, bloody and exhausting and ten years later I still get a bit of stress incontinence and have some scarring. As the OP said - it's the unpredictability of it all which is the worst. I agree if men gave birth we'd have figured out a better way to get them out!

My first was 28 hours on antenatal and delivery suite, forceps, episiotomy, third degree year, ( was always going to get stuck/ tear was due to position of hand on head) and then to theatre for stitches. Two nights in hospital, physio and ultrasound for a year to help me with severe scarring and incontinance problems. The possibility that further down the line i will have further problems especially when post menopausal.

My second was an elective section with no complications, one nights stay on ward. No further care or treatment needed.

Which cost the NHS more I wonder?!?!

Aaron- not sure how you can find out, but NICE guidelines state that you should have a request for elective CS granted or else be referred to a different consultant who is willing to do this.
The guidelines are here

www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg132/chapter/1-Guidance#planned-cs

See section
1.2.9 Maternal request for CS

Good luck!

I was told a CS doesn’t necessarily protect you from incontinence & prolapse. Pregnancy alone affects that & also I think position of baby, size as well maybe.

Nowater- the consultant I saw who was very supportive of my request for elective CS was adamant that CS was the best way in terms of minimising risk.
Later, I saw a member of his team who said what you have said- that the pregnancy will have an impact (in his view, the main impact as it continues for so long).
Ultimately though, if you want children there is obviously no getting around the risk relating to pregnancy.
But if the mode of delivery can have further consequences, then my view was to take the least risky option- which was, IMO, an elective CS.

Pushing for an extended period of time increases the risk of prolapse on the long term.

Also I struggled with faecal incontinance which was a direct result of my third degree tear. A section would certainly have prevented that.

I think what doesn’t help is all the different opinions the medical stuff. When I first pushed to try natural my consultant agreed as Id done it before etcbut did they would of advised against it if I was a 1st time mum. However when I arrived at hospital another consultant saw my notes & was very anti me pursuing natural & went on & on about prolapse, etc.

Why can’t the stork just bring them?

medical staff give!

Pregnancy is itself a risk factor for incontinence and prolapse, but VB is associated with higher rates of both than CS.

I felt like you OP but was talked out of it. Really really really really wish I had stuck to my guns. Labour was fucking awful with permenant side effects.

Baby is measuring 10lb at scan and fluid levels off the chart, consultant happily agreed to c section. Just waiting for date! Nervous!!

Talith I too had the dream birth in among friends who would be dead. I too still had lasting effects, still found it scary even though I was calm throughout... Unpredictable, still had doctor rush into the room at one point when it looked like baby heart beat dropping, still had no idea when or how it would end until it ended. I got very lucky.

Even “good” births sound awful to me. Distressing and upsetting.

I think what helped my recovery and made it much quicker was that I was up almost immediately after my section. Baby was born at 5pm, I was back on the ward at 8pm, and at 9pm I buzzed the midwife and asked her to help me up. I hobbled four steps to a chair, sat there for ten minutes, then shuffled back. The sooner you get up, the better you feel and more quickly you heal. I had morphine with DD1 and loved that
Second time round I was in for two nights, just on paracetamol. But made sure I walked ASAP after the surgery

I didn’t walk until 24 hours after mine. Couldn’t feel my legs for about 12.

I agree with goalie - I'd read on here that getting up early if you were able to could help, so stood up and shuffled down the ward a few hours afterwards.

The actual c section pain wasn't too bad, but god having the catheter out/trapped wind/going to the toilet for the first time/coughing/the canula in the back of my hand - those things were bloody painful!

Take glycerin suppositories info hospital with you. It sorts out the cesarean poo problem.

Oh I must be unusual - it was the wee that nearly killed me!! Think it was having the catheter in for so long. I was dreading the poo but that was a breeze compared to everything else #TMI