To be sick of hearing horror birth stories of social media?

[Ambs81]

I've noticed recently a 'trend' of hearing horror birth stories and people talking about 'tokophobia', or PTSD following child birth.

I had a pretty horrific time with my DS, (30 hours in labour, forceps, 3rd degree episiotomy, haemorrage etc etc) but I have never felt the need to tell people the gory details and I am hopeful that the next one will be easily - mainly because I'll know what I'm doing and be more prepared.

I'm sure over the course of my labour things couldve been done differently but on the whole I'm sure every doctor and midwife had me and my DS safety as their 1st priority.

I know there is a lot in the media about increasing rates of c-sections, especialll women elected themselves - I can't help but think that the constant sharing of these kind of stories can't help! Yes it's good to talk and share, but I often think its scare mongering and worry for the first time mums reading this kind of stuff....

For example, I read an article today on a mother explaining how she'd be refused an epidurial and 'torn' open by a doctor!!! I couldn't read anymore and unfollowed the account that was sharing it...

Not constructive, helpful or (most probably) accurate!

For the elective c section cost to the nhs argument, Birth rights published below link in August 2018, it pretty much blows this arguement out of the water.
They cite the 2011 guidelines which say that the cost of a c section versus vaginal delivery is £700. Reduced to £84 more if the costs of treating urinary incontience are considered. The cost of treating their birth injuries wasn’t even accounted for so in some cases I guess a c section might even be cheaper. I could hazard a guess that this may mean if some women opt for c section without medical reason, the costs probably just even out.

It clearly says that this should mean the cost of c section should not even come into the decision, because it is not a large enough amount to warrant an influence.

Page seven if anyone’s interested

www.birthrights.org.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Final-Birthrights-MRCS-Report-2108.pdf

If that wasn’t clear the cost is 700 more c section compared to vaginal delivery.
But only 84 more if costs of treating urinary incontinence are considered.

Thanks for the link Stars I hadn't managed to find the succinct report.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was much closer to evens once all injuries are taken into account.

I think it's about balance

Firstly OP you cannot silence women from sharing their not so great birth stories as they are their experiences. Also though I'm on a couple of baby related fb groups and wouldn't share my absolute shit show of an induction to someone asking for induction experiences as I wouldn't think that at all helpful.

Equally unhelpful was my community midwife who pushed her own agenda of hypno birthing, showed a slide show of the labour process and said pain relief other than a TENS machine wasn't necessary and a water birth was basically the only way to do it. I was then very upset at being induced as couldn't have a water birth but duly bounced on my ball with my tens machine on listening to my playlist. Thought I was being a wuss with how much pain I was in and MW's weren't concerned and offered paracetamol when actually I was having a rare reaction to the pessaries that could have been fatal for me as baby if an excellent doctor hadn't spotted it.

I'll also add I went to hypno birthing classes and was all my body was made for this, positive thinking blah blah blah it also turns out my body wasn't made for it as I have a narrow pelvic outlet and never even started dilating despite contractions.

I'm sure that how much I'd geared myself up for this natural birth my body was made for contributed to the PND I have as did the traumatic birth experience.

Yes duggee it probably does even out.
If it is 84.00 more after accounting for treatment of urinary incontience, then how much for example, for a woman who has third/fourth degree tear and initial repair. Then physio. Then the repair wasn’t good enough or breaks down so she needs another one.
Then at menopause she needs a prolapse repair.
Plus counselling becuase of what she went through and because her self esteem is so low as she wets herself.
She stops going to the gym because she wets herself and bowel control isn’t as good.
She puts weight on. Develops diabetes and other weight related issues.
I wonder if anyones costed all that up?
Oh then there is her child, because mummy was depressed and traumatised, they didn’t have a good bond. Their development wasn’t as good and they needed extra input (not saying this always happens when mums mental health is poor, but it is a known risk that if mum is struggling they may Not bond aswell.
How much do the child’s difficulties then cost health and social care?

So I’m not saying that everyone should deliver by c section.
But the cost arguement, as much as people are entitled to their opinions, I don’t think is true.
And women should be given more information.
I have just painted a really grim picture of vaginal birth. The reality is some women sail through (so I’m told). But without all information you can’t weigh up your options and no one would put up with this in other areas of healthcare.