I know it's prob been done b4 but what if I go into labour b4 ELCS ?

[hollin]

ELCS booked for 3 weeks at 39 weeks, so frightened will have to VBAC if I go into labour. Seen consultant etc but did not ask what would happen if this occurs. Consultant is aware that it is def what I want, have had a previous section due to DS being breech any experiences???

Thanks

I'm supposed to have cs at 37w (twins) but asked consultant what would happen if my waters go beforehand as 55% twins are premature. dd1 was born in 2hours 5 minutes so I was worried I would miss out on cs (especially as mw didn't beleive I was in labour until 25mins before dd was born when I was 10cm). My consultant laughed and said "In that case we'll call it an emergency and I'd better get scrubbed up quickly!"

Woukd like to see people's real life experiences though!

Apparently in most hospitals they will give you a section anyway, but I don't think at mine.

My consultant has written on my notes that I'll need to be examined by a consultant and a decision made if I come in in labour. This is really worrying me too.

My plan is just to say that I don't consent to a VBAC - I think they are supposed to get you to sign a form if you have one? Any procedures then done on me will be without my consent and the liability for anything that goes wrong will be on the hospital. I don't know if this is a good plan or not, and I'm worried about the impact on my aftercare if I am a difficult patient, but I don't know what else to do.

i am pretty sure that if it has been decided that it is in yours/baby's best interests to have a c-section and you are booked in for one that they cannot then turn round and say you have to have a vbac.

the original reasons for the section presumably would still stand and you would still need one, it would just be an emergency section rather than a planned one!

in real life i know 2 people this happened to. one had placenta praevia, so HAD to have her section.
the other one got to hospital so far advanced that they couldn't do it and she had her baby fine with no problems thankfully, but he was an extremely quick labour

schmee - I don't think it's possible to "not consent" to a VBAC, as that us what your body will attempt to do if the medical staff do nothing.

If you have an ELCS arranged, then if labour starts go straight in. The medical reasons for the CS will surely still apply, and the "EL" becomes an "EM".

I was booked in for a CS with DD2 (baby was lying transverse) but I went into labour the day before CS was booked. They let me have contractions for a bit (my choice), then whisked me down to surgery when things started to move on a bit.

Good luck :)

I went into labour before ELCS and rang hosp within 10 mins of contractions starting (2nd birth) and boy did they come quick!
Started at 9.30pm. Arrived hospital (darenth, pretty big community hosp) 10.15. Examined 10.45, waters exploded 10.48. Consultant arrived 11.00 and asks to re-examine (4cm btw) to which I replied must you? Anyway he had to decide whether I was having EMCS first or another woman. Poor her, I went first. DS arrives 12.30.
They faffed in theatre getting line in, over 45 mins!!!
So you simply become EMCS not ELCS. That said, there clearly was a queue for CS that night.....

I think the circumstance for the OP and me is that it's a repeat c-section. Because VBAC carries higher risks, you need to be counselled about your choice and there is a consent form at my hospital for VBAC. But it's not medically imperative that you have a repeat section if there are no other reasons. And some hospitals are disinclined to support repeat sections.

meditrina - of course you are the mercy of the medical staff - if they don't allow you a section then clearly a VBAC of some form is going to take place. However, by not consenting you are making it clear that this is against your will, and I think in those circumstances the hospital would be looked on very unfavourably if there is damage to you or your baby.

I don't know - maybe it's a stupid plan - but (possibly like the OP) I feel pretty powerless and terribly anxious about going into labour and being forced into a VBAC against my will and I can't think of any other ways to try to deal with that.

Looking forward to hearing any other ideas or any info from anyone who has some expertise in this area...

meditrina Yes, it is what the body would do naturally, so if someone were to 'not consent to VBAC' you could in theory refuse any kind of monitoring or medical assistance. They cannot legally force you to have any kind of procedure done, and I can't see ANY hospital then refusing a C/S due to the risk of uterine rupture.

As the others say they should attempt an emergency or possibly a crash section. Make sure you're over cautious about things. If you're not sure if it's BH or labour go in. The sooner you get there the better your chance of a section. Get there too late and you risk them not being able to get you in. If I had been planning another section I would have had no chance because all the drs were busy in theater and by the time they got to me I was too far gone.

I didn't have to sign a consent form - almost wish I did as other doctors kept being difficult. My cons wrote "fully counselled" on my personal notes and that was it.

First I made my c-sec date
second (twins) I rang as soon as my waters went and grabbed a quick shower before going in (33 weeks)
third (twins again) rang and went in as soon as waters went.

With the first twins I was kept in labour 36 hours for steroids etc, 2nd lot they were out within 4 hours :)

i would imagine the only reason they wouldn't do a c/s immediately is if there were other emergency c sections who were more urgent than you... so if there was a medical reason why you needed one, you'd be bumped up the queue, but if you were vbac-ing with no problems and there were others more in need ahead of you, then presumably there's an outside chance you might give birth before they got to you. (when i had my elective section we ended up being bumped waaaay down the list as a couple of emergencies came in who took priority over my neat 10am booking!)