elective cs after emegency cs - any stories?

[tongey]

Hi
I'm considering an elective cs with baby number 2, after an emergency cs with dd 5 years ago. Just wondering if anybody else made this decision and how the experience was? Was it the right decision for you? Thanks!

hi tongey,

I have asked exactly the same question (look back at archive a couple of months - I think it was called VBAC after C-section?) I'm in two minds about what to go for after horrible emergency c-section 3.5 yrs ago. Think I am heading down the route of wanting an elective this time round.

THe feeling I got from people was that a planned c-section was so unlike the emergency - that you get some control back and you don't feel so violated and you know what is happening and when which is a great reassurance.

Thread hijack.......
Tongey, you remind me of someone I used to know - your dh isn't Dave is it?

emergency CS afetr 10 hour labour, no progress, babay in distress, meconium in fluid, heart dipping randomly. so general anaes and CS

3 years later i opted for elec sec....soo much better, done with epidural, DH was there and recovery so much quicker than with the first.

Just had an elective C-section on 1 November after an emergency section three years ago. I had a tough time making this decision too but decided on the elective because I was worried about scar rupture (though there really is very little chance of it happening) and because it was convenient to arrange child care, etc. I khghtuyibhbhgygalso felt like I would rather schedule the cesarean rather than waiting, going into labour and perhaps needing another emergency one anyway.

I have to say that if I had to do it all over again I would attempt a VBAC. The problems I had were really because of the care I received (or lack of it). I had to wait five hours on the day of the cesarean, which doesn't sound too bad except that I couldn't eat or drink anything from the previous night onwards so I was getting quite uncomfortable and grumpy, which was unfortunate on such a special day.

I also had a lot of scar tissue from my previous cesarean which made the second one more complicated and my recovery more uncomfortable. I think that would've been fine if my care had been better.

There have been lots of threads on this, I started one myself a few months ago and I think the overriding advice is to listen to your intincts and do what's best for you. I did get some negative comments from a few people about my choice but it was the right choice for us at the time.

Hope this makes sense. Typing with a baby in my lap!

Thanks everyone. dingdong - don't think it's me you know. My nickname refers to a pet I had as a kid.
Tex111 very interesting to hear your story. Sorry you had a rough time. It's just so hard to predict, well impossible isn't it? Did you know you had lots of scar tissue before the 2nd cs or was that a surprise? Mine seems to have healed well..on the outside anyway.

Had an elective section with the DTs. Found it a completely different experience to the emergency. Much calmer and in a way colder. Gorgeous anaethestist though [lust emoticon]

Tongey, I have just decided to have an elective section second time around after an emergency 3 years ago. I know several people who have had both and they pretty uniformly say you are up and at it quicker after an elective because you are not in a state to start with. I was prepared for a fight to get what I wanted at the hospital, but thankfully this time I have a lovely consultant who has said that it is so much better for you to have an elective section than an emergency for your body. There are fewer risks with an elective and they tend to go in a bit slower and move things out of the way rather than cutting them IYSWIM. I did get an infection first time and it has the same likelihood of getting one again, but she said they would use the information from my first section to give me the right prophalactic antibiotics straight after the section rather than waiting for the wound to get infected and then waiting for the swab results. Also, I know which painkillers to request and know I can have more if I need to. In short, I guess I feel more empowered to get what I want this time because I am choosing it, not having it thrust on me after 3 days labour when I was in no fit state to do anything but go along with the midwives and doctors.

With an elective this time I am going to ask for the baby to be held up for me to see and placed on my chest before being bundled up like last time so I can have skin to skin contact that I didnt get last time. I am going to ask for my gown to be open at the front for this. I am going to ask to be able to see them cleaning and weighing the baby this time because it was all emergency and hidden last time. It is nice to know that although a caesarian is not a pleasant experience I will at least have some say in things this time around and we wont all be panicking about getting the baby out before its too late.

I had an elective c/s 2nd time round after my emergency one with ds1. Have to say the convenience of knowing the date was one of the big plusses. Also it meant that I could arrnage for extra help in advance (rather than having to arrange everything at the last minute with an emergency c/s).

What I didn't expect was that the hospital was very busy on the chosen day (and ended up performing 9 c/s), so having gone in at 8am ds2 wasn't born until 7:15pm)

Tongey, I had no idea about the scar tissue until they started the cesarean. Apparently I had a lot of adhesions which made it all more complicated but I have to say that because it was a scheduled cesarean they really took their time so I hope I'm actually in better shape now internally than I was before. There was no way I could've known about the scar tissue beforehand so it never factored into our decision making and I know plenty of women who had no such problems.

elective is sooo muchg better than emergency. I had horrid labour/em c/s with dd and did have to have an elective but so much more controlled.

I had this year ago after an emergency c-section 2 yrs previously.

I did want to go down the VBAC route - recovery times was important to me BUT was not to be.

MY emergency c-section really was very serious in terms of my baby's well being.... and so did/do not have any of the negative feelings that others may have.

For dd2 - it was a little strange knowing the day she would be born. However the decision was made at 41+ weeks re: c- section - so she was well and truly cooked iykwim. It was also very beneficial that we could organise child care for our eldest daughter as my dh could only have one day off - the day dd2 was born ( he started a new job the next day) I was glad though I had persuaded the consultant to let me go to term and seeing if I went into labour naturally - then dd2 was ready iyswim rather than being born at 38 weeks or so.... which is what the first registrar I saw wanted me to agree to.

Negtive aspect - no food from 9pm night before and ended up not having operation until 3.30pm... so long wait - frustrating as I am not the most patient of people. Had epidural so that was good. Very relaxed - dh and I knew what to expect so it was okay I really was not nervous about this at all.

I certainly recovered much quicker and this time round I had the babe and a toddler with sn to deal with. Less pain relief needed over long term period. It was great that I could prepare everything.

I do not feel any less a woman or mother for not having had a vaginal birth - I just am thankful for my two beautiful, healthy babes.... It really was the best decision for us.

Hi Tongey. I had an elective 3.5 yrs after an emergency. My situation was that I actually opted for VBAC but booked a section in case I went overdue. THe consultant didn't want me going overdue because of pressure on the scar and wouldn't attempt induction because a) induction failed first time round and b) worry about pressure on scar. Anyway, I ended up having a stretch & sweep which did absolutely nothing so at that point booked a section for term + 7 days.

The experience with the section was completely different from the emergency section. All very controlled, calm. Even joking with the staff (especially when one of them got sprayed with amniotic fluid at one point). I think the anasthetic might have been a slightly lighter dose because I could feel movement this time. No pain but could feel tugging where I felt nothing at all the first time.

I was in hospital 2 nights and recovered quickly. Also much less bleeding when I first got up. Thought I was heomorraging after the first section because there was so muych blood the first time I stood up but apparently this time because they had more time they did more 'cleaning up'. Sorry if TMI.

Upshot of all this is, yes, it worked out v. well for me but I would have tried VBAC if I hadn't gone overdue. Do you have the option of seeing how it goes but having section if not going to plan?

i had anemergency section with ds1, for failed induction, plus fetal distress, when they increased the drip to try and start the contractions his heart would race and when they slowed the drip down his heart rate would drop as well, so they decided to do an emergency c/s after 3days of non prodctive labour!

with ds2 i was going to try for a vaginal birth if he arrived before his due date, but at 36weeks he was breech so they said that especially as i had previously had a section they wouldn't want/allow me to have a vaginal birth with a breech baby so advised an elective c/s. i was scanned the day before 38 weeks and he waass till breech so carried on with plan of c/s that night i had some funny feelings in my stomach which i put down to nerves, went to the hospital in the morning and had a my c/s and ds2 was the right way round!!!! although people asked me if i was disapointed i have to say i most def wasn't. it was completley different this time, i felt that i had more control, there was no panic, no question about baby's outcome whereas with the emergency and the heart rate we were worried something would be wrong.

i had had a comfortable nights sleep the night before, talking to the anethetist and surgeon all the way through the procedure and then was up and about by lunch time (just by my bed)and felt 100times better than with ds1, in fact felt so good wouldn't hesitate to have another one!

I guess 'seeing how it goes' is an option. I just SO want to avoid an emergency caserian. An elective does sound appealing sometimes to be honest.

Tongey, I had em c/s and want to hace elec next time, although I have to say I don't feel guilty about not having a normal birth and I also did not lose anything emotionally by not seeing ds until after recovery of Gen anaesthetic, thought of epidural not one I like. I hope everything goes well when you decide.

Tongey, I had em c/s and want to hace elec next time, although I have to say I don't feel guilty about not having a normal birth and I also did not lose anything emotionally by not seeing ds until after recovery of Gen anaesthetic, thought of epidural not one I like. I hope everything goes well when you decide.