Induction and elective caesarian

[scortja]

Does anyone know if its possible to ask for a caesarian instead of being induced? And if its a good/really bad idea?

I have been planning a homebirth but am now nearly a week overdue and the sweeps will be starting soon.. To be honest I haven't really had much in the way of twinges etc so I'm thinking this baby really isn't wanting to come out.. I don't really want to go through induction if the sweeps don't work and if I'm going to have a rubbish hospital birth anyway then perhaps caesarian would be better?!

Is that horrible?! I just don't know...

I don't think it is really about choosing a c/s instead of induction. I think it is really about choosing no induction instead of induction.

madaboutmadmen if we all had inductions like that then it would be the obvious choice, but for those of us who ended up with complications, birth injuries from intervention (which is much more likely with induction) or an EMCS - some under GA, then actually an ELCS is the lesser of two 'evils' (for want of a better phrase!) - i don't think anyone argues that it's not major surgery, but at least it's more of a known entity rather than the myriad of outcomes you could get from induction.

madaboutmadmen if the surgeon cuts your stomach, they're doing it wrong!

Glad you had the birth experience YOU wanted. That would have been my personal hell but that's individual choice. One size doesn't fit all.

ok abdomen, i can be a pedant too it's ok. i actually didn't have the birth experience I wanted, but it was ok.

My point is, which maybe i didn't make very clearly, why choose a c-section when you have no history to suggest that induction / vaginal birth would be a problem? Surely it's the 2nd option where everything is ok?

I'm not against c-sections, just against this fear of induction and vaginal birth when you've never experienced it.

madaboutmadmen:

You don't have to have a 'history' to have a difficult VB or induction. Anyone can end up with a complicated birth- it can never be 100% predicted, but I'm sure you knew that.

And secondly are you saying that we can only fear something we have experienced before?
Is it necessary for me to have drowned in order to fear water? By that logic none of us can fear death since we've never experienced it?
It's perfectly normal to fear a VB or induction without having experienced it. So many people fear CS but they have never had one. I don't think there's anything wrong with it.

But going swimming doesn't mean you're going to drown does it?

Just trying to add a positive experience about induction, to give a balanced viewpoint, clearly that's not welcome....

I'm fine with the sweep and am desperately hoping it will work but to be honest there are very few 'good' induction stories.. and it seems like once you're on the sweep road it quickly leads to induction - I will ask about monitoring after this date instead of simply going straight for the induction.. I don't drive or have a car so if it means going back and forward to the hospital on a daily basis, with the added pressure to just go for induction to get it over with then I think the CS will be the best plan..

This will be my second child and although the first wasn't a horrible, horrible experience there are a few things that I want to avoid this time.. Being strapped to a bed for hours at a time is the main thing..

Also I do appreciate hearing a positive induction story! In fact I'm going to search for a thread - I'm sure there was one..

madaboutmadmen:

Your assertion that we can only fear things we have experienced before is ludicrous, and I said as much. I have never been mugged, but I can still fear it. I don't need to experience it to realise that it would be something that I wouldn't enjoy.
Secondly, we all fear different things and a large part of peoples' fears are in fact fears of the unknown.

You are more than welcome to add a positive induction story! As the OP stated, it definitely helps. But dismissing her fears only because you don't fear the same thing is not helpful.

I'm not dismissing her fears at all, I was scared of being induced, because of threads like this no doubt, it turned out for me.

Things to do now.....

Hello - I was ten days overdue and induced and it was NOWHERE near as bad as all the horror stories say (and they are horror stories - women shouldn't tell them). I felt NO pain as I had an epidural and from start to finish it was 7hrs. I was out and about 4 days later and just felt tender. There is no way I would request a CS unless it was medically needed. I used to work for a medical co which specialised in dressings for traumatic/surgical/infected wounds and have seen some really nasty cs wounds. There are risks. It is not the easy way out and the healing time is much longer. It is major surgery - would you request open heart surgery?

It sounds like you are terrified - try not to be:) I wish I could gag all the stupid women who tell these dreadful tales. I am reading a hypnobirthing book at the mo, and although I doubt I will put it into practice, the history and psychology of birth are really interesting and has calmed me down a bit. I have also been told due to a condition my baby I am P with now has, there is an 8% chance of stillbirth, I am still managing to remain kind of calm. Trust yourself, all will be ok:)

nice guidelines on induction

I had an induction with my first, one dose of gel, less than 2 hrs later holding my baby.

I had no twinges before at all and it was a lovely, easy, birth. It can happen.

Mad, I don't really see induction and VB as the same thing.

I don't know why you were induced. I assume they were good reasons for you, but I can think of very few good reasons for me or my baby.

You would usually not get a c/s simply for going over dates or for many of the reasons induction is encouraged, even if you refused induction. Which begs the question of why an induction might be 'needed'.

"My point is, which maybe i didn't make very clearly, why choose a c-section when you have no history to suggest that induction / vaginal birth would be a problem? Surely it's the 2nd option where everything is ok?

I'm not against c-sections, just against this fear of induction and vaginal birth when you've never experienced it."

Just speaking personally, I just didn't want to have the possibility that things might go wrong, might linger on for hours etc - and for me, a fast, painfree, controlled birth was INFINATELY preferable to any vaginal birth. I know I'm not alone in feeling like this. It might not be your view - thankfully most of us get to make that choice.

Whatever birth option one chooses, if it goes wrong it is a bad experience and in this sense regretable, but one can't make decisions based on individual experiences. For every 'safe' option that went wrong, there is a 'risky' option than went well for someone else.

OP the best thing is to look at overall statistics and risks, decide how you evaluate these risks, judge how they apply to your individual circumstances and make an informed decision. There is no more anyone can do...that and enjoy your baby when he/she arrives!

I agree with Booboostoo, OP this is the best advice yet, but you may not get to make a decision.

thanks booboo

I had two inductions with two laaaaarge babies, one spontaneous labour and finally an ELCS due to shoulder dystocia during induced birth of DS3 coupled with diabetes in 4th pregnancy.

Even though neither of my inductions were straightforward I would choose them again, I did not enjoy my ELCS, I found it frustrating that I could not walk after the birth, or lift my baby. I was 8 years older and found the recovery harder than after two complicated inductions. This is just my experience, which will not be the same as anyone else's, I am just posting it here for balance. (I have a friend who's had 3 ELCSs and swears by them).

You should try not to be swayed by the experiences of others, but read as much as possible and discuss with professionals whose opinions you trust, to make an informed choice. Every birth will be different.

Good luck and try not to stress too much! (easy to say, I know!)
Once you have your baby in your arms you will not give a stuff.

I'm another 'bad' induction story. In that I had a third degree tear, took ages to heal. My point is that i asked for ELCS instead as i was told my cervix was unfavourable and was refused. My waters had broken and i didn't go into labour. I insisted on waiting 30 hours before induction. Pessary- 5 min apart contractions, did nothing. drip . Third degree tear- not swanning round after a few days. I was very keen for vb though. Refused CS twice when offered.

Currently have an ELCS booked for my twins in 15 days time :-)

I was induced at 40+12 with my first (and only so far!) baby. I'd had a sweep at 41 weeks which did nothing and had hardly had any twinges but ended up with what I consider to be a 'good' induction story (DS born 8 hours from first pain, 4 hours established labour, no drip, no stitches,G&A only, no further interventions) Also I didn't have continous monitoring so was free to move about.

I realise that it is certainally not like that for everyone, and there is really no way of knowing if it will go well for you or not. I can also see the argument that the procedure and recovery are perhaps more predictable with a CS although I've heard of lots of variation in how individuals do recover. Personally I was keen to avoid a CS, but this was just my choice and I can completely see how people come to the opposite conclusion.

I wanted to share my experience to show that lack of twinges/birth of first baby (know this doesn't apply to you but for anyone else reading) doesn't necessarily equal failed induction.

Good luck

Well I avoided sweeps until I went into labour spontaneously.. Waters only broke just before DS2 was born so maybe it would have been better to have a sweep earlier..

Thank you for all your stories.. Giving birth really is bloody difficult and so so different for everyone - good luck if you're still waiting!

Congratulations! Did you get your homebirth?

Scortja congratulations! So glad to hear you managed to avoid induction

Congratulations

Congratulations! So glad it all worked out for you!