Insisting on C/S rather than induction!? What happens?

[StarlightWithAsteroid]

Has anyone done this?

It's just that my birth plan stated this and it caused a bit of a circus when I went overdue (completely ignored until then), with insisting on my seeing a consultant to 'agree' blah blah blah. I refused the consultant btw.

No idea how it would have panned out as I did go into labour spontaneously close to the 42 week mark according to scan. But am wondering about it.

I would never want a c/s, but it is the only acceptable exit if the baby needs to come out quickly.

I don't need to see a consultant. But if a consultant wanted to see me, I think it is sensible and better conducted outside of the sensitive time period. Afterwards is fine, probably better. Preferably when there ARE signs that baby needs to be evicted.

THAT is what I am saying. I'm also asking what would have actually happened.

Two, I wouldn't have agreed to a c/s either just because I was overdue. There would have to be a concrete evidenced medical reason. There didn't appear to be any opportunity to see any doctors before the 41 week thing, except the GP who announced he was writing to the hospital to recommend against a homebirth due to baby being back to back

Two, I wasn't requesting surgery, and shoukd surgery look likely, I woukd have seen a consultant, but not just in case.

I've known someone do this. She was actually halfway through been induced for post dates. First prostin gel didn't work, she didn't like the prostin pains, VE, etc so declined any further prostin. She asked for a section. Consultant refused. She sat on the a/n for another two days before realising that the consultant wasn't going to change his mind and then she agreed to have more prostin.

Blimey! What was the outcome?

It sounds like this "circus" of your own making.

I refused induction in favour of ELCS two years ago.

I met the consultant, she was fine about it and that course of action was agreed.

No big deal, no drama, no stress.

Admittedly I was trying for a VBAC, so it was an easy conversation.

But if you won't have the conversation, how can you expect anything other than confusion and uncertainty?

Aaah sanity

She went into labour and had a vaginal birth.

Not sure on a scale of 0-10 how pissed off she was about it. I think she was happier once she went into labour, she wasn't against an induction/vaginal birth per se. She just didn't like the induction process of gels, VEs, prostin pains, etc.

But I had my half of the conversation, for 40 blimmin weeks! No mw raised it as an issue. Then, 41 weeks, boom! The WORST time to stress out a pg woman if you're hoping for a spontaneous vb.

Anyway, as I said, I never refused to see the consultant, except until after I was overdue (which 41 weeks isn't) and then again only if the baby was at risk. Why waste his/her time before that and jeapordise a SVD?

No-one is arguing with you, just pointing out that by you not meeting with the consultant you didn't have the opportunity to discuss and plan what would happen. Do you expect midwives to start acting as if everyone is going to need induction or some other intervention before there is an indication of a need for it?

Well it's more likely that you'll need the CS if you've reached 41 weeks than at 31! If you reach 42 weeks why rush to make up a last minute plan when you could have had it sorted a week earlier?

Hmm I wouldn't have insisted on a c/s in her circumstances though, but nor would I be anywhere near a hospital with gel up my fanjo.

I suppose what I am trying to figure out is that shoukd it be recommended that the baby needs to be evicted, would a c/s be given if an induction was unacceptable to the woman!?

I thought that a CS was only given if medically needed.

Well wouldn't it be medically needed if the woman was refusing induction and the baby needed out?

As I said before, no-one can force you to have an induction if you refuse one.
If it is essential that the baby comes out then that only leaves one option, a CS which at that point is a higher risk than induction, but lower risk than leaving the baby in.

But you could have discussed all this at the time if you had gone to the appointment.

Fireice, but that was exactly what they were doing. No indication of need for induction, OR c/s and yet I was expected to see a consultant.

But you were basically requesting surgery to be an option, albeit in specific circumstances, but the chances of those circumstances happening increased at this stage of your pregnancy, which is probably why it prompting people to start taking action, I really don't think they were doing anything wrong in advising you to see a consultant, you didn't want to so didn't. It would have been worse for you to have wanted access to a doctor at this stage to discuss your choices and been denied.

If there was a major risk to the baby the they wouldn't have been able to induce you against your will, so I would assume you'd get a section.

Anyway, are you ok? Why are you so worried about this now that you have had your baby?

I suppose it depends on the reason for eviction, what the consultant thinks about it all, how forceful the woman is. I know plenty of consutalnts who can't care less about vaginal birth and if a woman asks for a section they'll get one. Other consultants would dig their heels in.

When I was in (non induced) labour it was all going tits up. I could see the writing on the wall. Had 2x fetal blood samples taken to check on dd as there were concerns about her in labour. After the 2nd one they said they'd need to repeat it in 30 mins. I told them they wouldn't be doing it as I wouldn't give permission and I wanted a section. I was in theatre 5 mins later.

I've never got over my first birth. I just had another baby (3rd), so late night feeding musings I guess.

Hmm, I don't really see induction as a vaginal birth tbh. I see it more as abuse. But that is based on my experience and I know some have good experiences. However, no way woukd I agree to it.

I had to meet with a consultant (well, turned out to be his SHO) at 42 weeks. Some kind of insurance issue. It was immensely good fun. She told lies, waved metaphorical shrouds and asked me if I wanted to kill my baby.

I had just come out of the 42 week scan (you are entitled to one, if you reach 42 weeks and decline induction, according to NICE guidelines.) Stupid, stupid woman hadn't even looked at the (extremely healthy and favourable) scan notes. Or even the fact that I had had two previous 42 week pregnancies.

I don't know what I would have done had he not turned up at 42+3, but I had discussed C/S with the MW for exactly the same reasons as you. No way on earth I would ever allow an induction again, for any reason.

It was horrible, I was very lucky that I had the Head of Midwives on my side, because she met with me at 20 weeks when I first started refusing the induction and agreed with my arguments. She also attended the birth.

How was the birth this time round?

"I never refused to see the consultant, except until after I was overdue (which 41 weeks isn't) and then again only if the baby was at risk."

So you did refuse to see the consultant, unless the conversation happened on your terms, according to your timetable.

If you wanted a proper plan in place for an ELCS, you should have gone to see the consultant who would be performing the operation when it was clear that such an outcome was a live possibility.

It seems like what you actually wanted was to force an emergency section by refusing to allow the hospital to make plans for your possible operation.

What probably would have happened is that at some point your baby would have been in danger and a riskier, more unpleasant, more costly operation would have had to be performed while other women were inconvenienced by your refusal to have conversations that you deemed too "stressful" for a woman at 41 weeks gestation.

Horrible. I hate giving birth.

But

Short, at home in water, and no-one touched me. A bit alarming that despite 3 midwives bringing 5 bottles of gas and air between them (it was shift changeover time) there was no pipe.

Head came out whilst they were all outside in the drive trying to get a signal for their phones to get pipe or something.

Overall fine though.