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.

Mimmum - that sounds very plausible. The whole idea of 'authorisation' or consent seems to be a wider problem though. It should be for the woman to decide. Of course consultants and mws should advise but they need to stop seeing themselves as the decision-makers and stop using language which suggests that too.

Consultant clinics are always overbooked. They wouldn't have given you an appt when the mw first became aware of your intentions as they were hoping you'd go into labour (as you did) and that it wouldn't have been an issue.

If the consultant had seen you at 28 weeks or whenever and then you hadn't gone overdue it would have been a "waste" of an appt from the hospital point of view.

Unfortunately due to budget, staffing and time issues hospital procedures are set up to maximise benefit to as many as possible and at times this means that an individual patient/client may feel they're not getting the care at the time/place they want it.

When it started to look like it may become an issue the consultant would have wanted to see you to explain the risks. The midwife wouldn't be deemed able to do this. The midwife certainly can't book you for a section.

Yes scroob, I completely agree, in my experience the medical institution treats pregnant women as if they are children and incapable of making rational decisions, unless of course they agree with these decisions. Things do really need to change.

Well yes viva true, but these are just excuses for women not getting the individual care they deserve. The midwife should have said from the beginning that the birth plan refusing induction in favour of c section could not just be ok'd by her and would involve consultant input possibly not until the pregnancy had gone post term, and thereby denying reassurance earlier that the birth plan would be respected.

Hi starlight I've just been reading your thread and hope you don't mind me saying but it sounds like everything went ok in the end and you and baby are safe which is great.

It seems you are still v traumatised by whatever happened with DC1 and understandably this has affected your attitude to subsequent births. Unless you are wanting to make a complaint about the level of care you received either during birth or pg, I'm not sure how helpful "what would have happened" questions are. Sounds like you still have unresolved issues around your first birth you might want to speak to soneone about as you're getting yourself a bit worked up about whatifs when you have a lovely newborn to look after :)

Mimmum, I agree. Unfortunately unless maternity services in this country get better funding I can't see true indivualised care being achieved.

Apart from the Mws not having explained birth plan was dodgy (and why woukd they?) until I actually BECAME a problem I never saw the same mw more than once and most of them weren't hb ones).

Once I became difficult I was elevated to a senior mw who was a constant in the last couple of weeks at appointments and on the phone and who rearranged staffing at the very last minute to make sure she attended.

My level of care was outstanding, at the end, after a fuss, and actually despite the 'arguments' for her thoroughness and the relationship we'd developed I came to trust her judgement completely. I can't say I woukd have agreed to an induction in the end, but if I knew she was in the background I 'might' have.

Lois, I've spoken loads about my first birth over the last 5 years. It all spoken out really. Those involved deny what happened happened so it's no good talking to them.

Starlight, I also refused a second induction, prior to the event, my first DD was a 50 hour induced labour with uterine hyperstimulation (a four hour contraction, basically) followed by a brutal forceps delivery extended third degree tear, lacerated cervix and vagina... Etc. DD and I were lucky to get out alive. My body doesn't like induction, but I'm aware that's not the norm and why in the majority of cases induction is preferable to ECS.

Because of going post dates before, the MWs wanted to put a plan in place in case it happened again. At this point I informed them that I would not consent to another induction. I would want to be monitored in the hope that I would go into labour spontaneously, but if there were concerns for the safety of the baby, then I would request a CS.

One midwife said she didn't think I was ALLOWED to refuse induction. To which I politely replied that I was ALLOWED to do anything I wanted, as it was my baby and my body, and that while they may not be able to recommend or support my decision, that's not the same thing.

So I was frog marched like a naughty child to a consultant. Went through the same thing. She said that they would ONLY do induction for post dates. "Not to me, you won't" was my reply. Asked if she had read the notes from the birth of DDone. Admitted she hadn't. Suggested she did so. Once she had skimmed them I asked if, having read that, she could see my POV. She said yes, but that she would still recommend induction. I said that I would refuse. Bit if a stand off at that point. I think she resided that I wasn't backing down, and wrote in my notes that they would schedule an ECS sometime during my 42 week, so long as the baby seemed to be doing fine up to that point.

So I won, even though I was made to feel as if I was a very disobedient child for doing so.

As it was DD2 was born the day after her due date, in water (another fight, for another thread). It was a great birth, (despite massive PPH!).

So OP I can understand both why you wouldn't want induction, and that it would have been a battle.

But I don't understand you reluctance to meet the consultant who would have been responsible for the surgical procedure you were contemplating.

Understand that it might have been stressful, but only while it lasted, and I can't see how it would have had a signifying impact on your ability to go into labour spontaneously...

BTW, it took a full year of trauma counselling to get over/past my first both experience. You may have already done this, but if you haven't, it seems like something which may be beneficial to you...

db
Xx

Sorry to be direct starlight but I'm suggesting you see an independent counsellor as designerbaby is, not other HCPs. It happened, it was traumatic, seemingly the docs/MWs took no responsibility which must be v difficult and frustrating. It sounds like you still have a lot of anger and not like you're over and now this with DC3 has compounded things.

Perhaps you should consider what you're hoping to achieve from this thread. Most of us won't be medically qualified to say what should/would have happened in your particularly situation and can just share experiences or opinions, which is perhsps all you do want. If you're looking for vindication you were right and they were wrong and you can happily move on, great, or if it's something else.....

I hope in the midst of all this you are enjoying you new baby :)