Anyone got any experience of dealing with the maternity consultants at St Georges Tooting? I am 32 weeks pregnant with DC2, had a traumatic birth 18 months ago and long recovery and would prefer a c-sec this time (although I realise a c-sec will not be a walk in the park!).
The reason I ask about the consultants is that the GP worried me today. Had an appointment with her for a recurring (but minor) back problem and happened to ask what are the chances of me being granted a ELCS at St Georges Hospital, Tooting. I explained I had already been told at 20 week appt with consultant that there was no medical need as such.
GP said that the hospital can refuse me a ELCS and I have no legal right to insist on one. She also was quite frank about the fact that one of the reasons was that recovery for C-section in hospital takes much longer so patients need a bed for several nights and with a VB they can be out the same day so a CS is more costly in terms of both actual expense of the op and taking up a bed. She also mentioned the risk aspect, ie a c-sec considered more risky than a VB so surgeon and anaesthetist are more reluctant if they consider you don?t technically need one. I felt very worried and frightened when she said this. Felt like she was fobbing me off with the old ?it will be much quicker this time dear? bullshit, I don?t care if that is true, I just don?t want to experience the horrific pain, uncertainty and trauma to my pelvic floor again. You might be wondering well why did I allow myself to become pregnant again, well it was an accident tbh but once preg, I definitely wanted DC2.
I?ve looked at www.birthchoicesUK and found that St Georges have one of the lowest rates of CS out of all the hospitals in London at 23.8% (in 2011) which makes me think they are really anti c-sections. Although the highest rate in London was 36% (Chelsea & Westminster) and I presume this is all c-sections, so EMCS and ELCS together.
Have posted on here before about ELCS so sorry if this is getting boring, but the responses are so helpful. Am quite willing to hear people?s experiences - the good, the bad and the ugly. For this particular post it would really help to know people?s experiences of conversations with consultants, ie have you been outright refused a ELCS, or were you initially refused one but then they accepted it and you got one despite ?no medical need??