Hi nowanearlyNicemum
I had an emergency C-Section for dd1 in Grasse hospital on the Cote d'Azur 3 years ago. Reasons = foetal distress after 24 hours active labour and dilation stagnated after 16 hours (8cms dilation). DD1's head remained high throughout. She showed up after 41 weeks. I had had a pelvic scan to check size of me and baby - all was ok.
I moved back to UK last summer, 5 months pregnant with dd2.
After a sudden onset of contractions I took myself off to hospital to have DD2 in November last year. I had another section after more foetal distress, but this time after only 8 hours of active labour and little dilation. Her head remained high throughout and she too didn't turn up till just over 41 weeks.
Noone in France or the UK told me to expect another section (and I had asked about the likelihood!) until I met my UK Consultant.
I was VERY surprised that I was offered a section every time I had a Consultant appointment. I refused and asked for "trial of scar".
The UK consultant (Professor of obstetrics at our local hospital in Cambridge) explained, somewhat delightfully, that if I was a race horse, he wouldn't put any money on me.
They offered surgery because their assessment was that I was unlikely to manage a successful vaginal birth. They assess your likelihood of success on your past performance. If you have already delivered successfully before, then they'll agree that your chances of vaginal delivery are higher. But if you have only had one pregnancy that ended in a section AND there was more than one reason why you had a section, then, in the Consultant's minds, there's more than one thing that might make a vaginal delivery go wrong again.
A friend who had a section in Grasse after a cord prolapse, was not seen by a Consultant throughout her pregnancy, and there was no question of planning another section. The reason for her section was nothing to do with any peculiarity on her part.
I've decided that, in my case, the Consultant was probably right and I am a bit peculiar when it comes to childbirth. I'm great at conceiving, and not bad at carrying my babies, great at having lots of good contractions but rubbish at actually getting those babies out. My babies stay inside for as long as they possibly can and don't respond well to the stresses of labour so I need surgery to give me and my babies the best chance of not being damaged during birth.
My second section was a much more positive experience than my first. I was prepared for the likelihood and I was monitored much more closely (though not continuously). DD2 was distressed within 2 hours of labour starting. Retrospectively, had I been monitored more with dd1 I may have had a section sooner, but that night I was unlucky - delivery ward full, only a trainee midwive to check me.
Recovering from my second section was much easier as I wasn't so tired from a long labour. This made a big difference to the early days back at home.
Perhaps another discussion about your first section might help you and your Consultant to reach an agreement? Failing that, I can thoroughly recommend the Sages-Femmes in Mouans Sartoux (near Mougins) if you want another unbiased opinion - they are "Liberales" and do not work with Grasse hospital as it is not "Liberale" enough! - sorry but I don't know which hospitals they do work with - but I'm sure they'd be happy to meet you!
Hope this helps.