If you could choose between a highly medicalised birth and an elective C-section, what would you choose?

[mazzystar]

Yep, me again with my endless childbirth questions.

Consultant encouraging (but not pressurising) for VBAC. I'd be happy to have a crack at it (as it were) if I could go for as active a labour as possible - coped very well with full first stage last time by dancing about like a loon. However hospital blanket policy is to practically immobilise you with drips/monitors/ keep you lying down. Don;t have to decide for months but want to prepare.

What would you do?

Would you beable to hire a doula.I know someone who had a great VBAC thanks to her doula.Hospital wanted to immobilise/monitor incessently etc etc and the doula helped them stand up for what they wanted. They know that without her they would have suffered from that "set upto fail" scenario and ended up with another cs.

I had an 'elective c-section' due to my dd being breech, elective my arse, was told I would recieve NO support if I wanted to go for a natural birth.

As she was (is) my 1st baby I believed I had no choice in the matter, & it was a c-section or nothing!

Now know I could have pushed for a natural birth (& had the section if all didn't go to plan), as it were I had the section. Wasn't horrific, but certainly cannot be passed as a 'Good & pleasent' birth.

I'd push for a vbac every step of the way, next time.

God, Toady, that's even worse than mine. The one I saw frequently appears on those preg programmes on living tv.. He makes me want to spit at the t.v.

Don'tlookatme.... I have had a doula for all of my vbacs and I honestly think that without her I would never had had such wonderful births. I cannot recommend them highly enough. She was like a shield for me against any stoppy doctors and midwives, so all I had to worry about was giving birth, and I did!!

I had a hideous birth experience, after 2 days trying to induce with gel/pessaries, they broke my waters, they then put my epidural in within minutes of breaking waters as the midwife "didn't think I would handle the pain" once the syntocin drip went up, and the anaesthetists wanted an epidural sited early in case I needed a cs (being very overweight they wanted to avoid general anaesthetic). Was pretty much strapped to bed whole time with drips in every available vein, and monitors on me and in me (I'm diabetic too so had glucose/insulin in drips, oh and to top it off I had group B strep so had intravenous anti-biotics too). Dilated to 10 over the course of the next few hours and it was time to push. Couldn't feel what I was sposed to be pushing coz of the horse strength epidural, so it was bound to end in tears IMHO. Ventouse & forceps were tried to no avail. Emergency cs followed when DDs heart rate disappeared from monitor. Afterwards I was in shock, severe pain, and drugged up to the eyeballs on morphine. Was not the birth experience I imagined at all, felt sick and sore and shocked and struggled to bond with DD for first few days. There is no way on god's earth they will convince me to have anyting other than a calm, well-prepared, elective CS next time round.

I was in a similar situation - emergency c-section with first ds due due to failure to progress. My midwife said there was no reason to suggest this might happen again, particularly if I paid more attention to optimum fetal positioning.
I opted for a home birth this time - and yes there were lots of discouraging mutters from DH and family but I stuck to my plan. I saw the consultant who went through all the risk factors with me (of which uterine rupture was probably the least likely) he said that he cannot force me to have my baby in hospital but it was recommended.
Still went with the home birth plan and to cut a long story short ended up with a better labour, more one to one care and less pain relief. Unfortunately I still ended up with a ambulance ride and a crash section but that was due to fetal distress and meconium at the last stage.
Ditto the doula idea, a third party is there to speak up for you when might not feel able in labour. Good luck.

yes me too yet another emergency cs after failure to progress. i had an utterly dreadful experience.

next time will either be home birth or elective cs. no middle ground, they have all the power in the hospital. i might reconsider if had a doula, but even then would prefer to be at home.

Having had an emergency c-section & then a planned one, I wish I could have experienced a VB.

Mazzystar if you decide to go for a VBAC... get the Am I allowed booklet from Aims ! That will be a good place to start!!!
Then you could get their VBAC leaflet too.
Policy or not - BELIEVE me they cannot force you to have constant monitoring.
Will see if Mears about to confirm!

And what about a home birth... that TOO they can't refuse it!

Trouble is Pupuce, they can be pretty insistent when you are there, in pain and scared. It takes a strong person or someone who has a strong person such a doula to fight them off.
I was advised in prep for my last labour to have any wishes of mine/ and any agreements confirmed IN WRITING by the hospital before labour starts, that way if you encounter any restsance to your plans you can produce the relevant paperwork.....

Thanks everyone.

I don't want a home birth. I would feel more confident in hospital, believe it or not. DH too, and as I want him to be my birth partner, that is a major consideration. I am investigating hiring a doula, though.

Pupuce - who are AIMS? sounds very useful.

Am seeing community midwife next week, who is wonderful, and will discuss with her, and see if she can help me get another hospital appt.

mazzystar - only read your post - but I recently was induced at 36 weeks and had lots of intervention - waters were broken, needed oxytocin to regulate contractions, had drip for strep B, had drip for glucose solution thingy.....and was constantly monitored as well ( baby and me) although I had all these things attatched to me I was still encouraged to move about - I wasn't on the bed until I had to push, so it was lots of leaning over bed standing up, bouncing on ball beside bed, etc etc
you don't have to be immobile on a bed if being monitored, you really don\t
good luck

thought home births could be refused if there is no available midwives to attend?

mazzystar - i wanted a vabc with dd2 and was able to discuss it with my named consultant who could see my resons for it. He agreed to let me go to 40 weeks and we would review it then. He stated they would not induce me - due to the pressure that can put on the scar by bringing on labour quicker and harder.

BY 40 weeks - still no sign of dd2 - finally for a number of reasons had an elective with dd2 at 10 days overdue. I had dd1 with sn at home - not walking at 2 1/2 and all the other issues that come with that. I was fine enough by three weeks to be lifting and carrying her and driving.

ON the other hand - I had another consultant who did all the - risks, stas, etc and telling me that my only option was a c-section.

The next one I saw at the hosp wanted to book me in at 38 weeks with no discussion.

Despite wanting a vbac - thinking I could recover quicker and easier and be able to care for dd1 better. I am glad I had the elective section - meant I could organise childcare for dd1 ( dh was to start a new job the day I had dd2! so had no time off) and it meant we could do some organising re: getting dd1 to therapy etc when I wasn't fit to drive.

meant to add - no 3 due Mar and am going for a 3rd section.... BUT hoping to have the consultant agree to let me go to 40 weeks before the op.

Mazzy, this is the aims site

Mazzystar - in case i forget - thought of this late last night!! if you are considering having more babies after this little one, might be harder to push for VBAC after 2 sections, especially if having trouble getting one now!

what would happen if you were in labour, being a bit active and the hspital suddenly bullied you into an immobile, horrible birth? What plans can you make to make to ensure they honour any promises for an active birth? Remember, you'll maybe need a lot more attention from the midwives and it's easier for them to leave you tethered to the bed. What if they're short staffed on the day?

If you're hankering after an active birth then maybe the immobility after a CS might upset you. I personally enjoyed sitting on my arse for 4-5 hours after mine, but my sister (spinal to repair a nasty tear) was very, very distressed at not being able to get up (the stupid midwives parked her sprog at the end of the bed, then left her!!).

Mazzystar - it is your absolute right to labour in whatever way you choose. Health professionals should give you the information you need and then you make an informed choice.

The usual policy for VBAC in most hospitals is continuous electronic monitoring and IV line inserted with blood crossmatched incase repeat section is required. Induction of labour is best avoided as it is induction that increases the risk of scar rupture.

In my own unit we have no problem with women not having a drip, being moblie with intermittent monitoring and also using the birthing pool if all else is normal.

I personally believe that the pool is the best place for women to labour, especially when wanting a VBAC. The ability to get into more comfortable positions makes labour progress more easily. One of the first signs of problems with the uterine scar is an increase in maternal pulse. Women who do not have an epidural will also be aware of pain.

If you feel that you want to be continuously monitored, that can be done without being in bed. You can stand at the side of the bed. lean over or sit on a birthing ball. There is absolutely no need to be immobile which in itself can slow labour.

Ask to speak to the senior midwife in the labour suite. Alternatively find out if there is a Consultant Midwife - I think there is in Liverpool. She will be bale to help you with making plans for delivery. You can also get an early appoimntm,ent with the consultant obstetrician who could also arrange a meeting with the midwife consultant/senior labour ward midwife. Good luck.

ps - sorry for late reply - am only just back

My sister hired a Doula (as she is single and was pregnant by IVF) which did help her in getting her needs met and having someone put her views. My independent midwives who have rights to deliver in some hospitals were the perfect solution when I had the twins in my view. - www.birthcentre.com/index.html

If I had to choose between a really highly medicalised vaginal delivery or c-section I would be temped by the c-section. Beacuse of the associated long-tem risks of forceps/vontouse on baby.

But then you can't really predict needing an instrumental delivery if highly medicalised -it's just more likely.

My advice to you would be to not try and do 'the right thing' what ever that is, just do what YOU want, what ever that is.

good luck, get some more opinions from different drs if you can.

Sorry just saw the question AIMS