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Original poster

C section Question-Are Your Arms Strapped Down During A C Section In The UK?

114 replies

Buffyjo · 02/02/2015 18:32

I am from the USA but am at the moment in the UK. One of my friends who is also from the US but recently moved to the UK is due to have a C Section In London. And she is very worried that her arms will be restrained or strapped down to the operating table during her surgery.

Over in the USA it is standard or routine practise in a lot of American Hospitals to strap down the mothers arms to the operating table during caesarean Sections, (C Sections) that are done while the patient is awake under a Spinal or Epidural.The mums arms are actual strapped down to the arm boards on the OR table.

And my friend who has Claustrophobia is very worried about this as she does not want to her arms strapped down.

As I am not familiar with UK hospitals having only been over here for a short time I really don't know what to tell my friend. So I just want to ask is it standard practise or do they strap your arms to the OR table during C Sections in the UK hospital. And if so what can my friend do to avoid it? Can she refuse this?

OP posts:
SardineQueen · 02/02/2015 20:27

And Ireland and Canada apparently Confused

WhamBamSpam · 02/02/2015 20:36

I don't know why it's done here in Ireland. I can't remember if it was both arms but it was definitely my right arm on my first and my left arm on my third. Can't remember no. 2. I just presumed it had something to do with IV lines etc.

SliceOfLime · 02/02/2015 20:36

OP in case your friend is having her baby at UCH in London - I've had two babies there (no C sections though) and the midwives have all been lovely. A friend of mine had a CS there and never mentioned her arms being strapped down so I assume it didn't happen! She should definitely ask the midwife about this at her next appointment just to put her mind at rest.

WhamBamSpam · 02/02/2015 20:38

We have pretty shocking form for treating women and their reproductive systems badly here unfortunately

StrikesMatches · 02/02/2015 21:02

I've had 2 sections in Ireland and although my arms were out at right angles on boards, it was because of the drip in one elbow and the bp cuff on the other. They definitely weren't strapped down, although very cumbersome to move. Whambam do you know is it common? I know a few other women who have had sections and none of them were strapped down.

Original poster
Buffyjo · 02/02/2015 21:12

@ whamBamSpam
Yeah you see that YT video in which that jerk of a Doctor talks about it as being okay to do this(in the USA)
That video should be removed by You Tube or someone should report it>

OP posts:
Topsyloulou · 02/02/2015 21:38

I had emcs in September in England & my left arm was strapped to an arm rest so they had easy access to the cannula if they needed to inject more drugs etc. as it happened I did have a bad reaction & quickly needed more drugs administering. Not sure if this was just as it was emcs rather than elcs. I had my right arm free so could hold DPs hand and then cuddle DS once he'd arrived.

Ridingthestorm · 02/02/2015 21:53

I read the title thread and thought you were seriously having a laugh!!!

US 'policies' are bloody strange at times. UK NOT as barbaric and backward when it comes to c sections although also not as 'c section happy' as US either.

For the record - due my 2nd c section 6 weeks today!!!

CrimsonButterfly · 03/02/2015 02:24

Strapping a patient down to the bed without their consent and in the absence of any behaviour that presents an immediate risk to their/the staff's well-being would constitute restraint, and is illegal under UK law (and can lead to charges of assault, battery and false imprisonment). So it definitely shouldn't happen.

furryleopard · 03/02/2015 03:04

I had my DD by EMCS last year in our local nhs hospital. I've just had a look at the photos, I've got IVs in both hands (the first one failed so they put another one in during the section), one of those pulse things on a finger and a bp cuff on an arm. My hands are rested on my chest (DH is holding DD but until that point I was holding his hand).

I've got some issues with my hospital postnatal ward care but my experience in theatre was excellent, I felt in safe hands from start to finish and all the staff were relaxed but very much in control.

Giantbabymama · 03/02/2015 05:54

Effin' hell, that's horrific. I live outside UK and am due in 10 days. I don't know if they do that here but that's another thing I need to tell my DH that on no uncertain terms is he to allow that to happen to me.

CheerfulYank · 03/02/2015 06:33

Confused I was my friend's birth partner during her C-section in the US (Midwest) and her arms were definitely not strapped down or restrained in any way.

TheEagle · 03/02/2015 06:57

whambamspam, when did you have this experience?

It's not the usual practice in Ireland to restrain arms during a C Section.

theDudesmummy · 03/02/2015 09:01

CrimsonButterfly is right, restraint, unless to prevent harm to the patinet or someone else, is illegal in the UK and would consitute an assault.

CheerfulYank · 03/02/2015 12:16

I've never heard of it happening here but from a quick google it looks like it's about 50/50. Some people said they have only the arm with the iv in it strapped down.

The reasons given are being moved a lot or doctors unsure how patients are going to react to anesthesia.

LuxuryTrifle · 03/02/2015 12:49

Haven't read all the replies but please do tell your friend SHE can have a huge say in the form the surgery takes. Eg in my EMCS despite it being an emergency I still requested - and got - things like immediate skin to skin, baby on breast while seeing me up, etc. It helps to negotiate in advance but even being wheeled unexpectedly into surgery I found a lot of willingness to listen to patient choice.

Original poster
Buffyjo · 03/02/2015 15:39

Well I actually saw a few You Tube videos that were from 2 UK TV series about birth, I think one of them was The Midwives and none of the mums were tied or strapped down. And their arms were folded to their chest as you said. So I also emailed a C Section information group based in the UK and they say that it's not like the US here in the UK, women are not strapped down and they like to hand mom the baby right away if they can.

Not all hospitals in the USA strap the arms down. some do some don't and I think less US and Canada hospitals are doing it now than what they were 10 years ago, but it still happens in some hospitals over them(the US.)

OP posts:
Original poster
Buffyjo · 03/02/2015 15:48

And Oh -
When I Google even though I put in UK, it is Always posts from the USA or posts referring to the USA that come up, nothing at all about the UK, except for one Midwifery site. But that says the same thing as what the posters here said, that it's not done in the UK. But the problem with Google is that it's US based that's probably why not many posts about the UK are coming up.

OP posts:
CultureSucksDownWords · 03/02/2015 15:55

Not many posts from the UK are coming up in your searches because it is just not something talked about. It doesn't happen here so no one would think to ask about it, unless they happened to have heard about what they do in the US.

I can't believe women in the US have to put up with this kind of domineering controlling medical model of delivery. So glad I don't live there!

Original poster
Buffyjo · 03/02/2015 16:21

I can't believe women in the US have to put up with this kind of domineering controlling medical model of delivery. So glad I don't live there!

Well it seems that a lot of other counties do it except for the UK and Australia. Well one of my friends is a nurse form Australia who has also worked in New Zealand and she says they don't do it there either.

But I read about someone it happened to in Spain and they do it in the Latin American Counties such as Brazil. But those are sort of behind with the times anyway in medical care.

But you are right,you don't expect it to still be happening now in America. Don't forget each State has different laws but in NY where I am from, they cannot force you to do anything or except any treatment in hospital that you don't want.And I don't think they could force you to if you said no, unless you were deemed mentally incompetent or something like that.

But the problems is maybe a lot of American women seem to trust their OB to much. So when he tells them that something is for their own good, maybe they don't fight it and just accept if because they think "the Doctor is always right" when that's not always the case.

OP posts:
SardineQueen · 03/02/2015 19:02

Thing is you tend to think generally that whatever happens where you are is "the norm" and assume there is a reason for it and so of course don't think to question it.

This is a good thing about the net isn't it people around the world sharing their experiences and finding out where there are differences and actually which is better and why is it done this way in this country etc.

Saltedcaramel2014 · 03/02/2015 19:07

This is horrifying. I'm seriously shocked that this happens. I had an EMCS and every person involved was so sensitive and respectful I actually felt like saying 'it's ok, you can just get on with it!'

Saltedcaramel2014 · 03/02/2015 19:08

In the UK, I meant to say

SardineQueen · 03/02/2015 19:13

It would be interesting to see if there was any correlation between countries that do this as a matter of course, how high up the league tables they are in terms of equality for women, and how big a thing religion is and what flavour that religion is.

I'd find that interesting anyway Grin

dashoflime · 03/02/2015 19:25

I had my arms strapped down for an emc in Scotland in 2012. I remember because Ds was passed to Dh to hold and not me, because of this. I had an IV and a blood pressure cuff on I think. I had no idea this wasn't usual until now. I assumed it was in case I freaked out and started thrashing about or something.