Not allowed a natural birth??

[ambermoon1989]

hi everyone
this is my third baby in four years. I had pre eclampsia for first one, he was delivered at 27 weeks via emergency c section and spent 12 weeks in NiCU.
second one came 14 months later (we tried for years to conceive DS1, resorting to three rounds of fertility treatment...so Ds2 was a shocker)...via c section. this was due to my blood pressure again and my obstrectican insisted it was the best way to go, esp since my scars had not properly healed since the first pregnancy.

this is my third child and a new hospital and a new consultant and a new gift of gestational diabetes (I'm a vegan, always exercised and been healthy but seems my pancreas is not secreting enough insulin)...he says VBAC is out of the question and an attempt at a natural birth will cause uterine rupture. he also said as it is my third and I am on insulin that a third c section is the only way to go.

but this is my last pregnancy and I really want to know what natural birth feels
likes. and there is a school of thought that natural is best and 'u haven't give birth unless it is natural..' etc

not that I believe this but I would like to say I gave it a go ...it's such a shame I will never experience a cramp, a contraction or any of the so called natural experiences of child birth. I didn't fight too much with Ds2- was too exhausted with Ds1, but this is my last child and feels like my last chance

I am 34 weeks now seems too late to change doctors but has anyone else been told they cannot have a natural birth?

are doctors now too scalpel happy or is it that it is too dangerous for me to have a natural birth??

Op there is no such thing as 'not allowed' a natural birth! You are free to decline medical treatment if you want to, have a home birth if you like.

The consultant has recommended that you have a section as you have significant risks in natural labour and presumably they are concerned about the outcome for you and your baby. I would take their advice - do you really want to risk yourself and baby for the sake of feeling a contraction?!

All that rubbish about sections being for 'too posh to push' etc is not worth mentioning, it's the thoughts of ignorant fools.

I had two natural births and I am very pro it when appropriate. It doesn't make you more of a woman or more of a mother, I'm just pro because in the majoority of cases the evidence demonstrates it is better for all sorts of reasons. However that is not the case for all mothers and all births. Given your circumstances I would take your obstetrician's advice.
Good luck, I hope the rest of your pregnancy and birth goes really well.

If you go with VBAC, there will be all the unknowns of a first birth, added to your current complications. Even if it goes well, you will have all the experiences PosterEh details, and you might not be in good shape for a while afterwards.

If you go for the caesarean, you know the score, you will be able to make the most of enjoying your DC3's arrival, and if this is your last one, that is the most important bit.

Ambermoon 'Nature' hasn't done you any favours so far, has she?
Agree with pp's that which ever way delivery happens, the best outcome is healthy mum and baby, and stop listening to other bloody people who say otherwise.
By all means, research the pro's and cons, but please don't put yourself and your baby at risk for the sake of wanting to feel a contraction etc.

thanks everyone I really appreciate it. was lovely hearing your stories (Saul, the thing about the ex was fitting, thanks for digressing!!) and I know you are right, the safest option is the best

it's coming to the end, I am an emotional wreck and I am getting worked up over everything....anticipation and excitement in bundles with. a dollop of fear. I think I will leave it as it is and take the best route, baby will be in SCBU afte delivery for a few days due to the high blood sugar so either way, it's going to be an experience.

to u all x

Is SCBU for sure, amber? I struggled to control my blood sugars towards the end of both my pregnancies and only one baby was hypoglycaemic after birth. Even then he was able to stay with me (just had to feed and top-up a lot until blood sugars were stable.

If baby can stay on the ward make sure you get a "hot cot". Being warm helps them keep their sugars up because they are not expending energy staying warm. A very kind mw found one for me when ds's sugars were low and it helped a lot I think. We'd been kept in the delivery suite after delivery for 1-to-1 care (my blood sugars were 24! after birth) and they hadn't mentioned it there so not sure if it's standard procedure.

My friend had a natural vaginal homebirth after 2 sections. She is a tough cookie and doesn't allow anyone to tell her what she can and can't do. There is no such thing as not being ALLOWED as your body is yours and yours alone. Do your research but don't expect to be supported in your choices by most obstetricians. Whether pushing for a vaginal birth is sensible in your particular case is difficult to say.

If you decide on an elective section do your research about that too. Google 'natural caesarean' and ' delayed cord clamping'. Choose music for your baby to be born to and insist on skin to skin immediately ( unless baby is poorly).

Ask to see another consultant for a second opinion. Ask them to talk you through the risks and how they could minimise these if you laboured.

I had a gestational diabetes (diet controlled), polyhydramnios and a baby over 10lbs. I had a home birth. I didn't expect my consultant to support my choices but I did have very good care from an independent midwife and some input from a consultant midwife.

I too would have been devastated if I hadn't been able to labour. It really annoys me that if a woman comes on this board and says she feels very strongly that she needs to have a c/s for emotional reasons she is supported to the hilt, and her being forced to have a vaginal birth is seen as barbaric and unkind. Weirdly the same doesn't apply to a mother who feels very strongly that she wants and needs to have a vaginal birth.

Planned c/s for emotional reasons = totally understandable and deserves supporting
Planned v/b for emotional reasons = a little bit silly, and totally pointless as it really doesn't make any difference to anyone how a baby comes out

polly having a c section is giving birth properly!

It may be different to what you wanted but it's really a low blow to say it's not doing it properly!

Actually its not a low blow ... I had a C section and felt dreadful after, and didnt want to be confined to the house with a toddler and new twins. I was agreeing with the OP wanting a natural birth as I new they were the last. I understand where shes coming from in terms of her emotions ... nothing wrong with that.

"it's such a shame I will never experience a cramp, a contraction or any of the so called natural experiences of child birth. "

You What ?
Speaking as a home birthing freak, please let me try to assure you that you haven't missed out on anything special by not having spontaneous labour. "Woohoo my body is out of control, I want more of this!" It's not magic, honest. It's a lot like the most painful and prolonged bowel movement you could ever imagine.

Emotions can be utterly misleading though. I was keen to vbac and it was all a bit of a disaster. I had PTSD as a result. And then with dc3 I was told that as in the end I had managed to vbac, there was no clinical reason for CS. So we had vbac2 and dd2 has brain damage as a result.

In all honesty, in the op's situation, I would be thankful they were limiting my own choices for the safety of both myself and my child.

I'd rather have a healthy baby than get to feel a contraction. Every. Single. Time.

The hype surrounding natural childbirth as the be-all and end-all does no-one any favours. You only have to look at the forceps thread to see that. No one talks about the risks.

" please let me try to assure you that you haven't missed out on anything special by not having spontaneous labour. "Woohoo my body is out of control, I want more of this!" It's not magic, honest"

I appreciate what you're trying to do but really - it's not all about you. Some people do find the experience of labour empowering and amazing. I did and I know others who feel the same. Belittling other people's experiences to try to reassure the OP? Not honest or fair.

i am going to speak to another OB and the consultant midwife see what they suggest

if they think it is plausible and they would be able to support a natural birth then it gives me options. some options are better than none :):)

There is a recent study that showed there was no significant increase in uterine rupture with a vba2c compared to a vba1c

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19781046

Women requesting for a trial of vaginal delivery after two caesarean sections should be counselled appropriately considering available data of success rate 71.1%, uterine rupture rate 1.36% and of a comparative maternal morbidity with repeat CS option.

Also, babies of diabetic mothers do not go to SCBu routinely. They have a few blood sugar tests in the first 24-72hours (trust dependent) on the postnatal ward

Good luck with whatever you choose, I have read with interest, and nothing to add other than I totally understand where you're coming from! Even reading this thread has left me in tears

Ok, coming from several angles on this one.

Firstly, I had a 29 weeker by emcs due to severe PE. Then another EMCS in pregnancy 2 (well, 4 actually after 2 MC between) due to breech presentation. I have never had a contraction or been in labour. Does that make me any less of a mother? I think with premature babies there is a grieving process, a loss of a normal pregnancy & birth. Could you be experiencing this?

Secondly, I work in a diabetes obstetric service. For our patients on insulin, delivery is at 38 weeks. Our CS rate is about 50%. Unfortunately, induction at 38 weeks is unlikely to be successful when there are limitations following CS (eg use of syntocin). Hence high CS rate.

OP, you have been through a lot. Unfortunately things are sometimes beyond our control & we have to accept the best advice.

Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.

Mummy midwife: the chances of scbu are much higher when patients are on insulin: it is pretty rotund to have blood glucose levels checked after birth. Units will have a neonatal hypoglycaemia protocol where glucose levels are checked after birth/1st feed until normal.

The statistics you posted do not consider GDM; it puts an entirely different angle on things.

• routine, not rotund!

OP, have a read through the NICE guidelines on diabetes in pregnancy.

Bloody hell. I'm pregnant with dc1 (and only I think), and is trying to think of ways to avoid vaginal delivery.... I'm just glad I'm actually pregnant and as long as I have a healthy baby in my arms at the end of it, I'm happy. I read these blogs, articles etc about women feeling 'empowered', 'at one' with their body during delivery. WTAF? You're doing something millions of women do every day, but without the self indulgence.