2nd pregnancy worried about childbirth.

[Sweetpea86]

Hi ladies,
I'm only about 1 month pregnant and already worrying about birth. Infact my little boy is 2 and half and put off another baby due to benign utterly petrified.

My last labour was pretty awful but hours and hours of not even dialating but in sheer agony then failed epirduals. Finally get to pushing and my little boy was in akward position and getting stressed so ended up having and emergency c section. Just typing this I'm on the brink of tears. Then recovery was pretty bad.

I'm just so worried about next time I don't want to have to go through that all over again to end in emergency c section.

I'm 1 stone heavier than my last pregnancy so my bmi is 35.

I don't want a c section but would rather a elective one so that it doesn't end up rushed and traumatic.

Will I be able to ask for elective or will they still make me have natural birth 😔

U can totally request a csection , it dsnt have to be for a medical reason. All u need to do when u see ur midwife is ask to be booked in with a consultant, explain to him how u feel and Boom ur down for a section😊
On a side note (ur m.w and consultant will say this too) 2nd births r notorious for being quick and easier, because ur body has already been through it before. Its ur choice ultimately, if u feel like ur going to spend ur pregnancy in a state of anxiety due to the impending birth, tell it to the consultant, he/ she wont try and talk u around
Good luck 😊

Congratulations 🎊
I have just had my second and it was honestly nothing like my first birth even though luckily both babies were in optimal position and not back to back or anything.

First, very slow build up of period pain, failure to develop contractions and had to go on drip, no urge to push, really long exhausting time.
Second was much quicker, from vague back pain to agony in about two hours, baby born a few hours later, but much better urge to push.
So I would agree your body knows what to do the second time. The recovery has felt quicker and easier too.
So I guess I am trying to say don't think a cs is inevitable, but keep your options open. Don't be scared of talking to your midwife, or even requesting a different one. Good luck.

When you book in with the midwife you will be referred for consultant care due to your previous section. You can discuss all this with the consultant who will give you all the info for an elective section or trying for a vbac (vaginal birth after caesarean) so you can make your decision.

Many women have a successful vbac. You will be kept a closer eye on in labour however due to your previous section, they will probably want to monitor your baby's heartbeat continuously in labour for example.

I didn't read ur message properly this morning through sleep filled eyes! I ddnt see that ud actually ended up with a section last time , ull be referred as a result to consultant care because of this, where there will be no problem with having an elective section as a result ..
On a side note ,my 2nd baby literally fell out, no pushing or anything (was sat on the loo)!! It was over from my first pain to her being born in 40 minutes ! And i had a loooong, horrible labor with the first. You could always book in for an elective section to relieve ur stress about it all and then see how u feel as the time comes closer 😊

There's no harm in asking if you think it will help you (there's a long time to go to be worrying about it), but I think different hospital trusts have different policies. I know someone whose been refused a c section although for different reasons.

Might not be everyone's cup of tea (I didn't think it would be mine tbh), but I'm reading a hypnobirthing book (natal hypnotherapy by Maggie Howell) in preparation for my second birth. My first birth was twins and I worried a lot about premature labour & emergency situations throughout pregnancy. Ended up being induced, delivered vaginally, was all pretty straightforward and nothing really traumatic happened. Low risk single pregnancy this time but I have still been getting anxious about ending up very medicalised situation again as I'm hoping for as little intervention as possible, in particular I want to avoid epidural this time.

I can't say whether the it works yet in terms of the pain management side of things, but it's definitely helping me feel less worried - wish I'd read it last time! There's also a cd which really helps me to relax. I think there are also versions of this for vbac and c sections depending on what you decide/agree with doctors.

I didn't go through what you went through with no1, but did opt for a VBAC with a date set for a section at 41 weeks with no2.

After 9 hours of contractions every 2 minutes (waters broke to contractions in about 30 mins) I asked for a section and 4 hours later (had to wait for EMCS gap) I was only 2/3cm dilated. The midwife checked me just before surgery to ensure I wasn't dilated enough to try to give birth naturally.

Only you can decide what you want to do, but at any point, you can ask to have a section even if you are already in labour like me. As you've had a previous section, you should be automatically referred.

I also did the Maggie Howell CDs, although not a course, everyone commented on how fab the music is. I'm now listening (when I get a chance) to her prep for csection cd.

Congratulations op, sorry your first labour was so bad.
I haven't had any experience with a c section although I was minutes away with my first birth. However just came on to say that the midwives offer what's called a listening service. Which is where a midwife will sit down with you and your hospital notes and go through your last labour with you step by step, answering all your questions and explaining what happened and why. You might find this helpful to reduce some anxiety about your upcoming birth. Good luck with everything

My first birth was pretty bad, my second was a totally different experience, much quicker - 3 hours, and my body actually felt like it knew what it was doing. Try not to focus on what happened last time but if you would prefer a c section then do ask your consultant about it.