Requesting c-section due to previous loss

[Laura2018]

Hello,

I'm ttc at the moment. I suffered a very traumatic ectopic earlier in the year and the thought of a natural birth really scares me. I know I would be lucky to even become pregnant but I was wondering if anyone has requested a c section due to previous losses such as surgery to remove an ectopic baby? Before the ectopic happened I was planning a water birth but this is out of the question for me now, there are just two many unknowns in a natural birth. I would just want the baby out quickly xx

Hi Laura, sorry to hear what you have been through. I just wanted to add that I had a C section agreed last week for mental health reasons. I am scheduled for an elcs at 39 weeks (currently at 37 weeks!) I'm actually in Australia but using the public healthcare system which is similar to NHS. I had a traumatic delivery 2 years ago which has left me extremely fearful of vaginal birth. There is no physical reason I can't deliver this baby naturally, but I can't even imagine going through with it and have become increasingly distressed and anxious with each antenatal appointment I've attended! I was really worried they would push me into it but I had no problems at all. All the hcps I have dealt with have been really understanding and supportive. I had great advice on hear too - I have a thread on here you can search for by my username which you might also find useful (sorry not sure how to link to it)

Best of luck to you

Just want to add that I am nervous of C section recovery ( I have a 2 year old and me and DH have no family here to help out) but that I actually had a difficult recovery from my vaginal birth anyway. I needed physio after my birth as I had injured my hip - something to do with the position I had to give birth in - and I also had a tear. In my mind, the section is a sort of known quantity. I know it will hurt, where it will hurt and for roughly how long. I know I will have painkillers and what to do/ not to do to help it heal. The problem for me with natural birth after last time is the unpredictability of it. There are lots of different things that can go wrong - or it could be fine! My doctor also said that some people recover faster from sections than others recover from natural births. It is major surgery but it is so commonly practised and the risks are minimal.