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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

C-Sections - urgent advice needed.............sorry long

29 replies

PreggieMum · 09/08/2004 09:50

I am 11 weeks pregnant and am now really scared.

DD1 was born in March 2004 by emergency caesarian section.

I was in labour for 38 hours, was examined and told I had got to 10cm dilated and was feeling quite a lot of pressure. The midwife who was with me at the time told me that I was ready to push, but had a slight anterior lip? which they should be able to push it out of the way. A second midwife was then called in along with the registrar.

The second midwife examined me again - I'm not sure why and agreed with the first midwife that there was a slight anterior lip, but agreed that I was ready to push.

The registrar then called both midwives out of the room - did not say anything to me.

They all then returned and I was told by the registrar that I would have to have an emergency c-section and that if he let me continue naturally I could be there for days and that the baby would get distressed and could die.

I was then in floods of tears and agreed to the c-section and was taken to theatre almost immediately.

After the birth I was advised by a different midwife that we should not start trying for a baby for at least 2 years. (We had always wanted to have 2 babies with no more than a 2 year gap between them. The ideal gap for us would have been 18months.)

At my 6 week check my doctor asked what we were planning with regard to having another baby so that he could help me decide on an appropriate contraception. I explained to him that we were originally planning on trying for another baby fairly soon, but because of the c-section we had been advised by the midwife to wait at least 2 years.

His response was this:
"What rubbish. This kind of scaremongering is completely unnecessary nowadays."

He advised me to wait at least a month before we started trying to conceive (this was to allow csection wound time to finish healing and also to try and lose a bit of weight).

I felt that I trusted my doctor completely. He has always been very helpful and all of his diagnoses/advice has always been correct in the past.

However.... we took his advice and started TTC after the months wait. I became pregnant the first month of trying and am now 11 weeks. I have now had my first appointment with my midwife and she said what on earth was I doing and hadn't I been advised not to start trying for at least 2 years.

I was too upset to continue talking with her so ended up leaving the appointment early and she didn't seem to be able to explain why I should have waited for the 2 years.

Does anyone know who is right?

If it's the midwife that's correct what problems am I likely to encounter? I really don't want to have to have an abortion as this baby is really wanted. Is the risk to me or is it to the baby?

Sorry for rambling...Any advice would be much appreciated.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

aloha · 09/08/2004 09:54

Lots of Mumsnetters have had babies closely spaced after a section. I don't know what your midwife is talking about. I'm sure someone really knowledgeable will be on soon, but really, it sounds nonsense and extremely unkind and unsympathetic to boot. There is no question of a termination for you, of course, so put that right out of your mind. You'll have less than a year's gap betweeen babies, is that right? Blimey, now that's what I call brave

Fio2 · 09/08/2004 09:56

I was advised to wait 18months after my section but know quite a few ladies who had babies alot sooner and were fine. You are pregnant now so dont go upsetting yourself over it. i am not sure what the current guidelines are but I dont think your midwife is helping matters by trying to scaremonger you. She should be putting your mind at rest.

i am sure mears will come along (the mumsnet midwife0 AND PUT YOUR MIND AT REST oops caps) Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy and try not to worry

hana · 09/08/2004 10:06

Congratulations on your pregnancy Preggiemum! I hope that you get some better more informed advide from Mears and others too. That midwofe sounds awful......best of luck for a wonderful pregnancy.

(sorry have no advice to offer!)

Twiglett · 09/08/2004 10:09

message withdrawn

gloworm · 09/08/2004 11:49

I know that current advice is to waut 2 years before conceiving again...but I wasn't told this after my section. We conceived our second baby after 10 months. I had no real problems apart from odd twinges of pain along the scar tissue now and again, but they were not really that bad. I felt very tired during last few months but i guess that is pretty normal during second pg when you have another child to look after.

About the only negative thing I've found is that its really hard to love weight the second time, maybe its because i had 2 sections quite close together. I know my body hadn't really recovered 100% in the 10 months before the second pg but I wouldn't have done it differently, we wanted our 2 children to be close together. So I might be shapeless for another year or 2 and i may have more discomfort during my second pg, but its a small price to pay when I see them both playing so well together.

I know its pointless to say when you have a toddler to look after, but try and get as much rest as you can!! and I hope your feeling better, your hv sounds like she is being a bit over the top.

Fio2 · 09/08/2004 11:52

no actually I remember they said wait 9 - 12 months I waited 12 months and fell pregnant the first month. It is just advice though, it is not written in stone. As you have only had one section it would be very rare that your scar would rupture. Just take no notice of the midwife and please enjoy this pregnancy and baby, like I said before. I cant beleive the midwife was so mean to you

vict17 · 09/08/2004 11:53

No expert advice here but just to say I think your midwife was really unprofessional as you are already pregnant she should have been supportive. Congratulations on your pregnancy and try not to worry.

motherinferior · 09/08/2004 11:57

FFS, you poor love, what would she have said if you'd fallen pregnant by accident (as loads of women do after their first babies)?

AFAIK, if all is healed, you may well be advised to go for a VBAC as well next time IF you want to.

Can you change midwives, as it sounds as if the one you've got is not exactly sympathetic? xxxxx

Original poster

PreggieMum · 09/08/2004 11:58

Thanks for the replies.

There will be around 11.5 months gap.

Fio2 - were you told why you should wait 18months or what the risks are if you don't?

Twiglett - I had the bikini style incision, so hopefully the midwife is going on out of date information.

The thing that is worrying me most is that my midwife that I saw today is not the same midwife that advised me to wait 2 years at the hospital. Therefore that's 2 different midwives that are both giving out the same info.

I'm beginning to think maybe I should have got a second opinion, rather than just trusting my doctor. Although he is usually really good.

Mears - if you are around I would really appreciate your opinion on this. If there are risks associated with being pregnant so soon after a c-section I'd prefer to know. Also, would having a long labour prior to the c-section be why I was told to wait 2 years?

Agghhh - I'm finding it really difficult not to be worried.

OP posts:

CP3 · 09/08/2004 12:03

Hiya Pg, i was also told to wait a 2 years before falling pregnant again but i fell after 6 months and had no problems with the sections. Both healed as well as each other, however i did have a drain in the second and was stapled instead of stiched but thats down to the surgeons preferances not because they were so close.

Good luck and i hope you find the advice you need.

mears · 09/08/2004 12:20

PreggieMum - what a ridiculously stupid statement the midwife made to you. You are pregnant and you should be supported, not made to worry yourself sick.
As far as healing goes, your scar is healed. Advice about timings of pregnancy are probably anecdotal more than anything else.It is the same issue regarding numbers of caesareans you can have. Women are told to have no more than 3, but that is not something that can be supported by research.
Have to go - will be back....

honeybunny · 09/08/2004 12:30

After 2 CS, no-one mentioned anything about waiting before conceiving again. My gaps are 17.5mo and what will be 2yr8mo. Your midwife is clearly mad. Change her, she'll only undermine your confidence as your pg continues. Go with Mear's advise, always sensible and balanced. Good luck and enjoy your pg.

jampot · 09/08/2004 12:32

A lady I know has just 18 months between her two c-sections and had suffered a miscarriage about 6 months after baby 1 was born.

Maybe advice is regional or dependent on each midwife individually. When I had dd I received no drugs after my csection (apart from a couple of painkillers). After I had my ds the consultant's (different to the first) practice was to administer heparin (sp?) 3 times a day until discharge. Same hospital though

mears · 09/08/2004 12:38

Sorry about that.....

I have looked through the NICE guideline and there is no mention of a specific length of time that you should wait. NICE

I think the main thing, rather than wound healing, is giving your body time to recover from childbirth itself. That is a personal decision and the fact that you became pregnant so quickly is a sign that your body has recovered.

As for your labour, I don't understand why you were told you could push when you had an anterior lip. That in itself means you were not fully dilated. Depends how longthe lip had been there and whether you were on syntocinon (makes contractions stronger) or not.

There is no reason why you should not try for a VBAC which would make your recovery easier especially with another young baby at home.

Please try and enjoy your pregnancy. I would go back to your doctor (who your trust) and talk it out with him. Tell him how you have been made to feel - by talking it out with him you may well feel better about it all. Congratulations by the way

Original poster

PreggieMum · 09/08/2004 13:03

Thanks Mears. Your post has made me feel a bit more relaxed.

It would be good to know what the risks are as well when you have time to post.

My midwife just kept saying that my body would not have recovered from the caesarian and made me feel like a complete idiot and had made a huge mistake. I mentioned to her that I had discussed with my doctor before we started trying and she said that doctors are by no means experts in pregnant women or childbirth and that I should have listened to the advice given by the midwife at the hospital.

Also, what should I do now? I have just checked the phone for messages and I have a message from the midwife asking me to call her ASAP as she needs to talk to me urgently.

I'm not sure if I want her as a midwife throughout my pregnancy, but she is the only midwife at our surgery.

Regarding the anterior lip. The way the midwife described it to me was that I was fully dilated, but I had a small amount of cervix that was in the way. Both of the midwives said that they would probably be able to use there fingers to manipulate the anterior lip - not sure if they were their exact words, but something along those lines. I was feeling a lot of pressure and a slight urge to push. I was also on a syntocinon drip by that stage as I had originally stopped dilating at around 7cm. I have no idea how long the lip had been there as I had not been examined for around 2 hours. I think the registrar must have disagreed with their decision to let me push and decided upon the c-section. I was very tired by that stage so I think the c-section on reflection was probably for the best.

OP posts:

Pagan · 09/08/2004 13:11

Congrats PM and worry about nowt. I'm 15 weeks pregnant and my DD is 11months old today and was born by emergency section. Originally had been told to wait 6mnths to 1 year before trying for another but I think that is erring on side of caution and more to give yourself a rest than because of any medical risk. My neighbour was pregnant again 4 months after her first born (also emergency cs) and she never had any bother. The second (and third and fourth) were all born naturally and she's the most chilled out person I know.

Enjoy and be happy
xx

mears · 09/08/2004 13:13

I would speak to the midwife and tell her how she has made you feel and that you feel very uncomfortable with her. She may well then redeem herself to you through discussion. I could not quote the risks to you because they are not clear cut. I have never seen a woman with a ruptured uterus who was not in labour. I have seen women have a ruptured uterus when in labour but each time they were induced which is not advisable in a previous C/S. The cases I saw were a number of years ago before we know what we do now through research. Try not to worry. Contact your midwife and find out why she wants to speak to you urgently.

mears · 09/08/2004 13:13

By the way, if the lip had been there for 2 hours, you did need a C/S.

Guard · 09/08/2004 13:29

PreggieMum - I know Mears is the expert here but I recently had a VBAC birth at home. I was lucky as the midwives I had were v supportive (I think my gap was 12 months) - and when I was considering my options and was asking the midwives about scar rupture (which seemed to be the concern) - they said you have more chance of being examined by a bogus doctor in hospital than scar rupture which made me feel loads better. Really hope you find the support you need and enjoy your pregnancy and I hope you can find a supportive midwife (the thing I learnt 2nd time was that you do have a choice !).
PS the Association of Independent Midwives is always an option...

Original poster

PreggieMum · 09/08/2004 13:30

Thanks Mears. Your advice is very helpful.

I feel quite reluctant to call the midwife back as she was so unhelpful this morning, but I will take your advice and call her later this afternoon once I have fully calmed down and DD is having her afternoon nap.

Thanks to everyone else too. It's really reassuring to know that other mums have been pregnant soon after c-sections too.

OP posts:

ionesmum · 09/08/2004 14:25

Preggiemum, I have just had my second section and have been told to wait a year before having another go but only because they think having three children so close together would be so tiring (mine are 2 and a half and 4mo). My advice from the midwife re section healing was to avoid sex for six weeks after birth so I didn't get pregnant during the healing period. Hardly two years, is it?

SofiaAmes · 10/08/2004 03:23

My labor (followed by a cs) was almost identical to yours. I had my 2nd child 22 months later by VBAC. I did lots and lots of research. As someone else said, the advice on waiting 18 months is relatively old fashioned and mostly left over from the days when cs' were done with a vertical incision. Again, as mentioned by someone else, I was told that the chances of having a rupture during labor were approximately 1% and that the number of those cases that actually resulted in serious problems for the mother (ie death) were a fraction of that. AND basically all of those occur when labor is induced. SO, nowadays they NEVER induce labor when the mother has had a previous cs. All of this information was confirmed by my OB/GYN in the usa. I'm so sorry that this midwife has scared you, it's really unprofessional.
Congratulations on your pregnancy!

bloss · 10/08/2004 04:04

Message withdrawn

Twiglett · 10/08/2004 09:16

message withdrawn

MummyToSteven · 10/08/2004 09:36

let's hope it was a grovelling apology for being so unprofessional

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