Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Childbirth

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

Original poster

Opinion in this if you would please?

26 replies

pucca · 18/07/2007 21:34

It doesn't really matter so much now, apart from niggling me a bit

My cousin was due with her 2nd on Friday, she had a em section with her first, because she didn't progree got stuck at 3 or 4 cm and the babies HB dropped, so she got rushed in for a section, had a terrible time afterwards recovering.

Anyway with this one she discussed it with a consultant who said there was no reason why she couldn't go for a natural this time around, my cousin was very happy with this.

She then moved house and had to transfer to a different hospital, she went for a routine check on Friday (EDD) and they had said they would give her a sweep, she was checked and told they couldn't perform a sweep as the cervix was too hig and still closed, then a consultant came in and said we will have to do another section because if you go too far over your EDD there is a high chance your scar will rupture! they scared her halve to death about this, but she has only had 1 section surely there is only a risk if you have had a few sections?

Anyway they booked her in for yesterday and she had a healthy little boy weighing 8lb 15oz, but because of the trauma with her last section she was very upset she had to have another.

Am i right in thinking this is wrong? how can they scaremonger her into thinking her scar would rupture? they went into major detail of what would happen etc etc.

The NHS dontcha just love it!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Original poster
pucca · 18/07/2007 21:35

progress and high! must preview!!

OP posts:
Original poster
pucca · 18/07/2007 21:37

Opinion ON this...god i am getting worse!

OP posts:
CarGirl · 18/07/2007 21:38

I suppose they were thinking with her cerivx scoring so low on the bishops score that they labour wouldn't progress easily???? I know they don't usually induce with VBAC.

You need lulumama!

octo · 18/07/2007 21:38

errr - I went 10 days over with my second after an emergency section with my first - its the contractiosn that put the scar at risk not the gestation. My hosp were well up for natural deliveries and have just had another and no-one mentioned it at all really - and have had big babies.

Al hosps are different though.

harpsichordcuddler · 18/07/2007 21:40

that is awful really awful
the chances of rupture are 1 in a 100% in a VBAC.
to suggest a high chance is just a lie
I know of no statistics about going over hte EDD.

harpsichordcuddler · 18/07/2007 21:41

yes but she was only on her EDD! plenty of time for a cervix to ripen!
god that has made me cross.

lulumama · 18/07/2007 21:43

AFAIK , it is bolleaux re chance of rupture increasing purely due to going over EDD.....even if it isn;t, there are ways of saying things!

sounds like an impatient , knife happy doctor to me

the fact she was not ripe or sweepable on her EDD is meaningless, it can change so much in a week, some women need to be pregnant for 42 or 42 weeks.. or more !

am so sorry she did end up being upset by this

scar rupture is a risk, but it is small and manageable ...and sounds like she was not given the chance to make an informed decision

IMHO, she should have waited for spontaneous labour, but sounds like she was not allowed, and did not know she could disagree

so she went to 40 + 4, and was 'forced' to have a section....

shame

lulumama · 18/07/2007 21:43

41 or 42 weeks!

Original poster
pucca · 18/07/2007 21:44

This consultant really went to town on what would happen with a rupture, my cousin ended up in tears! I think they could have given her a chance if that is what she wanted...which it was! she was really excited about having a natural.

Like i said not really important now as mum and baby are fine, and of course she is elated because she has had the baby but i just thought that is wrong, what this consultant said to her.

OP posts:
Original poster
pucca · 18/07/2007 21:46

I thought the same, with my ds i was booked for a section, had strong BH and show from the Monday i went in the Sat evening to be told "nope nothing happening at all" no dilation, cerix not ripe or anything, the next morn i went into labour and was 3cm at 11am!

They should have given her the chance,

This consultant also went on about the risk to baby if she rupured which of course would scare you to death.

I am just so for her.

OP posts:
lulumama · 18/07/2007 21:48

i would strongly suggest she complains, and that she contacts birth trauma assoc or birth crisis to go through how she is feeling

Original poster
pucca · 18/07/2007 21:49

God i seriously cannot type properly tongiht

OP posts:
harpsichordcuddler · 18/07/2007 21:49

well it isn't fine, because she is upset. unfortunately the truth is that birth isn't just about the outcome, women are deeply affected by the way they give birth. I am for your cousin.

Original poster
pucca · 18/07/2007 21:53

The other factor is too, she had a bad time with her 1st section, so had a fear of having to have another, we talked about it alot, because we both had a bad time, infact comparing my natural with a 3rd degree tear to my section...natural everytime, infact having my section put me off even thinking about having anymore children.

I haven't spoken to her yet well not since Monday, but i know she was dreading it.

OP posts:
lulumama · 18/07/2007 21:56

birth trauma assoc and birth crisis

she might find those links useful

am also that she has possible been cheated out of a vaginal birth, that she clearly craved

Original poster
pucca · 18/07/2007 22:02

Thanks lulumama...I will point her in the direction of those websites.

OP posts:
Malfoynomore · 18/07/2007 22:21

Aww Pucca, so know what you mean y your C-section child putting you off any more children...so know what you mean, so can really feel your cousins distress...as the others have sad and you already htought, it was more scaremongerng and scalpell happy doctor (bitlie the one I had last time, sigh)....obviously no one can predict what really would have happened if they let your cousin be, but we can speculate...
really hope she gets over this and it won't effect her feelidng for her child/children!

Klaw · 18/07/2007 23:38

I am FURIOUS!!!

Your cousin was misinformed and very badly treated. Imho she has grounds for complaint!

I had my VBAC at 42+1. I know of a few ladies who have had VBACs at 42+3 or 4 or even 5 and one of them was a HWBA2C!!!

Your poor cousin needs all the support now she can get. She needs to grieve for the birth she was conned out of and allowed to feel her feelings without any "you should be glad" nonsense. She may be fine and so is baby but it is VERY important, where was her informed choice?

"You should be grateful" Let her see this perhaps, print it off for her...

MKG · 19/07/2007 00:16

If I were her I would complain about the consultant.

Doctors should give us the important information so we can make good decisions, and than support those decisions, not scare us into doing something because of statistics.

IMO your cousin wasn't shown and respect and she should complain.

frapachino · 19/07/2007 00:28

Perhaps there was something in her notes from her first operation that made the consultant act with caution.
She may of had her first section for a condition known as Bandels Ring (not sure of spelling) - they only find this once they open you up. This is an unusual condition but means mothers will never be able to have a normal vaginal birth and unless given a c-section they will definately rupture which will result in the baby dying and a high chance that the mother might too. This can happen in first deliveries.
Every year around 50 mothers die during pregnancy and childbirth, individual reports are written on all of these and the consultants have to follow recommendations to improve patient safety.
1/100 chance of rupture is high in my opinion if it results in a baby dying - I'm sure that would be worse to deal with.

Original poster
pucca · 19/07/2007 06:47

Frapachino...Yes i can understand that but my cousin was told all the way through up until her appointment on her EDD, she could go natural so i doubt very much there was anything like that, or they would never had said vaginal in the first place.

The consultant at 2o-ish weeks said, i don't see why you cannot have a natural delivery, you are a young, fit healthy young woman.

OP posts:
lulumama · 19/07/2007 07:20

Bandles ring is so , so , so rare......it causes rupture itself,regardless of a previous c.s, it is so rare,if that was the case then she would have known about it..

even if rupture does occur, there is every chance it can be caught before it actually opens the uterus, and can be caught at the point of dehisence ,where the scar is starting to seperate....mary cronk has done a good article on this....

i find the whole business of consultants using their greater knowledge to scare women absolutely immoral,how can you make an infomred choice about birth with this sort of information?

harpsichordcuddler · 19/07/2007 16:19

OK even if the scar does rupture t doesn't mean that the mother or baby will die.
the risk of baby dying from a uterine rupture is 0.095%.
the risk of mother dying from rupture is 0.0095%
the risk of mother dying during elective repaet C section is 0.0184%

lulumama · 19/07/2007 18:17

good stats...where do you get them, harpsi?

Bibis · 19/07/2007 18:25

i went 17 days over the 'average' 40 days, was never told that it was increasing the risk of rupture.

I am so sorry for your cousin. I know how much a vbac means - I was cheated out of one, although did go on to have 2 vba2cs .

There is a ukvbachbac chat site on yahoo, if she ever decides to go for number 3 she would do herself a lot of favours to go and search the archives there.

I am so that the medics think that it is ok to treat her like that.

Dunno if she has a sympathetic hv? mine became my unofficial counsellor after I was diagnosed with pnd after 2nd section.

I am soooo sorry for what she has had to go through.