i want a c section how do i get one

[hayley2u]

i am 32 weeks. and absolutly terrified about giving birth.i already have one son who gave birth naturally too. it was horible experience and was so torn a nd sore but they never gave me stiches when i was told later i should have had at least 5. i'm so scared and would love a c section just having nightmares about it. does anyone have any advice as think doctor will just laugh at me

no iv never reaaly spoke of it. when i had my son i was 20 and felt really embarassed by all. weird really when id gone through all that.but i did think they did not listen to me first time round as they saw me as a young girl.now everything is diferent i 25 and ill be able to speak up about it all.hust hope they help me . have been googling and now ill print some things off will make appointment tommorrow and take all to show him. hope they help

My best friend had a nightmare time with the birth of her first dc she was in theatre prepared for a section in case they couldn't get him out with forceps and so was booked for a section with her dd but went into labour 2 days before her section was booked and was in labour for 3 hours and was so pleased she stuck it out!

Hayley, sssshhh, you're not supposed to say that out loud Seriously though, I feel exactly the same as you about wanting a C-section and have done some research on it. You are perfectly within your rights to request a C-section for non-medical reasons and extreme fear of labour is a recognised valid reason. A consultant is, of course, able to refuse you one but then s/he is under obligation to find a consultant who will give you a section (I think I have that right). I would go straight to your consultant though, as your GP won't be able to do anything other than refer you - they don't have the power to agree to a section for you. Check out this link for further information:

www.csections.org/rights.php

That's a great website Tinkjon - thanks!

thanks for them v printed them off too. im going to study it all to show my consultanton wed

Try and find out unofficially the name of a sympathetic consultant, ie one not fiercely into any one thing. I called the Birth Afterthoughts service at the hospital for an off-the-record recommended name for my elective CS on these grounds (after an Em CS). Once I'd won over my GP (much genuine weeping to demonstrate my fear) I gave him that name to write a referral letter to. Think it must have been a v good letter, everyone pussyfooted around me from then on.
For your reassurance Hayley, my elective cured my terrors completely and 2.5yrs later I'm thinking I might even go for a VBAC if we ever have another baby.

Yes, I found the same thing Bouquets, I had two two elective CS after a traumatic first birth and then had a VBA2C a few years later.

I told my midwife at about 28 weeks, I had a growth scan and a consultant appointmentbooked for 30weeks so she just said to raise it then. I explained my reasons to the consultant and that I understood risks of c-section and she agreed that I could have one with the proviso that see her again at 36 weeks before we booked a date. I was calm, rational and determined, didn't even need to cry.

Then I got my Emergency section at 32 weeks!

hayley, do come back next week and tell us how you got on.

If you do get a c-section booked remember also that you would still have the right to change your mind and go for a vaginal birth if you came round to the idea nearer your due date.

Once you've got your c-section safety net in place and can stop worrying, you may be able to think more clearly about the pro's and cons of a vaginal birth.

thats very true. i love the whole idea of going in to labour as will be nice experience but my doubts over do it and would like the c section plus my partner will be garaunteed to be there as he works away

I've only skimmed this but to my knowledge (having had an elective c-section for ds2) it is your maternal right to have a section if you choose. It is not up to the medical profession to make that decision for you. They are obliged to educate you on the risks etc of both options but it was never the case that I had to argue my position and it was never in question whether or not I would be 'allowed' as such to have one. It was on the NHS, I was not a private patient so I don't think that makes a difference either....
I had an emergency section with ds1 but a close friend just had an awful 'natural' birth experience and had an elective c-section with her ds2 without any problems at all.
I think it is important to know that this is your right and you cannot be refused a section. I"m not saying you should definitely have one, only you can make that decision but it might be reassuring to know the choice truly is yours.

It is our right to give birth by c-section if we would prefer to but as gatekeepers to NHS services, it is the health professionals job to persuade us to only take the recommended route if at all possible.

Some take this role very seriously and do not acknowledge patient choice as a vaild reason for performing a c-section. It is then your right to be referred to the care of another doctor who will undertake the c-section option.

I would also recommend seeing if there are any NCT antenatal classes in the next few weeks you could attend, just in case you do have to cope with a bit of labour. It will also help you assess your reactions to the idea of labour and you might get some different insights from the teachers you hadn't thought of.

Hayley,

I completely sympathise, you've had a terrible experience, and unfortunately with staffing shortages in most hospitals there will be an increasing number of women sharing your fears.

However, after spending a few days on a post-natal ward filled with c-section patients, I think anyone who would opt for that over a vaginal delivery needs their head examining.

It's not an easy option. Those women couldn't move for 12 hours, had to call for help just to pick up their babies or get a drink, they were sitting on soiled pads they were unable to change themselves, one spent the entire night vomiting uncontrolleably, catheters, IV drips, pain killers... Then you've got a long recovery period from serious abdominal surgery while looking after another child.

I'm not scaremongering. This is the reality of c-sections. (I'm sure someone will be on in a moment saying it's a breeze and they'd be more qualified than me to comment) but I felt like a complete fraud being up and about immediately.

You CAN have a positive second birth experience. I can strongly recommend the Gentle Birth Method by Gowri Motha and that you check out hypnobirthing or self-hypnosis. It can have a remarkable effect on your confidence that birth can be quick and the pain manageable. I was very worried about my 2nd birth, and this helped a lot (and I ENJOYED it, looking back!)

2nd births are generally faster and easier.

I'd also recommend you hire a doula or IM who can build your confidence beforehand and be with you through the birth...it can make a massive difference. Not least because you can stay away from the hospital for as long as possible.

But good luck with whatever you decide. In the end it's delivering a healthy baby that matters.

yes, you are scaremongering.

I am not going to say that an elective c section is an 'easy' thing to go through. Certainly, there is a recovery period. However, knowing you are having a one can take away elements of fear. In my case, the recovery was quick and involved no unexpected horrors.

Meant to say - that was in response tp Brummie.

Hi, so sorry to hear of your bad experience. Get in touch with Doula UK and randomly talk to a few Doulas about childbirth. Doulas hear all sorts of experiences and they can reassure you that you're actually not alone. If you can't persuade "them" to do a c, get a doula you trust. I've had 4 dd's. 3 at home. I'd rather give birth than have a filling! Hope you get the outcome that's right for you. Childbirth can be beautiful and rewarding. Good luck.

hayley

i have had a c.s and a vaginal birth

i will reiterate the advice i gave on another thread

sort out the birth trauma, before this baby arrives, you are projecting a lot onto this birth, that needs dealing with

look into a doula. i am in the north west and i know there are doulas in your area

be rational and calm when you see the consultant, get informed about your options

I don;t think Brummie's post is scaremongering..the reality of a c.s, elective or otherwise, is that it is major abdominal surgery, complications to mother and baby can ensue , there is pain afterwards, there can be other issues

no good pretending it is an easy alternative

any good midwife or consult. will point out the pros and cons of a c.s

What Lulumama says about sorting out the trauma from the first time is so true. After 3 quite traumtic inducations and births, I embraced the 4th and it was fantastic, a completely different experience both for the pregnancy and the birth.

this is what the NICE guidelines say

Maternal request is not on its own an indication for CS and specific reasons for the
request should be explored, discussed and recorded.
When a woman requests a CS in the absence of an identifiable reason, the overall
benefits and risks of CS compared with vaginal birth should be discussed and
recorded.
When a woman requests a CS because she has a fear of childbirth, she should be
offered counseling (such as cognitive behavioural therapy) to help her to address her
fears in a supportive manner, because this results in reduced fear of pain in labour
and shorter labour.
An individual clinician has the right to decline a request for CS in the absence of an
identifiable reason. However the woman?s decision should be respected and she
should be offered referral for a second opinion.

So long as you can demonstrate you've done your research, understand the risks & realise that CS is not the easy option I would have thought any decent consultant would support you.

C-sections are horrible. My first one was a c-section and the recovery time was so long. There is more risk to both the mother and the child with a c-section. Unless it is a medical necessity I would never want one. Ask for an epidural if you are really worried. Ther is very little pain with epidural. And make sure that you let the doctor know what happened before so that it is clear that you do not want it to happen again.

Sigh, I don't what we're all arguing about, it's all a lottery whether you get a pleasant or unpleasant natural birth or CSecion (same goes for aftereffects), anything can happen or not happen. Although most people seem to get natural labour right by about baby no 4 .

brummi and leatie I completely agree that c-sections 'can' be awful experiences for some people with the complications and long recovery periods you mention, but natural birth can also result in complications and long recovery periods. As bouquetsofdynomite says, its a lottery and I don't think its helpful to generalise and suggest that anyone choosing an elective c-section 'needs their head examined' that's a little offensive to say to someone considering this option for very valid reasons. I chose an elective c-section and was extremely clear headed about it, it was right for us. I had absolutely no complications with either of my c-sections and my recovery was fast and without any problems at all. I was up and about the next morning, showering, dressing and doing everything I would expect to be doing post birth anyway. This is just my experience but I think its important to acknowledge that c-sections don't have to be dreadful. For us, ds2's birth was a very special, calm and amazing experience, everything I had hoped for.

Having had two wonderful natural births I want to tell you to go for it.

Unfortunately every other person I know with a baby has had a C-section, and all would choose a c-section over a trial of labor for their second babies. Women that I know that have had an elective say that it was wonderful. They went in prepared, ready, and in good spirits, and recovery was relatively good (under the circumstances of major surgery). My sil was cooking and cleaning 4 days after her 3rd section (of course she also wore her house slippers to do grocery shopping so she was a little hopped up on pain killers).

Good luck to you whatever you decide.