Elective C-Section after Emergency last time??

[TKV]

Hi everyone, sorry if this has been covered before.
I really like to hear from people who had to have emergency c-sections for their first births and what they chose 2nd time around.
I am pretty adamant about having an elective this time as DS birth was a horrible, traumatic 14 hours that ended in an emergency under a general and we almost lost him. They actually made the first incision while I was still conscious it was all so desperate in the end.It was terrifying to say the least and I never never want us to go through anything like it again.
My decision is mainly because I just don't want to risk anything happening to this one and to be honest, I didn't cope with the pain as contractions started two minutes apart and only go closer and I could have no pain relief it turned out as it messed with my blood pressure and his heartrate etc etc
I think my mind is made up but there is a tiny part of me that wonders if I should give it a go....?? DH if pressed, thinks it would be worth a shot.

I'm seeing my GP this Thursday and was going to tell her that I want a caesarian, which I know won't be an issue.

Any thoughts?

thanks :-)

No personal experience, but sil had C' section with first (long labour, distressed baby etc.) and 'normal' birth with second...no problems at all (2 hour labour!). Other sil, on the other hand, has had 3 C'sections as there are always 'complications'. So I suppose what I am saying is I think you need to weigh up the medical reasons (if there are any) against your own personal feelings/needs.
Just trying to show that a C'section on the first needn't mean the second labour will be the same and end the same way.

I had an awful emergency c with dd.. .. (everything was going wrong, and I nearly ended up with a General A, as the anaesthetist couldn't do her job properly.)
Anyhow, I desperately wanted a non interventionist birth with number 2, and ended up with one (at home, on hall landing)

Obviously it is entirely up to you, don't make life hard on yourself, go for an elective if it will make it easier all round... but personally, and psychologically it was very important for ME to try and have a birth that I had some positive memories of- and one that I felt I had some part in.. Iykwim.

Either way I wish you lots of luck!

I had a traumatic birth first time (although not a c-section) and an elective for the second baby.

It was because I had a third (bordering on fourth apparently) degree tear first time and the consultant thought there was a risk of exacerbating it by having a natural birth second time round.

I must admit that having the date and knowing how the baby was going to be born was great. I was actually quite scared about going into labour before the c-section.

But... it was hard work physically recovering from the c-section (although emotionally it was so much better) especially with a busy toddler to care for. And I would like to have a go at having that ideal birth next time if my body has suitably recovered. We shall see.

I would try and talk to a consultant about the first birth if you can and she/he might be able to answer your questions/fears, etc.

Message withdrawn

Hi TKV
I totally understand where you are coming from (I am a doula and work with many women who had a horrendous first birth and want a VBAC).... here are some foods for thought

1. Second labours (you have laboured once so you have done the bulk of the work) are usually much better/faster/easier... (however you need to know why you had the section the 1st time)
2. You need to be aware that looking after your first born after surgery is not as straight forward as after vaginal birth (hence my clients want a VBAC)- I know some people are up and about in very little time but the vast majority of people are faster on their feet after a vaginal birth (especially a 2nd birth)... You don't usually need painkillers after a vaginal birth, you often do after a caesarean.
3. You probably need to propbably debrief probably what went wrong last time and view this new pregnancy/birth in a positive light. You can do this with a MW, a NCT teacher, a friend or a doula... you may consider speaking to a doula to see if that woudl help you have a better birh next time....

You need to do what's right for you and hopefully not be totally driven by fear if you can resolve some the issues linked to your last birth.

thanks everyone.
I"m only about 5 minutes pregnant, (well 6 weeks) so its very early days anyway. it was just the first thing I started thinking about.... I'm quite small and ds was huge and (apparently???) babies tend to get bigger.....

Pph with first, very big tear and trainee midwife, second was a twin pregnancy and we knew one had a lethal heart defect so had epidural in case c section was needed )it wasn't), no.3 turned round in labour and was footling breech therefore emergency c section. Was petrified with no 4 - agreed that if I wasn't progressing well (1cm an hour) I could opt for c section and would be closely monitored. Was 2 weeks overdue and induced, petrified, especially after a gruesome Holby City the night before. As it was, I felt a few tringes then dd was born in about 20 mins on the third little push. I must say I was proud of myself for going through with natural birth but totally understand how you feel. My advice - make sure the hospital staff really know how you feel and good luck whatever you decide.

thanks pupuce
someone recommended getting my hospital notes to then go through it all with either my gp or midwife etc.. can I just ask for them?

Size of baby is not something you should worry about now.... see how he/she grows. I have seen several mums have huge babies 1st and then significantly smaller one next time around !
If next baby is huge I am SURE they will suggest a section anyway.

Yes write to hopsital and ask for your notes... they will probably charge you... usually +/- £10, if it is much more than you should challenge them!
If you struggle.,.. get in touch with AIMS (aims.org.uk) they are use to this problem and can advice.

thanks again

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TKV - i had a v long labour spanning 3 days after waters breaking a week earlier and ended up with an emergency c/s. I had been pushing for 4 hours and it was all very traumatic. I wrote a letter of complaint to the hospital as I felt they had failed me. I had a meeting and ultimately a formal letter of apology on several of the points raised and this really did help me to "recover" from the birth and move on. However when next pregnant I really wanted a vaginal birth but after leaking waters and some contractions at 29 weeks my consultant said he would have to insist I to go down the elective c/s route at 37 weeks as second baby was bigger (8lb 12) than first baby (8lb 9.5)at 39 weeks. I was disappointed but I have to say that an elective c/s is so different to an emergency. It is still early days to make your mind up and you may feel different at various stages of your pregancy but if you feel you haven't moved on from your first very traumatic birth then I would suggest speaking to a health professional to get a view on this first. Hope you have a great and peaceful pregnancy xx

I had a long (3 day) labour ending in c-section for my first child - part of the problem was that he was 'too big' for my pelvis.
I had a VBAC for my second child - who turned out to be 1lb heavier than my first..so even if the baby is bigger you may be able to deliver it without a c-section.
To be honest, both of my labours were slow, and complicated..where the baby finally appeared from made no real difference (was fully anaesthatised for second birth as they were assessing me for a emergency section at the time) - Main difference is the recovery time...I found that, with a toddler to take care of as well as the new baby, I was glad that I wasn't recovering from a c-section.
But then, if you decide on an elective you can make sure you have plenty of help organised!
Good luck in whatever you choose.

My babies have got progressively smaller - thank goodness as dd1 was 9lb7oz!

I had an emergency c-section with ds. If I ever have another, have already decided it will be an elective c-section.

had an 'emergency' c- section last time - th is time the registrar at the hospital wanted to automatically book me for an elective c-section. Even though the reasons I had the c-section in the first place are not prevalent in this pregnancy.

I have chosen ot have a VBAC - not because I feel I missed out on anything last time or for some noble cause but for sheer practicality. I have a child with sn and she is 2 but not walking, attends weekly therapy and sn playgroup. The recovery time needed for a caesar and what is involved in that would make life very very difficult and she would miss out on her therapy and such - don't want that as she has really only started therapy since we moved here and come on in leaps and bounds.

To get your hospital notes - just write to the head of medical records with your name, d.o.b and hospital no if you know it - they may send a form out for you to fill out - it cost me 25 pounds for my notes - and they will send you a copy of your notes - makes for very interesting reading.

I had a cs with ds1 and a vbac with ds2. It really helped me that I could go through my notes about ds1 birth with a dedicated midwife from the hospital when I was thinking about my birth plan (at an early stage, like you). You may not find it easy to interpret the notes on your own - am assuming there will be a certain amount of jargon. Ask your doctor/midwife if your hospital provides this service - called afterthoughts at my hospital.
I also hold with the view that, if there are no medical reasons for recommending a cs the second time around, you will get much more attention from a well qualified midwife as you will be categorised as a potentially difficult birth.
You'll know about the (apparently tiny) risks of uterine rupture (ie the cs scar tearing when uterus contracting, I think) - something to bear in mind, but I believe shouldn't be decisive if you're in a hospital.
Having said all that, my cs, although emergency, wasn't anywhere near as traumatic as yours. After really straightforward begining at 8.30 in the morning, arriving in hospital 4cm dilated at lunch time, I failed to progress, baby began to show signs of distress and by 8pm the doctor said something like 'we've got to get this baby out of here' and I was in theatre by 9 with a topped up epidural and after a lot of pulling and tugging, a perfect baby emerged. I would therefore entirely understand that you don't want to go through an experience as traumatic as your first. Would you consider asking for a trial of labour, but on the understanding that if it's not progressing well, you have a cs? Or would that be risking the emergency and trauma of last time?
Good luck with whatever you decide.
Someone on mn the other day made the point that you're hoping to have a baby, not a good labour - put it in perspective for me. (If I go on to have a 3rd, I'll be recommended to have a cs, which I was disappointed with...)

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the only thing that matters is that you and your baby are delivered safely. How that happens is not important. After the trauma of your son's birth I'd be inclined to go for something over which you have more control, if only because the smooth process might prove incredibly cathartic. But that's just my opinion. Why did you end up having an emergency c-section? Position of baby? Your physiological make-up? Might it help to make a decision if you have a better idea as to what went wrong and what the likelihood of it happening again is?

thanks so much everyone, its really helpful to hear your stories and get your opinions, and you're right, its the safety of our baby and me that really matters in the end, not the type of delivery. I'm concerned I'll spend the next 7 months worried about the labour if I plan to try for a 'natural' delivery and that won't be good for either of us.
I recovered amazingly well after my c-section last time (bucket loads of arnica before hand) so I'm not so worried about when we come home. I just don't know, but this has provided really good food for thought and I appreciate it. I'll definitely get my notes though, it will be a good start plus it might get rid of some of my bad feelings about ds birth.
btw, I've changed my mn nickname, tkv was a bit boring but I couldn't think of anything else at the time!
x

thanks Willow2
thats just the thing, I've no idea why I didn't progress and why it all got so frantic at the end. Someone came to see me the next day, the consultant who delivered ds I think, but I've got no idea what he said! I think I was still in shock over the whole thing. which is a shame as I remember him being very nice and explaining everything and trying to make sure I understood (clearly didn't take a word in though!)
The hospital and staff were actually very good (Chelsea & Westminster) and we had a truly wonderful midwife plus a support person (our shiatsu practioner, a gorgeous women who specialises in childbirth), so I certainly wasn't lacking support or good care and it still all turned to pot! Poor dh was left sitting in a corrider, having been removed from the theatre, thinking his baby was going to die. It was awful, friends asked us a few days later how it all went and he just sat there with his head in his hands and cried. It just broke my heart and I'm not sure we could endure it all again.
sorry to be all dramatic, still upsets though

If you want to give a VBAC a go then you can do so with the agreement that you can ask for a c-section at any point if you decide things are headed the same way as last time. You've got a long time to think about it and chan change your mind right up to the last minute. As Willow says, the only thing that matters is that you both come out of it safely in the end.

I had a very good elective caesarian for placenta praevia last time, and will be repeating the experience in Feb. An elective can be a lovely, calm, peaceful experience IME. Certainly no atmosphere of panic and pandemonium as with some emergencies. I have very positive memories of it and felt far less out of control (well, not at all, actually) than many people who have natural births. I was a little nervous but never actually scared and the pain afterwards is very manageable with painkillers. I recovered quite quickly. Came home after four days in hospital (could have and should have come home earlier, will aim for two days max this time), came home on Friday and on Monday dh went back to work. I was driving pretty much from then on. Walking a bit slowly though!
That's my experience, but if you really do feel you'll be missing out my not giving birth vaginally, then you may make a different choice. It's not a feeling I've ever had tbh.

TKV, what happened whenyou saw the consultant on Thurs?

I had emergency CS first time after a similar labour situation to yours (v rapid contractions etc), and although DS, thank God, was fine, it was v stressful.

I knew in my heart this time round i wanted elective CS, but felt I had to go through motions of "considering the options". It was only when the obstetrician said to me "If you are not fully committed to VBAC, you and your baby wld be better off with an elective" that I realised how ridiculous my situation was. I WASN'T fully committed to VBAC.

I had an elective and it was a much more positive experience for our whole family. Also, after much pressing (and quite a few drinks), three of my VBAC friends have admitted that although they felt "proud" of their VBACs, they'd never do it again (e'g they'd have an elective CS instead next time) as things have never been the same downstairs since. This may seem trivial to some, but my sex life is quite important to me and I'm glad I don't have to worry about that on top of all the other pressures on our sex life now we have 2 children!

thanks lulupop, its really encouraging to hear your story and like you, I'm just not committed to a VBAC.
I saw the GP on Thursday who has referred me to the consultant obstetrician at South Westminster Clinic who will go through my notes with me to work out what went wrong last time. She started to say 'well, the NHS are cutting down on elective c-sections and just see what he says etc etc' but when I pushed her, she did agree that ultimately it was my choice, so that was a relief.My only problem is that I saw this consultant when I was pregnant with ds as I had v. low blood pressure and he was rather an arrogant twat to be honest, so I hope I don't now have to have a real battle on my hands. What has been great about reading through this and other threads and just having the week to think is that I know I've made up my mind so I just want to get it sorted out now.
tkv (aka, Miss Tuesday )
xx