Emergency C section

[Giltedged]

I’m pretty much resigned to having my baby this way - it was supposed to be a planned section but doesn’t seem to be happening.

I lost consciousness after the EMCS last time and so didn’t get skin to skin. I’m unsure whether this was down to the section or the various attempts at delivery preceding it. Would welcome any experiences others had as I’m feeling like it’s all slipped out of my control a bit!

What’s happened? Why can’t you have a planned one? X

I’m not sure to be honest - it all feels a bit shambolic! They could contact me tomorrow I suppose but it does feel a bit like we’ve just been left to it.

Your message doesn’t really make sense to me

if you are not in labour and want a c section that’s elective - just ask your midwife and see what they say

if you are currently in labour then it’s up to you and the midwife/consultant to determine next steps - ie whether emergency c section is the way to go

there js a massive difference between labouring + emegency C-section and elective c section

@Namechangedforthis25 it doesn’t make sense to me either but I was supposed to be having a planned section. I’m now over 38 weeks and this has not been organised.

I don’t have any more appointments so it is just a waiting game seeing when I go into labour. Unfortunately I doubt very much I’ll be able to give birth vaginally so I’ll end up with a section but unplanned rather than the elective I thought I was going to get. I don’t mind as such but I do want to know worst case scenario if it’s normal to lose consciousness after the EMCS, or if that was caused by the induction and attempting a natural birth / drugs?

There's no way anyone on here can give you any insight to why you lost consciousness last time. If you're having this baby in the same Trust as the last one then it will most likely be possible to go through things either with an anaesthetist (probably the best person as they'd have managed whatever the problem was) or the surgeons, but you do need to ask for that to happen.

If you want/are supposed to be having a section and have slipped through the nets then why not contact them and ask what's happening? Either contact the midwives/your consultant's secretary if you have a consultant/ your pregnancy assessment unit/ labour ward. It really won't be that hard to find out.

I’ve tried @Greybeardy but I don’t think the left hand knows what the right is doing.

I feel pretty resigned in my own head to an EMCS now (unplanned probably more accurate) and I’m actually all right with that. I just don’t want it to affect feeding.

You need to contact the hospital tomorrow to say you're 38 weeks and haven't received a date yet.

When were you signed off for the section? When did they say you'd receive the date by? It's normally done in week 39 so there's still time for it to be arranged.

Yes definitely contact the hospital or your own midwife- your notes should have their details on but even call triage so they can pass on the details of the team that does the bookings. It seems you have possibly slipped through the net but if it's a c section you want then it's worth chasing a date for an elective to give you the best possible experience. It depends also when it was spoken about in your midwife/consultant appointments (assuming you were consultant led if previous c section) that you wanted an ELCS and not a VBAC. Electives are usually scheduled around 39 week mark so there is time but worth chasing.

Can't answer why you lost consciousness last time, could have been due to low blood pressure from either spinal/epidural anaesthesia or blood loss but that is just a stab in the dark. Attempting induction is unlikely but could have been down to drugs depending on what pain relief you had whilst in labour. Only the staff that have access to your medical records could give you that info.

Thanks. It’s a mystery to be honest, as I indicated at around 20 weeks an elective would be my preference. I obviously didn’t expect a date then but I am now 38 + 2 and it feels we’re skimming very close to the edge!

I spoke to my brother briefly last night who thinks the strikes may have had an impact, which I did not think of. I don’t actually mind what happens as long as I am not induced - if it ends up being an unplanned section I’m fine with that, but I want to be prepared for whatever I suppose! The main worry is that I’m just left and go overdue but I guess I’d be best ringing the midwives if that happens.

So you have not heard anything from them in the last 18 weeks?

What has your midwife said about the situation?

What happened at your 36 week appointment? That's usually when your birth preferences are discussed and confirmed.

Also, I obviously have absolutely no idea of your specific circumstances but second labours are, in general, overwhelmingly less eventful/ difficult/ long so you've got an excellent chance of a simple vaginal birth should it happen spontaneously before you get your C-section.

I don't think it's that common to lose consciousness after C-section but it does sound as if you'd had a difficult time up until that point so it may have been exhaustion and your body just going in to a bit of shock.

Good luck, chase up the hospital.

I wonder if they don't actually know you want an ELCS. You would usually be given a consultant appointment where it was all confirmed.

what’s your BP?

I had both an EMCS and an ELCS. Both times I had problems staying conscious- they had to fill me with fluids, tilt the table head down, and give me BP drugs to keep me awake.

it’s a reaction to the spinal anaesthetic. I also felt shaky, sick and dizzy as my BP dropped. I had to go “into myself” and really focus on staying conscious.

I naturally have low BP, even lower in pregnancy so that probably doesn’t help.

The best way to get somewhere with it is to contact, contact them and contact them again. Send messages/emails or phone anyone who will listen today if that’s what you want to happen. Usually you’d have an appointment at 36/37 weeks if they were booking in a csection so I think they either don’t have that down, it’s not been passed on to the consultant or someone’s forgotten to make you an appointment. Unless you want to try a vaginal birth and see how it goes then the power is in your hands to make them do something about it. Good luck

@Lastusernamecantthinkofanotherone I have low BP and expected this to happen to me, maybe the anxiety of the whole thing kept it up a bit (or they sneaked the medication in without saying) but surprisingly I was fine. I managed to stand up that night and everything fine but the next morning I felt like I was going to faint, the whole room was so hot, my eyes were going funny and I was sick. They had to give me anti sickness medication and I’m sure it was all caused by my BP dropping, maybe from losing blood over night. I’m dreading this happening next time 🤦🏻‍♀️ Definitely better to be low than high though!

Thanks @Lastusernamecantthinkofanotherone . I think my BP is usually fine but it helps to know this might be the case.

I have signed the consent forms for the elective section and done everything I ‘should’ have done if you like.

I do understand people think just ringing up will sort it - it won’t. I know they could call me today or early next week and that’s fine, but at this late stage I’d just rather be prepared myself for whatever: to be blunt I just don’t feel I can rely on the hospital.

@lavenderdilly I think that’s true for previous vaginal births but that isn’t applicable here I don’t think.

So when you went through the consent forms with the surgeon how did they say that you would find out the date? or get the pre-assessment stuff done? or when you would meet an anaesthetist? It really is as easy as making phone calls if you want to find out what's going on... it might take a few calls to find the right person, but that's the only way you're going to find out.

low BP probably would be the most common reason for someone passing out in theatre but it's definitely not the only reason and it makes a difference if that low BP was due to predictable side effects of the spinal or something else like blood loss. They need to know you're coming up soon so they can make proper plans for that if it was something more complicated - your community midwife may not have thought of that though so again, it sounds like you need to be the proactive one and get some answers.

If you just turn up in labour they will do the best they can to look after you with the info they have, but if you put in some work now things might turn out to be at least a bit nicer for you.

Doctors strikes will have had absolutely no effect on booking an elective section.

@Greybeardy - trying not to be grumpy here, but It really is as easy as making phone calls if you want to find out what's going on no, trust me, it is not.

It is totally possible I will be contacted today or Monday or Tuesday. But as you can imagine the uncertainty is a bit stressful, so I want to try to prepare myself mentally a bit. Apart from anything else, I know they won’t do the section before 39 weeks and something could well happen before then. I’m asking here in good faith and I really don’t need to be told I’ve done anything ‘wrong’; I haven’t.

In defence of posters, your messages are a bit conflicting. You initially said that you had indicated an elective would be your preference at around 20 weeks (which makes it sound like you’d just quite like one but you’d not mentioned it since then) but now you’ve said that you’ve signed all of the paperwork for an elective c section but they’ve not given you the date.

Did you discuss it with your midwife at your 36 week appointment? Can you call your community midwives and ask when you can expect to receive a date through for your elective c section, they might be able to chase the hospital more effectively than you.

I know a couple of people who were due an ELCS, but went into labour the week before it was scheduled. It was still very different to an emergency c section, if that’s any consolation.

@GiraffeLaSophie please don’t feel you need to defend anyone. I’m not having a go, just trying to keep the thread on topic and trying not to turn this into something I’ve done wrong.

I don't think anyone is saying you've done anything wrong but sitting back and not trying to contact the hospital at 38 weeks when you've not had an elective date through is not great. You can turn up to the hospital in labour and they will do an unplanned section if noone higher priority is in theatre but if they have other emergencies and you and your baby are stable then you may not get into theatre before you are fully dilated etc. The hospital will do their best to not let this happen but it will be out of their control as to what else is going on on the delivery suite.
You need to chase this, you may have to call a few different numbers but you will get an answer eventually. They hopefully haven't forgotten you but it is very unusual to have not had a date for a section at 38 weeks. Best to be proactive so you can have the calm elective section you want.

Second labours can be straightforward even after C-section, and it sounds like you got someway down the road with labouring the first time if you had induction etc.

Just trying to give you some peace of mind that it won't necessarily be awful if you have a spontaneous VB x

Thanks, @lavenderdilly - hope so!

I don’t understand why you don’t want to call them to chase them up? Seems stubborn without any context of why you can’t call them?
im also 38 weeks and my birth choices were confirmed in my 36 week appointment.