High rates of intervention?

[LorlieS]

The C-Section rate is 40-something percent in my local NHS Trust. This seems remarkably high when considering labour and birth are in essence natural processes? Why might it be? What are rates like nationally I wonder?

I've had 8 pregnancies and 3 births. First birth - hospital induction (in hindsight should have declined). Second birth - "normal" delivery in hospital. Third birth (decade after second!) - "normal" delivery at home with no intervention (no internal exams, natural delivery of placenta etc) with an Independent Midwife.

Your post sounded like you were promoting home births hence me saying many women just don’t want to. Although I may have misunderstood that.

C-sections are usually circa 48% in my local area too. I was very surprised when I started following the local trust and seeing the stats.

@Riverstep Not at all. I think it is imperative for women to be able to make fully informed choices with all of the correct factual information given. I strongly feel this is not always the case - I know it wasn't for me on quite a few occasions.
But having had two hospital births (at 26 and 29) and a home birth with a IM (at 39) I am always happy to share my experiences when asked 😊

I always thought the 'higher risk' issues were for first time births. You said your last was at 39 with a high BMI. Not your first.

Women tend to put on weight as they get older and obviously with birth control being a relatively new invention older mothers giving birth to their 6, 7th 10th babies well into their 40's were quite common! Especially as not all the children survived.

40 year old first time mothers however are erm a more modern phenomenon.

I had a cord prolapse and a crash section that saved my baby's life OP. Very happy to have been in hospital and very happy to have had access to a swift c section.

@ilostmyhearttoastarshiptrouper So sorry to hear that, hope you and baby all OK now?
I can of course only speak from personal experience and opinion but if I were to have a fourth (and no possibility of any more sadly) I would absolutely opt for an IM home birth again.

@LorlieS I have very little patience for that view to be honest. My 'baby' is 9. Fit, well and wonderful. They had 3 minutes to deliver her due to the nature of the prolapse. Anywhere other than a hospital would have meant I lost her. The risk is unnecessary and stupid in my opinion and walking away from the modern technology and medical advancements you have access to is ridiculous and somewhat insulting to the women all over the world who don't have such luxury and lose babies all the time.

Nobody asked though. You started a thread asking about other people’s experiences so you can say how much better yours were. I think this thread isn’t very well intentioned if I’m honest.

@ilostmyhearttoastarshiptrouper If you look at the evidence you will find that for subsequent babies (e.g. not firsts) home births are as safe as hospital deliveries.
Please do your research before suggesting women that do not birth in hospital are taking "stupid" and "unecessary" risks. That's simply ill-informed.

@LorlieS As already stated, my research is first hand and based on my own experience (second baby I should add). Home births are fine, until they're not.

Statistics are also often inaccurate as when it goes wrong, women are often taken into hospital, more risky births are planned for hospital not at home etc etc. Your view is wrong and dangerous and I just hope that you never have to find out how risky a choice it is.

Similar here. A combination of following Saving Babies Lives recommendations so more issues/potential issues are picked up. Hopefully as intervention goes up, mortality goes down.

Of course the danger is that there is over intervention. But that’s where we are with our Ockenden era, risk averse, scared of legal action and investigations maternity care system.

Well it seems you have no issue accessing statistics and facts on home birth, so why not do the same research into interventions and answer your own question? Rather than asking women on the internet?

Also look at the induction stats. A higher induction rate will equal a higher lscs rate.

now their induction rate may well be justified if they have a lot of high risk women and/or are good at picking up problems antenatally. Yes some of those problems may actually not have been a problem if left…..but I guess there’s no crystal ball in obstetrics. You’d hope the doctors are making evidence based decisions in conjunction with the women.

@ilostmyhearttoastarshiptrouperWith all respect, it's not "research" if it's simply based on your experience of one birth alone! Again your blinkered view that home births are dangerous is entirely misinformed and inaccurate. I'm not having any more children with 100% certainty but if I was I would never again have another hospital birth.

@LorlieS and you would hold onto that viewpoint would you, regardless of advice or circumstance? If your picture perfect home birth went wrong and they wanted to take you in to hospital, you would refuse would you? If there were increased risks for whatever reason and you were advised to have a hospital birth, you would refuse would you?
Do you think I should have had a home birth when my 9 year old was born? Did I do it all wrong?

Many reasons -

• Breech baby that refused to turn (yes I know you can birth a breech baby but I wouldn't want to)
• Other positions too like baby coming out face first
• Placenta praevia
• Maternal request
• Concerns for baby
• Concerns for mum
• Prolapse
• Previous C-section(s) where mother has either opted for elective or her VBAC attempt failed)
• Multiples births where it's medically required or the maternal request
• I imagine lots of inductions would end up in EMCS, mine did, I didn't respond to the drugs and once you've started the process that's it.
• Maternal anxiety or trauma (comes under maternal request I guess but feels different)

Also as previously said

• High BMI
• Maternal age

Because an "unnecessary in hindsight" C-section is preferable to a baby with brain damage?

@ChrisPackhamsYellowFleece of course it is. A C Section can be a life saver (it was in my wonderful DDs case. I will be forever grateful that I was in a hospital with all the resources needed to ensure a safe delivery.

In 2008/9 so the rate has increased over 50% in 14 years. Mind boggling

@ilostmyhearttoastarshiptrouper That would have been my call to make those decisions based on sound advice from a well-informed health care professional. I felt my IM was such a professional and I had every faith in both of my attending and highly experienced midwives.
I have never once said you should have had a home birth, but I think it's a mistake you have made to condemn other women for their choices based on inaccurate and misinformed beliefs.

I think it's a mistake you have made to condemn other women for their choices based on inaccurate and misinformed beliefs

You’re the one starting a thread about the birth choices of other women..!

@Lorelaigilless It is. I was genuinely taken aback at the stats.

It's about 40% at my hospital too. Had a cesarean for my first due to breech - ECV failed. They said I could try for a natural birth, but not in their trust - would have to travel to nearest city hospital to give it a go due to lack of experience!

I did have a vbac for my second, successfully, after 2 sweeps, and was very happy to be in hospital for a precipitous labour with shoulder dystocia. They had to resuscitate my baby girl next to me :(

I've no idea on overall stats, but I don't know anyone well enough to discuss childbirth, who managed without intervention, except my mum. Most friends had emergency Cs followed by planned Cs.

@LorlieS you wouldn't have had time for lengthy debate OP. I went from all fine to crisis in moments. No time to ponder, wait for ambulances, consider the choices etc. The choice was c section or the death of my baby. I am not unique here and you are incredibly naive. Intervention in childbirth can be the difference between life and death. "I would never have a hospital birth" is a ludicrous position to spout on a public forum.

OP i also have had positive birth experiences. First, gas and air only, vaginal, no tears. Second and third both natural water births, gas and air when needed. Again no tears. 4th, induction, drip, pethadine. Tear.
I'm under no illusion that i am extremely lucky, to have had the births I had, home birth is an option but not one i would have wanted. I felt safer in the hospital.