Anyone had an elective c-section by Mr Impey in Oxford?

[Mandy73]

Feeling so relieved right now - v early in my 1st pregnancy but have been bricking it thinking of vaginal delivery and so has DH it turns out.

It's not the pain though, or fear of tearing or anything like that. To cut a long story short we know there are no guarantees in life, disability can strike anyone at any time.

But we both grew up with younger relatives severely disabled by vaginal births gone wrong and it was no picnic for the families. We've done our homework and know a lot about the risks involved in CS but have decided it's the only way for us.

Trying to convince the NHS will be a different story. I imagine hugely stressful too. So we've now agreed if all else fails we'll pull our savings together and go private and not give a damn what people say. I'd love to hear from you if you've been through this, thanks.

I haven't had a CS but you're right to follow your instincts and to go with what you feel happy with. There is no point in people going on and on about choices if they only mean that you have to choose what they want you to do. My mother was a midwife in the 'old days' and yes things did go wrong more frequently then, but the standard of monitoring is much higher now - although no one can give absolute guarantees.

Hi and congratulations on your pregnancy. He is my consultant and I am scheduled to have my 3rd section next week, by whom though, have no idea.

Best of luck!

Thanks Cyberseraphim that means a lot.
The 'cop out' stigma is still so strong and it's affected me more than I think I knew.

Thanks ChaCha, best of luck to you too! Are you a non PC private patient if I may ask?

I've worked with Mr Impey at Oxford and he's very professional, excellent and experienced. He'll look after you very well. They're not dragons so if you're terrified (for very good reasons) of a VB that goes wrong then they will bear that in mind - they usually don't have the serious chat about it until 3rd trimester 'though IME. You might get it on the NHS so don't rush to private until you know all your options.

Thank you so much Squarah.
I've booked the nuchal scan with him so may get an opportunity to have a quick chat then.

I'm just paranoid convinced all NHS midwives are very pro VB and won't hear of anything else - it comes down to cost, doesn't it? And I'm not sure I'm strong enough to stand my ground so thought it more peaceful to look into private alternatives asap. Yes I am terrified but not sure I could convey that to a midwife without going down a v personal and painful explanation.

Mandy73 - ignore the haters. You have to. Good luck x

Many thanks LadyThompson. I've not really encountered haters as such but there are a lot of VB fans out there who are not interested in hearing my concerns and reasons (and I wouldn't want to shout about it frankly - way too private) but just want to revel in the fact that they happened to excel at VB.
If you know what I mean. x

I do know what you mean. With vaginal birth, it really is the luck of the draw - some people have amazing experiences and others ghastly ones, you never can tell, and you can never assume that you will get one or the other, however you think you have prepared. What I do think is that the way people give birth is personal to them and no one should have to feel a failure if they have a cs instead of a vb, or a hospital birth instead of a home birth, and so on.

mandy73 i think you should feel very happy indeed to have your own opinion on how you want to give birth. It's your body, your baby, your life. I had a homebirth (and had a similar fight on my hands to have one) and had to put up with negative comments all the way thro my pregnancy about how I was putting my child's life at risk and it was really annoying.
I'm sure if you pursue it thro the NHS you may get one booked. It really is worth trying as it will save you so much money (which you can then use very wisely after your baby's birth by booking a babysitter and going out for a bottle of wine with all your mates) and you really do have such a valid emotional reason for wanting one.
There are different risks with every type of giving birth, not better or worse ones, just different ones.
Stick to your guns.

Many thanks girls, I'll bring it up at the booking appointment soon (may seem a bit premature but I don't fancy walking around mulling over this until 3rd trimester or whenever you're supposed to discuss your 'choices'). It all strikes me as a bit of a postcode lottery too you know - some regions seem v pro home births, others totally against it.

Where we used to live there was a disproportionate number of emergency C-sections happening (the maternity ward was infamous for being a stressful place) and I'm asking myself: Surely that's more expensive for the NHS as basically these poor women end up giving birth twice?

I went to a talk given by Mr Impey to the NCT. He came across as respectful to women and didn't say anything that would put me off, if I were in your position Mandy.

I had a stillbirth and afterwards my GP told me he would get me an elective CS if that's what I wanted and Mr Impey's name was mentioned. It wasn't what I chose, so have no experience of how hard it would have been to get (GP said possible) but it suggests there is a possibility for you if you want it.

I should add there was no connection between my stillbirth and vaginal delivery, but GP offered it out of the blue as a choice.

I did not have a c-section, but he was my consultant and he is fab.

Not pro-section though, so when he said i should consider sections for future pregnancies due to complications this time i took it very seriously.

As much as I am pro natural birth I can see why you want a section.

But talk to Impey, he is an expert in brain damage etc sustained before/at birth (as my ds has)and he can give very detailed advice on risks and possibilities.

Mandy, I dont know your surgeon, but I have had 2 sections, and if anybody dares tell you its a cop out you put them straight.

If its something that you feel will make your experience of pregnancy and birth a more enjoyable experience you are more than entitled to it. I dont think you will have a fight on your hands, I think you are well within the bonds of a genuine reason. If you are not comfortable with the labour process then there is a chance you may labour badly and cause yourself and baby no end of problems.

As for the cs snobs, It is a difficult operation, nothing easy about it, post natal it is difficult, and painful, so cop out it is not.

Good Luck and if it is what you need, you fight your corner with the NHS, a safe happy birth is most important for you and your dc.

Message withdrawn

Mr Impey is the dogs bollocks - I live 40 mins from the Radcliff and know a lot of women who travel to see him. He saved a friend of mine from a colostomy bag after a horriffic NHS birth.

Worth every penny from what I have heard. Although you should be able to ask for a NHS referal my baby was breach until 35 weeks and I asked to be refered to him for a turn and was no problem, so push to see him on the NHS although no guarantee you will get him when your CS arrives.

Good luck

Hi Charlotte Yor, didn't we recently sing his praises on another thread?

oh yah, here

I live less than 1h 40mins away and am toying with the thought of going to see him at least once when I am next pregnant, to talk through the risks and wisdom of having a vb (which i prefer, but not if it means another little one scaring the living daylights out of me)

Not by him personally but I was under silver star for a CS 14weeks ago.
I had had a really bad experience with a previous CS at a different hospital and they were wonderful at putting me at ease.
They got DP to trim the cord, sex the baby, no-one spoke when he was born so we were the first things he heard.

Personally, I was desperate for a VB and when I get pg with no4 will be trying to go for a VB, but that is my personal preference, it's not for me to tell you what to do either way, just to advise that you make an informed decision, which it seems you are.

If you are absolutely petrified, be honest, tell them, cry if you have to! It's what got me the support to go for a VBA2C even with placental ishoos.

Congrats btw.

Thank you so much ladies, I really appreciate you taking the time to reply.

Colacubes said: "If its something that you feel will make your experience of pregnancy and birth a more enjoyable experience you are more than entitled to it. I dont think you will have a fight on your hands, I think you are well within the bonds of a genuine reason. If you are not comfortable with the labour process then there is a chance you may labour badly and cause yourself and baby no end of problems."

Spot on - exactly what we've been thinking but haven't been able to put into words. Now, I'm 100% there's nothing hereditary medically 'wrong' with the women in DH's or my family to cause these difficulties with VB, I think it's just a lottery. But in our minds the horrific, if random and rare, risks of VB are deeply embedded.

I only had my nuchal scan with him (and thought he was very professional, but funny and human as well IYSWIM), but a chum had a (failed) external inversion of breech thingie and then a CS with him, and apparently, so we hear, he be all dat AND a bag of chips
i agree with what colacubes said, so have a talk with him at your scan, i'm sure he'll be sympathetic

I know him and taught his daughter (!) - he's fabulous. Delivered my colleague's baby in about two minutes after she was told she'd need a c-section as the baby was 'stuck'(she really didn't want one). You'll be in very professional hands.

(Colleague's baby delivered vaginally)

If he used to practice in Dublin, then he frightened the life out of me unnecessarily when I was expecting ds1. He specialised in breech babies at the time? However he would have been a lot younger then.

I don't know him but i'm the same as you currently due in March 09 and if I don't get an elective its portland for me! I had an emergency c section first time around and suffered PND and anxiety attacks. I have already been told by my midwife that they would encourage a natural birth this time ! I have now demanded and got a consultant led care so hopefully she will be more sympathetic.

Good luck

Ax