c-section a must, if refused i'll need to pay, advise on getting c-section on nhs or paying the nhs in wales, or private c-section in wales

[Ema76]

a c-section is a must for me.
i am really worried that i will be refused one on the nhs. if so i have to have options. can i pay the nhs to give me one? really want to have my baby in wales too which restricts me as it seems more private c-sections are done in London.
Does anyone know of a good private hospital in wales (south in particular) and how much it would cost?

Many thanks for your help.

Ema, Just the one CS... It was glued.

ANd, yes, I was over the moon with every aspect of my CS, including my recovery and the resulting scar...

yes glue is good isn't it!! amazing what they can do. so glad everything went well for you that's excellent ycbs.

Congratulations, Ema. I do remember hating waiting until 36 weeks to get it booked and then feel it was official. Glad you got it agreed early so you can relax and enjoy pregnancy (as much as anyone can enjoy being hormonal, tired, and fat).

I had a long string thing the was wooven through and the midwife pulled out after a few days. The first one left an okay scar. Not great but not bad. The second time the scar was much better.

I would think a hospital has a standard practice of staple, string, glue. But, hey if you don't ask, you won't get.

One thing I asked for on my birth plan was to have the medicine added to my drip rather than shoved up my bum (which is apparently the usual practice).

Very glad to hear that you are getting your elective, Ema.

Hmm, I do know what Starlight means....

But for myself, I can only repeat that I GENUINELY don't mind what birth people have. I wouldn't choose a homebirth, for instance (my Mum thinks I'm mad as she loved hers!) but I would - literally - march on the streets if necessary to support the right of someone else to have one. Same if someone really wanted a VBAC. You might say there are potentially 'dangers', to use an obviously dramatic word (and the sort of word the medical profession may use) for these types of birth, but most people know that anyway and their choice is informed. Also people are less quick to point these 'dangers' out than they are if someone wants a CS. No doubt about it, elective CSs seem very, very contentious. But I feel strongly that we all need to make our individual, informed choices. Everyone's got different opinions, all valid; but we should just try not to...bollock each other about it, that's all!

Very glad for you Ema76. An elective section is a much more positive experience than an emergency one.

FWIW, I had staples in my first emergency section and got an infection in the wound. When they took out the staples on day 6 half the scar opened again (not enough to require stitching but enough to get quite a wide scar tissue that needed cutting out at the start of the second elective section. For the elective I had internal (hidden) stiches which dissolve. It was wonderful, took a bit longer but very neat and above all no infections afterwards.

i agree with starlight...

All the best to you Ema76 - relax and enjoy your pregnancy now.

Athene, that's a good one about medicine added to the drip; but I heard that Voltarol suppositories were good because you got topical relief, as it were, in the lower half of you though I suppose the drip will go round your bloodstream, so...just as good. Hmm. Anyone else know about this? I don't care about things up my bum really, just whatever best deals with the pain after.

It goes into your system faster if up the bum. But slow release was good enogh. I'm just funny about people shoving things up my bum, I guess. I read it in the literature the week before the op, and I thought "oh no you won't".

Thanks for the clarification Athene. I'm sorry to say that it's something I know my DP is particularly looking forward to

Tried to post yesterday but computer wasn't playing ball. It really doesnt surprise me that you were able to get an elec cs on request if you have an empathetic consultant. I had my request accepted .. the reason .. there was nobody available to look after my DS at a moments notice and I wanted/needed to have my DH with me for the birth of our DD. I was therefore able to arrange suitable childcare for the date of the CS.

The recovery was similar to a natural labour with 2nd degree tear. the 1st 24hours can be pretty tough tho' after that it was fine.

I had dissolvable stitches and a very neat scar.

Ignore the nay sayers, likelihood is you will be fine.

Hello,
i am new to this site, and i would just like to say, i am so broody its unreal, but anyway, i typed in on google 'i want a c section' and i found this discussion, i am definalty planning on having a baby soon, but on one condition, i have a C.S!!

Ema...Like you... i am scared to death of the very thought of giving birth natrually... i read some of your comments about it being the 21st centry and its our body and out baby and our choice!!

I definatly agree... my mother had 2 C Sections... after days of extream labour pain, she even had all the drugs they could give her. The same goes for my Aunty, and my cousin! Not only that, i have for many years, woken up in the middle of the night screaming and in a cold sweat, from horiffic birth dreams.

I even sit there in the middle of the day thinking how lovely it would be to have my own precious baby, but then thinking about going into labour and having bad panic attacks! Not being able to even eat or relax, and then realising... im not even pregnant yet...

My friend who recently gave birth to her daughter was in labour for over 24 hours, and when she eventually came, she swore on her life she is never going to ever have another. Her daughter only weighed 5pounds.... she was tiny... and it scared me how something so small made her scream the roof down ...

I know birth is a beautiful thing, and bringing life into this world is the best thing any woman can do, but my panic attacks rule my life, i not only have them when thinking about that, i have them when i worry about anything, i am not a phyco, just a very very bad worry bag!!

I dont know what to say, but i would do anything in this world to have a baby by C. section, its the only thing stopping me from having a baby, thinking that i might not get one!

I have been with my O.H 2 years, i have a step son who is 4, and he makes me want one so much!! i Would do anything, i have support from everyone, my own mother even suggests going for a C section if i can. my own mother.... now thats saying something.
Ema no matter what anyone says... your right, its our choise, a baby is a gift, it shouldnt be an argument over how its bought into this world, it should be deliverd in what way is best for mum and baby, if panic attacks and screaming and fear of death or having my body ruined forever is better than me having a C.S and recoveering on the sofa or in bed for 6 weeks peacefully.... then im fuckked !!! Basically.
If thats what people think then they have no consideration for others, its each to their own i say!

Any help on how you got yours booked would be amazing and so so helpful... i want to plan my baby!

thank you.
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hi KtBaby - why not start a thread in chat (or conception) and say hello?
FWIW I would agree with people saying the OP would benefit from counselling and that would probably apply to you as well. (Sorry, i can't think of a less bossy way to put that )
many women have straightforward VBs every day, but you hear the horror stories. things were very different 20yrs ago. My mum had a dreadful, drawn out labour, followed by forceps, she, and i, expected mine to be similar. She couldn't believe it when i'd given birth 2.5 hours after arriving at hospital, no drugs, no complications. If you can get over your fear it can be wonderful.

good luck ttc by the way, i think the one thing everyone on MN would agree with (VB or CS) is that they're worth it.

ema, I'm glad you have got things resolved regards your CS but like others, I would urge you to have some counselling so that you can get to grips with this fear and as such help your (possible) DD with her own birth choices when the time comes. And I apologise for getting a bit hot under the collar yesterday as well

I saw from previous posts of yours that you have had previous mcs. There is a great support thread for any worries or wobbles you might be having. It got me through a very worrying pregnancy with DD and helped lots in the early days of my current pregnancy.

Good Luck.

Congratulations on getting agreement for an el.section.

I hope that you have a healthy pregnancy and a good birth.

Just came across this.

It is certainly your choice how you give birth, but I remember hearing about this scenario which my dh was part of - he did some ob/gynae training before deciding to be a GP instead. This was before we had kids and I remember talking about it when I was pg. Obv I can't say where this was, is wasn't where we have lived for the last 12 years, so its a good while ago.

They had a woman in your situation, and had agreed to an elective CS for very similar reasons. She was delighted, they were pleased to be able to fit her in. She went into labour at just under 38 weeks and came to hospital. Obviously terrified, but otherwise her and baby were fine. They wanted to do a CS as that is what she had asked for. However, in one theatre there was a emergency cs/distress/ended in a tragic stillbirth. There were 2 other women queuing for the other theatre adn obstetrician with babies in different levels of distress. So the woman with the fear of childbirth but undistressed baby ended up in the labour suite and gave birth vaginally and both she and baby were fine.

She sued (unsucessfully) because she did not get the CS she wanted. She screamed the place down, demanded to see consultants (who were in theatre with other patients), refused to cooperate with midwives etc ... DH was the junior doc on who had to talk to her and she was incredibly difficult and abusive, adn complained (officially, to the hospital) that he could not do the CS for her - he was in his first 6 months of training as an ob! I know about all of this because naturally he was very distressed when he got home, and we had to go through the official complaint process, even though he was found to be at NO fault at all!

I think you have to consider what you would do in the situation that operational difficulties at the hospital prevented you having a CS. If there is a Major Accident alert all theatres are put on alert and NO elective surgery is done, in case they are needed (eg for plane crash, big road accident, factory fire etc). If there are people with more pressing medical needs than you - whose baby might die?

I am very genuinely not putting on any emotional pressure against CS - though I really don't understand your fear, mine was of having a CS! - but trying to help you think how you would deal with a situation where you could not have a CS. Because you getting worked up and distressed woudl not help, not you, your baby or the professionals trying to help.

That's why, I think, people are trying to get you to consider couselling not just as a route to getting the procedure you want, but as a very real help to you in a situation you may not be able to control.

All the best with the rest of your pregnancy and your delivery. xx

sorry Stelthpolarbear, i didnt think you were sounding bossy, i am new to this site, and dont know how to work it properly yet! haha!

anyway...yes thats great that you had a lovely experiance, i know they happen everyday, but my mind is made up, im sorry, as was said before, a life sould be bought into this world which ever way we choose, its not something to debate, its not something to argue about, its just a fact, some women [like myself] have a genuine anziaty,

and to everyone..... yes, of corse... i will take the couneling they will offer me, im not going to deny help...
no matter what anyone says, unless u feel like this, and unless u know what it feels like, u cant change minds, a fear is a fear, the best thing in the world would be to get one booked, at least im planning ahead, way ahead. I know everything about it, i know the pro's i know the cons, i know what happens during one, i know it hurts after! Trust me, i know!
Its the only thing i am determind on in life, and thats the gods honest truth.

All i ask is for someone feeling how i feel to reply to me, any advise would be great,
thank you xxxx

Gosh, weegiemum, really interesting story.

I have great sympathy with the medical staff involved, obviously; they could not have put other baby's lives at risk. But I also do feel sorry for the lady in question, having thought it was all sorted, then being confonted with her worst fear! Wow.

I know, its just one of those things where everything went wrong at once.

I would be more understanding if she hadn't put my lovely, helpful, caring doctor DH through several months of intense distress at the complaint she put in about him, for no real reason. It wasn't his fault!