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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

Could I ask for an elective c-section next time?

26 replies

Chequers · 27/09/2008 11:28

Not at all interested in starting a bun fight on the rights and wrongs of elective sections just wondered if I would have grounds to request one.

No intentions of getting pregnant again for a long time but I don't think I'd want to get pregnant without knowing the answer to this.

DD was born after a pretty frightening delivery - failed ventouse, forceps. She was 9 pounds 11, nobody had any idea she was going to be that big. I'm terrified of having another big baby and another similar delivery.

I know they offer growth scans but also that they can be pretty unreliable - one of my friends was told she was having a tiny baby and he was 8 pounds 4.

Anyway, would a hospital consider an elective section on those grounds? I know second labours can be quicker/easier but also that second babies can be bigger.

Wouldn't rule out a natural birth if I could be guaranteed an epidural, which of course I can't.

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lulumama · 27/09/2008 11:31

did you have an epidural this time? and did you spend a lot of your labour on the bed or immobile? epidural iteself can lead to higher rate of instrumental delivery. sounds like you need to debrief your birth ...

you could ask for an elective, but that is not necessarily going to be stress free option..

look into why your first birth was so terrifying, and then when you feel more 'settled' about it, then you can start to look forward

second births are often more straightforward, and second babies not always bigger !

once you have birthed one big baby, odds are you can do it again

sounds like it is more to do with the fear and the pain that is holding you back ?

am sorry that you had a distressing time

Original poster
Chequers · 27/09/2008 11:35

Hi lulu, yes I know the risks from epidurals and that it was likely to have increased the need for intervention. However I know now from experience that I can't handle labour without an epidural.

OP posts:
Heated · 27/09/2008 11:38

Have you asked your mw?

From a practical pov 2nd babies are commonly quicker and easier to deliver

My first delivery was traumatic and I was offered an elective; unfortunately on clinical need alone I'd guess you would not be routinely offered one.

Btw I had a guaranteed epidural vb in the end - it's not true that you can't book one. The mws at my hospital are so anti-surgical intervention they offered me this or I was going to have the section.

lulumama · 27/09/2008 11:38

am not trying to change your mind, but it is good to look at all options...

there are lots of other pain relief options,ways of being supported that can make a huge difference to how you manage labour.

the biggest factor in labour is mobility.. being on a bed , lying or sitting , can make a huge difference to how it goes. working with gravity is a good thing

do your hospital offer mobile epidurals?

have you talked through your birth with anyone?

lulumama · 27/09/2008 11:40

i had an epidural in my first labour and diamorhphine, and was confident if i had another baby i would definitely have an epidural .. my first labour ended in an em. c.s

second time round i had gas & air and a bit of pethidine and it was much much better

and i don;t have much of a pain threshold

Heated · 27/09/2008 11:41

sorry, that should be offered an elective for my 2nd.

Original poster
Chequers · 27/09/2008 11:47

No haven't talked it through. I don't think I tecnhically had a mobile epidural although I could feel my legs the whole time and they let it wear off long before the pushing stage so I was on my knees for that part. Still didn't help though, DD was stuck fast.

OP posts:
noonki · 27/09/2008 11:47

my sister was determined to have a natural birth first time round - then had a total nightmare in which her son nearly lost his life, she was, and still is traumatised by it.

on her first trip to the midwife she told her that she was having an c-section no questions, she explained taht she was so scared of the labour, the midwife agreed it would be fine even though there was minimal risk of a repeat of the first labour

she was so much happier, had another lovely boy by c-section and they are doing brilliantly.

I think it should be a well -informed and thought out choice

I would also see if you can talk in detail through your birth with a midwife, it really heloped my sister to realise it wasn't her fault that things went wrong.

Original poster
Chequers · 27/09/2008 11:48

Gas and air did nothing for me unfortunately.

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Original poster
Chequers · 27/09/2008 11:51

Am also worried that if 2nd labour was a lot quicker there wouldn't be time for an epidural.

That said, DD's head was in the wrong position hence why she got stuck. Perhaps the pushing stage is less hideous if the baby is actually moving, I don't know..

OP posts:
lulumama · 27/09/2008 12:18

if your labour is too quick for an epidural then you will manage.. pethidine is good for taking the edge off it, TENS machine also good, as is water..

if her head was not in a good position then that can have a lot to do with you needing help to deliver. and no reason that would happen again...

if you are pushing well, with good strong ctx and baby;s head is in a good position, no reason at all yuo would have a repeat of what happened

you do need to feel some sensations and pain in labour IMO, it allows you to work with your body, if you can feel what is happening.. short of having a general , or an epidural that is topped up a lot, you will feel something.

revjustabout · 27/09/2008 12:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Chequers · 27/09/2008 12:39

Tens machine was ok but only got me to 4 cm.

I just don't want a repeat performance of last time. Everybody had told me that pushing hurts but that it is a productive pain, etc etc. Which is why I was ok with them not topping up the epidural - I was hoping to be able to work with the pain.

I can remember though after pushing for ages they kept telling me I needed to move her just 1 cm so that they could try the ventouse and I tried and tried for a long time and could not move her, not even 1 cm.

The idea of doing that again is just so horrible. I know it might not happen again, but it might.

I'm also worried that if they intervened again that it might damage me this time - I was lucky that I had no damage but I worry that if they did something like that twice I could end up incontinent or something. My cousin ended up with a prolapsed womb after ventouse and still suffers now.

I just don't want to tempt fate again I guess.

OP posts:
stroppyknickers · 27/09/2008 13:06

I know someone who had a hideous birth experience and was 'allowed' an ELCS second time round in Kent.

TheCrackFox · 27/09/2008 13:14

I know someone who had an elective C-section due to similar reasons and she said it was fantastic. I suggest going over all your options with a MW.

dinny · 27/09/2008 13:34

I feel same as you, really, and I am on my 3rd - ds's shoulders got stuck

I am booked to see the consultant at 7 months to discuss ES

revjustabout · 27/09/2008 21:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsTittleMouse · 27/09/2008 21:35

When I became pregnant this time around, my community midwife immediately offered my an elective section on the grounds of my traumatic experience last time and some dodgy healing of my perineal scar. So I think that you could probably make a good case for an elective CS if you wanted.

Incidentally, it was when I was taken seriously about my previous issues and offered the CS that I was able to relax enough to consider the other options. I knew that I was doing it for me, and that the pressure was off. My ultimate decision is that I'm going for a vaginal birth in a birthing centre (but with the proviso that if things don't look good I will have a CS over another instrumental). The manager of the birthing centre was fantastic and has written up all my wishes in a birth plan that she has signed and dated personally.

I can second the recommendation that you have a birth debriefing if you can, and also counselling if you need to - not so that "they" can persuade you to have a vaginal birth, just so that you can have all the information and make the right decision for you.

NotAnOtter · 27/09/2008 21:38

i would if i could,

i expect if you demand ask then you should get

bluejellybean · 27/09/2008 23:07

Yes you can ask - NICE guidlines say you can. I did and was booked in for my first pregnancy.

pooka · 27/09/2008 23:14

My first labour was completely different to my second.

Had gas and air, pethidine and an epidural and it seemed to go on forever (though wasn't terribly long). I just felt that the pain was going to kill me. Was pretty dire. Had bad stitches afterwards and had to have restitch when dd was about 7 months old.

With ds, I decided that I wanted to avoid the epidural because I felt that that had contributed to the tearing. So I came up with a plan of action involving:

hypnobirthing sessions. Talked about what I wanted to happen. Made me relaxed and gave me positive feelings.

ante-natal yoga with fantastic instructor. LEarnt very effective breathing techniques.

In the end, went into labour at about 6pm. Went to hospital at about 8pm. Had ds at 8.59pm. Home at 11pm.

Basically, I'm just saying that the two birth experiences I had were as different as chalk and cheese in terms of my experiences and the amount of pain I felt I was in.

But neither of mine were big babies. And of course it is an excellent idea to consider all available options.

happymummy72 · 28/09/2008 01:04

Hi i had the birth from hell first time, ended up have section, we found out today were expecting again, (bit sooner than we had wanted but these things happen), i am going to see midwife next week i will making it very clear that i am having this baby by section, there is no way i would put my family and partner through what we went through last time, also if it is a planned section i'v been told the recovery time is alot better (hope so).

I dwelled on the birth of my son for ages after and it seemed i was talking about it or looking up details on line all the time, i think the advice given on here is good and wished i'd had a birth debrief.

I think it is important to well informed about your last birth and make the choices which are going to make you happy and relaxed, there is nothing wrong with having a section if your sure that is the way you would want to go, but you say the pain of birthing last time was bad and i'm not trying to put you off at all, having a section is not a walk in the park there are risks, while you recovery from the section you will need support, you may not be able to drive for 6 weeks and may be less mobile than you would want on the other hand i know of some womwn who have left hospital 2 days after a section and have had a quick recovery.

All i can say is do what you fell happiest with and have a chat with you mw's to go through your fears maybe write a list of questions for when you meether so you don't forget anything.

Good luck

revjustabout · 28/09/2008 08:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Tapster · 28/09/2008 21:35

I'm going through the same dilema - had a big baby but also head in wrong position. Now 16 weeks pregnant with no.2 and discussing birthing options with a consultant at 20 weeks. I'm tempted by an elective too, I think the main reason I struggled to recover from my EMCS is that I was in labour for 24 hours before hand and two nights of no sleep rather than the C-section itself. I know plenty of women who had natural deliveries that have had many more complications than those with a C-section.

LaVie · 28/09/2008 21:51

Am watching this thread with interest. I had a very traumatic 1st labour (wanted epidural but was refused, hideous pain, needed ventouse to get ds out, placenta wouldn't budge, induced after giving birth, hideous pain again and so couldn't bond with ds, ended up in surgery and lost 3 pints of blood )

How do I get an appointment with a consultant? (if I decide to get pregnant again, i'm not pregnant yet!) I have a fear that they will just refuse, after all, I couldn't even get an epidural!

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