Elective C/S - pay for section and 'tidy up' of excess skin/stretch marks?

[frazzledoldbag34]

This is just a question, so don't all jump on me in horror for asking but a friend mentioned to me that it can be possible (if you are having your DEFINITELY LAST child) to pay your consultant to do an elective C/Section and whilst he's at it he will take away all your loose flappy left over skin, stretch marks etc (basically a mini-tummy tuck) at the same time. I've had two normal deliveries in the past and am pg with my LAST child. Quite fancy the idea of this.........what do you ladies think? Is this possible and if so where do I go to get it done?
[puts bag on head and runs for cover]
By the way I am aware of the risks of a C/Section and for the record had a hideous labour with my last child which VERY NEARLY ended up with a crash Section.

i would, too, because i'd also hire in a bunch of help for after care.

My stretch marks are down about an inch below my tummy button so I guess they would just take away some of that excess skin? So they wouldn't be removed completely but some of them would go?
Don't know, not a surgeon.
(I also have stretch marks in other attractive areas (left thigh - but not on my right thigh! very strange), breasts, buttocks etc - not bothered at all about them, it's my stomach that looks really horrid. Saggy, stripy and wrinkly.

frazzled - no I don't have any direct experience, sorry.

personally i would not choose a c.section , which has possible complications anyway and then have further surgery afterwards.. i presume you would have to have a general? even if not, you would be in the OT for a good long while, which means you are not having skin to skin with your baby , perhaps...

why not have your VB and then go for the tidy up surgery another time, once your body has recovered from the pregnancy?

for me, the way my body is post children is just fine.. i don;t expect it to look or be the same..

i have had one c.s and one v.b and would never opt for a c.s unless medically necessary/life saving for me or baby

Hello, have just bumped this up again as was talking to a friend this afternoon about this. She's had 2 sections and said if she was to have another one she'd definitely do this. (And was quite upset to find out it's possible - she didn't think it was).
So now am thinking about it again, any one else out there with experience or advice about where to go, who to ask about this?

Anyone? Hello? [echo, echo, echo]

If I could afford it I would do it! Dd is 4mo now and I am still huge but its only my jelly belly.

I would imagine you will have to go private for it and am sure most consultants will do it if you pay. May be worth phoning some of your local private maternity hospitals and seeing what they say. I think it more common then people think these days.

frazzled, i donlt think you are likely to get loads of psots telling you where to go for elective section and then cosmetic surgery ..

try private hospitals thouhg, i doubt very much the NHS would give you a section so that you can have your skin tidied up.

I know. I was just hoping to find someone who has had the procedure done (or someone who tried to). Perhaps they're all hiding in their closets?
Or even a surgeon who could tell me more.
Wasn't expecting whole hearted support from all! I appreciate it is a slightly unusual thing to do. And there will be lots of type faces about it.
My DH thinks it is fantastic idea, however!
(He hates seeing me in labour and is sick of me moaning about my stretch marks and flobbly tummy when the rest of me is slim).
Oh well, thanks to all that did reply.

why not have a VB and when you are a few months post natal, have a tummy tuck or cosmetic surgery then.. probably cheaper than a c.s and tummy tuck.. also i would be wary of a GA straight after birth re bonding/breastfeeding

chacun a son gout !

I will probably have another VB. But am really quite scared after my horrid labour with DC2 - was minutes (apparently) away from emergency c/s. Blood pressure went off the scale, midwife started preparing me for C/S as had been stuck at 4cm for more than 12 hrs and baby was 'getting tired' - which I am fully aware is midwife-speak for 'Shit, we need to get it out SOON'.
(I know this as I actually have a degree in midwifery although haven't practiced now for over 10 yrs). You'd think I'd know better than to be asking stupid questions wouldn't you? Have forgotten most of it TBH.
Anyway, weird, cos had textbook easypeasy labour with DD1. So am actually quite frightened of going through that again.
That's what started me thinking about the C/S option intially - am half-hoping for a breech so they'll let me have a section without too much of a fight.
A bit of a 'tidyup' at the same time would be fab, but of course probably not going to happen it seems.
Unless I go to London (which Scottish DH won't have - 'no child of mine to be born in England etc etc).
Anyway sorry waffling.
By the way, you sound very sensible! Are you midwife?

Sorry, just re-read that and forgot to say it was addressed to lulumama. My m/s and preg brain is taking over.

It blooming well IS uncommon! In fact a tummy tuck is physically impossible in the minutes after you give birth as your womb is still big. And it would be hugely dangerous in terms of infection. YOu could ask your consultant to pull the skin a bit tighter please before they sew up, but that's about it. Even that would land you with a bigger scar.

Well, that makes total sense to me. But then how come these girls who my friend is Ireland knows are getting it done? And seemingly it's ok? (although I must stress it's not a full tummy tuck but more of a tidy up) - whatever that covers?

I'm always a bit suspicious of things that friends of friends in another country are apparently having done. It gets a bit Chinese whispers, I think. The only person I'd want doing a tummy tuck is a plastic surgeon, and I wouldn't want it done in the precious time after birth even if a tummy tuck was possible, which it isn't. It's certianly not worth have a section JUST to have a few cms of skin pulled a bit tighter.

thank you ! i am a doula... hoping to train as a midwife one day .

i wonder if due to the trauma in your last birth, a c.s of any kind, with or without cosmetic surgery seems a better option than another frantic VB?

did you debrief your labour?

did you have an epidural? malpositioned baby? any other issues that could have contributed to being 'stuck' in labour with no progress>

If i were you I would debrief my last birth, find out what happened and if there is any rhyme or reason as to why, and then make an informed decision as to whether to elect for c.s or VB

i would really take anything cosmetic out of the equation

as has been said, your uterus is still big after birth, and your skin is stretched.. iwould be really worried if they took too much skin away !

i have never met /heard of or known anyone having it done in this country and heard that the slebs option of a c.s and mummy tuck was pretty much an urban myth

i would categorically not want a general anaesthetic for birth or just after UNLESS there was compelling medical reason for it

'A bit of a 'tidyup' at the same time would be fab, but of course probably not going to happen it seems.'

No, it won't, especially not in Scotland and not on the NHS.

Like I said, my mother in the US had a bit of a 'tidy up', BUT and here's a big but, it was back in the 70s when the incision was vertical. Furthermore, she had to go back a few months later and have something else done, I'm not sure what. It was done along her csection scar, though.

It is common enough in some Latin American countries still to have elective csections and to go back later and have tucks done along the same incision. It's not looking down on or that, for whatever reason.

But I can't see it happening here unless you're willing to go to London a few months later and pay top whack for it.

I don't think you'll find anyone who's in teh closet about it.

There are plenty of posters on here who did have electives privately, in London or Wales. Their choice, but the problem with mummytuck is that as mabanana points out everything is still stretched pretty big time, and with a bikini incision you'd need to speak with a cosmetic surgeon to see what is even possible.

Oh, my mother had a GA, too. Don't know how long she was out for, but she was definitely all the way gone.

lulumama - I think you are spot on about the birth being traumatic and any other option sounds appealing. Even surgery.
No, I didn't debrief the labour. But I might now......!!!!!!!
Baby wasn't malpositioned, head was well engaged I think she was ROA, had really good strong contractions for about 12 hrs (as far as I remember they were regular and I think about 3 mins apart for most of it, obviously closer nearer the end). I remember some of them being 'double' - in that it didn't fade away properly before starting again which was terrible as there was no break for me in between. They broke my waters and this did nothing apart from make the contractions worse. Still didn't dilate past 4cm. Then had ridiculous blood pressure and then epidural. Then consultant examined me prior to making the final c/s decision (I refused to have FBS taken, can't remember why!) and could see her head. Delivered 10 mins later. So as far as I know I went from 4 cm to fully in a matter of minutes seemingly at the mention of the words 'emergency caesarian!!!)
Would love to read my notes though and work out what was really happening. This is just my recollection and it was bloody awful.
(By the way labour with DD1 was about 5 hrs in active labour, no epidural or complications, normal delivery).
So TBH an elective section sounds like a lovely easy alternative after DC 2 labour.
(also was so absolutely knackered after this birth that I found recovery really hard, struggled to bond with my daughter, (took about 9 months before I really liked her- god that sounds dreadful), had breastfeeding issues and just generally really struggled afterwards even though she was my second and I should have known what I was doing).
Don't want this to happen again.
Sorry, didn't mean to write an essay on here. Maybe I should go find another thread?
By the way lulumama you don't live in Scotland do you? Am thinking that a postnatal doula might be nice to have this time for some support?
Good luck if you do decide to train as a midwife. It's hard work (but I'm sure you'll already know that).

I had a GA as an emergency because there was no time for anything else mainly. I wouldn't recommend it if you can avoid it! Great if it saves your baby's life, you will struggle to bond but you have your baby.

Have you read The Waterbirth Book? She talks in that how saying something scary at just the right moment can help things speed up in a good way - too soon and it can slow things down. It could be that hearing those magical words sent your adrenaline pumping and got things moving along. But I'm no expert, it just reminded me of the book.

i thought that too, tinkerbelle, they call it the 'foetal ejection reflex'

does happen, mostly when women are told they have to have a c.s or instrumental birth and their body suddenly hurls the baby out

frazzled, i would really see about debriefing, it has clearly had a big effect on you and it is just coming to the surface now, and it is no good going into another pregnancy and birth holding on to the baggage of the last time

you may feel really differently about the whole thing after a debrief, or it may convince you to have a c.s

either way, it is worthwhile

sadly, am not in scotland, but there is a lovely scottish doula on here called Klaw, she can be found on doula uk, her name is K.Law!

Ah yes, that's the one I was thinking of I love the description of hurling the baby out!

yes, but fio if you've never had a csection before you'd not have much in the way of scar tissue to cut away.