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Childbirth

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

Original poster

should I have a C Section? First birth was awful & I have pelvis Problems..

40 replies

jkb · 15/01/2009 20:00

Hi

I am 29 weeks & having discussions with the midwife & consultant as to what we are going to do about the birth of DD2.

My Ds birth was a nightmare... he never engaged..even when i was about 8 cm he still wasent even 1/5th engaged..no one twigged that this was due to the akward position he was in (back to back) & the fact that I have no found out that i have a misaligned pelvis,curvature of the spine & one leg longer than the other!... even at 10cm he still hadnt engaged..then when i started to push.. his heartbeat dropped to under 30 beats, i had the consultant rush in & cut me & got him out with forceps (c section wouldnt have been quick enough they said).. the cut was huge, almost into my bottom & even with that his shoulders got stuck & a second set of forceps & a hell of alot of pulling was required... I then went onto be incontinent for 3 days, couldnt even feel i needed a wee & then it just ran down my legs..got a kidney infection & had soooo much pain..to the point where I almost gave up breat feeding cos they would only let me have mild pain killers (went on to Breast feed for 2 years..& so very glad I dodnt give in)....

anyway...as you can imagine, im soooooo worried that this could happen again?? my pelivs is still misaligned,& this looks already like its bigger than my son was.... on top of all the fears of the pain etc... i am going to be so paronoid that my baby will die! I know this sounds dramitic..but if i had not been on the CTG machine, my son would have been a still born as his drop in heart rate happened so suddenly.. i will so scared & would want to have this CTG on throughout as so frightened this could happen again?

Should I have a c section?? I am now really thinking I should..I know this has risks too..but my friend has just had a very sucessful one & was in far less pain than I was after & has had no problems?

Any advice would be appreciated

xx

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stillenacht · 15/01/2009 20:01

ooh yes - elective c section ime was lovely - very calm - a great experience!

FiveGoMadInDorset · 15/01/2009 20:02

Mine was great.

Talk to your MW and consultant about it and then make a decision.

Original poster
jkb · 15/01/2009 20:10

Thank you both.. any other experiences/advice?

OP posts:
estobi1 · 15/01/2009 20:14

Hell yes! You have had such a terrible time give yourself a break. My c-section was lovely would definitely recommed it and i was doing everything as normal within 2 weeks. Day two post op was very painful but compared to an awful delivery which messes you up for weeks and psychologically damages you it is not worth it. My experienced was relaxed and lovely.

I had mine due to a very nasty tear and was advised by the consultant that i risked incontinence if I had another natuiral delivery. My CS was carried out by someone who specialised in incontinence and he told my mum that when he delivered my duaghter he had a good tighten of everything while he was there and I am not able to trampoline without Pissing myself!! what a man! So definitely see if you can get soemone on your side and you will not regret it! Best of luck

estobi1 · 15/01/2009 20:16

sorry that should say that I am now able to trampoline without pissing myself previously it was always Mrs Tena Lady!

travellingwilbury · 15/01/2009 20:17

I have had one vaginal birth , one emergency section and one planned and in your circumstances I would think a planned c section would be the way to go .

Mine was really lovely and I had a really good recovery too . I was out in two days and driving within a couple of weeks .

You have had such a traumatic birth I would think your consultant would probably recommend it .

Breizhette · 15/01/2009 20:25

I had 2 planned sections and they went very well. Very little pain afterwards.

Original poster
jkb · 15/01/2009 20:32

This is great to hear.. for some reason i thought everyone would be against c section... I am so very confused... on one hand I think that this birth could be fine & quick?? maybe it was a conincidence that i had these problems..maybe it was nothing to do with my wonky back & think maybe im looking for an easy way out & being a baby... on the other hand why shouldnt i want it better than it was last time?? if a planned c section can be as calm & straight forward as you say it has been for you?? id be mad to chance it??
also.. forgot to mention..I had to have an ocytocin drip at around 4 coms last time (as things just seemedn to be getting nowhere..maybe cos his head not coming down didnt progress things )my eperdural I had at about 6 cm's last time took over 1 hour to get into the correct position in my spine..after..my back was black with brusises (due to the spine curve) my midwife pointed out that if i went for a vaginal birth & had to have an Emergency c section, there wouldnt be time to mess with this if they knew it would take so long.. it would be a general Anaesthetic...which she said is NOT good?
with a planned c section they have time to get in in..no rush?

OP posts:
travellingwilbury · 15/01/2009 20:37

No rush at all , I have had both planned and emergency and with the emergency tbh the epidural was uncomfortable and I hated having it put in . It seemed to take ages and just felt awful . BUt when it was planned it was really easy and relaxed and I hardly felt a thing .

I have never wanted a c section and in fact with my second I was actually all set for a home birth but in the end it wasn't to be .
It was fine and as much as I would generally never opt for a section if it could be avoided I also think there is no point in worrying yourself silly over it .

All I thought in the end was that I didn't care in the end how my baby came as long as he came and we were both ok that was all that mattered

Original poster
jkb · 15/01/2009 20:39

somthing else that was weird...at 37 weeks, my consultant did a membrane sweep & couldnt beleive that i was 2 cm dilated?? I hadtn had any contractions & he said this was almost unheard of with a first baby?? so he was thinking id have a really quick labour.. so.. i think all the prob were due to babys head not coming down... but who knows if that would happen again......sorry... im rambling now...just thinking out loud & trying to clear all my jumbled thoughts.

OP posts:
KnickKnack · 15/01/2009 20:43

I have 3 crushed discs mid-spine and therefore have a curved spine.

With my 1st child, I eventually asked for an epidural and it took forever to get the needle in, also bruised and sore etc. I eventually ended up with a last minute emergency section. It was hard work afterwards, but on the whole, no problems and pretty quick recovery.

With my 2nd child, at 2 weeks overdue, I had induction gel for 2 dys and still didnt go into labour. As baby looked like being over 10lb and it was only 18mths since my last baby/section, I was advised to have another section. Due to spine/problems with needle last time, they decided to use general this time.
Recovered really quickly this time, I think in part because I was in a better frame of mind and not knackered from a full labour beforehand.

If possible I would choose an epidural over a general (despite the pain and time involved with needle)

travellingwilbury · 15/01/2009 20:44

Its understandable , I know after my first birth it was a bit of a tough one and I am pretty convinced I am incapable of going into labour naturally but I really wanted to have my home birth so put all the planning in and got the backing of midwives etc . I had a lot of worry about it but was determined but in the end I just didn't care and as long as I had my baby in my arms at the end of it that was what mattered . I think once you have made the decision either way you will feel more in control of things and more settled about it .

What is your gut feeling about it ?

Original poster
jkb · 15/01/2009 20:48

my gut feeling ... my main feeling.. fear for a normal birth is not ME.. its my baby.. i dont want my baby to die.. & would want & be actually quite obsessed with the CTG being on.... i dont think thats a good frame of mind is it??

OP posts:
Original poster
jkb · 15/01/2009 20:51

when my baby came out last time.. even the midwife (who was very young) had tears rolling down her face & looked so scared...as my baby was floppy & took a while to bring round.. i thought he was dead.. i really did.. even the consultant ripped off the ctg when he was doing the forcep delivery as it was going down & down & he said it was no good for me to see

OP posts:
estobi1 · 15/01/2009 20:56

Bloomin heck what an awful delivery, definitely one of the worst I have ever heard. No wonder you are scared by the whole thing! Please please please go for a planned caesarian (please god) it will be so much better and will help you to get over the first delivery. Very best of luck.

travellingwilbury · 15/01/2009 21:00

Do you have a good relationship with your midwife ? It does sound like you need to have a good chat with someone about your first birth . Almost a de brief about it .

I would def go for the planned c section in your shoes . Noone will give you a medal for going through that grief again .

Original poster
jkb · 15/01/2009 21:06

yes she is really lovely.. i saw her yest, she said she completly understands why im worried & that I need a chat with the consultant (which is booked for 24th feb- ill be 34 weeks)..she said he may wait & do a late scan, access size of baby etc... but she just said its totally his decision, she cant speak for him in what he will decide... im also seeing the consultant Anaesthetist mon week, she thinks he needs to examine me again & see why epidural took so long etc.. & get HIS advice on what he thinks best?? dont know what advice he can give though really?

OP posts:
Original poster
jkb · 15/01/2009 21:08

i just wish though this could be sorted now..dont want it dragging on for weeks.. like to have things sorted in my head

OP posts:
travellingwilbury · 15/01/2009 21:18

Is there any way you can see the consultant before then ? It does sound like you have got very good grounds for insisting on a planned c section and if you are this worried about it I would try and get things moving sooner rather than later .

I am sure they will be on your side and the hospital won't want any more complications than you do .

Good luck with it and let us know how you get on . I have got to go and see my oh now . Apparently food after a 13 hr day is required

Some men are just fussy

Original poster
jkb · 15/01/2009 21:29

i will let you know thank you for all your advice...
Is there anyone who thinks this is a bad idea?? I have seen Lulumama on other threads & dont think she think planned c section is a good idea?> would be good to hear from her to see what she thinks in this instance?

OP posts:
Original poster
jkb · 16/01/2009 07:46

bump

OP posts:
mumoverseas · 16/01/2009 09:23

CS is the way to go jkb. I had my first DC 15 years ago when I had back problems which had at that time not been properly diagnosed (unable to have xrays/CT/MRI scans etc) Had a 19 hour labour with an epidural which didn't work. I kept saying it hadn't worked and the midwife kept saying it had. (afterward when they found out what my back problems were - displaced pelvis,disc and vertabrae- they accepted epidural didn't work.
3 years later had DC2 by elective CS 1 week early and had a spinal block (apparently slightly different to epidural and this worked)

2 years ago, had DC3 by CS under spinal 3 weeks early, in order to take pressure off my lower spine as since DC2 I'd had a spinal fusion.

DC4 arriving by CS in 23 days (yes I'm counting the days!) again 3 weeks early and again by CS (hopefully under spinal block).

If you've got any pelvic/back problems then hours of heaving and pushing lying on your back is not going to do it much good. Also,given your other concerns following your last delivery, elective CS sounds like the way to go.
Good luck x

Original poster
jkb · 16/01/2009 15:28

well..i havent had one negative so far .. so thats really reasuring if i have to have the c section..

OP posts:
tiggerlovestobounce · 16/01/2009 15:59

I would wait and hear what your consultant says. Though obviously it is completely up to you what you do.
It might be worth asking why they think it went wrong last time - was it due to your pelvis, in which case chances of similar happenning again are higher. Or if they think it wasnt then might it be reasonable to see if this baby engages, and then decide what to do based on that?

Id be surprised if they had any objection to you having a C section though.

wintersapproaching · 16/01/2009 16:09

JKB, sorry your first delivery was so awful.

I never used to be the kind of person that would say go for an elective section but now through my own experience I would also say I think a CS would be a good thing for you.

My first DC was a hurried forceps with large episiotomy (cut) and I felt awful and very sore and bruised for a long time. 2nd DC was nearly 2 years later and I was nervous about the birth and dreading labour but MW didn't take me seriously. As it happens DC2 had the cord round their neck and was very short and resulted in a crash section as baby's HR was not recovering.

Basically in my case I could've opted for an elective 2 wks before due date and it be a positive experience and planned for the recovery (which actually wasnt that bad).
I think my negative thinking about the birth didn't help things either.

Good luck