Help! Had nightmare emergency cs 1st time.. what did you choose to do 2nd time around?

[FiKelly]

I'm currently 25+6wks with our #2 and due date in May is rapidly approaching... i'm going to have to make a decision of what kind of birth to go for and i'm really stuck. Both DH and I were traumatised with the birth of DS and i'm terrified of another CS but also terrified of the unknown with a VBAC. My birth trauma story is on this thread if anyone can face reading it... half way down the page.

Because of the problems last time they want to have me hooked up to all and sundry if going for a VBAC and I don't know if I can cope with that. An elective CS isn't that appealing either as i'm absolutely pathetic with anaesthesia and even a spinal makes me vomit.

What did you choose to do 2nd time around and how did it compare to the emergency CS? Good or not so good I don't mind... any feedback appreciated. fi xoxox

Hi I've not read your birth story but I had a horrendous 'normal' (if such thing) delivery with my first DC 15 years ago which really scared me when pregnant again. For various reasons (mainly back problems) I had an elective CS 3 years later which although was a scary thought was absolutely fine. I had another one 2 years ago and I'm having my third (and last!) CS on Sunday, again under a spinal block.
I was terrified having the spinal set up as its just such a weird feeling but I know it will be absolutely fine.
I'm on the due feb ante natal thread and quite a few girls on there had emergency CS's last time and this time had elective ones and they said that there was such a HUGE difference and the elective was just much better and calmer.
Of course you will be anxious, anyone who says they aren't is lying but it will be fine.
BTW, I learned this morning (on another thread) that a reason the spinal can make you vomit is that your BP can drop but if you tell the nice drugs man he can sort it immediately.
Hope this helps

I also had an emergency CS which I found difficult to recover from as I really wanted a natural birth. I did however opt for a planned CS three years later. I saw the consultant and started crying which she was really surprised about as I really didn't know if I was doing the right thing. Anyway I opted for a date 3 days before my due date and it all went well. The only downside was waiting 8 hours in hospital that day and seeing all the others taking priority and still doubting if I had done the right thing. I made a really quick recovery and the scarring is minimal. I also felt very queasy during the op and they gave me more drugs so that helped. Good luck with your decision!

I also had an emergency CS which I found difficult to recover from as I really wanted a natural birth. I did however opt for a planned CS three years later. I saw the consultant and started crying which she was really surprised about as I really didn't know if I was doing the right thing. Anyway I opted for a date 3 days before my due date and it all went well. The only downside was waiting 8 hours in hospital that day and seeing all the others taking priority and still doubting if I had done the right thing. I made a really quick recovery and the scarring is minimal. I also felt very queasy during the op and they gave me more drugs so that helped. Good luck with your decision!

Had an totally horrible emergency section with my DD and was adamant that I wanted a planned section with DS. However the hospital said that they were reluctant to book me in for one as I was having a normal pregnancy. I fought them but was eventually was only booked to have one if I didn't 'go' naturally a week after my due date.

I had a VBAC on my due date with no real medical issues for me or DS and I was astonished at how quickly I was back to normal and how much more I could do. I also ridded myself of any 'ishoos' that i had about my first birth as my second was all my own work.

I too was horrified at being 'tied to the bed' (as I had come to think of it) before the labour but it was ok when it came to it. They did want to monitor me closely because of the previous section but I had a 3 hr, drug-free delivery. I was also home the next day with a very alert, active baby (after 4 1/2 days of labour, a section, and a 4 day stay in hospital with a sleepy baby it came as a huge shock).

If you can brave it then I think you should try for a VBAC as your recovery time is so much shorter and my DS was a much better feeder than my DD which made life much easier. Good luck with whatever you decide.

FiKelly, there are loads of threads on here about the VBAC/elective decision, as I'm sure you'll have seen.

I had one really grim emergency cs, and then an elective 2 years later. They were miles apart in terms of experience. The elective was calm, peaceful, pain-free and generally a wonderful experience.

I couldn't believe the difference, as I'd thought it would be more or less like the emergency one. With that one, I was in bed for 24 hours, in pain for days and needed morphine the day after the op. With the elective, I got the feeling back in my legs just 2 hours after the cs (which was in the evening) and was walking the next morning. The painkiller was paracetamol!

It's a very personal decision and you need to look at all the statistics, both of you achieving a VBAC if that's what you want, and of the VBAC having a good outcome if you do achieve it. There's a website somewhere about cs generally but I can't remember the name I'm afraid - maybe someone else knows?

thanks everyone for sharing your stories. You're right it is such a personal and hard choice... in a daft way i'm hoping the decision will be made for me by the appearance of the pre-eclampsia again or this baby being breach but as luckily so far we're both well and none of those thing seem to be happening so I'm going to have to be brave and decide myself! I was so pro VBAC at the beginning my hesitation about this decision kinda caught me by surprise.

shootfromthehip I wish I could order a 3hr drug free labour as I think it's the fear of the unknown really putting me off. Last time I never even got the chance to labour... so I have no idea of what contractions feel like or anything. I'm really doubting my ability to be able to give birth naturally as my lower back all of a sudden seems to be giving me intermittent sharp pains... the MW thinks this might just be my body moving itself around but will refer me to a physio if it becomes constant instead of occasional.

I had an em cs in Nov 06 which took ages to recover from and made me miserable. Last sept I had a planned cs and it was wonderful, so straightforward, less pain, bf was easy, family helped out with DS so I could rest. After about 2 weeks I didn't feel like I had even had a baby as there was no pain and I felt fine . good luck with whatever you decide.

I had a terrible em c/s first time round, took an age to recover, and had many emotional issues about the birth afterwards. Second time I had already decided an elective was the way to go as I knew I couldn't cope with another 47 hour labour followed by a c/s. Then I found out I was having twins and as the pg went on the decision was taken out of my hands anyway.

The upshot was a planned section (albeit a lot earlier than planned, 35w) which I recovered from amazingly well, it was calm, relaxed (as it could be with prem babies) and just a completely different experience. I am very glad I had a planned section.

don't get me wrong, it's no walk in the park, but a breeze compared to the exhaustion of labour followed by an em c/s.

Good luck with your decision.

FiKelly, I'm in a similar situation to you except that I had a much better time of it - no failed induction and no PPH. Ds was born at 34 weeks due to pre-eclampsia by em-cs with no labour. Am now 19 weeks with dc2 and trying to decide what to do. As you say, problem with going for VBAC is that they will want to hitch me up a machine and time me, possibly make me lie down, which I think will probably lead straight to another cs especially as I have never laboured before, and I have no idea how it will go - I might be rubbish at being in labour or tear horribly etc. On the other hand, I didn't find the cs very easy to recover from and will have a toddler to look after, plus ds had a lot of trouble breathing which was partly due to his prematurity but also partly due to the cs, which makes me very keen to at least give labour a go as it will make the likelyhood of breathing difficulties less - was awful seeing ds hooked up to his ventilator.

Sorry, I know this is waffly and no help at all, but thought you might like to hear from someone in the same boat! I also know that the choice might be taken out of my hands if I get pre-eclampsia again, although that terrifies me as well...

Why has no one invented a baby teleporter yet?!

Your ds's birth sounds horrific. I hope you got an apology from the hospital - sounds like they screwed up badly. The chances of that happening again are presumably slim (I'm guessing you'd be reminding them about the syntocinon) but I can see why you wouldn't want to repeat the c-section experience.

I opted for a VBAC. Did everything I could to maximise my chances - hired a doula, argued with the hospital for a water birth and no monitoring, read everything I could but also made my peace in advance with the possibility of another cs, so was quite chilled in advance about the options.

I had a fab VBAC. I was monitored throughout as ds's heart rate was dodgy and they were quite worried (so no water either) and at one point they threatened a c-section if he didn't appear pretty quickly, but I pushed and pushed and he appeared - had an episiotomy and a few stitches so it wasn't quite the knit-your-own-lentils-and-whale-music I envisaged but it was still magnificent. And very cathartic.

On the other hand, friends have had elective c-sections and rave about them. It was right for me, but can see it wouldn't be everyone's choice.

I had an awful time first time (lentil-weaving birth centre) & ended up very ill, with a distressed baby & an emergency transfer for a c-section (3am, knackered registrar made a mess of it & I had a huge PPH). Had an elective the second time & I can't imagine how any birth could be better

I had an emergency section with DS1 but hadn't gone into labour.

Had VBAC for DD and DS2.

I was being bullied into having and elective section with DD by someone who had never met me before but read my notes. I booked the section as scared, saw my consultant told him I didn't want a section and he said not to have one.

So glad I didn't.

LiegeAndLief it is a real dilemma isn't it... I wish we were fitted with a sunroof as option 3!

snickersnack the closest we got to an apology from the hospital was maybe they could have reacted a bit quicker!

arrgh it's so hard to decide! i see the pros and cons of both... good job i've got another 10wks before i have to make up my mind!

thanks everyone for sharing your experiences they are helping me feel more chilled out about either option