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Childbirth

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

Original poster

C-sections 'a rational choice'

314 replies

AtheneNoctua · 20/05/2009 13:38

I couldn't agree more.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8057785.stm

That's no say everyone should have one. Just those who want to.

OP posts:
BigBellasBeerBelly · 21/05/2009 23:07

Going to throw a question out and then go to bed soon (sorry!).

I had an emcs last time and it was great, easy recovery etc.

This time I have been offered a straight choice as to whether i want a VB or CS.

Do people think that I should not have that choice? There is no medical reason for me to have a CS - it would be purely because I wanted it,

Any thoughts?

mears · 21/05/2009 23:59

That is a rather sweeping comment AtheneNoctua

For CS there is an anaesthetist, an anaethetic assistant (nurse or operating department practitioner), a surgeon, a surgeon's assistant (who may be doctor or scrub practitioner), a scrub person, a floor person (who gets extra equipment, swabs etc) ans someone to 'receive' the baby, usually a midwife. The assisting people may or may not be nurses or midwives.
There is cost involved in the sterile disposable gowns for operating staff x 3, disposable drape, sterilised theatre instruments,swabs and sutures.

Midwives are not trained to perform caesarean sections - they are trained to be the lead professional for normal low risk pregnancies. They work in partnership with medical staff in pregnancies that require care from an obstetrician.

They are a different profession which requires different qualifications.

Lulumama · 22/05/2009 07:19

"For VB, they pool a whole bunch of women and have the less qualified (and lower paid) staff (mis)managing the whole lot."

nothing like a nasty and sweeping generalisations

i am sorry for anyone who has had a traumatic birth, one that has been mismanaged or has turned out badly. but to dismiss midwives as a bunch of less qualified women , which sounds very sneery is inapporpriate

chyna, teams are not there just in case someone needs an emergency c.s, they are there anyway.

i do believe in choice for all , but whilst the NHS has limited and finite resources, the line has to be drawn somewhere

bigbella, you have a medical reason for c.s , as you have had one previously and have a scar on your uterus.

CoteDAzur · 22/05/2009 07:49

I haven't read the whole thread as connected on phone from hospital room. I had an elCS two days ago and feel great, not even in any pain. A very positive experience, especially compared to the horrendous birth, big episiotomy, and three-week long world of pain that followed.

I'm seriously having trouble understanding why so many people here are so negative about C-sections.

CoteDAzur · 22/05/2009 08:00

That horrid birth and weeks of sheer post-partum hell was DD's 'normal' birth, by the way.

So much prefer this one that I want to shout it from rooftops.

BigBellasBeerBelly · 22/05/2009 08:06

I disagree lulu. The risk of rupture is very very low - overall the risk of vbac is the same as for a first time VB (so I was told). So more risky than a second VB but the same as if it was my first time.

There are no reasons to think that the scar will give trouble.

So why am I being offered a choice.

I haven't read the whole thread but the bits I have seen with people arguing that it is more expensive etc - surely those arguments are just as valid for me.

FabulousBakerGirl · 22/05/2009 08:09

BigBellas I had an emergency section with our first child and didn't even go into labour. I could have had an elective section with our second child with no hassle. I have my opinions on why it was offered but I had a VBAC and then another vaginal birth just under 2 years after that. Definitely right decision in our case.

belgo · 22/05/2009 08:09

Congratulations Cote I'm glad all went well.

BonsoirAnna · 22/05/2009 08:10

My sister had three children, all by C-section, before I had my DD. My sister had no choice in the matter, as her DS1 was breech; she tried to have a VBAC for her DS2 but her obstetrician quickly realised that wasn't going to happen, so she had another CS; and for her DD, there was no longer any choice available.

She spent ages recovering from childbirth and hated the restrictions that recovery from CS imposed on her. She has a vile scar. I didn't want her rather horrid experience of childbirth in the least and wanted to reduce the risk of any after effects of childbirth on my body as far as I was able to do so.

If a woman doesn't mind the scarring, the recovery time and have the means to pay for a CS (because I don't think the NHS should be paying for elective CSs) I suppose that's up to the person giving birth. But it is an awful lot of palaver (IME) and you are scarred for life, which I would hate.

BigBellasBeerBelly · 22/05/2009 08:10

But if the arguments for not giving a choice for first time VB make sense then surely they would apply to people like us.

Personally I am very grateful to have been given the choice.

FabulousBakerGirl · 22/05/2009 08:14

Cote - congratulations.

You are lucky you had a good experience.

I am negative about elective sections that are not medically necessary as I had an emergency one which has affected me for the last few years. Some people are not as lucky as you.

BonsoirAnna · 22/05/2009 08:14

mears - I agree completely . The MWs who attend low risk VBs aren't less qualified - they are differently qualified to the medical staff who attend CSs.

My sister, who saw a all bells and whistles private obstetrician throughout her pregnancies, is still quite clear in her own mind that I got much better pregnancy care from MWs than she did from her obstetrician. As is a friend who had twins (and therefore a high-risk pregnancy) while I was having my DD - she had to fight to see the MWs for care and was very glad she did.

BigBellasBeerBelly · 22/05/2009 08:23

I am a little confused as to how people are saying that midwives are as qualified as consultant surgeons/surgeons and other obstetric doctors.

Surely they are demonstraby less qualified. It's like saying someone with A levels is as qualified as someone with a PHd. It's just not true is it.

BonsoirAnna · 22/05/2009 08:32

BigBellas - MWs and obstetricians are differently qualified. Obstetricians cannot do a MWs job - do you realise that?

BonsoirAnna · 22/05/2009 08:34

There isn't some kind of hierarchy in obstetrics and gynaecology that means that all the people who have the highest level of qualification are qualified to do every job within obstetrics...

belgo · 22/05/2009 08:36

What do you mean, an obstetrician cannot do a midwife's job? Of course they can. But of a waste of their skills though.

belgo · 22/05/2009 08:37

'bit' not but.

BigBellasBeerBelly · 22/05/2009 08:41

Of course they could! They've all delivered babies. Could a midwife perform a CS? Well they could give it a bash but I'm not sure I would want to be on the receiving end.

I think what you mean is that midwives are specifically trained in certain aspects of assisiting with labour and delivering babies, along with how to monitor for problems etc and teh administration of a limited number of pain relieving drugs.

To say that they are as qualified as a surgeon generally is ridiculous.

BonsoirAnna · 22/05/2009 08:41

It's the same thing as a paediatrican not being able to do a HV's job...

BonsoirAnna · 22/05/2009 08:42

I don't think anyone on this thread has used the expression "as qualified as".

belgo · 22/05/2009 08:42

Of course a paed can do a HV's job. Probably a lot better as well......

BonsoirAnna · 22/05/2009 08:43

My MW did things for me that no obstetrican would have done. For sure .

belgo · 22/05/2009 08:44

such as what Anna?

BigBellasBeerBelly · 22/05/2009 08:46

Erm if you think that an obstetrician can't deliver a baby you are a bit nuts I'm afraid. They may not be up on massage and breathing but they will get the job done.

All the doctors I know have delivered babies (or assisted with deliveries) during their training and none of them were even specialising in that area. It's just something they learn how to do, like they can all take blood, administer drugs etc. Obstetricians delvier stacks of babies.

BigBellasBeerBelly · 22/05/2009 08:50

"to dismiss midwives as a bunch of less qualified women "

You responded agreeng "mears - I agree completely smile. The MWs who attend low risk VBs aren't less qualified "