Anyone having a repeat cs in Surrey or Sussex?

[schmee]

If so, can I ask what hospital and which consultant?

I'm having a horrible time trying to get Royal Surrey consultants to even look at my notes and they are bullying me into having a VBAC (which I don't want and don't think will be successful for various reasons).

I think I need to switch hospitals asap but want to find one which is reasonable and sympathetic.

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I had a elcs for my first and then emcs for the second at Frimley.

Sorry that's hampshire hospital but I actually live in Surrey.

Can I ask why you had a cs for your first?

I had two at Kingston which is Surrey sort of. But I had pre-eclampsia with the first so they weren't risking letting me go past due date with dc2..

I had my first because I had twins and one was breech.

Well like me then there is no medical reason for you to have a repeat cs, however I think the key is not to allow yourself to be bullied and make sure you have done your research have a read of this (including the pdf) .

Thank you for that. I'm on my second consultant and they are sending me for psychological counselling - but I just feel so bullied by the process I don't want to have my baby there. But don't want to be going out of the frying pan into the fire.

Was your second the emergency one?

That's great lockets. Thank you.

My first was emergency the second was elective. Ask the midwives which are the sympathetic to c-section consultants. Why are they sending u for psychological counselling?

Because they perceive that I need to be counselled into accepting a VBAC. I had quite an extreme emotion reaction when they told me I was going to have to go through a trial of labour. I just feel that I shouldn't be having to dredge through my emotions about vaginal birth (even the thought of the counselling is really getting to me) as I believed that maternal choice was the top priority in considering whether to go with elcs or VBAC. Being made to think about it is turning it into a mental health issue, when actually I truly believe that all the guidelines say the risks involved with VBAC mean a woman should have a choice not to.

I'm from South Africa and I just can't understand the UK healthcare's obsession with natural birth. I was watching 'One born every minute' the other day and there was this teenage girl pregnant with a huge baby. When she came in the midwives told each other that she was going to need a c/s. But still they made her go through an induction, breaking her water, tiring her out before eventually giving a c/s.

I had both my children by c/s section in South Africa - first one was breech and the second elective without a second thought - it's my body and my choice. I am now pregnant for a third time (my hospital is also the Royal Surrey) but the midwife has said that I would get a c/s - although we are moving to Australia before the birth where I'll probably face other issues.

But good luck to you and don't let them get you down.

I'm hoping for a VBAC and am very pro-VBAC if that's what the mum wants, but to say there is no medical reason for repeat CS really annoys me. I have been told this by a registrar, and yet when discussing VBAC the hospital keep banging on about the risks of rupture, so they are contradicting themselves to say there's no medical reason. Repeat CS essentially pushes the risks of birth from the baby onto the mum (although does increase risks to any subsequent pregnancies). VBAC does have a risk of scar rupture - it's a very small risk but a risk nonetheless. I don't think anyone should be forced into accepting that risk to their baby if they would prefer to accept the risks of having a repeat CS.

I can't help you with hospital suggestions, I think a lot of hospitals are changing their advice to women now based on the fact that a successful VBAC is considerably cheaper than a repeat CS - I've been told that I would 'have to' be induced if overdue (which I am arguing about) rather than opt for repeat CS, due to resources .

Ah now you see being induced is something the guidelines I posted above do NOT recommend if you are having a VBAC and if I were you I would be waving those under the hospitals nose.

Let me stress that even if I said she had no medical reason (and the risk of rupture is TINY as long as other criteria are met) that does not mean I think she should be made to have a VBAC.

"Risk factors for unsuccessful VBAC are:
induced labour, no previous vaginal birth, body mass index greater than 30,24?26 previous caesarean
section for dystocia.21 When all these factors are present, successful VBAC is achieved in only 40%
of cases.21 There are numerous other factors associated with a decreased likelihood of planned
VBAC success:21,22,27?30 VBAC at or after 41 weeks of gestation, birth weight greater than 4000 g;
no epidural anaesthesia, previous preterm caesarean birth, cervical dilatation at admission less than
4 cm, less than 2 years from previous caesarean birth, advanced maternal age, non-white ethnicity,
short stature and a male infant. Where relevant to the woman?s circumstances, this information
should be shared during the antenatal counselling process to enable the woman to make the best
informed choice."

Here it is.

Zimbah - you probably know this but depending on the kind of induction they use, the risk of scar rupture massively goes up. Have they discussed it with you? I can't believe they are saying that to you. The whole thing is crazy.

Oh, and I have five of the risk factors for unsuccessful VBAC but they are completely disregarding that

Print out the guidelines, underline the risk factors pertaining to you and take it with you. I also found it helped to write everything down that I wanted to say so I didn't forget or get flustered.

I've been told by the consultant "I really don't like it how women these days read a bit of paper and think they know better than the experts" . My concern about my 95 centile baby (estimated fetal weight over 4000g is a serious contraindication for VBAC) was met with "you're tall, you'll be fine".

Honestly they are a lost cause

U need a new consultant asap

Sorry but I loved my Royal Surrey consultant, and knowing a friend who nearly died from the complications from repeat CS's I am pleased she listened to me and let me VBAC. However if you are being this emotional maybe that is why they are concerned. If you want a fresh slate then I would request to be transferred to another hospital such as Frimley Park.

Can I ask who you had? I think the problem that I have is that I'm not being listened to. I'm not sure what you mean by "if you are being this emotional maybe that is why they are concerned" though - could you explain?

Sorry to hear about your friend.

Schmee that's a terrible thing for a consultant to say!

I agree the whole induction thing seems mad, I was truly shocked when I was first told it, that's why I will insist on speaking to a consultant and not just being booked in by a midwife because the registrar has written it on my notes. Using the prostaglandin gel/pessary vastly increases the risk of rupture so you're left with syntoncinon + ARM, which without prostaglandin being administered first have a low chance of being successful anyway. Also I haven't had a previous vaginal birth so that lowers my chances too. I've written down the key facts from the NICE guidelines to take along with me. Desperately hoping that the next two sweeps I've got booked will be successful.

I hope you are able to transfer hospitals. A friend had an elective repeat CS at Kingston hospital without too much bother, she just had to be firm and they agreed, but I imagine that's out of your area and they are very overbooked.

Zimba Thank you - a lovely community midwife has offered to make some time to see me over the weekend to help talk it through and make suggestions about hospitals/consultants. I think even if I do go through the counselling and somehow decide that I want to try to have a vaginal birth, I feel really uncomfortable having my labour overseen with someone who has that attitude.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you about the induction issue and that the sweeps will work for you. I guess if you refuse to consent to induction they will eventually give you a section anyway? Last thing you want to be doing is having a battle with them at this stage though.