Scared of having C Section!!

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Baby is breech at 36 weeks. Got to see consultant about the option of having them turned which scares me - only 50/50. Could distress baby. The drugs to relax. Could turn back after! Baby has been breech for weeks and weeks and I know because I can feel the head which they confirmed at scan. So I think baby must be comfortable here. So I think to go straight for C Section but this also frightens me!! So worried about it all. 2nd baby and 1st was not breech, easy natural birth.

It hurts to get up and have the catheter out the next day but it's not unbearable

It was the catheter I was more worried about, but it didn't hurt coming out - more like a quick pinch. Didn't hurt to pee either. So that was a lot of worry and angst for nothing!

I think it was the getting up that hurt more than the catheter! I just didn't want to get up and was scared of moving, then had to hobble to the loo but I think the actual catheter was fine.

A fantastic post OP - thank you! I'm due to have an ELCS due to high risk pregnancy later this year so this thread is of great comfort to me too.

Natural birth wasn't even an option for me, it was always going to be a CS but it's good to hear that those who do have a choice, would choose this again over a VBAC.

Quick question I've been wondering ... I have been told by a friend you have to be erm, shaved downstairs in prep for a CS? Is that right? But why if so, it isn't coming out of your bits? 😂

Also .. Catheter, does that go into your bladder through your tummy? (Or does it go into your bits?) Sorry for the ridiculous questions, I am totally clueless!

ThisIsActuallyHappening the catheter goes in your bits, yes! They do it after the spinal block so you can't feel it. I think they shaved a bit off the top of my pubes just to make way for the incision, which goes kind of along the top hair line. They leave your undercarriage alone

Oh I wish I hadn't asked now! Peeing after it comes out must surely be very sore??

And ah ok, so if I just went and had like a normal bikini line wax before then, I should be ok? A friend, who had a CS several years ago, told me how they "came at her with a razor" before she went down for surgery and how itchy it was afterwards when it was growing back. So I was thinking, if they're going to insist on that, then I would have it all waxed off professionally beforehand so that I didn't have such itchy regrowth. To add to my post birth woes! ....I have may over thought this lol!

I don't remember peeing being sore afterwards. I'm guessing that it's less sore than those ladies who tear after vaginal deliveries!

Well, yes. Very valid point!

Peeing after it comes out must surely be very sore??

I was dreading the first pee post-catheter but it was totally fine

Scar pain kind of over rides any other pain doesn't it? The catheter was painful going in but I don't even remember it coming out! And yes they sort out your pubic hair, the incision is surprisingly low.

The most recent advice I thought was to leave your pubes alone. I'd ask about it. Mine weren't touched at all but my scar is higher as it was an emergency job.

This is the ROCG update - http://breechbirth.org.uk/2017/03/new-rcog-guideline-published-today/. My friend who is a midwife posted on Facebook the other day. In my antenatal classes they mentioned breech vaginal delivery was usually recommended for second babies if it's a certain breech position. Personally, I'd ask the question just so I knew all my options. Some babies turn in labor and you could also try other things like acupuncture or check the spinning babies website. I'm pregnant with my first so no experience with c section but I'd be terrified of getting cut open too

I had a CS with DC1 and am probably going to end up with one again this time around.

I found CS to be fine and I had never stayed overnight in a hospital before, let alone had any kind of operation. The injection is the oddest bit as you have to stay really still etc but once that was in I was numb pretty much straight away.

The whole thing lasted about half an hour I think but it took only a few minutes to get the baby out and then I didn't mind the rest of the time as I was so pleased to see him! There is a bit where they push down on the top of your bump and I remember that being a bit uncomfortable but that was it - I didn't feel any pain whatsoever throughout the whole thing.

Recovery wise, I was shuffling around within 24 hours and walking fine within 3 days. I was sleeping on my side after about 8 or 9 days and on my tum after a couple of weeks... The incision wasn't particularly sore, showers etc were fine, I just sprayed it to clean it and that was that. If your hospital has reclining chairs, I found it more comfortable to sleep in those than the bed once I was up and about! Plus it's easier to get up and down.

I wouldn't say a section is a walk in the park but then I am sure vaginal birth isn't either. There is no easy way to get a baby out of your body! Good luck with everything.

Do you have a pre section chat at the hospital to go through what happens? And do you get an appointment through the post? How does it get organised? Is it usually a week before?

Haven't RTFT but just wanted to share with you my lovely x2 ECS experiences, carried out in 2 different hospitals.

Calm, reassuring consultants, made me instantly at ease. Lovely team in theatre who chatted away to me and DH throughout.

Music of my choice playing.

On both occasions, baby put to breast v soon after delivery (and began to root around).

All in all a beautiful experience.

Just don't rush the recovery, use the wonderful excuse it provides to sit around cuddling your newborn!!

Good luck x

A relaxed and supportive experience all round.

DD was mostly transverse, and very unstable - she was successfully turned with ECV, but turned back. This meant I got admitted at 37+5, delivery at 39+1, so all the pre-op admin was covered while I was in hospital. They will need to do a blood test pre-op, so if you're as squeamish as me, you may want to get some emla cream in advance. The blood test has to be no more than a week before you deliver.

Ask how long it'll take from incision - it was 20 mins for me, as I've had a lot of previous surgery and they were being very careful (but said I was much less complicated than they expected, and it could take up to 40 mins to get DD out).

I went home the following afternoon. I was told by a number of friends who are health professionals to take painkillers on a schedule, not to wait until the pain was bad. That was definitely good advice. I was sent to the GP after 5 days, and struggled to walk the short distance to the car. At 12 days I was able to walk a mile without difficulty. However you really do want someone else to help with your older child.

As thought the consultant wants me to have an ecv next week. What's everyone's thoughts on this? She said 50/50 chance and if successful then only 5% turn back. She said it wouldn't hurt me or harm baby. But then said there is a very small risk something could happen and to take my hospital bag.

I haven't had one so I can't speak from experience but I declined this in advance as I don't believe there is no risk to the baby. I'm sure someone with experience will be be along soon with some better info!

I have read other womens experiences of ECV and it has really scared me. A poor lady told her story on here of how she had it done, was only monitored for the standard 30 minutes after, all seemed well with baby, went home and hours later noticed no movements. Went back for check up and sadly baby had died. A post mortem revealed that the baby had suffered a bleed on the brain from when the Doctor was pushing hard to turn them. If she had been monitored for longer than 30 mins, her babies deterioration would have been picked up and she would have been born by EMCS, and the bleed could have been stopped, thus saving her. Its too scary for words tbh. Even if there is a low risk of this happening, in my opinion, it is one that I categorically wouldn't take!

I LOVED my ELCS!! I had a 2 year old and it was a bit like having a mini holiday! Yes having the anaesthetic isn't great and it does hurt afterwards but it's great, so easy and you get to have a nice sit in bed with everybody waiting on you afterwards!

I would think that if you have a breech baby, then the 50% chance of success is accurate, and the chances of turning back are much lower than for a transverse baby - your baby is happy lying top to bottom, and it will still be doing that, whereas mine really wanted to be sideways!

In your position, I would give it a go I think - I didn't find ECV too unpleasant, but that may have been because DD was very happy to move around anyway (she managed every possible position when I was examined daily after admission).

This leaflet gives you more info about the risks:
www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/patients/patient-information-leaflets/pregnancy/turning-a-breech-baby-in-the-womb-external-cephalic-version.pdf

Loved my two c-sections and think it should be presented as an equal option to vaginal birth. I liked that I didn't have to deal with healing/problems down below.
Recovery is painful and everything is hard the first few days, but then really quickly it keeps getting easier and easier. My best tip- get some peppermint oil capsules for your recovery as the hospital don't really give anything for the trapped wind. That was surprisingly one of the biggest causes of discomfort in the first few days! They pump you full of air after baby is out combined with not being able to fart/poo for the first few days so it gets trapped all around your body. I took some on day 3 while walking hunched over and on day 4 I was walking round stood up straight and picking baby up easily. Good luck whatever you choose OP!