Elective C Section?

[orphanblack1]

So, am 31+3 and saw my Consultant today - toying with elective C section. Had a good chat with him, now need to make up my mind and let him know.

My circs: I am quite an anxious person generally and like to know what is happening and when (I'm a lawyer so think a large part of it comes from that!). I'm not really scared of the pain of birth as I figure there's gas and air, plus it will be over at some point and feel I could cope with the pain. However, it is tearing I am worried about and the after effects of that (again, not the pain of the tear itself as that will all be caught up in the labour etc anyway) for 2 reasons: 1) I have an eczema type condition down there (not lichen sclerosis) which means skin is tighter anyway and quite friable so sometimes I cna get small cuts/irritation anyways and 2) I used to do medical negligence cases for the NHS, specifically obs and gynae ones so have seen lots of after effects of tears (I know I only got to see the really bad ones).

My Consultant said that the stats are that 80% of women experience a tear with a vaginal birth. He didn't have much to say on my skin condition other than, if I do get cuts etc easily (I was seeing a different consultant for treatment for this who has now retired hence has has no direct experience of my condition) then the likelihood is I will tear.

He was willing to offer an elective episiotomy but I have said no to that (again, because I've seen horror stories re this on real live cases) but he is willing to do an elective c-section at 39 weeks and would be with him.

I feel torn (pardon the pun!) as to what to do. I like the idea of the "surprise" of going into labour and having a "natural" birth. However, I am also alive to the possibility that this may not go according to plan and I could end up with a c section anyway. If I am going to have a c section, much better it is planned and controlled. Knowing my anxiety, I am worried if I go for a natural labour I may distress my baby and be so overcome with fear that there's a failure to progress and I end up with an ECS anyway!

On the flip side, this is major surgery and the recovery time (i.e. not driving) is a good 4 weeks.

Does anyone have any experience they can share? Would be interested also to hear from people who have had both a natural birth with one, then a c section with another.

In terms of future, I am 40 in 2 months so whilst I'd love love love a big family, the likelihood is we will probably only manage 1 more child (if we are that lucky) and I think 2 c sections is probably ok.

Any advice/support gratefully received.

Plughole3 If I twisted too much leaning over to put dd in her cot, I had an ache but nothing I'd class as painful or needing pain killers. No idea why it doesn't hurt and neither do they. With my first, they were concerned that something had gone wrong with the anesthetic but after an hour of being prodded and poked, decided I was absolutely fine just a bit weird.

I was a bit nervous with my 2nd but it was exactly the same.

Thanks lladies, all really helpful. I definitely don’t think c section is an easy way out or a walk in the park. When you get cuts sometimes from just wiping after a wee you do worry a lot about how the skin down there is going to cope and whether it’s just not going to recover afterwards!

Dinosauratemydaffodils Your the CS version of those whose natural birth is one cough or push & out comes baby, so lucky! 😁

Plughole3 That's the rest of my family...fast easy natural births with no tears. Childbirth is described as "shelling peas" by virtually every other female relative I have, whereas I had 75 hours of back to back contractions with my first, pushing and failed forceps before they finally admitted defeat and agreed with me that he was stuck. Dd wasn't quite as painful but despite being in what they classed as an optimal position, I was still contracting entirely in my back, pelvis and thighs hence the 2nd emergency section.

I had an elective section 6 weeks ago with my second child after a forceps delivery with my first child. It was the best decision ever! I absolutely loved my section! Nothing like an emergency section -it was a lovely experience and my recovery was amazing! I was never actually in pain at any point - discomfort on the first few days but with the pain killers it's nothing! The worst part for me was the trapped wind after surgery which was sore as hell but if you get some over the counter trapped wind rememdy then it's easily dealt with. I am actually sad that my first birth was so horrendous and it caused me so many problems the years after my first child was born- if only I had known how good elective sections are x

@orphanblack1 I had the same fear. I had undiagnosed severe LS and quite a bit of scarring but the dermatologist I saw said there was plenty of stretch in the skin and recovery was fine both times - a couple of paracetemol and ibuprofen and I was doing the nursery run straight away after DD2. I know people do have bad births (there are bad c sections as well!) But on the whole the vagina is designed to heal well - strong muscles and a good blood supply.

Hello! I had an ELCS 9 weeks ago and it was a very positive experience. Really calm, I was first on the list and was done with my baby in my arms within a hour. The epidural was the worst bit but only because I apparently have a ‘bony mass’ where they usually do it so it made things tricky. Recovery was absolutely fine and I would say I felt back to normal within about 3 weeks but still followed the advice and didn’t do any heavy lifting or driving for 6 weeks. So I would deffo advocate the ELCS! Hope it all goes well for you, DM me if you have any other questions as mine was quite recent

Thanks ladies, all really helpful again! @manctart - I may just do that - I’m from Manc originally too!

Got appointment with consultant midwife weds so looking forward to her view too

Feel the same way as you OP. Today It's been agreed I can have a section for my first child. Suffer from severe anxiety and know mentally I would struggle with labour, so happy that it's been approved. Still, I feel embarrassed to tell people it's based on choice rather than medical reasons and obviously still scared about the op itself but a lot calmer now I know it's been set in motion.

Just got to wait for a date now (currently almost 37 weeks so not long left) they said they didn't have any slots available when they tried to book it today, really hoping they don't turn around and say no or that I go into early labour.. my normal hospital doesn't do elective sections so I have to go to one further away. If you go into labour before your elective would they try and make you labour naturally? Scared about that.

You would just phone the hospital to tell them you have went into labour and then head over to them and you would still get your section- it would just be classed as a 'semi-emergency' as you would already be starting labour. I asked that question for my section a few weeks ago, luckily it didn't happen but I was reassured by the midwife that it would be no issue if it did so don't worry xx

I had elective c sections with all 3 of mine. DD1 due to growth issues so had her at 39+2
Then DD3 was due to my anxiety levels around potential problems in the birth and post birth period, namely tearing and having forceps, episiotomy, subsequent incontinence, pain, infection etc because I'm the one person who gets it all! 😳 so my consultant suggested a section so it's controlled and I don't hold my progression of labour back and end up with a section anyway and it'd be an emergency one in that case.
DD3 10 weeks ago was because I've had 2 previous sections.
My recoveries for all 3 were fine, in fact the most recent one was the best yet.
Regards to the experience of it, my first 2 (10 and 8 yr ago) were ok but this latest one was fantastic! So relaxed. Chatting and singing to the radio in theatre, knew all the staff names 12 of them in theatre!) DD3 was born so fast from time if first incision and they lowered the drapes for DH to watch her being born, then she was listen onto my bare chest and they waited for the cord to stop pulsating, as they do with a vaginal birth. Then DH cut the cord and DD was left suckling on my neck 😂 and the time flew by; I couldn't have cared less what they were doing to me behind the drapes now, my baby was here and we were bonding and crying and wrapped up in our own worlds.
I'd say go for the section, if your anxiety is anything like mine. You could always have a plan that if you don't birth naturally after a set number of hours trying then section is the next step... or rather than an induction if you're overdue you have a section instead?

If you go into labour before your elective would they try and make you labour naturally?

I went into labour before at 39 weeks exactly, section booked for 39+1. They offered to break my waters to see how things went, I said no thanks and they were absolutely fine with that. Had a lovely calm semi emergency section which was a million miles away from my son's horrendous one with all the alarms going off.

Hi OP, I had a vag birth with DS. My labour lasted about 7 hours and I had a small tear, but didn't need stiches and it healed OK. My biggest issues were heavy bleeding after the birth, and incontinence, even though I had done my pelvic floor exercises religiously! With DD I had an elective c-section as she was breech... it all went fine, I was able to get up and move about soon after the epidural wore off and I don't remember it being majorly painful, my bleeding was much lighter and no incontinence that time! I did try to take it easy though, and of course, not being able to drive for a few weeks was inconvenient. My scar healed fine too. The only downside to my c-section is that in spite of me weighing the same as I did pre DD, I do now have a little 'pouch' instead of my previously flattish tummy, but as I;m not a lingerie model that doesn't bother me too much. Good luck with whatever you decide to do X

I think that it's up to the mother and what is best for the baby as to what kind of birth you have - by this I mean mother's mental health as well as physical.......I had an emergency c section 10 weeks ago with my daughter (first child) and by the time the doctor said they would have to deliver by c section I was so grateful, I could have kissed him!
I was happy that there was complete pain relief but personally I kinda feel a little downhearted as I missed out on having the first cuddles with her, as I was numb from the boob-line down and my arms were hooked up to all the machines, so I couldn't hold her. I have also felt that I have somehow "cheated" giving birth - that delivering the baby by c-section was an easy way out - probably stupid to feel that way but I can't help it, especially since before the birth I had wanted to deliver her naturally, even without an epidural (that went out of the window pdq). Still, at the end we got our baby all healthy and happy and that was what mattered.

The recovery period was also a bit of a bummer - could not drive for 6 weeks. Sitting down and getting up again was painful, as was turning around in bed. Walking up the stairs at home was also a bit of a challenge. Getting up from the toilet was also a chore..... Every cloud has a silver lining though and aside from having our beautiful little baby home with us, the silver lining was that my boyfriend had to wait on me hand and foot. Yesssssssss :) :)

We are not planning to have any more children, but if we did I would be offered the option of an elective c-section, and I would probably take it (!) Hope everything goes well for you and your little one :-)

@hamandpeas it was an emergency c-section. If I had chosen a c-section and had the results I had, I would not have been happy!

Emergency sections and elective are completely different things. Sometimes I hear people talking about how terrible their section was and warning others how bad it is but the person who's asking is going for an elective therefore it's advising on a subject you haven't experienced. Feel for any mum who's had an emergency section as they sound bloody horrific :(

Thanks again ladies - all really helps in terms of weighing things up. Had appointment with Consultant Midwife today who was excellent. She didn't try to push me one way or the other and asked what I wanted to do. I said I was really not sure, had read a number of medical journals of RCOGS information and part of me would really like to have a VB but the other part of me was shrieking away from it.

We've agreed that she will work with me over next few weeks and I will also get some hypno-birthing classes sorted. She is going to speak to contacts she has at other hospitals about their experience of people with my skin condition (as she has never dealt with a patient with it) and come back to me with what she's discovered. She is going to give me some exercises to do for "down there" and we will see how I feel.

She will also prepare a birth plan with me about my care during birth and particularly with vaginal examinations (which I also struggle with) which makes me feel better as think the other midwives will listen to her.

If I really feel like I just don't want a VB then she will book me for an ELCS.

She was totally excellent, non-judgmental, understanding and informative. Great experience so now I just need to see what next few weeks bring and make my mind up.

Sod's law he'll now be breech or something and I'll have no say!!!

That sounds like a really positive meeting! X