C-section request advice

[le42]

Hi there, hoping for some advice....I’m currently 36 +3 weeks pregnant first baby. I’ve had a pretty stressful pregnancy with worries about the baby (super high NT, CVS, low placenta, overly high weight gain in baby) but everything always turns out okay with him. Since about 19 weeks I’ve suffered with terrible SPD and I can barely leave the house because it’s so sore to walk. (have tried physio, osteopath, acupuncture, massage etc - nothing helps)

We are having a very large baby by all accounts, I’ve have about 6 scans since 16 weeks and all have confirmed he is over the 97th percentile. The midwife told me they want to induce at 39/40 weeks for his size.

My pelvic pain is making me feel like a natural birth is going to prove really difficult, particularly if I’ve been induced and the baby is 10/11 lbs. I wouldn’t be able to be in any active position and not even sure I could get in or out a water pool.

On Friday we met with the midwife and requested a c-section. I know this isn’t the “easy way” out but I’m so anxious about the birth I feel like it’s my best option.

Just wondered if anyone had advice for meeting the consultant - I understand they might not agree to it as I don’t meet the physical criteria for a c-section. Thanks everyone 🙏

Hey, did anyone have any advice on this? I'm still waiting for my consultant appointment

Hi - you’ll get a lot of posters saying it’s your choice etc etc but generally - there’s nothing in your post that would suggest a medical need for a c section unfortunately. Big baby isn’t an indication unfortunately. The consultant will want to understand your rationale - I wouldn’t say a big baby. C sections are usually booked by 32/34 weeks. They’ll probably encourage you to try induction and a natural birth, but maybe ask for some reassurance about moving to a c section if there’s no progress?

The consultant will want to understand the grounds for a c section - from a medical perspective. If you push for it you can ask to be referred to somewhere / someone else for the discussion but the uncertainty might have increase your anxiety.

For context - I have an ELCS booked for 5 weeks with DC2 following an EMCS and failed labour with DC1. This was agreed with no issue. ELCS in my experience are not usually granted (rightly or wrongly) without medical justification in most trusts despite nice guidelines.

Best of luck.

I was booked for a c section because scans showed DS was going to be almost 12lbs. Then they rescanned, decided he wasn’t as big so I could choose between induction and c section. Because of other medical reasons I wasn’t going to go over 40 weeks. I don’t think they will book a c section based on a baby on the 97th centile. But talk to them. Tell them your concerns and see what they say. I ended up with an emc and will say recovery wasn’t an easy ride

Thanks for everyone's advice. It's more the SPD that I'm requesting it for, which I feel is exacerbated by the size of baby. Some days I can't leave the house as I live in a flat and I can't get up the stairs.
I was very fit pre-pregnancy and now I can hardly walk - it's been the most horrendous experience.

I've been told they won't let me go over and will induce at 40 weeks so my worries are threefold: the pelvic pain, coupled with size of baby and induction > I feel like this will result in a truly awful labour.

Interestingly one midwife I saw at 34 weeks said my situation would be grounds to request a C-Section but it seems very dependent on the health professional being asked.

I mean I may go into labour any day and this would all be moot.... still no appointment letter in the mail today :(