Can I choose to have a caesarean & sterilisation?

[Ffswhytho]

Hi everyone,

I’m a mum already to three wonderful teens and a toddler. My 2 year old is my husbands 1st and only child. We had settled on not having any more and this last year have made lots of plans which we were really looking forward to.

I should also mention that I was on antidepressants for a long time which were working well for me mood wise, but having physical side effects which made some things difficult for me day to day, so my doc advised weaning me off and taking a break to ‘settle’ before starting new ones.

During the non medication stage of that process I found myself pregnant again, despite using contraception and its really knocked me for six. I’ve had an absolute torrent of emotion, all negative and I’ve been so drained and so unhappy, crying all the time and i can’t believe that it’s happened. I don’t know how much, if any of it is medication/withdrawal related, or depression or just hormones and shock at being pregnant again and upheaval of my life which was so nearly on track to where I wanted to be.

The last two weeks or so I’ve come around to the situation, I wouldn’t have chosen it having already done it four times, but I love babies I adore my children and being a mum, my husband is a wonderful dad and I know we’ll be fine and will be over the moon with baby when it arrives.

The thing is I didn’t have a very good labour/birth experience with my last baby and am dreading the whole thing tbh, not to mention the possibility of ever going through all of this again in the future.

I’m considering asking if I could be considered for a c section and getting sterilised at the same time. I’ve not had a c section before, I’ve had all four vaginally. Aside from my mental state and wanting to be sterilised there’s no real medical reason for a section. Does anyone have any experience of anything similar or knowledge of whether I’d be allowed to choose to have my baby this way this time?

I know people who have had that done although they were due to have a c section anyway for medical reasons

I'm not sure you can have an elective c section just because you want to be sterilised at the same time if that makes sense?

Technically anyone can request a section - each mum has the right to request the birth they want. However, you’ll face a real battle actually getting one on the NHS if there is no medical reason (sadly, I’m not sure mental health comes into it much).. if you last labour was very difficult & affected you, you can certainly request to speak to someone about it & for consideration based on the trauma of a previous birth.

Your starting point is your midwife next time you see her :) be really open & honest about everything, your last birth & your mental health, it’ll stand you in the best stead to take things forwards. Good luck OP.

Having had an emcs and then a vbac I would avoid a c section at all costs. A few people recovery very quickly but you won’t be able to pick up your toddler for over 6 weeks.

From my previous knowledge they tend not to sterilise at caesarean as there is a higher failure rate as I recall.

you’ll face a real battle actually getting one on the NHS if there is no medical reason

While I know a lot of people do have this experience, it is not necessarily the case.

I think people generally recover quicker and easier from elective sections rather than emergency sections.

I think you might have an easier time if you push for a section first then discuss your options for sterilisation after.

I think that your tubes are also removed during sterilisation now so there is no failure rate. Yes, you can be sterilised during a c section and your consultant would probably agree as it saves a further operation at a later date.

I had was offered sterilisation during a high risk 3rd caesarean section (planned after a very hairy first emergency section and second one planned due to the circumstances of the first plus predicted high birth weight baby), but turned it down as it was sprung on me the day before, once already in hospital for the pre op etc.

So it is done sometimes.

I was also told afterwards that the failure rate is especially high if done during a caesarean.

Recovery from a planned caesarean is easier than an emergency but the 24 ours afterwards were horrible and humiliating due to inability to get out of bed without help and problems going to the toilet.

Just as with vaginal delivery people's experiences vary absolutely massively and there are no guarantees that you'll have an easy or a difficult time.

I had an elective c section (for MH reasons). The woman next to me in the pre-op room was offered sterilisation but I think that's because it was her 5th section. It wasn't mentioned to me but I imagine I could have asked about it and they would have done it. In terms of recovery, my c section was really easy. I was up and about that day, left hospital the next day and went out for a walk with baby the following day. I was pain free within a couple of weeks and before then managed with paracetamol.

I was offered sterilisation at my second (elective) section. If you ask and say this is your 4th baby they’ll almost certainly agree. I’ve heard mixed stories about how easy it is to get an elective in mh grounds. It varies by trust I think but you should definitely push for that if that’s what you want. I had two easy recoveries from mine. Rested religiously for the first two weeks and focused on feeding the baby. After that I was pain free and basically back to normal.

Thanks everyone for your input and sharing your experiences. I don’t think a section is easier than v birth, even after having my youngest it was my idea of a nightmare tbh!

I think it’s the idea of falling pregnant again, or more to the point knowing how anxious I’ll be worrying about it constantly, I just need to know it can’t happen. The concept of coming home from hospital with my baby and knowing that I absolutely, definitely will not be able to fall pregnant ever again from that moment onwards is the only thing bringing relief to my mind about it all at the moment.