Please tell me your ELCS stories!

[MyGrassIsBrowner]

Just that, how was your experience(s)?
I'm due to meet with the consultation on Monday with my request for one. I'm currently 22+4 with baby no.2. My DD is 14 months now, my birth with her was on an MLU. Midwife at the time was not supportive, I pushed at all the wrong times, didn't get any pain relief (G&A) until the last minute when at that point I couldn't focus on it as I was in so much pain, she was back to back also (contractions were off the scale pain wise) ended up with 2nd degree internal tear and graze on labia.
Pretty sure I've got a mild prolapse now, rectocele and I'm fairly certain as I have had a good look down there (okay, it hasn't been formally diagnosed but was dismissed by the nurse when I had my smear after DD) so haven't bothered to follow it up. Took me months and months before I could sit down normally without being in agony. Now I'm getting heavier it's exacerbating all my previous symptoms (especially feels uncomfortable when I sit on the loo and sometimes find I have to manually remove stool as I'm too fearful of pushing.
Anyway, midwife pretty much said no off the bat, straight onto me with the risks etc (which I have made myself fully aware of through my own research) must have then felt sorry for me as I cried down the phone to her she then arranged for me to meet with the consultant on Monday which I am so happy about. I know I may have a bit of a fight on my hands for one but I just want to get myself prepared!

So... did you have one? How did you find it? Am I being daft? I look forward to reading your replies! 😊 x

I loved both of my ELCS. Such a lovely calm experience.

Lots of people inc the nurses say to get up and moving as quickly as possible after the op. I refused to move for 24 hours (loved the catheter and not needing to wee constantly lol). I was lucky that my health insurance paid for me to go private, so DH stayed with us and could pass me the baby, change nappies etc, so I got lots of rest for our 3-night stay. Felt back to normal within 1 week both times.

I think csections get bad reviews when it's emergency surgery. One of my best friends had a crash section under GA after a couple of days of induction. She was really poorly afterwards. She insisted on a VBAC for her next baby. She now has other long-standing issues down below. I don't know any friend who has had a vaginal birth and not had some issue afterwards, so I'm very grateful to have had ELCS. Hope your appt goes well!

@CharlieAteThePies Well it sounds like you had a lovely experience on both occasions! Lol on the catheter situation! I'm stubborn though I'll want to be up and discharged as soon as I am physically able to lol. Although I'm kinda looking forward to the hospital stay for a bit of peace, well as much peace as you can get on a hospital ward 😆

My recovery after my DD was horrific. Not being able to sit down properly for months afterwards without being in agony was just debilitating. I'm welcoming the prospect of a C-Section with open arms!! X

@MyGrassIsBrowner same day as me! 😊 that’s great news! How many weeks will you be by then?

@sarah13xx Hey hun! I'll only be 24+5. How far along will you be?
I got a letter this morning and they've already booked me in for the 13th September for a foetal scan so by then I'll be just over 36 weeks, which tells me that's the scan they do before giving you your section date! All seems rather promising right now. Xx

@MyGrassIsBrowner definitely sounds it! I’ll be 33 at my appointment, have already spoken to her on the phone and had it verbally confirmed (or near enough). She said she’d be able to book it in at this appointment when I asked what happens if they’re too busy when I need mine. She also did say it might not be with her though if she’s not available so might be one of her ‘team’ that sees me. I’m hoping they still book me in if she’s not there 🙈 I think I’m going to take my partner to it for moral support in case she isn’t as nice as she seemed on the phone! Are you taking anyone in?

@sarah13xx To be honest if its one of her team I believe they're classed as the 'registras' basically they're there when she isn't and I think they do the surgery when she's not there too. They're trusted members of her team so they'll be as good as she is.
To be honest I know my partner is allowed to any scans but not routine appointments as far as I'm aware. I'm quite headstrong though and even if my DH did come along with me he wouldn't get a word in edgeways so I'm much better going alone 😆 x

@MyGrassIsBrowner yeah I think that will be the case. If I was to go into labour outwith her monday-Thursday hours I think someone else would do it then too as I’m sure she only does the planned ones on these days. I don’t actually know what the rules are where I stay, I think they’re allowed to all antenatal clinic appointments which I suppose this would be classed as?! Not sure if most people take someone or not but I thought if we were finding out his birth date he should probably be there 🙈 Might check with friends if they took someone, it’s usually only scans he’d come to. I’m not usually demanding or strong willed about most things but this is the one thing I am 😂 I won’t leave that appointment til I know what’s happening and when! I’ve only relaxed a bit since knowing I was meeting her and she was booking in the date so il be back to panicking again if they say come back nearer the time 😳x

@sarah13xx if it's a comfort for you definitely take your partner with you! I'd think she'll book you in for a day that she's actually in but the only downside to planned sections is that they will get pushed back if an emergency comes in when you're scheduled. So you could go into hospital all ready for your section then have to wait if an emergency section comes in. Hopefully that wont be the case for any of us but it does happen so dont get too fixated on the date you initially get. I just want to know that I'm definitely being accepted for one and I am looking forward to meeting my consultant and getting to know her. With how far along you'll be I'm sure you'll have much more clarity when you meet her! Just make sure you ask all the questions you need to. I've got my notebook ready to take already 😆 xx

@MyGrassIsBrowner yeah I know, the good thing about my hospital on those days where they do electives is they have two theatres open so the elective one shouldn’t be affected by emergencies. It seems to be at weekends they’re all emergencies though and only open one theatre so you could be getting rushed in then a bigger emergency needs in first. I think there’s still the possibility of me turning up on the day I’m told to hang about and then be told they can’t fit me in that day so trying not to get too set on a date but at least I’ll know if it’s 39 weeks or nearer 40 (hope not)!

I’m sure you’ll be accepted no bother! I think I’ve relaxed now presuming mine has already been accepted but just hope she’s as supportive in person and doesn’t make me go through my reasons etc again! I keep thinking how nervous I’ll be the night before my section date but then I’ll also be sooo relieved to have made it to the date and not have a big dramatic story about going early 😂

@sarah13xx Ahhh that sounds promising then!! Hopefully she'll schedule during the week which would make more sense.
Think my main concern is going into labour before my section date as this is my 2nd baby. With my daughter I was 40+6 but my labour was only 4.5 hours from start to finish so very quick! Something I will be asking the consultant first 😆
I'll be nervous when I'm walking to theatre but otherwise it'll just be pure excitement. By that point you dont care what is done to you cause you're heavy, in pain and exhausted! Xx

@MyGrassIsBrowner yeah that’s what scares me too.. hoping with the first he’s maybe not in so much of a rush to get out 😂 the problem is if it happened during the night even at home at my hospital they seem to tell you to wait til the morning to come in. I think I’d just be turning up! It takes so long as well to get all the monitors etc on you and set you up for it. Just hoping that’s not an issue. I think it will be a huge relief that I’ve made it and I will be so excited! The good thing is it’s only 5/10 minutes in theatre til baby is out so after that I won’t be caring anymore 🙈 x

@sarah13xx you do tend to go over with your first, a lot of women do! But.. literally anything can happen! 🤣
I know actually getting baby out is a fairly quick process unless baby is breech which can just lead to a bit more manouvering to ease them out.
Think it's the stitching up that takes time but I'll just be excited to hold baby by that point and it'll probably fly by! I'm letting my partner have first hold of baby as I'll be in no position to try and hold her lol. Xx

Glad to hear some of you are at hospitals which follow the NICE guidelines.

My local hospital info on c-sections is not very promising. It's pretty long so if you don't want to read it all scroll down to the bit in bold which basically says if you still want it you can go private.

I feel anxious just reading this, there are many complex reasons why I feel it would be the best option.
I don't have an appointment for a while yet, trying to put it out of my mind.
They did show as an Amber on the Birthrights information but their website is pretty clear.

What if there are no medical indications and I ask for a caesarean section ?

There is a large body of evidence to support the widely-held view that pregnancy ending in vaginal delivery is a normal process which is safe and appropriate for women with a low predicted risk of complication in the UK.

If there are no identifiable factors that increase the risk of vaginal delivery then caesarean section will not be offered routinely as a birthing option. You might still think that a caesarean section remains the best choice for you and your baby, particularly if you have had a previous negative birthing experience, have complications during the pregnancy or are worried about delivering vaginally.

If this is the case then you will be referred to a senior doctor or midwife with extensive experience of caesarean section and vaginal delivery. You will have the opportunity to discuss your anxieties about vaginal delivery and they will provide you with information about the relative risks and benefits of both methods of delivery. In addition, you might find it helpful to have regular meetings with a healthcare professional trained to provide psychological support during pregnancy and childbirth. Ultimately we wish to make sure that your delivery is as safe as possible for you and your baby and that you have a positive birthing experience.

What are the risks of Caesarean section?
Risks for you:

Higher risk of uterine (womb) infection
Higher risk of severe bleeding (hemorrhage)
Higher risk of developing a blood clot in your legs or lungs
Risk of accidental surgical damage to your bladder or bowel
Longer stay in hospital
Risks for baby:

Higher risk of your baby developing breathing problems following birth requiring hospital admission
Problems breastfeeding
Risks for future pregnancies:

Higher chance of developing low lying placenta (placenta praevia)
Higher chance of developing a placenta (accreta) which grows abnormally into the uterine wall and sometimes beyond; these are rare complications but are serious enough to endanger your life and that of your baby
More chance of infertility following first caesarean section
More chance of stillbirth

It is important to emphasize that for many of these risks, the increase related to caesarean section is small and most women having a cesarean section will not be affected by them.

Your midwife will help plan your birth with you and offer you:

Small group birth preparation classes
Infant feeding workshops
Choice of the place of birth: Birth Centre, Home or Labour Ward
Choice of birth companions present at the birth
Choice of pain relief
Water birth
Support to feed your baby
Support with caring for the baby after birth
If you decide you would still prefer to have a caesarean section even though there are no identifiable factors that increase the risk of vaginal delivery it may be possible to arrange this as a private patient via the private patient’s office

@MoreMaltesers that’s terrible! Is it legal for them to say that?

@MoreMaltesers doesn’t sound good at all 🤔 have you contacted birth rights to highlight this to them? They do say on their website they can take up cases for you if they’re not following the NICE guidelines. You absolutely should be able to have one with zero medical reason if it’s what you choose. I requested one due to my severe phobia of birth but I really focused on the anxiety part of it. It’s not like I was lying, I really am that anxious 😂 but I just played it up a bit. That is your mental health so is just as important as your physical health and if you’re told no it would most likely affect your physical health. I was so worried I hadn’t had a consultant appointment through yet that I started waking up during the night worrying and googling more about it. I was bursting into tears talking to my partner about it because I was just so worried I wasn’t going to get to tell anyone in time. When I did finally get to speak to the consultant I could barely speak on the phone because my heart was beating so fast just talking about it. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off me now that I’ve told her and she’s agreed to it. I won’t get my date til next week but just knowing she’s said yes has stopped me getting that anxious now. I really hope you manage to get somewhere with them! Even ask to be referred to another hospital that has better protocols in place?

@Cafeaulait27 I presume so.
I may contact Birthrights but as far as I know they don't have to follow NICE guidelines. I guess they won't refer to a consultant who will perform a maternal request ELCS if they don't have any!

@MoreMaltesers it’s crazy! Would you consider transferring to a different hospital?

I think it’s awful in this day and age that so many women cannot choose to have a c section if they want one.

I read a really good article about which delivery type is safer, and basically they’re pretty much the same these days. Here it is:

www.theguardian.com/politics/reality-check-with-polly-curtis/2011/nov/23/health

The main difference is the cost, which explains why some trust are so keen to keep c section numbers low.

@sarah13xx I will contact Birthrights, just reading the policy I feel anxious.
I have phobia going back many years and previous medical interventions that haven't helped.
It's my first pregnancy.

I can empathise very much with the waking up and worrying. The first time I read this I closed the website and didn't look at it again until today.
I am glad you now have the agreement that it will happen, will look forward to hearing that you're all sorted with a date soon.

Thanks for the article @Cafeaulait27
I do think it is cost-related.

Yes I would consider going to a different hospital but it means travelling about an hour away and it's the same CCG so I need to check in case their policy is the same.

I don't fancy travelling an hour in the car with the baby immediately after being discharged, but if that's the option then it is to be considered.

I don't suppose a neighbouring CCG would let me give birth there if mine don't want to pay for the operation (although I have been googling and trying to find their policies too).

@MoreMaltesers totally get that you might not want to travel a long way, and yeah it may be the same policy at the other hospital.

I definitely think you can fight it, or at least play up the anxiety angle.

Even though my hospital is very good and pro choice, I do feel a bit like I was talking up my anxieties around a vaginal birth and was sort of labelled as someone with a mental health issue around vaginal birth.

Maybe I do have that but to me it seems completely rational - looking at the risks and benefits, the thought of a traumatic vaginal birth with tearing, the baby getting into distress etc sounds much much worse than an elective c section (even though I know there can be complications, they are much more likely to happen with emergency ones) xx

@MoreMaltesers no wonder, what about PALS as well? Not sure if they’d be any use but might be worth a try. It’s my first baby too so this is totally me. I had no intention of having a baby because I was just so sure I’d die giving birth. I’d waste holidays and stuff lying on a sun lounger watching videos about giving birth 🤦🏼‍♀️ It was a proper obsession just because I was so sure I didn’t want to do it! It wasn’t til I saw the birth rights website that I changed my mind. I would contact all these places, tell your midwife as soon as you can and be very clear you need an appointment soon. Mine were quite bad at fobbing me off and saying yeah you will get one but we’ll deal with that nearer the time. They don’t seem to understand that when you’re this anxious you can’t just wait til the end and casually book in a section at the last minute. I don’t think I was taken seriously til I phoned my midwife saying I was panicking and it was affecting my every day life because I couldn’t think of anything else til I knew if I had an appointment arranged. Suddenly the consultants office were in touch with me like 2 days later saying they’d arrange an appointment. At one point I considered going to my GP and telling her how badly the anxiety was affecting me to see if that would speed it up any. It might be worth going down this route at the same time. Really hope you manage to get somewhere with it, it shouldn’t be this stressful

@Cafeaulait27 completely agree! I’m willing to say/do anything to get my section and couldn’t really care less at this point but you are definitely made to feel a bit silly about it. I had the health visitor phoning me this week and she wished me luck for labour etc and I thought she doesn’t know I’m having a section and I’m really not comfortable going into my reasons with her when she’ll no doubt make me feel like I just don’t fancy it and should really give it a go. It’s even worse when the consultant gives you the risks of the section (yet no risks of a vaginal birth) as if the baby can just glide out or you can have all this awful stuff happen to you, which one would you like? So you sound like you’re being completely irrational to pick the section. It’s when they use the argument of the recovery too. My friend couldn’t sit down for a full 2 months after giving birth naturally. No one mentions that and makes out recovery from a section is so bad and takes months. A lot of my friends who have had one say the first 2 weeks isn’t great but after that you can do a lot of stuff again! When I researched it all it was proven that an elective section is the safest way to give birth, followed by a vaginal birth and the least safe of the three options is an emergency section (which is what the risks they tell you are from)! Very one sided argument 🤦🏼‍♀️

This is what really pisses me off about them advocating vaginal births as the best way to birth. Is it f*ck! I'm now left with a rectocele that is probably going to get worse as the years go on, may need corrective surgery when I hit menopause age as that's when they can worsen. My recovery after my vaginal was horrific. I bled heavily and passed clots the size of my fist, the midwives basically told me to get a grip and if I'm not passing out then just deal with it. I'm lucky I didnt end up with forceps as they're a totally barbaric method of intervention and imo should be banned. I've actually got on my notes that under no circumstances are forceps used. I'd rather have venthouse or go in for an emergency section. The first 3-4 months of having my DD was a blur because everyday was filled with distress, pain, anger and exhaustion. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. If you want a C-section you fight for it no matter what it takes. Someone has to listen to you!

@MyGrassIsBrowner so brutal and so true 😞 I think the bottom line is it costs less for them to have you give birth naturally and can be done with less staff needed! In no other situation would that be how we weigh up what the best option is though 🤔 these NICE guidelines have caused a problem for them now since they can’t just say no outright but now their tactic is obviously just to scare people with a false comparison of risks instead 🤷🏼‍♀️ It runs off on wider society though. When I said to my friends I was having one they were like can you do that? 🤔 and didn’t sound overly convinced that I’d be having one, no matter how certain I was. It puts me off telling most people I’m having one because I can’t be bothered going through all these points with people who just want to tell you to push a baby out your vagina 🤦🏼‍♀️ No thank you!

So sorry to hear that @MyGrassIsBrowner none of these things get mentioned!

This is my first baby, I have a friend who is also pregnant. I recently told her that I’m having an elective section and she said she had no idea it was an option. So many women are kept in the dark about it and assume they have to go through a vaginal birth.

The risks and complications of a vaginal birth are never mentioned, and the risks of a c section are over stated. They also say that the hospital stay is longer after a c section (not sure why that would be an issue anyway) when in actual fact many women go home in the same amount of time from a c section as a vaginal.

It’s all to do with cost, and we’re made to feel like we’re weird for not wanting a ruined vagina/bum for the rest of our lives and potentially having forceps or the baby getting stuck and losing oxygen. All of which there is much lower risk of with a c section!

The guardian article says that the c section risks are skewed by the fact that many women have c sections because they’re high risk, so much more likely to have complications anyway, and often emergency ones are lumped in with the figures.