Elective c section / natural birth

[dg93]

Hey! So I'm 95% certain that I want an elective csection. Did you have a planned csection? If so, how did it go? Were you pleased?

I have a really terrible fear of forceps, a family member of mines baby passed away during a forceps delivery, and I will not allow forceps to be used during my labour.

I'd actually love a natural birth, but I'm terrified about the thought of forceps, and if I refuse what happens next....

I have a midwife appointment in 1 week and I'd really love to hear other people's opinions on planned csections, I understand it's not for everyone so appreciate any supportive messages!

Personally I would favour a natural birth unless a particular reason not to but it’s definitely worth talking to your midwife about your fear as I only have my own experience. It is understandable you are worried and yet your relative’s tragic experience might be an incredibly rare occurrence. That’s just so sad.

I’ve had two natural births, one baby huge (and I’m not) and might have a similar conversation as worried if the next any bigger.

Sorry I missed supportive messages : you absolutely should do what you are most comfortable with though and have my fullest support with that!

I had two sections and they were both totally fine. Quick recovery and no issues. Either choice is completely valid.

I've not had a section but it's your birth and your body. Every birth is different do noone can really advise, you just do whatever you feel most comfortable with. The tricky bit is noone really knows until they get down to itchy! Chat to the midwife, raise your concerns about forceps, I completely your fears due to what happened to your family member, they may say they are an emergency instrument and they will have to use them if required, so definitely get that in the open before you make your decision. Best of luck, whatever way you choose you'll do great!

It not itchy!

I had a planned c section due to baby being breech. It was very quick and painless. Obviously there is some moderate pain afterwards and it takes a couple of weeks before you can resume normal activities.
Speak to your midwife about it, you can elect to have a C section, but you may need to be quite insistent.

Emcs and a elcs here, I would go for elcs with eldest if I could go back in time! I was also terrified of forceps, not the same reason though I knew somebody who had a life changing injury from her emergency forceps delivery but I was just generally scared of them before that point. The midwives I saw were okay about it but also dismissive, none would talk about it properly as they wanted me to focus on the positives I narrowly avoided forceps during my birth and even if they hadn't gone down the emcs route I was not in a fit state to say no and I only remember the fear as they discussed it over me in the theatre and being unable to say anything about it.

I dithered a lot about elcs or vbac with my second and am so glad I went with elcs. I felt like I knew what was going on at all points, I was kept well informed which just didn't happen during my first labour.

So if you told your midwife that if during vaginal birth, it was forceps or emergency c-section, to skip the forceps and go straight to c-section...they would not do that in UK? I thought informed consent was needed...surely cannot use forceps when you have refused consent and have consented to the alternative, which is an emergency c-section.

How close is the family member? My sister had really bad labour experiences including forceps and I was convinced it would run in the family. Both her children overdue, induced, 3 day epic labours. First baby needed a long stay in hospital after the forceps.

My first baby was a quick 4 hour labour, waters broke before due date but needed ventouse to get him out.

So I was terrified of forceps but our labours couldn't have been more different.

I went I to labour naturally with DS1. Ended up with a stuck, but not distressed baby.

We've had two family babies damaged by forceps and it wasn't a risk I was prepared to take.

I refused forceps and made it clear that I would continue to refuse forceps. I had a "semi elective c section". It was fine, I recovered well and would opt for another if it came/comes to it.

If you are dead set against forceps, as I was, then I would request a section from the off.

I like the idea of telling midwife I would not consent to forceps and prefers an Emcs but does anyone know the comparative outcomes of these? I had never thought of emcs as an alternative which probably sounds stupid ! If the baby is already in the birth canal is there enough time?

I would say, if you go into it aiming for a vaginal delivery, and it doesnt go to plan, and forceps are suggested. That you need someone who will advocate loudly, clearly and without stuttering that you, the labouring mother, do not consent to forceps of my kind.

I was exhausted, out of it and confused, my DM did not fuck about. I remember her physically learning over me with her arms covering me and saying very firmly to the doctor, who was pushing it "She WILL NOT have forceps, No."

(I ask as very nearly didn’t manage on my own when big baby’s shoulder’s became stuck . But I was too worried about that very moment to wonder what might happen next)

An emcs involves more complications at the point when the baby is in the canal which is why they opt for forceps to help bring the baby down with mum pushing if possible first before opting for emcs where they bring the baby back up and out

Sorry that was @TillyDevon I'm no good at this yet!

All my birth plan said for my first was no forceps. They agreed to a CS quickly when DH said things weren’t progressing and they needed to get the baby out.
So I would have a discussion with them , probably nest to discuss with a doctor and get a feel for how they view your feelings. Is it we will do what I decide or I can see youve done your research and have concerns and if required you can have a CS.

My second DS was an ELCS and they had to use forceps to pull him out of my pelvis - I wasn't asked and only knew a few hours later. He had a red mark on his face that faded a few days later.

I'm not saying don't pick an ELCS, but you need to know they can and do use forceps there too if that's what you're trying to avoid.

There's no 100% way to guarantee positive outcomes unfortunately, CS comes with its own risks too.

I had emcs and second time vbac (vag birth after CS). Preferred vaginal birth as breastfeeding and recovery was easier. CS is major surgery, I felt like I'd been hit by a truck.

I'm in the same boat. I've always thought I'd want an elective c-section, I've never had any desire to have a natural birth, and then just happens that everyone I know well enough to have discussed their birth experiences have had all manner of things go wrong from needing forceps, bad tearing, emergency c-sections, pre-eclampsia leading to emergency c-section, excessive bleeding and blood transfusions, infections after delivery...

And equally the couple of people who have had elective sections have raved about how straightforward and stress free their experiences were. Of course all surgeries carry risks, but when discussing c-sections a lot of the data is muddled because electives and emergencies aren't often separated but get lumped together, and emergency sections are way riskier due to the nature of it being an emergency, so something is already going wrong.

I'm only early but starting to do the research now. I'm going to look into both options, but early research suggests that elective sections are, in fact, safer. At least for the baby, if not mum. I found an article from about a decade ago (so things might have improved) that quoted that according to official NHS data only 47% of natural births go ahead without any interventions, and those are not odds I like.

Child #1 was born via emergency c section, child #2 born vaginally with forceps.
My wife felt under a lot of cultural pressure to have a vaginal birth, NCT in particular bear a lot of blame on that count.
Certainly OP if you are feeling strongly negative about the potential use of forceps, that would be reason enough to opt for an elective c-section in my book, but that is just one person’s opinion, albeit based on experience.

My first DC ended in emcs only due to failed induction and I didn't progress. So it was only emergency in that it wasn't planned.
I'd decided that I didn't want forceps either. Ventouse I was okay with, but I also understood that if ventouse failed, it was already too late for emcs to happen. Is forceps the ONLY way forward after this?

My next DC was planned csec. My main reason being that although a vbac might go smoothly, there's no guarantee that either of us would be okay. I didn't want to have to fight for a Dr to take me seriously regarding any birth injuries that I'm supposed to just deal with. So I wasn't scared of a vaginal birth exactly, more the fall out that could affect me for years and then told to put up with it.

I understood that CS's are major surgery, but I healed well and have zero complications 2+ years and 5+ years on.

Only you know what risks you're willing to take and what you're happy with.