Requesting a csection early due to severe pain getting worse - what is the likelihood they will?

[MollyQueenOfSocks]

I know that hospitals will resist doing anything before 39 weeks because of increased risks etc but I am desperate. I have posted a couple of threads before about the amount of pain I am in around my ribs in particular so a lot of this might look familiar.

I realised today that the pain has gotten so bad that it is literally all I can actually focus on. Nothing I do helps and nothing can distract me from it. I am also constantly using my hand to push my ribcage inward to try and relieve some of the pain but it doesn't do anything except strain my shoulders and back. On top of that, the left side of my body is compensating so I have muscle pain in my neck, ribs, shoulders and right down to the middle of my back. All I do, every day, every waking minute is try and figure out how to relieve the pain and bring on labour early (although I wouldn't be trying anything until 37 weeks anyway, just researching at the moment).

Things I have tried include 120mg Codeine (30mg 4x a day - they won't up the dose from here understandably) and paracetamol 4x a day, heat, cold, physiotherapy, exercise ball, TENS machine, sitting, standing and laying in every position possible, being on all 4s (can't crawl on the school run and when doing day to day tasks so not feasible, even if it DID work), swimming, exercising, not doing anything at all or trying to do things and focus on ANYTHING else (gaming, reading, art - I just end up frustrated after 2 minutes because I can't take my mind off the pain long enough to focus).

I had to do the school run today (no one else to do it) and when I got home I just collapsed and cried. It is getting more and more painful every single day. It feels like all my ribs are broken and all the joints in my spine and sternum are on fire constantly. When I move I can feel the ligaments and muscles crunching and clicking.

I have made an appointment with my GP who has been great with providing meds, but I don't know what they can actually do for me other than that. I had an appointment with my Consultant yesterday who has booked my planned Csection (previous complications) for 39 weeks, which is 5 weeks away. I cannot live like this for another 5 weeks. I cant live like this for another day, never mind weeks!!

Has anyone had experience with such awful rib pain before? If I were to beg them do you think they might bring my csection forward to 37/38 weeks?

I am so desparate. All I do is all of the above and cry at the moment

I have every sympathy, my last pregnancy was soul destroying with hip pain so bad I couldn’t climb my stairs or lay down in bed. It started at about 22 weeks when we were out shopping. It was like something inside just snapped and I couldn’t get one of my legs to move forward. Couldn’t even take any decent painkillers and I think it contributed to my subsequent PND. But I don’t think they’ll do a c section early. Have you had physio? Here I was able to self refer and as I was pregnant was fast tracked. It didn’t help much but the support band I was given helped a little. Have you found anything at all that helps? Swimming will take the weight off if you can face it. I ended up buying a cheap secondhand reclining armchair which was the only place I could get comfy in the end.

Oh this sounds awful OP, you poor thing

I did a lot of research into reasons why they would induce/ bring a C-section forward in my last pregnancy. I had horrendous, terribly controlled SPD during the first lockdown and wasn’t able to get a gp appointment or access any physio. I couldn’t look after my daughter, I was bed bound, in agony and taking painkillers from my mum that weren’t prescribed to me out of sheer desperation. It was just awful and there’s no feeling like the sheer helplessness you feel when no one seems to be able to help.

My research mostly showed that some boroughs will induce on maternal request if the mother’s mental health is deemed to be at risk by continuing the pregnancy, and some won’t. You will only find out by asking, and by explaining how much continuing the pregnancy is affecting you.

In my case I was experiencing reduced movements and had to be induced because of that (it turned out the placenta was failing). Honestly though, I don’t know what I’d have done if that wasn’t the case. The damage to my pelvis was severe enough and has taken hours of physio to try and rectify, I dread to think what would have happened if I’d carried the pregnancy further with the rate it was deteriorating.

Most, if not all, hospitals will induce after a certain number of episodes of reported reduced movements once you’re full term. That thought alone might be enough to get you through just knowing that that is an option if you’re desperate enough. X

Thank you both for sharing your experiences.

I have spoken to my GP, health visitor and my midwife today who are all happy to help me advocate to the Obstetrician so I can get an earlier csection.

This is based on the fact it is having such a huge impact on my life and mental health. All three separately advised that Obstetrician might agree a 37 week section. If not then I could end up in the pain clinic and then hospital (and my local one is having huge crisis right now) because it is so ridiculously debilitating. I've never felt anything like this and I'm not exaggerating when I say I literally can't do anything.

It's really nice to feel like I am being taken seriously and listened to. That was a huge concern and now I just need the Obstetrician to listen to me too!

Soul destroying. This is the LITERAL phrase I used yesterday to describe my rib pain which feels similar to OPs pain. It’s been worse for me mentally than physically because I already have chronic back pain and I have worried every day since week 19 when this started (I’m now 33 weeks) that this will be with me in some form forever. It is so mentally excruciating, I am broken. Thank you for putting into words my exact feelings

Op I’d love to know if you got your c section moved up, I hope you did. I am 33 weeks and have been dealing with this since 19 weeks, I’ve looked everywhere and yours is the only other post out there that feels as desperate as I do.

if you did have your delivery could you let me know If it went away postpartum? I am living in 24/7 agonizing fear of this pain, it’s unbearable

I know this post is old but I thought I'd share my experience.

I had a section at 37+2 for pain but it wasn't the same PP or OP. I Have a 52 staple vertical scar from my sternum to my public
line from previous cancer surgery. My Abdo is full of scar tissue and lesions and by the time I got to 30 weeks I was in absolute agony. I couldn't stand for more than 5 minutes and nothing helped with the pain. They prescribed 60mg of codeine 4 times a day. If I had a section they had to have a specific experienced surgeon due to my scar tissue etc as they would have to horizontally cross my scar at the bottom.

I was admitted at 32 weeks as my scar wouldn't give anymore and wouldn't stretch so my belly stopped growing and made DD really squashed. By this point I was on morphine codeine and amitriptyline each day. They went with what was safest and it was to take them medication rather than get her out at 32 weeks.

I was severely anaemic in hospital, severely constipated due to pain killers. I was rushed to theatre twice and prepped for section for 2 false alarms but ideally they really had to wait for a specific surgeon to do the section.

I had to wait until 37 weeks as baby is far safer inside. I cried and cried and I don't think I could've done an extra day. It was the most awful time for me as the nerve pains from my previous surgeries were the worst pains of my life but they still wouldn't get her out early. Looking back I'm glad they kept her in as she was tiny when she was born. She went to NICU for a night as she was grunty and wanted to check her over to see if any morphine was in her system as I was taking it in my cannula multiple times daily for 5 weeks.

She was fine. The second she was born all my pain went apart from the c section recovery which was a breeze compared. In my experience they won't get baby out until full term unless it's life or death for the baby or the mum. It sucks as I genuinely thought I was going to die with the pain. But it's all a distant memory now. She's 18 months and we're both fine. But I feel OPs pain and any other posters struggling.