Can I have an elective CS just because I want one?

[Selmaandpatty]

Sorry if this sounds very naive, don't have any children yet and don't know of many women who've had a CS.
I have been doing a lot of reading but the answers seem to vary. I personally would like to have a CS rather than a natural birth, I know the recovery will be harder, but the thought of being in labour for 36 hours and the pain terrifies me.
However I'm not sure if they would do it without a valid reason? Or do they?

And yes you need a catheter but not for long. They took mine out about 12 hours later. I want them to keep it in as I was petrified about walking to the toilet🙈

Yes you can. It's completely ok to want a caesarian section too, don't feel guilty, pressured or shamed. NICE guidelines are clear on this matter.

You will have an appointment with an obstetrician who will explore your reasons why (pain, timing of baby etc) explain the options and make a plan for you. Good luck

Of course you can.

Yeah you can.

I've had 3 vaginal births and one CS. I'd choose the CS each time. The pain afterwards wasn't anywhere near as bad as people told me. Obviously everyone has different thresholds though.

No they don’t.
i had 2 traumatic births that both resulted in my babies and I nearly dying. So I saw a consultant on my 3rd pregnancy and they flat out refused.
sorry it’s not what you want to hear.

I preferred my elective c section to my induced vaginal delivery. I requested a c section (but had some damage after first birth) I think you can request them. Look up the NICE guidelines on it.

You cannot request a c-section it’s only done in an emergency or if you pay for it or if the baby or mother won’t survive the birth.

Am intrigued...when did the warfarin injections become a thing? I had my one and only dc by c section 14.5 years ago and I don't remember having any injections afterwards. Definitely not for 10 days anyway - I was only in hospital for 4.
(My c section was planned due to breech baby, it was lovely and calm with a textbook recovery. Very little pain and no complications afterwards. 10/10 would recommend).

I only found out this week (on mumsnet!) that you could choose one. It absolutely was not an option when I had my kids (10 years ago). I did hypnobirthing so I could have a second child after lots of problems with first birth.

Yes to the injections, and I think to the others as well. I found the injections frankly the worst part of the whole process! (And I had an induced labour - it didn't work - as well as a section.) If you can persuade someone else (e.g. your partner) to give the injections, I found that much easier.

I've had two sections, neither elective. I found I recovered pretty quickly back to a reasonable level, even when I was chasing a toddler around as well. However, DD2 is 11 months and I still get twinges sometimes. I do wonder whether that's just how life will be from now on.

Yes, maternal choice is a valid reason.
I’ve had a 40 hour Labour and 2 c sections.
one of my sections, the recovery was so horrendously painful I’d have taken another 40 hours to Labour to avoid it, the other one was great - some pain but not for long and mostly fine.
Its very hard to predict but the pain from one of my sections was indescribable.
They also left part of my placenta inside, which made me incredibly ill and I was still unable to walk 10 weeks later.
im saying this as I hate the notion that c sections are automatically easier.
I wore compression socks with both for the length of time I was in hospital, removed after. catheter removed next day with both (although ridiculous as unable to walk with section 1 so was eventually put back in) injections done with both, stopped and health visitor collected them on day 10 I believe with no 2, witch no1 was still in hospital on day 10 so they collected.

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng192/chapter/Recommendations#maternal-choice-for-caesarean-birth

@Mumtothreegirlies that's not true.

I requested a c section and none of those circumstances applied to me.

I had a c section with my twins and it was a great experience. It was calm and I meet my dc after a few minutes. The recovery was fine, painful for a few days but the pain medication took that away. I wouldn’t give birth any other way. I would most definitely ask.

Wow you just have screamed the hospital down to get that. I went to 4 appointments with a valid reason and it was flat out NO from every consultant.

NICE guidelines are guidelines. Trusts don’t have to adhere to them and many don’t.
A neighbouring trust does not support maternal choice c section. Our trust does and we have lot of women book with us from the neighbouring area for this reason. Do some research on specific trusts when you become pregnant.
Good luck!

I've had both and would opt for the C-section hands down. Nothing worse than recovery from an awful episiotomy that takes weeks to heal.

Must have gotten lucky or really kicked up a massive Stink for months.

All three for me, injections for 10 days but it depends on your risk factors. I just got my husband to do them and looked away. The catheter was a lot more of a non-event than I expected

@Mumtothreegirlies nope, my second c section was planned and because my waters broke it became a semi emergency section meaning they just had to do it there and then rather on the day it was booked in.

My first was also a planned c section, that went more to plan and he stayed put until the day.

I've had a an emergency c section and an elective c section and honestly I loved my elective section!!

Labour for me just didn't work, hence the emergency section. My whole process of labour just traumatised me.

My recovery was so much better too with the elective!

@Mumtothreegirlies - I wouldn't call having trauma due to sexual assault lucky.

I didn't kick up a stink, my midwife wasn't very helpful so I spoke to her manager at the birthing centre and she booked me in with a consultant.

My second c section was a lot easier because I already had one with the first.

However, you absolutely can request a c section just because you want one. As PPs have posted there's guidelines regarding it.

Yes, you can. Put you do have to fight for it! I was granted one with my first but didn't go ahead as baby came early.
Birth went wrong and was traumatic for my baby and me.

Second time had elective Cs- relative walk in the park, recovered well and quickly. Maybe I was lucky but I didn't find it that painful although I did experience numbness for months in my stomach - I guess as nerves were knitting back together?

Read the NICE guidelines and do some research on your local hospital/s.

Good luck and congrats!

OP - why do you want a c section? It's done with an epidural which is the same anaesthetic that you get delivering non surgically.

I think it’s trust specific. I didn’t have any injections and neither did any local friends who had c sections. But in another trust everyone seems to get them.

As I understand it they are only needed if you aren’t able to get up and move about.