Elective c-section - referred to another consultant

[unsurereallyx1]

Hi,
I got very upset at my 25 week apt due to my fear of giving birth and anxieties ruining my pregnancy. MW was so supportive and referred me to a consultant to discuss options, I had my consultant apt yesterday and advised her I'd decided i'd like an elective c-section. She went through the risks etc and then went to speak to another consultant, came back and offered a planned induction. I declined and stuck to my guns about a c-section... she said it wasn't policy to agree to it and she wouldn't be able to say yes, she said she'll refer me to a second consultant for a second opinion.
I was expecting them to try and put me off but wasn't expecting to be referred to another consultant before they agreed.
Has anyone had similar, or what was your experience of booking an elective c-section?
Thanks so much x

Basically I think it comes down to she didn't want to do it. They then refer you to someone else to pass the buck. Stay firm you will get your section,you may have to speak to the next consultant then another but they can't refuse you

Have a read of this, and show a copy to the consultant when you see her / him.
https://www.birthrights.org.uk/factsheets/right-to-a-c-section/

Thankyou, seems it may be a bit of a longer process than I initially thought! x

It is current NICE guidelines for you to have a right to a c section, but the consultant does have the right to decline but they do have to refer you to another consultant who is willing to do maternal request c sections. I hope this next consultant is more sympathetic and you don't have to feel like it is a fight to get the birth you want.

Thanks so much, just had a read through and they have no good reason (in my opinion) to say no so I will defo bring a copy with me x

Thank you so much
She did sort of say if you still want to go ahead after the other consultant appointment then they will look to go ahead. Didn't sound too promising though but fingers crossed it goes better x

Stick to your guns and you'll get your section. I know lots of people disagree, but I think it's crazy that we have to fight for a section and in my opinion will always be the safest option!

On a side note I've only had vaginal births so far, hugely traumatic every time. There's not a cat in bells chance I would try vaginal birth again. If I ever had any more kids I would have a c section in a heartbeat.
They have to tell you the risks but don't forget any problems you're already in the right place in theatre.
You will get your section just go through the Hoops and don't let it get you worked up

Keep going.
I'm still so (privately) happy/relieved about my maternal request sections when I hear about ongoing damage from friends and family who had kids years ago, sometimes many decades. I feel for them as there is barely any help.
I have no ill effects.
I'm so pleased I didn't let any medical professional or anyone else put me off, they don't live in my body or have to live with the after effects. To that consultant you are just another number who she'd like to put in the "vaginal birth" list
She's hoping you being referred will be a hurdle you don't want to jump over so will change your mind
But it's just an app with another consultant. You will get it 😊

Both methods of birth should be presented equally and both equally accessible.

Thank you so much everyone, I really appreciate it. Feel a bit more at ease about it now 

@QueefQueen80s you're so right, they don't present any of the risks of vaginal birth and there sure is a lot! How did you find the recovery after your sections, if you don't mind me asking. Funnily enough the consultant didn't mention the 'longer recovery' which everyone else seems to bang on about! I was waiting for them to go on and on about it..

For me
When I first woke up and for the first day or two, it's painful but you are on pain relief, the main pain is actually the trapped wind rather than the wound so try and get moving as quickly as possible and take peppermint capsules. First few days it's hard to walk but you do it.
Once I got home after 2 days the recovery sped up with home comforts and getting on with looking after baby. I was out walking in parks etc after a week and it just gets easier every day.
The pain of recovering from something was so much more appealing to me than the chaos, unpredictability and pain of vaginal birth, imagining the tools, stretching, cutting etc, not having to deal with healing down there, and not having the flashbacks and mental health issues after.
Dealing with temporary pain from an op soooo much better for me.

Thank you @QueefQueen80s I agree as at least you know what you're going in for and can prepare for the recovery, you know what you're expecting to some extent!

You're welcome, stick to your guns and good luck! ♥️

I think if you go in calmly to your next appointment and sound well informed about the potential risks of a section you will be fine. T he consultant maybe had worries about signing you up to something while you were so upset. You can show you've thought about it and are adamant you want the section.

Sorry you're having to jump through all the hoops op, they have to give you one though.

I'v had both a vaginal delivery and a c section, for me I preferred the vaginal delivery. However I'm sure I read that if you go into a vaginal delivery with a lot of anxiety you increase your chances of intervention. Personally I think if someone has come to the conclusion an ELCS I'd preferable to them they shouldn't have to fight for it.

The consultant has kept trying to influence and change my mind from section right up to this week when I signed my consent form. DM came with me to appt and even she commented on the way out 'oh they really like to try and put you off don't they'

Stuck to my guns and demonstrated that I had done copious researching / reflecting and thinking about how our birth will be. I have been fortunate though and have a very good MW advocating for me too. Too much in my history to go through it all without turning this post into a biopic.

My baby
My body
Our birth
My choice

As PP have said go in armed with your research and have a calm / non demanding discussion with your consultant. If they aren't prepared do then they must refer you to another consultant who will. It's disgusting how there are still so many hoops to jump through when it comes to birthing choices.

You got this 💪🏻 ❤️

I decided I wanted a planned section due to fears around childbirth and because they couldn't agree over ds size and I felt he would be bigger than they were suggesting. (They thought he'd be 6lbs he was 9lb 2)

I mentioned it when I was in and they ran through the risks and pros and cons of both which I'd expected but said since I'd given it thought and done my research they were happy enough to book me in. At that point I was further along with you so less time to negotiate it so they'd be able to get a date in. But I'd gone in prepared for a fight and didn't have one. They should be taking your concerns on board. My section was lovely and smooth and was absolutely the right decision for me. I also recovered better than my friend who had a vaginal delivery a few weeks prior so there's no guarantee either way so I think you need to just trust your gut.

Oh no I wasn't upset at all at the consultant appointment, sorry if my OP wasn't clear it was the midwife I got upset in front of. Maybe she thought I sounded a bit unsure though but I will defo be sticking to my guns in the next appointment too. Thank you x

Ahh i'm sorry you've not had it easy either, is your reasoning for fear/anxiety or similar? Of course you don't have to answer if you don't feel comfortable!!
Thank you so much for your advice & good luck with your ELCS x

I did think maybe they are thinking that when it gets closer to the time I might change my mind, I think I have to be more persistent at the next appointment!
I'm glad it went smoothly for you and the recovery went well

Aw so sorry this has happened to you. Hope the other one is more understanding 😞 I got to this stage the last time and the midwife kept kind of fobbing me off every time I asked to speak to a consultant about it. At 20 something weeks I crumbled and started crying in an appointment. I had been waking up during the night worrying about them saying no or going into labour early and turning up at the hospital screaming about it 🤦🏼‍♀️ Long story short, they took me seriously after this. I got a consultant appointment, she did try to scare me with the risks but approved it after and booked it in. Hopefully the next consultant is more helpful. I would write down in bullet points the symptoms of anxiety this is causing you and have them ready the next time you speak to your midwife and the next consultant. It’s obviously causing you significant worry for you to be posting on here and I know how terrifying it is when you have a huge fear of labour. I mentioned waking up during the night, thinking of nothing else, constantly looking things up, not being able to think straight, feeling like I was going to have a panic attack etc. It’s not good for a pregnant woman to have so much extra stress placed on her unnecessarily so hopefully they can get it sorted as soon as possible

I could have literally wrote this myself, when I wake in the night to go to the toilet or whatever it is the first thing I think about😩 so consuming! I mentioned this to the consultant too, I looked back on my notes today and she's wrote about me saying its causing anxiety and don't like the out of control feeling etc but she's also wrote 'no fear of labour' - extremely confused as I have an extreme fear of labour hence I was there in the first place so I will need to clarify this with the next consultant so they are sure of my feelings.
I'm glad you finally felt listened to, it's definitely no good to be feelings stressed whilst pregnant

@unsurereallyx1 I think in situations like this all you can do is be really annoying and keep pestering them about it because really the only person it matters to is you. Have it all in notes and just keep on ‘demanding’ an appointment asap (hate that word but there is no other choice in these situations). I’m waiting to go in for my second one and this pregnancy has been a completely different experience because I haven’t had the constant worry of them saying no due to the fact I already have a scar and a VBAC can be potentially risky (not that I’d ever consider one). The phone call this time started with ‘how do you want to deliver this baby?’ 😅 Rather than having to jump through hoops and sit shaking with a big list of my fears. I looked up all the risks myself and the risks they tell you are so skewed to try and put people off that might be on the fence. Some hospitals are still working to these figures they’re trying to keep them under so they’ll try to put people off 🤦🏼‍♀️ It’s by no means an easy way out as people sometimes say but my argument was the fact a baby was already in there and there’s only two ways out! The other option not being risk free either but no one is asked to sign a form to agree to those risks. So hope you manage to get something sorted soon and get a bit of time to relax slightly (before the fear of labour kicks in again towards the end in case you don’t make the date, which is what I’m now in the middle of again 😂)!

@FDxx I am definitely going to be a bit more firm with the next consultant, I obviously made the first consultant think there was room for negotiation otherwise she wouldn't have offered an induction instead. Ahh congratulations on your pregnancy! I bet it's been much nicer this time around knowing you don't have to get upset / fight for the birth you want.
It's definitely not an easy way out and I know there are risks but it's a small price to pay to stop the constant anxiety (and there is risks with any birth!!)
Fingers crossed baby stays put until your csection date ❤️ did your consultant say what would happen in that situation? I think it differs at different hospitals