No slots for Planned C-section for breech baby

[mrsdarthlord]

Hi, I was wondering whether my situation is quite common or whether I should push the midwife/hospital more...

Essentially, baby's breech (confirmed breech since week 35), community midwife told me to wait until 38 weeks before having any conversations about the plan going forward. The midwife didn't believe that baby was breech as she thought they turned even though I knew it wasn't the case! Because she waited for so long I only spoke with the specialist breech midwife for the first time today (38+6) (after my multiple calls to the hospital after having had my scan done last Friday confirming breech baby). I was only offered an ECV for the first time today as well. As the clock is ticking we've decided to go for a planned c section, skipping the ECV.

We were however told that there are no slots available for a planned section... We were put on the 'waiting list' (god knows how many more people are on that list...) and we have to wait until 40 weeks before they consider treating my case as a bit more urgent (and the midwife said it would be only 'a bit'). So essentially, I need to wait till my labour starts before they do a section so they can do an emergency one (the midwife said she was sorry but yeah, that's pretty much the case as they will have to prioritise me then).

Has anyone been in a similar situation? I am getting increasingly nervous as I do not want to end up having a breech vaginal birth (I keep thinking what if the labour progresses really quickly, we do live quite far from the hospital...). What would you do? Push the hospital more? I did have a lengthy conversation with the midwife expressing my concerns but definitely still very far from being pushy, it didn't sound like she could do much more herself.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Is there another hospital you could use?

We did consider a different hospital, but it’s the best one in the area/that’s close to us, so have a very strong preference to have the baby there.

Phone everyday and make yourself a pain in their arse.

I work in obstetric theatres and in our hospital if this happens that an elective slot is needed but its only discovered at this sort of gestation and slots are full, the women are offered (if capacity on antenatal) to be admitted and wait on the ward so that when there isn't an emergency in theatre that you can go and have your section. It could be that you are on the ward before birth though for a day or a week- there is no knowing. It does mean though that if you go into labour, you are in a safe place and will become an urgent case to go to theatre. I would ask your midwife if this is an option- not an easy one I know especially if you already have children at home. Hope you get your c section soon in the most stress free way possible x

I would seriously consider if you can switch hospitals

@Nursemumma92 thank you, that's really helpful, I had no idea that's something to consider, I will speak to the midwife about it tomorrow!

@TomatoSandwiches, that's what I've been doing! And will continue...

Hi, just wondering how you got on as this exact thing is happening to me?

Your midwife is obviously crap. Please ask for another one/a more senior one.

Your midwife makes me cross 😡
Dont waste time with her get down to the MDU and speak to them directly

Great advice from @Nursemumma92

What I can tell you is I had an ELCS with my first. HOWEVER my waters broke in the middle of the night the day before I was due to go in. So I was actually Cat 1 and almost in active labour 😵‍💫
My C-section was good / calm / all chill so as hard as it is try not to be too panicky.

One thing you can do in advance:

• get them to test you for MRSA now ahead of surgery
• ask/ request to have a consultant and anaesthetist appointment ahead of birth. (You may/may not need these but I had them for both planned sections)

May I ask why you’d need the MRSA test early? What difference would it make?

Would raise it in writing with the service employing the midwife, stating what she did / didn’t do and said and ask for proper arrangements to be made.

@mrsdarthlord great question!

A Dr can give you a proper answer 😂
My understanding was that they do it in advance as it's planned surgery. If it comes back positive they give prophylactic treatment.

If I were you I'd be approaching this as it were planned and taking all the usual planned steps iyswim

I hope you get it sorted out, I haven’t had this problem but both my births had some problems due to overcrowding issues at hospital which mean things didn’t go as planned. And I had to advocate for myself which meant calling the hospital eg to remind them to book the induction they had forgotten to book in!

i think they should relabel emergency CS as Unplanned CS - for me the word “emergency” makes you think it’s going to be a mad rush and a crisis but it often isn’t that way.

best of luck with your birth - don’t worry, I am sure they won’t put you through a vaginal breach delivery! The admin limbo is a nuisance to navigate.

@redxlondon I’m really sorry it’s happening to you, I know it’s very stressful but I’m sure everything will be ok (at the end of the day we don’t see many babies born on the street!).

After my last post I called the breech midwife again (having her private number was the most helpful) and she confirmed they had just assigned a spot for me (one day before my due date). I didn’t have a single contraction before then so all went as planned and I’m currently holding a healthy 4-month old boy. :)

When is your due date? Is your baby breech as well? (I wouldn’t mind going into vaginal deliver if he wasn’t)

My due date is 15th of Feb, he’s breech and because of a uterus abnormality he’s unlikely to turn and V delivery feels far too risky.
I’ll call midwife today to see if she can help get a clearer update.

@redxlondon so thankfully you still have some time before your due date. As one of the above posters suggested, which ended up being really good advice for me, be a pain in the arse and make your midwife sort it out. If she’s useless, call the hospital yourself. I just remembered now that I also told my midwife that I felt like my labour was imminent (I thought my mucus plug started coming off - wasn’t 100% sure on that but it didn’t hurt)