Can I INSIST on having a caesarian?? also how are caesarian op dates decided?!

[MissDelighted]

I am 5 weeks pg with DC1 and am due to see the doctor next week. I wondered if it is possible to insist on a caesarian (in a normal NHS hospital) or if it is down to the doctors/midwives/hospital/postcode. I am certain I do not want a natural birth and want to make this clear as early as possible to the medics.

I am so set on a caesarian birth I am prepared to use savings to go private as a last resort, although I don't wish to have to do this.

Also, for anyone who has had a Caesarian - do they perform them bang on your due date or is it down to the baby's development nearer the time, or even beds available on particular days? How is it decided?

I would really appreciate any info/advice prior to seeing the doctor as I want to make sure I am armed with enough information not to be swept away with what she thinks should happen. Thanks in advance

I think she was just trying to point out that there were some positives... I've got to be better at looking at the positives!!

Discuss your issues & preferences with your obstetrician & take it from there, I wouldn't take any notice of anyone else.

You can drive well before 6 weeks in most cases.

I had no difficulty caring for my newborn after either section.

Electives aren't bumped for emergencies in my hospital because they have their own dedicated theatre & staff (5 days a week, the day you book depends on which consultant you want) - you always get a consultant doing an elective, whereas the emergencies tend to be done my more junior staff.

My sections were at 36+6 & 38+3 weeks, this one will be at 38+2.

Good luck

There are some absolute smashers on here, and some absolute harpies (I suppose that's life) - some women get so hot under the collar about women who want caesarians, don't they? I mean - SWEARING at the op, when she is newly pregnant and asking a question?? Puh-leeeze. Miss D, if that's what you feel you want, politely raise it with the obstetrician (whom you won't see for a while anyway), explain why it is important to you, and take it from there. Do your research, and have your answers ready to the obvious points he or she might raise. A lot of the negatives people traditionally raise relate more to EMCS, and not EL-CS. And as for women being more likely to get pnd after a cs, well sorry folks but that's a little simplistic - the likelihood of pnd is actually greater when a woman doesn't get the kind of birth experience she wanted - (ie, I guess a lot of people who end up with emcs when they wanted something else can get depressed). Tell it to Riven, who sometimes posts, whose baby was injured when she was persuaded to have a VBAC, or to my poor sister, who was bullied into a vaginal delivery with a breech baby, by a 'natural birth' Nazi midwife. Informed choice, people.

MissDelighted

I totally understand how you feel. I am 24 weeks pg (DC1 was born many years ago) and have been very anxious throughout that something will go wrong (partly because of my age: 40) and partly because I had a m/c last year and for other reasons). I have, like you, given some thought to an elective ceasarian. Your fear is natural. Some people are terrified of labour, others are terrified of a c sectiona and others are just terrified that something will go wrong.

I am not a doctor and you will need to explain your fears about your physiology to them but it is true that we are all different inside and you were designed to give birth so those fears are probably groundless. Your pelvis will open up as time goes on (and you will know about it when it does) and the tilt will probably be irrelevant to the birthing process.

If the doctors are able to reassure you on those scores you may have a hard time convincng them that they should do a c sec just because you think it is safer for the baby. It is certainly not safer for you and there are risks such as infecton.

Incidentally, for a bit of perspective re: maternal mortality - in the modern Western World, THANK HEAVENS, maternal mortality as a whole is a very very tiny percentage. For a cs, it may be double this, but double a minute number and it is still that - a minute number. There is more of a risk with emcs - but conversely, they are usually done to save mother or child anyway! Anyone considering a cs for whatever reason should be aware of this increased risk, absolutely, but let's not be scaremongery here and each weigh up the risks ourselves. Homebirths can be more dangerous, statistically; but you don't tend to hear people hissing "But it's going to KILL you!" so much about those. By the way, I am not including Mrs Boogie in that latter group.

I think you should think about going private because you're unlikely to get what you want on the NHS (given the massive extra resources it requires). As far as I know the NHS doesn't perform elective sections because on balance you think that's what you need, never having given birth before. It works for the celebrities, and people who have scheduling issues over when they give birth! I have a size 6 tiny friend who pushed out a baby just under 9lb with no problems. I have another friend who had a massive internal blood clot after a c-section - with a top OB in a major teaching hospital - she was extremely ill and never got any milk whatsoever. Admittedly these things are relatively unusual, but to assume the "technology" of a c-section - major abdominal surgery - is superior in terms of outcomes to a natural birth process isn't necessarily rights. Unless you are advised by the professionals that a section is best for you, or you have genuine psychological issues with natural birth, I'd examine your true motives and expectations carefully before going in all guns blazing! But I'm afraid there will always be people who will point the finger and say "too posh to push".

Message withdrawn

Yes, there will be, and anyone who uses that repellant phrase (tptp) as a weapon against another mother is a thoughtless bullying twonk. I would no sooner slag off someone who wanted a candlelit waterbirth, or a drugged up-to-the-knockers VBAC, or a midwife-led hospital birth rather than a consultant-led one, than I would skinny dip in the Thames. I'm always thrilled when there is someone on here who has had a really lovely birth experience, regardless of what that is. I don't go puce and start shrieking "How dare you not have the birth I have had!"

having had 2 natural births and 1 cs - I would have natural everytime

MissDelighted, I am quite vocal about my opinions on woman not having major operations unless necessary, either medically or psychologically, however....

The best thing to do is discuss this with your consultant, you my need to push with the midwives to even get to see a consultant, in which case going to the Head of Midwifery could be a good move.

Make sure you have looked up as much information into risks of CS's as you possibly can, the cons will want to know you are aware of the facts.

Explain why you want one and be prepared for them to refuse (I was told I couldn't have my VBA2C this time round at one appointment, only to end up being supported to wait to 41weeks before having an elective CS, consultants, IME, want to go with what is the least risk in their opinion, if you show you are educated and understanding in the realities of the situation they are much more likely to support you).

Lastly, be prepared for labour, you may possibly go into labour and give birth naturally, even with an ELCS booked, depending on what the cons/mw and your notes actually say on the day.

Good Luck

Also, if your cons team can assure you that your body can give birth naturally, I'd suggest considering it.
C-Sections are not nice, I've had three, my last one 7weeks ago, even though my baby was 10lb 3oz this time I shall still be trying for a vaginal birth again next time.

next time VS?

Yep, 12 onths for this scar to heal, then ttc my last one

Good luck

a ecs cesarian is totally different to a elective because its a emgerency and the babys life is in danger and the mothers a elective is more calming and relaxing in a nice atmosphere. ive had three c sections and most obs/mw arent very keen on givng c sections if u dont have a medical condtoion that prevevnts u from giving birth natrally. recovery is much worse as a well u cant drive for six weeks and cant do anything strenuous cos of ur stitches and scar and u have to keep it clean etc, also u at at riskf infection such as necrotizing facilitis (which i had with ds2) a flesh eating bug and mrsa cos of ur wound/ scarring. i have a small pelvis and had a xray to see if this was the situtaion and it was i was diagnosed with cpd cephalopelvic disportation which i got through a traffic accident when i was 16 they wont give u a section like that if ur fit and healthy or have a genuine medical condition

good luk as well

Mrs D i hope we have helped u with our experinces and best f uk with ur pregnancy and with buba

i meant best of luk with ur pregnancy

I've had 3 DCs and have always dreaded the prospect of having a C-Section for all of the reasons people have mentioned. However I have tried to keep an open mind - I know that had I been recommended to have one, then I almost certainly would have gone for that. The same with an epidural - the very thought of having one makes me feel ill (hate medical stuff and especially needles!).

I have been fortunate to have my 3 DCs pretty much in the way that I wanted - all natural with just gas and air, with the last one coming in at a hefty 10lb 4oz.

I am under no illusions about how lucky I have been - my labours were short compared to most people.

My advice would be to not rule anything out at this very early stage. By all means, have a preferred option - but you cannot control childbirth, whichever option you choose. Parenting by its nature is about uncertainty and dealing with things that you haven't planned for or even considered.

I would agree with the advice to think seriously about all the options. In my first pregnancy I was worried about the loss of control, fear of something going wrong with hospital delivery and the cascade of interventions that I saw as being a part of that. For me the answer was booking for a home birth.
I think that some loss of control is inevitable though, no matter how you give birth. And it is natural that people who have already had babies are going to have a different take on things from people who havent yet - for me it was all a bit abstract until I was actually holding my baby.

How did I say that? I was trying to suggest that if loss of control is an issue then getting out of the hospital envionment might be an answer.
The reason I mentioned it was because it was an idea that didnt occur to me until fairly late on, and I felt that the OP may also have been thinking (as I had) that hospital was the only option.