Elective c-sections.

thatgirlsam

Sparklyfairy wrote: »

Blimey! What do they teach these SHO's? I'll NEVER forget my horrendous one - I believe she was either from Oz or NZ..perhaps the same one?!

I have a theory about why some doctors can be seriously lacking in social skills

They spend so long in medical school in their late teens and early twenties and so long studying that they don't develop the 'normal' social skills that other young people gain from their peers - They have to work so very hard there is no time for socialising or going out

Well it *could* be true

delain

thatgirlsam wrote: »

I have a theory about why some doctors can be seriously lacking in social skills

They spend so long in medical school in their late teens and early twenties and so long studying that they don't develop the 'normal' social skills that other young people gain from their peers - They have to work so very hard there is no time for socialising or going out

Well it *could* be true

I've found male consultants to be much nicer than female ones, without exception, where obstetrics are concerned.

I've had one (female) consultant tell me I needed to have a section with my twins... and was told by many other (male) consultants that she was 'section happy' and always suggesting them to people who don't need them. I had my twins naturally, my only complication was cause by the anaesthetist (epidural bodge)

I had another female obs consultant give me a whole patronising speech about how I didn't need/couldn't have a section for my youngest, when I hadn't even asked for one it was the emergency medical team who'd referred me to her who'd mentioned sections as I'd lost use of a lot of my legs and they wanted the baby out to treat me and they weren't sure if my ability to give birth naturally was affected. As it was I was induced which I was quite happy with.

That was the same consultant who after lecturing me about sections asked to examine me (with no real reason, we'd just established I'd be admitted the next day to wait for induction for the benefit of my health as requested by the EMT, as at this point I couldn't walk) and did a sweep without my permission.

This time I'm going to have a fight on my hands, as I've never gone into labour on my own, not even after my waters broke with the twins, and I'd rather not be left to go 2 weeks over, then be induced and have a traumatic birth of another 10lb baby *sigh*

I'd much rather be induced sooner, my youngest was 7lb 8 oz at 37 weeks so they aren't getting any smaller.

Barring any complications I can't see it happening though.

Trouble with consultants is the fact that they don't see people as people.... when you see one of the bad ones it makes you feel like a lab rat when they just want to 'Take xxxxxxx course of action and see what happens' :o

Sorry that wasn't very helpful for the OP

I do know that if you don't want the baby 'dumped on you' you can ask for them to be cleaned and/or passed to OH first.

My OH was the first to hold Squeak (and he had skin to skin with her) because I was a bit la la from all the gas and air, and I said 'Oh no, I can't, I'm too wobbly I'd drop her'

pigpen

bestpud wrote: »

Are all your health problems the result of that one c-section?

I ask as you've had a lot of children...

Yes. All down to one imcompetant sugeon.. though I do have arthritis as well which isnt so much of an issue most of the time and is managable.

After Squeak I was home in 24 hours... there was no way I was staying.. I told them they discharged me or I discharged myself... their only argument was my low Hb.. which was higher than I had been before I went in! With Dot I stayed 48 hours.. only because she was on IV antibiotics she didnt need.

samwich1979

I had a c-section 5.5 months ago due to pre-eclampsia.
I did originally ask about having one earlier in my pregnancy before my Blood Pressure was a problem, due to hardly being able to walk with the pain in my pelvis, hips and back. I just knew that giving birth naturally would have been a 100 times more uncomfortable for me as i couldnt sit down properly either never mind lie down with my legs in crazy positions for a long time.
So i asked to see a consultant to discuss this and she flatly refused unless there was a true medical need for one.
So i got referred for physio to try and help me out but this was useless!
So at 31 weeks pregnant i saw my midwife, on taking my BP it was sky high, around 170/110. Needless to say i was at the hospital and got admitted within a few hours.
I ended up on medication from then on.
So to cut a long story short due to BP i was to be induced at 37 weeks, this didnt work so i ended up having an emergency c-section.
I can honestly say it was a great experience, didnt feel a thing, got to see my boy straight after he was born.
I did bleed a bit during surgery and they had to give me some extra medication to contract my uterus but that was the only complication.
I was out of hospital in 1.5 days and going out for walks 2 days later.
If you keep yourself active straight away, taking it easy at first though, i found i recovered so much quicker.
I think the pain after my Appendicectomy was worse that my c-section! but i guess everyone is different.

Sorry for the long post but just wanted to share my experience!

digitalphase

All through my pregnancy I was scared of having a c-section, mainly due to the injection in my spine part of it.

I read about staying active, but it was hard for me being almost crippled with SPD pain, so bad that it hurt all the time even just sitting down. And night times was a nightmare. All I could manage was the exercises my physio gave me, and even that became impossible later on as I just couldn't bend down.

I didn't get the water birth I wanted as couldn't get in the large bath that my hospital had to serve as a pool. So I was very disappointed by that as the water looked so inviting.

My labour started off normally, but my contractions then started to get slower and I'd been fully dilated for too long, so I was told I'd need to go to theatre for an assisted delivery. I'd got him down as far as I possibly could naturally.

I was gutted as I had to be put in stirrups, which I read everywhere was a big no no when you have SPD. But it was explained to me there was no other option, baby needed the room to come out. And after a while of pushing, things weren't progressing and my little one's heart beat was dropping. So I had to have my worse fear - an epidural. Which I was terrified of. And then off I went to theatre.

I was told I had three pushes with the forceps to get the boy out, or else it was a c-section. After an initial scream at the pain and the awful pulling sensation, I realised my efforts were better put into getting my baby out. I remember hearing a popping noise, which to this day I have no idea what it was. It wasn't my waters as they went first, and started my labour.
I remember a tugging feeling of being cut, but they hadn't told me they were going to do it.
On the third push my beautiful baby was born. Very clean, and healthy. Though had swallowed some meconium so was taken away to be checked over first.

They came back from the weighing room and my boyfriend told me he was 11lb and I was just in shock.

There was no indication I was going to have such a big baby, yes I was all bump, but it was such a surprise. We are tall, but not unusually so.

Anyway, that's my experience of forceps and I hated HATED it. It was truly horrendous. I couldn't get up and see to my baby when he was first born, and that first night when midwives changed his nappy for him and prodded my boobs trying to get my milk working (the forceps had made my boy's top lip swollen so he couldn't latch on) was awful. I felt so helpless and detached from everything.

I wasn't even allowed to hold him after he'd been born. He was plonked on my tummy briefly so I could see him, and then OH held him first. I had to wait to be stitched up, which took over half an hour as I had a 3rd degree tear and a tear further up on my lady bits. Then wheeled to the post-labour ward, then finally got to hold him.

I had a catheter at first, and when I got up for a wash it felt like my insides were being pulled down my lead weights. I could barely stagger to the toilet to have a little wash.
The next day I had a shower, and I was made to feel as if I was making a fuss as I couldn't bend down due to the SPD and stitches, and remember crying during that shower. I then staggered back to the ward alone, and thankfully my OH was there as it was visiting hours, and I said I desperately wanted to go home.

It was eventually agreed I could go home, even though my baby wasn't breastfeeding, but they were satisfied he'd take a bottle. And I could wee without the catheter. I remember that journey home as it felt like my insides were rattling about inside my body, and I felt like I'd been hit by a car.

For the first week or two I couldn't do much at all, apart from feed my baby. I couldn't stand up for long, but if I sat for too long it would be horrendous to get up.

Anyway, I have ended up telling most of my birth story here, but my point is - forceps are horrendous, particularly if you tear/have an episiotomy. No one should belittle a forceps delivery - the after effects can be awful.

I'm not saying a c-section is an easy way out at all, and everything comes with complications, but I can fully understand the OP's wish for one.
It was my worse fear to have one, but mainly due to the epidural, which I ended up having anyway (they had to give me drugs to make the contractions stronger).

I spent weeks afterwards going backwards and forwards to hospital having heat treatment on my stitches (which was well worth it and helped), washing with plain water after every toilet visit to keep the area clean.

I have had a dragging/pulling sensation lately, and was terrified it was a prolapse (googling at midnight), but after having an internal examination by my GP I was declared perfectly fine and all healed up, with excellent muscle control. It seems to be connected to my lack of periods since he was born.

Another thing was, due to the pulling etc involved in the forceps, my back/shoulder/neck are shot and in constant agony with them. Having such a big baby I am always carrying weight, so my body never has a chance to catch up.
I still have SPD to a lesser degree, but it is still there. I am hoping it goes for good once my hormones settle down. I am not breastfeeding anymore, but my body is still confused.

So, if you want a c-section, you push for one hun! I totally get your adversion to forceps.

Mimi09

I categorically told them I was having a C-section for my 2nd labour, due to daughter suffering oxygen deprivation in first labour. I was told it was very unlikely to happen again and that it could be discussed nearer the time.

The following appointment I took my daughter with me in her wheelchair and with all her medical paraphranalia.......it was never mentioned again

My C-section was a dream, up and about the next day, back driving and working 3 weeks later.

smartie12

I had an elective (breech baby) and 13 months on it still upsets me to think about it:(

I felt everything and as soon as baby was out I had to be put to sleep and other surgeons called.

I suppose just as with a "natural" birth you get the good ones and the bad ones BUT a section is major surgery and things can go wrong.

I wouldn't advise anyone to have a section unless there is a serious medical reason why it is needed but I guess it's up to the mother to be to make the choice she feels is best for her.

digitalphase

Mimi09 wrote: »

I categorically told them I was having a C-section for my 2nd labour, due to daughter suffering oxygen deprivation in first labour. I was told it was very unlikely to happen again and that it could be discussed nearer the time.

The following appointment I took my daughter with me in her wheelchair and with all her medical paraphranalia.......it was never mentioned again

My C-section was a dream, up and about the next day, back driving and working 3 weeks later.

Bless her heart.

This was also at the back of my mind due to OH's friend's son suffering severe brain damage due to oxygen deprivation. This was at the hospital I gave birth in too.

The mother had been in labour ages and they tried everything to get him out, he got stuck. They gave her a section eventually, but too late to save him from harm. Why the hell they didn't give her a section sooner, who knows.

I think this is why they told me I had three pushes with the forceps, then a section. They must have changed their policy, after this family sued them.

digitalphase

At the end of the day, everything possible should be done to ensure as natural a birth as possible, but if baby shows distress and is at risk, then I think a section should be done rather than their even being a minor chance of baby at risk.

I_try

I shall start by saying that I have not read most of the posts, I just can't bring myself to read them! I am tocophobic and had my little girl by elective c-section for this reason. The obs/gynae consultant was very unsupportive to start with until the midwife tried to listen to the baby's heartbeat and I started vomitting. Just thinking about it all is getting me antsy now.

My community midwives were wonderful. They referred me to the people they thought would be most suitable for me and told me later that if the consultant had refused to do the section then they were going to refer me to someone else until they agreed. I saw a psychiatrist who was also supportive of the c-section option in my case.

I know that if I had been forced to give birth 'naturally' I would have had severe difficulty in bonding with the baby and risked PND and post traumatic stress syndrome. And that is if I had not done something to prevent it all from happening before hand.

It was the best option for me and my daughter. My recovery was ok, I was a little uncomfortable with certain movements but nothing worse than I'd had from the pelvic girdle pain anyway and they gave painkillers to take for a few weeks. I had no bonding issues and no problem with caring for her or with feeding her.

Speak to your midwife or another one in the practise or get referred to another if there is only one in the practise. Take your partner with you to take over the discussion if you become overwhelmed, my husband was very good at speaking up for me when I couldn't do it and I normally have no problem in speaking for myself.

You are the best person to say what is right for you. Don't let one person tell you that you have to do it the way They think you should, they do not have to live with the consequences.