Elective c-sections.

Nicki

idea wrote: »

I am not sure where the six week thing comes from, my insurance company said they were fine as long as my HV said I was ok.

Some doctors say you must not drive before the 6 week check, and most insurance companies say you cannot drive until you have the doctor's OK.

My doctor said I could drive as soon as I felt confident I could do an emergency stop without hurting myself, and my insurance company, Direct Line, was happy with that. I don't think I drove in the first month, but that was more because I didn't really need to as I live right in the city, than because I felt I couldn't. I don't think I drove in that early period after my vaginal delivery either.

thatgirlsam

You need to ask for an appointment to see your consultant, they will be the one making big decisions

I would imagine they will be sympathetic to your feelings surrounding the previous deliverys

Where I work we certainly have ladies having electives after traumatic delivery, but again it will be consultants decision

If I was you I wouldn't go in all guns blazing, demanding a section - Talk to your consultant and tell them your fears

Bear in mind it is major abdominal surgery and it is highly unlikely you will be home the next day as a previous poster suggested - It is usually day 2 - OP day is counted as day 0

Good luck!

sausageface

I asked for a caesarean with my third child due to previous extensive tearing (with my first I was in theatre for over 3 hours being stitched and the second one not so severe but still quite bad - I will never be the same down there put it that way lol) - no instruments involved in my deliveries though.

After showing my consultant (:o) what I meant and explaining that it was bad enough already and and I was scared of the tearing again she just agreed that I could have one if I wanted.

In the end I did actually end up having a natural birth as I had had to go into hospital at 37 weeks due to baby lying across ways which was a nightmare and I could not bear spending any more time than absolutely necessary on the wards as the one I was on had a few pregnant drug addicts who kept waking me in the night asking to lend things!:eek:

It all actually went well - the scars that I thought would tear again and the consultant had said was a big possibility actually didnt and it was easiest one yet - still a big baby as well

But I am going on now, if you feel the way you do ask for an appt with your consultant and see what they say - I think they can be more understanding than midwives about these things in my experience.

Good luck and I hope it all goes well for you x

euronorris

idea wrote: »

Interesting, just to throw another opinion into the mix. I had an emergency c section after four days in labour and the nhs nearly killing me.....I cannot understand the people that are saying that it is terrible to recover from. I left hospital the day after my dd was born and was driving within three weeks. I am not sure where the six week thing comes from, my insurance company said they were fine as long as my HV said I was ok.

Then you were lucky your experience of a c-section was so positive. Not everyone has that experience.

This was not the case for my sister or sister in law. My sister was not allowed home for almost a week, and relied heavily on help from my parents and her husband for the first 3 weeks, gradually improving after that. For both children.

My SIL had a vaginal birth first time around, but had to have a c-section second time around. She was in hospital for only 2-3 days, but in agony for months. Although the wound was cleaned and re-dressed regularly, it became infected and she was back in hospital about 4 weeks after the birth, before returning home and needing another 3-4 weeks before she was able to do basic tasks herself.

Her, my brother, their 18 month old daughter, and the newborn twins all came to stay with at my folks place (where I was also living at the time) for the first couple of months. She is still so grateful for that help as her DD1 kept wanting to climb on Mummy and have hugs, and couldn't understand why she couldn't do that in the way she was used to, and the twins needed feeding every 4 hours, but were out of sync with each other so one of them woke every 2 hours, and my poor SIL was unable to do much of anything because of the amount of pain she was in.

I think this thread just goes to show that everyone's experiences are different.

vintagebrighton

Like a lot of things recovery from a c-section has many variables. Having had 4 of the blerdy things (2 emergency, 2 elected by the consultant not by me!) they are all different. What I can say though is that recovery from the elected was far easier possibly because I was awake and didn't have to deal with recovery from a general anaesthetic on top of everything else. I agree with some of the other comments.... if this is seriously affecting you psychologically then you need to do some serious advance talking to anyone who'll listen. Get your midwife onside, your GP, gather evidence for the consultant etc etc. Good luck with it, the costs to the NHS for serious trauma must surely outweigh the cost of an elective operation.

plumpmouse

I had an elective section following a difficult forceps birth.

I think some people on this thread are underestimating how difficult a forceps birth can be.

Mine was horrific. In hospital 5 days, couldn't drive (or move much) for 7 weeks and in an awful lot of pain for months after. Still 8 years on I suffer from what happened and can tell all is not right.

I had a c-section with my DD and my experience was that it was a lot easier. In hospital 2 days. Could drive at 4 weeks (could have physically done so sooner but doc said wait till 4 weeks). Fully recovered and fine a few weeks later. No problems at all and left with only a fading scar.

I do appreciate that some c-section aren't as good as mine and that recovery for some is a nightmare but believe me an instrumental delivery can be just as bad.

My section was granted easily BUT I think there were 2 factors that helped. One was that my consultant had seen me through fertility treatment and the second that in my first birth the hospital made an awful lot of errors.

Push and push. Take someone with you who is strong enough if you aren't. My hubby knew my wished and didn't allow anyone to pressure me into anything.

Good luck

gunsandbanjos

plumpmouse wrote: »

I think some people on this thread are underestimating how difficult a forceps birth can be.

Agree, i had venthouse and forceps when i had my daughter. LOTS of stitches and damage to me, community midwife came to checkon me when i was at home and her words were 'oh my god what have they done to you?'

Luckily i healed pretty well, but honestly the thought of doing it again would terrify me:o

neverdespairgirl

bre16 wrote: »

I'm sorry I had to laugh at this 'im point blankly refusing to give birth' sorry to tell you this but if the baby decides he/she is coming I don't think you have a lot of choice lol.

I agree, it's a bit hard to see how you can actually refuse!

neverdespairgirl

*Ro* wrote: »

I wish someone would just bop me on the head when the time comes and then I wake up baby here and all contented...

that's what happened to my mother when I was born. I was 3 weeks late, induced, and then my heartbeat dropped, so it was a crash section, where they basically do just knock the mother over the head and grab the baby out!

Winnie_in_Pooh

gunsandbanjos wrote: »

Agree, i had venthouse and forceps when i had my daughter. LOTS of stitches and damage to me, community midwife came to checkon me when i was at home and her words were 'oh my god what have they done to you?'

I had exactly the same experience when delivering my DS. It took me over 10 years to come around to the idea of having a second baby and I'm now 39 weeks pregnant. DS has just turned 11.

My consultant assures me I won't need another forceps delivery this time....I just hope her crystal ball isn't on the blink