Quick q on sterilisation

bylromarha

If someone goes to the GPs 5 months after their first baby is born requesting a sterilsation, will the surgery act on that immediately or tell her to wait until baby is at least a year old?

GwylimT

I don't know if it depends on area, our youngest was born by planned c-section and my wife was sterilised at the same time, I shouls think the wait time could be quite long as it is an elective procedure.

meritaten

I should imagine they take it on a case by case basis. ie - the reasons for requesting a sterilisation after just one baby. Medical and/or Psychiatric reasons would be taken seriously of course.

Flugelhorn

referrals for sterilisation are not so common now as reversible methods are encouraged as first line - mainly because people can then change their minds about having further children.

Whoever does the op has to be pretty sure that you NEVER want any more kids - can be tricky to be sure when first is only 5 months old unless there are really strong medical reasons

barbaraemmerson

I was sterilised 8 months after my daughter was born - absolutely no problems as I was adamant that I would be having NO more - having said that my doctor knew me well and my reasons (medical) for NEVER doing it again -one of the best decisions I have ever made!!!

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Consultants tend to encourage women to wait five years using long term hormonal methods to be very sure, as something inconceivable (pun not intended, but I'll leave it there!) during sleepless nights could be more appealing once the baby is off to full time school. And so many relationships break up in the first few years, that's a reasonable time for that to have happened and a new relationship to have become established.

Private places, such as Marie Stopes, tend to agree sooner, as I think the willingness to pay for it is seen as more certainty about the decision.

Unless, as has already been said, there are compelling reasons for mum not to have any more. If not, they will often point out that it's a much easier and safer procedure for the man to have a vasectomy.

kingfisherblue

I know one woman who had three children when she was very young. I think she was 21 when her third was born. She requested sterilisation, had to wait a few years (about age 25 or 26) in case she decided to have more. The doctor refused to refer her at 21 as she was so young.

Savvy_Sue

GwylimT wrote: »

I don't know if it depends on area, our youngest was born by planned c-section and my wife was sterilised at the same time, I shouls think the wait time could be quite long as it is an elective procedure.

Obviously there'd have been a good reason for doing delivery and sterilisation at the same time, but I was told there was a slightly higher chance of failure in that situation.

Anyway, in answer to the OP, I think the answer is 'it depends' - on the area, on the GP, on the lady concerned ...

GwylimT

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Obviously there'd have been a good reason for doing delivery and sterilisation at the same time, but I was told there was a slightly higher chance of failure in that situation.

Anyway, in answer to the OP, I think the answer is 'it depends' - on the area, on the GP, on the lady concerned ...

Its called being cheaper!

System

I managed to bypass the counselling and was fast tracked through the waiting list....but it was only because I had just given birth to my 6th child.

Maggie.Moo_2

It's worth noting that my anecdotal evidence is based on asking for NHS sterilisation, but I'm sure that female sterilisation is mostly discouraged.

My mother requested to have everything removed due to being 37 years old with four adult(ish) children and problem periods. She was flat out refused and after more pain and inconvenience they finally sorted out her periods with long term contraception but they never followed up on her sterilisation requested. Ten years later, she still doesn't want any more children and now has grandchildren but I guess it's not worth doing surgery as she'll be menopausal soon.

My friend's mother has tried all the contraceptives going but has fallen pregnant on all of them. All of her pregnancies have been complicated and she's suffered many miscarriages, only bringing my friend (born at 24 weeks) and her twins (born at 30 weeks) into the world. She was also denied sterilisation after the twins were born because she was only 20 years old. Her then husband did have a vasectomy which solved the issue until they split when she was 35 and since being with her current partner she's suffered two more miscarriages and was still denied sterilisation resulting in this partner (who also has adult children) having a vasectomy.

I have considered sterilisation as I'm certain I will not have any more natural children but there's no way they'll let me do it as my circumstances aren't as justifiable as the two above, so I'm stuck with long term contraception (despite the effects of long term, uninterrupted usage being uncertain).