Be prepared for a vaginal delivery even with elective booked!

[shnsn]

I dont want to scare anyone but after reading so many posts regarding elective c sections and booking dates, i just wanted to say that in some rare cases u still end ip deliveribg vaginally even with a booked elective section!

I know a lot of women are now being offered electives due to birth trauma, this was same in my case in 2012.
I had a previous stillbirth which was a vbac, after i got pregnant very quickly and delivered vaginally again in 2011, again got pregnant again very quickly only this time i suffered with post traumatic stress and couldnt bare the thought of giving birth, the consultant also 'scared' me as i had consecutive pregnancies and a thin uterus, needless to say that added to my worry.
My own consultant at first didnt agree, i had counselling through a midwife and she arranged for my elective c section to which the consultant finally agreed!
I was booked for 39w 3 days, my birth before was at 39w 1 day so i was already worried about what would happen if labour started early, i was reassured that c section would still go ahead, obviously emergencies would be given priority.
I was also worried about progressing fast as last time i had faster labour and no time for an epidural! Ideally i wanted to book section at 38 weeks!

At 38w 6 days, my water broke at 3.20am, i got to hospital at 3.40am.
Everyhing was written in my notes, i was told i wouldnt have to explain my story again, i didnt want to explain my story again and agian, but the midwives ignored that and asked me why i was booked for an elective! I could see in their faces that they didnt think it wa a good enough reason and i could tell by their actions that they would fob me off!!
The doc said there were 2 emergencies before me and i would have to continue labouring!! My worst nightmare!!
Couldnt have epidural as anaesthecist busy with the other ladies waiting!
They could see from my notes 2 vbacs so i wasnt given any priority at all.
I again progressed very fast and baby born at 6am!!
Needless to say i was extremely pi**ed off throughout labour!
It was the most painful fast delivery, where i tore everywhere and up through urethra as i wouldnt stop pushing!!!

I felt so let down and everything i didnt want happening had happened!

So even if u are booked for an elective be aware that if there are genuine emergencies u might end up still with a vaginal delivery.
I hated the way i was looked at and my reasons just ignored!
I felt it such a waste to see everyone, the counsellor, midwife, consultant etc

I still feel if i was booked in earlier all could have ended up differently and wished i had pushed for an earlier date!!

This time round i want sterilisation so thiking about an elective again but my past experiene has really put me off!!

Luckily im feeling ok and dont feel stressed out regardig a normal vaginal birth, infact i feel like giving birth naturally at home! In water!! But im high risk and have gbs so need to be in hospital, only the sterilisation is swaying me for a c section as i feel enough is enough now! Cant cope with any more pregnancies or children!
Having another boy in May so that'll be 4!!! My little girl was stillborn and i think i can finally accept whats happened and concentrate on raising my boys!

I hope ive not scared anoyone!
Just be prepared, obviously if u are an emergency case u still will end up with a section but if like me u r not considered an emergency, then dont totally throw out the thought of a natural delivery.

 

[DollPosse]

I think it depends on the circumstances. Like this will be my third section, and I highly doubt with the complications that could arise that I would have deliver vaginally at a hospital. Even with my second child, I never made my section date and the hospital cleared space for me to have my section.

 

[JessPape]

It really depends on the circumstances regarding your birth and WHY you are having an elective. But it is something worth asking your doctor about and what your options are in a case like this.

For me, the only way I wont have a csection, is if I go in labor before my elective date AND than we actually have two drive two hours away from our planned birthing hospital because they are not 'fit' to handle un-planned births at the current moment (doctor shortages).


As to the OP, the situation does kind of suck. But if you were booked in earlier, and had an earlier section, whos to say there wouldn't have been complications with the baby, or that the baby wouldn't have been 'ready'. Try not to dwell on it...

 

[Eternal]

Depends on the hospital but this happens a lot at mine, when I was in with the twins there were loads of ladies who ended up giving birth on the MATERNITY ward not even the labour ward, and a lot were supposed to have sections. My section was canceled three days in a row, and the midwives were rude and kept asking WHY I had to have a section (both breech) even when I got to labour ward they were still rude and unhelpful and told me how I was low priority and if something else came in even when I was being prepped they would send me back!!! So glad when they started cutting!

This time I'm opting for another section but if I went into labour before i would be ok with it, but I don't want to go overdue.

 

[shnsn]

Yes its true it does depend on circumstanes and also the hospital.
My hospital is very very busy all the time, so i can understand why i was given low priority, however i still feel had i pushed for an earlier date i would have gotten the section as this was my big worry and they really did just keep fobbing me off.
Also they had to employ another counsellir midwife as changes in policy meant they couldnt straight refuse sections for women asking due to problems considered low risk. Just seems the hospital went theough effort of trying to ahdere to new policies when infact they somehow knew they wouldnt even be carrying out most of the sections booked.
If only i had know what could happen, i wouldnt be so cut up over it, but i guess i do tend to be quite unlucky!!

 

[supertabby]

When my elective was booked I was warned that if I went into labour early there would be a chance I would have to vbac if I was too far progressed when I arrived at hospital. Because things happened quickly could this have been the case for you but they didn't explain it?

Additionally, while you had totally valid reasons for planning a section if there were other emergencies they probably did need to prioritise - and as cold as this sounds they have to prioritise the cases where mum or baby are in clinical danger as opposed to the psychological need. You wouldn't have died from waiting but the women/babies who went to theatre before you might have done.

It's totally unacceptable for the midwives to be questioning your birth plan though - it's clearly been discussed and reviewed with the doctors in advance and all arranged. They absolutely should have just got on with that.

 

[jenmcn1]

Oh good lord, I hope I don't end up with a vaginal birth. I had a csection with my 2nd baby in June of 2012. It was a classical incision due to her being breech. Which puts me at a super high risk of uterine rupture. Because of this I'm not even allowed to attempt a vbac even if I wanted to! The doctor is doing my csection at 38 weeks, trying to avoid me going into labour. Although with this being my 3rd baby I have a feeling I may go into labour earlier than this. I mean I would be thankful to not have to deal with the recovery of a csection, but too scared to even think abut what may happen if I don't get my csection in time

 

[darkriver]

I havent discussed my birth plan with my OB yet, but if she suggests a vbac I will find a hospital that will give me a section. I have heart problems and my labour was a massive strain.

 

[Banshee]

This happened to my friend. It was her 4th child and was going to be her 3rd caesarian after a traumatic first birth but she went into labour early with her 4th and was too far along when she arrived at the hospital to have her elective and ended up with a natural delivery. It went fine but not what she had planned.

 

[hopefulfor1st]

I think the main thing to dwell on here is your child was born and is healthy!