Elective CS - plz don't shout at me :-)

[pizza.1]

Hi all

I know ELCS is a controversial subject but I've just found out I'm pg with my second child and want to request one. I had an absolutely horrific experience with my first child finally having a forcep delivery and the thought of having to go through a vaginal birth again actually fills me with terror. How do I get the midwife to take me seriously. I don't have a strong character and feel like she'll just talk me out of it and I'll be too polite to say anything and will go on being petrified. I am only 6 weeks gone and i am already feeling the panic setting in.

I know the NICE guidelines have changed recently but I've also read that it's not really making any difference and women are still being refused a c-section.

I understand the recovery time and risks with the section, after my vaginal birth it took me 6 weeks to stop crawling up the stairs and the pethadine injection went through a nerve in my thigh which was numb for six months after so i know about long recovery.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[MrsDramaQueen]

Hi,

At every midwife appointment i would tell them you want a C-Section. If you do it early on then they put it on your notes and then they shouldn't keep asking. From the very beginning i told them i wanted one. My daughter was breech the first time so i ended up with one, but this time round they have presumed i want to go natural. I just keep saying i want a c-section and they have let me have one. If you tell them you have been left traumatised by your first and that you want a c-section then it's your right to have one. They will refer you to a consultant and they give you the pros and cons of natural and c-section. My cons were heavily waited on the c-section side but i just said i still want one.

Good Luck x

 

[pinkgem100]

I had an emergency section with my DD and this time around, at my 16 week app they asked me and i hadnt made my mind up so they put in my note natural birth, well at 36 weeks app, this baby is looking bigger than DD was so i thought i was going to have a fight on my hands to get an elective section and when i told them i had made my mind up and wanted a section they just went ok, lets complete the paperwork and that was it..

so i will have my baby boy in 21 days!!

 

[disneyleanne]

I just wanted to say that no-one should be shouting at you! I am a mentored doula and have previously had 2 emcs but this time I am having a home water birth.

The correct birth for YOU is the one that you are comfortable with, in control of and ultimately what gives you the most positive experience. I hope you get your wish.

 

[charliebear]

No one should shout at you

I have requested an elective c-section due to a traumatic labour and birth with my son.
I told the mw at my first appointment and she put a request through for me to see a consultant (I was going to see one anyway due to medical reasons) - make sure your mw does this.
My mw was awful, she went on and on about having a 'normal' birth and how she could make sure the problems we had first time around wouldnt happen again...yeah right! How the heck can she promise this?!

Anyway I saw the consultant and she has agreed to my section.
I made sure to point out i knew it wasnt an easy option and knew the recovery wouldnt be easy but then again neither is it from a traumatic birth!

 

[chuck]

If you really are starting to experience true panic then consult your Dr and see a counsellor, it may be that you can take the safer option for you and baby and have a vaginal birth after addressing your fears and getting the right support.

If you can get recognised for having real psychological trauma from the previous birth it will make it easier to request a CS rather than just asking your MW.

Just ask at the first opportunity and if you feel that the MW is pressuring you one way or the other then write to the head of midwifery for your area and tell them that.

 

[April2012]

I am in the US, so i don't know how all your rules and laws work regarding health care. I had an elective caesarean recently. It was my first baby. All went well. I healed great. Baby is healthy and beautiful. If I had it to do over again, I would have done the same. Now...I have never had a vaginal delivery so I can't compare the two. But I am happy with how the caesarean went. No pain, no stress on baby, no worry that there would be an emergency ceasearean, my "lady parts" are perfectly unscathed. I was back to having sex within three weeks. however, i am in my mid-thirties and will likely not have more children thus eliminating the question of a repeat ceasarean in the future. I say you need to do what you feel most comfortable with. for me, that was an election ceasarean.

 

[Zizzle]

No one should shout at you! You get one chance at this birth so you make sure you do it how you want to! I will be having an elective with my next child because I feel thats right for me. Don't let anyone pressure you into anything you don't feel comfortable with.

 

[heyyady]

I am also in the US, so things are a bit different here- My elective was no big deal- FX for you that you get the birth you want!

 

[SabrinaKat]

I told my ob/gyn and at the midwife appointment at 10/11wks that I wanted a c-section and there were no problems, hassles, etc. Don't let anybody 'guilt' you into doing something that you feel uncomfortable with! Ultimately, I had to have an emergency c-section due to pre-eclampsia, but as I knew I was going to have one before, probably had a better birth experience than others....(the recovery in terms of pre-eclampsia, tho, was difficult)...

I went private tho (had had a terrible mc experience as a public patient a few years before), but regardless, if you have good, sound reasons (and yes, mental and/or physical fear is a good reason!), make sure that you get your point across and re-iterate at every appointment. If need be, write down all the reasons and hand them to the midwife, if it appears she isn't listening.....

best wishes