Women can choose Caesarean section

Very topical subject for me - my second child is due to be born by c-section next Monday.

No 1 was an emergency section after 14 hours of labour after being induced 2 weeks overdue.  Not a pleasant experience, and I got MRSA afterwards, which meant I was about 10 weeks without driving (the wound didn't heal properly due to the infection).

I have to say that in this pregnancy, I was given a LOT of information about VBAC and c-sections, and I felt that I could make an informed decision. Despitie initially wanting to try VBAC, once I had weighed up all the risks and benefits, I opted for an elective section - the size of the baby at the 34 week scan, the possibility of a weak scar making rupture more of a risk and my age (almost 44) being the major factors. 

I wonder how much of the NICE change is actually to do with the number of requests, and whether actually the change in "rules" will have a huge impact on the number of c-sections that are performed?  If I had been given the choice first time round, there's no way I'd have chosen a c-section over a normal birth, and I suspect that most first time mothers would feel the same.

I know all hospitals are different, but I expect to be in for 5 days following my section.  Given that if I were a second time mum with no complications, I could be in and out in 6 hours, there's a huge cost to the NHS for a section, over and above the cost of the birth itself (one midwife plus a share of a consultant versus 10 people in the theatre).

All the best Nessie.  Hope all is nice and calm and baby will arrive with that nice unsquished look.

I had an attempted VBAC for my second.  I don't remember being given the option of an elective C section.  I was induced early Labour didn't progress, baby went into distress followed by rush to theatre and second emergency section.   

Thanks for the good wishes .  A does have a beautifully shaped head, having not made it all the way out downwards, so presumably #2 will have a good chance of not looking squished on exit too.

I don't know if it's something new (the advice changes all the time) or if it's just my local health authority/hospital, but I was told that they don't induce if you have had a previous section.  Apparently the risk of rupture in a VBAC is 1/150, but that goes down (up?) to 1/75 if you are induced.  Not a good stat.  They also don't do electives until 39 weeks (it was 37 a couple of years ago when a colleague had hers) as it gives the baby's lungs more chance to dry out (I've not heard the deafness thing, but the lungs get squeezed on the way out too, clearing out the fluid).  Given the Braxton Hicks's I've been having the last couple of days, I'm hoping there is some clearing happening already..........

I was also told that if I had a second section, I wouldn't have the option for a VBAC next time - it would have to be a section - so I guess if there is a limit, it's more than 2.  Not an issue, as this is number 2 of 2 for us.

they used to say around here that they recommended being sterilised at the same time as having your 3rd CS.and you were developing too much scar tissue.......as the operations are neater nowadays that might have changed......

Good luck Nessie....

Miffi.I hadn't thought about the first photos of the baby.........maybe if my eldest had been born by a Csection then he wouldn't have come out looking like a Klingon from star trek

seren nos wrote (see)

Miffi.I hadn't thought about the first photos of the baby.........maybe if my eldest had been born by a Csection then he wouldn't have come out looking like a Klingon from star trek

I think what actually happened in those first photos of baby was that they were a true and accurate record of what my baby looked like in those moments after delivery.  The perfect and flawless complexioned baby was only in the eyes of an instantly besotted mother.    One of my inlaws babies had a long and strenuous delivery and she had a head shaped like a peanut for months and months. 

Blimey Nessie, thats interesting about not inducing labour after a previous C-section.   I sincerely wish they hadn't because I had contraction upon contraction right from the off, no gentle build up, but everything stayed clamped firmly shut.   And they were wrong about the size of him so no need to have induced anyway.     

Having been induced first time, Miffi, I can sympathise.  Going from a standing start to 30 seconds between the end of one contraction and the start of the next in a matter of 3 hours isn't fun.  How they managed to get the needle in for the epidural is still a mystery to me.

You mean when they take away the gas and air and tell you to sit very still!!

With you having a planned C section this time have they given you the option of taking in music to have playing when baby is delivered?

That's the one!  I think Imust have had enough gas and air to give me a small window of being able to sit still.........  I did bite the end off the tube at one point.

I must read the notes re the music thing - although I think it would just annoy me.  Or make hubby blub if it was anything moving.............

They had classical music playing in my elective. I didn't choose it, it was the consultants choice.

I was pretty scared because of all the trauma that happened with my emergency c-section. When scared I'm a bit prone to panic. At one point I did and said 'Oh my God, what's happening?! I've got fluid coming out of my ears'

To which my husband calmly said:

'You're crying you daft bitch'

(Obviously being on my back it was running across my ears)

The whole room just burst out laughing at my expense at that point!

Personally I always thought that the epidural sounds pretty horrendous in itself. Lets stick a big needle in your spine while you're waiting for the next bout of pain to come, and if it all goes wrong you'll still have the pain or have something wrong with your back (potentially long term). That's assuming the anaesthatist is available during the window when you're deemed to be in "enough" pain to need one, but not in so much that they can't do it.

Inductions sound horrible, and I've never heard of a good reason why they use them, when they have caesarians available.

I don't think caesarians are a walk in the park, but I'd rather have that than be left to my own devices because there aren't enough midwives. I've already decided I'd want to have someone there who is trained the whole time (midwife or doula), and I'll happily pay for them to be there. I'd also happily pay the extra for a caesarian if I decided I wanted one, but didn't have a good medical reason for one. I do think being scared witless for most of your pregnancy can't be good for the baby and therefore could be a good clinical reason for an elective.

One day my OH might convince me that kids are a good idea, but at the moment there seems to be more negatives than positives about the whole business.