Hi Edam
My first midwife appointment is not until 1st (so I'm thinking about this all rather early in the process!!).I am going to mention my request for a c-section then - as my GP told me to do! My GP said requesting a c-section after having to have one for my first should not be an issue anymore. But it appears from this post that depending on the hospital (??) or midwives this is not the case in reality.

Will post back on this site my experiences over the next 9 months!!!

Incidentally did you have your c-section at St.George's? I just posted a question on here asking anyone for feedback on the hospital. I had my booking in appointment today but upon arrival there they had made a mistake and cancelled/changed my appointment without telling me!!
anyway wasn't overly impressed with the hospital so far... but only a first impression.

Hope your recovering is still going well!

Hi SFMC - no worries, happy to be of help
I had a private scan at 34 weeks and my baby was op and stayed that way until he was pulled out..
I actually expressed my concerns about the method of birth at my booking in appointment with the midwife.. it was only 10 months after my daughter was born so memories were still quite fresh. Has anyone discussed the birth with you yet? As you probably would have read from the previous posts it was quite a drawn out process but definitely worth it for how I feel now...

Rubymum - so sorry to hear about your traumatic first birth, sounds horrific... I know nothing about C&W but if you want the elective you can demand it on the NHS and I promise it will be a dramatically different experience... planned, calm, relaxed etc.

But if you can afford to go private, do it - sure you'll get a lovely room and will save you the sleepless nights in the postnatal ward afterwards... I wish I'd managed to get a bit more sleep before my son started waking 4 times per night demanding to be fed

x

Hi

Have you seen this pregnancy site?
http://doctoranddaughter.co.uk/

They will answer any pregnancy related question - i asked them one and they responded the next day with a great answer.

there are lots of other great articles on there too. a really sensible and well-needed site for pregnant women!

Good luck with your pregnancies

Hi Rubymum, I also was faced with a consultant at C&w telling me I had to go through the vbac process when I'd previously been told an elective c-section was a dead cert....would be interesting to see if it's the same one!..Anyway, I went through the process & at the vbac consult with the midwife she really listened (uncommon it seems given some stories)& then even talked me through requesting a change of consultant etc. She did try to persuade me to try naturally again - but that's her job. Both she & the consultant i ended up with said they would never insist on a vbac if a mother was set against it. Basically just keep on at them - they won't book you in until a 36wk or so app anyway so you have plenty of time to see through the process.

Dear Edam

Thanks so much for your thoughtful and helpful response. It was really great to hear of your experience. So glad you are doing so well! It also painted a realistic picture of what recovery the second time round might be like.

So in terms of the process leading up to the elective c-section did they do an extra scan to see how your baby was lying or was this one of the regular scans? It is your GP you first expressed your wish for an elective c-section?

It is interesting to read of Ruby's experience!
Ruby - why did they recommend VBac to you over an elective c-section?
I'm not sure about going private - might be a nicer recovery (I found the care and the recovery in hospital pretty appalling - especially at night) but imagine the surgeons might be the same? However, maybe it is worth it for your peace of mind. I'm interested to hear of people's advice to you.

Hi

I would appreciate some advice.....

I had a horrid first birth which ended in an emergency c-section. My daughter was 16 days overdue, 10lb 13oz, and she got stuck at 7cm. There was a catalogue of errors from the hospital but nothing that has had any lasting effects on my daughter, but now I am thinking about birth no.2 (January) I am starting to get really nervous and really want an elective c-section. When it comes down to it I don't think I trust the NHS enough based on all the little errors that happened with my first.

I was astounded to hear the consultant at C&W (where I had my first and was planning to have my second) tell me I should have a vbac, she also said if I insist on the c-sec route then she wouldn't consider it till 40-41 weeks.... What if I go into labour before that!?!

Would be interested to hear people's thoughts - think I might go private as I am so nervous from previous experience.....


Thanks!!

Hi there

I can totally understand your concern about the recovery process... I feel c-section is perceived as the 'easy way out' but friends who had natural births recover so much quicker e.g. welcoming visitors and going shopping the day after giving birth... amazing! and I agree they seem to return to prebaby weight much quicker too.

With my emergency c-sec first time around I had been in labour for over two days so was absolutely delirious by the time I had the op, then spent days on morphine and sent home with a course of dihydrocodeine. Basically, I spent weeks afterwards on a cloud of drugs and was pretty traumatised too. I think that was the biggest contributor to my long slow recovery (including lack of motivation to lose baby belly!).

This time around I was only given morphine on the day of the op then afterwards had regular doses of paracetamol and ibuprofen (I take more than that when I have a cold!) and left hospital after 2 days. So - yes, I found the first week really difficult and still felt pain through the drugs. I was really surprised they didn't prescribe stronger drugs, instead kept MWs saying I just needed to rest (although I'm sure I could've pushed for something stronger).

However after 7days I started to hobble less and was able to pick up my daughter (at 13kgs). I had also locked myself indoors and stayed horizontal as much as possible - I didn't leave home until 11 days after the op for my midwife appointment and have to say rest really was the best thing.

I feel so much better than last time, both physically and mentally / emotionally and now its been two weeks I feel ready to take on the world (apart from the newborn induced sleep deprivation of course!) - certainly didnt feel like this until about two months after the emergency c-sec.

Re weight loss - I am determined not to take 9 months to lose my baby weight this time around, but agree that the 6 week excercise ban, plus no dieting whilst breast feeding is quite restrictive. I guess I'll just have to stick to long brisk walking a couple times/day and cut the cakes and biccies

Hope this helps xx

Can any of you who had elective c-sections for your 2nd comment on how you found the recovery the second time round?
Was/is it the same or easier (or harder!?) to recover compared to your emergency c-section?

I found the recovery process with my emergency c-section incredibly hard, painful and it seemed to take FOREVER for me to not feel pain and later total numbness.
It seemed to also take me a lot longer to shed my pregnancy weight than those with a natural birth but perhaps that was because I was banned from exercise for a long time and was just hobbling around!
Grateful to hear of your experiences the second time round!

Congratulations! So happy it all worked out for you. It's so good that you have a positive experience to look back on after last time.

Enjoy every moment with your brand new boy. well done you!

Congratulations on the birth of your baby boy!
I'm so happy to hear that you had a lovely experience...I'm a little bit nervous about my C-Section in February but reading about some amazing experience gives me so much positive energy!
Thank you so much!

So, my baby boy is one week old today and is absolutely adorable

And to update on the elective c-section - well, all I can say is, what an amazing experience!

I was so nervous on the day, but everything was so calm and everyone so friendly and supportive. I got to meet all the medics in advance and had a good chat with the anesthetist, who (again) was absolutely lovely. I walked into theater, given a spinal block and within the hour was holding my baby.

I felt a little guilty before the op that I didnt try VBAC - so was very relieved when the surgeon confirmed there was no way it would have happened for me naturally this time - or for any other children I may decide to have.

I was also especially relieved when a new mum in my post natal ward had a horrific experience trying VBAC, which ended in her second emergency c-section - I wont go into detail, but it was gory - poor thing.

Anyone who is considering elective c-sec over VBAC - do it, you will not regret the decision!

I hope everything went as planned! Please let us know what you think about your experience...I'll have an elective C-Section in February for baby No. 2. Many thanks for sharing!

Oh wow, best of luck tomorrow! Don't be afraid to ask for more pain relief if you need it afterwards.


And if you've forgotten the rush of emotions you get when gazing at your new baby, you've got a real treat in store.

All the best! x

Hi ckwmum!

Wow - it is so amazing to read your post, makes me so happy and reassured.

My pre-op was yesterday and I voiced all my concerns about anesthesia and the process and the midwife was absolutely lovely so I'm feeling much more confident. I'm booked in at 8am tomorrow, and starting to feel a bit nervous/excited... very surreal to think this time tomorrow I should be cuddling my baby boy.

Thanks again so much for sharing your experience - I'll also post mine once I'm back home and brain is a bit more switched on!

Love and best wishes to you at this special time xxx

PS - so funny you should mention 'walking into theatre' my husband and I were thinking exactly the same

Hi, have you had your pre-op appt now? Do you have a date?

I had my brilliant baby boy on Mon and it was a great experience. Truly weird walking to theatre knowing I'd have another baby in half an hour. I found the worst bit was having the anaesthetic put in, not that it hurt or anything, just a slightly odd feeling.

Overall it was a wonderful, calm experience and although I had forgotten how painful it is the day after, I was still recovered well enough to leave hospital yesterday morning.

Really hope you have a great experience too. It must be hard given how it all went last time for you, but keep your eyes on the prize - you're getting a gorgeous little baby to gaze at at the end of it all. I'd sort of forgotten about that bit and it's the best surprise ever.