Forum home Pregnancy Pregnancy
🚨 Advance warning 🚨 This forum will be closing on 1st May – please see our pinned thread for more information.

Preplanned non-optional C-Section?

Hi girls, I was wondering if anyone else had any experience of having to have a c-section. I had bowel surgery in 2012 and the antenatal consultant has told me today that she doesn't think I'll be allowed to try a natural birth and that I'll most likely have to have a preplanned c-section.


How did you feel knowing ahead of time you weren't going to get a chance to try things naturally and how did it affect your birthing experience / bonding afterwards? I was always under the impression from my surgeon that I should be able to give birth naturally after the op but it looks like that isn't the case now!

Replies

  • Hey PS

    I haven't had my section yet but I am so disappointed I'm going to be delivered by section, due to low lying placenta. It actually really irritates me that they (medical bods) kep referring to it as an elective section. I certainly haven't elected to have one! But getting baby here safely is the most important thing so I'm focusing on that. And thinking past the birth. It's maybe not the best way to deal with it but its the only way I can.

    There are so many people on here who have had a positive experience though, I'm hoping mine will be the same x

  • Another that has got to have a c section, mine is due to an existing medical problem and the fact I am having twins.  Not been through it yet but just like weekender keep getting annoyed at it being called an elective c section as I haven't elected to have one although I know it is for the best I have just followed medical advice and been told it is best for me and best for the babies and for me!

    In 1 way it has been nice to have a date to work towards but as this will be our family complete I am sad I will never experience labour ( but not sad enough to want things to start early to give me a taste of labour!)

    Fingers crossed after the 10th I will be able to post a super positive birth story to inspire you :-) x

  • Mine was an elective section,  as in I chose to have it having had a crash section under general anaesthetic first time around.  it was a fantastic experience, I bonded with orla straight away, in fact much more so than i did with Zoe where I really suffered quite badly from post natal depression which I am sure was the result of the traumatic birth.

    There are lots of practical things that made the section good for me, but the main thing that I wanted to reassure you was that it still felt special.  I had presumed that because the theatre staff do this day in and day out it would all be a bit routine.  in actual fact they made it feel like I was the first person to have a baby, they were so excited about her arriving etc, it really was an amazing and very positive experience.

    Oh, and a lot of people refer to is as a planned section rather than elective if it is being done for a medical reason.  I'd use that term myself in your situation and would probably express that as an opinion to my midwife too.  

  • I have to have a section too. At first I was miffed and really wanted them to let me try natural labour, however I've now got used to the idea and knowing how adverse the NHS is to elective/ planned Caesarians I know they'd only do it if they felt it necessary. The way I see it now is the whole point of my pregnancy and birth is to have a healthy baby at the end, if a section if the best way to achieve that then so be it. I do feel sad that'll not experience natural labour, but I try to focus on the positives that it is safer for 'noods' and I do have the bonus of knowing when she's coming and planning around it, (barring early labour of course).

  • Thank you for all your replies ladies. They've really helped reassure me and made me feel less silly about being disappointed!

  • I'm not in this situation, but my sister's second child was delivered by planned section due to being breech. I asked her all about it and she said she was recovering better than she did from her natural birth the first time. She had no trouble breast feeding or bonding, and although she was in hospital a day longer than the first time she was on with that. She had been really upset about having to have a section before hand, but said it turned out to be way less stress than waiting for labour t
  • Sorry, on mobile.



    .. labour to start and then all the unknowns that can happen afterwards. She went in, was prepped, and very shortly had her baby boy!



    You'll be fine!
  • With my first I had to have a c section at 31 weeks. It was classed as an emergency, as done before 32 weeks, but I knew about it the night before.. At that point I was more worried about having a premature baby.

    My subsequent pregnancies have been c section. For me the safe delivery of my baby has outweighed my need to deliver my baby naturally. I am having my final section at the end of this month. This is the longest in advance I have known the date.

Sign In or Register to comment.

Featured Discussions