Possible C Section

curlybob

So I am 38 weeks 5 days and had a scan last Thursday, while there I asked the Doctor for the weight of the baby, but he wouldn't tell me just said i had a fine big healthy Baby, however he gave me an appointment for next Thursday so that we could discuss having a C-section. (Really it should just be my own GP I see next week)

Right through the pregnancy this is the one thing I really wanted to avoid! The suggestion also came as a shock to me as I had lost my mucus plug the previous week and my boobs have been leaking (sorry tmi) and my GP had said things are moving along nicely that baby will probably come before or on its due date (Nov 28th). So I was kind of expecting baby any day.

I suppose I am just wondering if anyone had a similar experience? Did you go on your own in the end? Can I try to persuade the doctor to try and let me go on my own? After all the birth weight estimates are often wrong?

Thanks in advace...

crazy cat lady

A 'big' baby is no reason for having a C-Section. Believe it or not (and I know many people will disagree with me here!) your body will grow a baby it can birth! They are too quick here to jump in and section people, hence the high C-Section rate in Ireland.

You should be allowed to labour naturally, and hopefully you will have a happy and healthy birthing experience! you will be closely monitored in labour as all women are, and any foetal distress will be picked up on quickly.

Be firm with your consultant and tell him that you do not want a C-Section unless there is a genuine medical reason to do so! Make sure he explains his reasons for wanting to give you one.

May I ask if you have gone private for this pregnancy?

oakshade

As an aside in case you do end up with a section...

My wife had two planned sections for various reasons and they are very straightforward, yes it is an operation etc but its calm, organised and way better than an emergency section after 20 hours of labour.

I guess all im saying is dont worry... and good luck

curlybob

Thanks Guys, I am going public...and I am not dead against C-sections, its just i guess I am frustrated that I didn't get a more thorough explanation/discussion about it.....If it was necessary because of breech/pre eclamsia etc then I probably would have handled it alot better, but just when the baby sizes are very rarely accurate it seems a little wishywashy....I know that labor will be something I cannot influence or control I guess I just always wanted to try and be as natural as possible... anyway I guess anything could happen between now and Thursday!

wmpdd3

I really cant understand that, I'd hit the floor if they told me they were going to discuss a section with me.

Was the placenta low, as in blocking the exit? I had this on both but by 20 weeks it was higher up.

The really should have a good reason for a section, do you mind me asking what hospital?

curlybob

It was Portiuncla...and no it was all down to size...He was quite dismissive of me really and when I questioned it again he said we will see next Thursday...to which I replied thats if I dont come in naturally between now and then...I suppose with the other signs I was just confident that baby was almost ready...but now I am not so sure...I will demand an explanation if he does suggest it on Thursday..but dont want to put baby in any harm...

also the clinic was crazy busy that day never had to wait so long so maybe he was under pressure...they have been very good so far and we are in no harm for the moment anyway..baby is still kicking away... just crossing the fingers I go myself in the mean time..

lynski

There is a website all about this.
I was told my daughter as 'at least as big as my 8lb 6oz son, if not bigger' she weighed in at 7lb 5ozs. my next son was an 'average size, about the same as my daughter' he weighed in at just shy of 9lbs, easiest delivery too, 3 hrs with hypnobirthing.
My sister had long, long, horrible labors giving birth to both her under 7lbs babies.
I do not believe for one minute that size scans are accurate enough to justify a major operation.
If you are concerned about labor and birth you could do no harm to take a look at hypnobirthing - even now

If you're visiting this site since having a growth scan, you might be surprised to hear just how inaccurate these are!

Consultants often take the resuls of these scans as gospel, often booking you in for a C-Section or Induction as a result of them, but how accurate are they REALLY? - you might be surprised!

...and even IF your baby is big, what's to say that you will have problems giving birth? some women have a great deal of trouble giving birth to a small six pounds baby, whilst others, like the editor of this site, can birth an eleven pound baby wih ease.

So, even IF that scan is accurate how can anyone possibly know how YOU will birth?

One thing is for sure though and that is that nobody knows how much your baby will weigh until it is placed in the scales after birth!

I heard a great analogy from an obstetrician once, that likened trying to predict the size of a baby before birth, by ultrasound, to trying to guess the weight of a man, sitting in a bath full of water, in the room next door by measuring his waist and thigh bone. When you look at it like that it really does become apparent how ludicrous these gross measures we use are!

http://www.bigbaby.org.uk/are_estimates_of_weight_accurate.html

Toots

I was told my baby would be about 6lbs, he was actually 8lbs 2oz. When I was at one of my antenatal checks with my GP I mentioned that they thought the baby would be 6lbs (I had my doubts cos I was huge by that stage) he laughed and said 'well if he's 6lbs, he's got a friend in there that we don't know about!'. I think they can't be 100% accurate on the scans.

I had to meet a consultant anaesthetist a few weeks before my son was due because I had terrible problems with hip and pelvic instability and they were worried that I'd have to have a section. They had to assess my airways in case I needed an emergency section and they couldn't get an epidural in. Honestly I was scared out of my mind when they told me there was a very high probability I'd end up having to have a section, however on the actual day, despite the delivery being a bit of a drama (baby went into distress and had to get out fast) I was actually able to have a vaginal birth in the end. I did have to get an episiotomy, but that wasn't actually as horrible as I thought it would be at all.

My midwife said the exact same thing to me as crazy cat lady said about your baby fitting your body. See what they say on Thursday, it would be no harm to be prepared in case you do need a section, but insist that you be let go into labour and see how you get on first.

holidaygirl

I ended up needing an emergency section on my son after almost 21 hrs of labour. My son was 6 lbs 7 ozs and I was told afterwards that he would never have came naturally nothing to do with his weight or my size but due to his position (he was back to back and had a deflexed head) he didn't change position in labour and eventually became very distressed. I was been closely monitored, as was he, and it wasn't just ctg they did internal fetal scalp monitoring on him and a few other things. If he had been bigger a lot of people would have said he was too big to come naturally, what they really would have meant was in that position his had would not fit down well or not at all.

Op I've had a few friends given birth there and they certainly wouldn't consider them on section overdrive and have found the hospital care to be great. However it is a pity in your case that the Doctor didn't take more time to discuss his thinking. Maybe next week have a few questions written down for yourself. I always think of things when I get out that I meant to ask! I'm down the country and they won't estimate weights at all as they don't find them very accurate at all. So on size alone on a scan without any other reason, Id be pushing for natural birth. Obviously though if there is other or medical reasons then that's a different story.

How Strange

Thats quite bizarre and worrying. Op, it's your body so no one can perform procedures on it that you don't want. If necessary bring your partner along for support and make sure the consultant discusses the whole thing with you. If its medically necessary them so be it but get him to put it in writing on your file otherwise tell him you want to have a vaginal birth and as far as you're concerned that's the subject closed.

cynder

No one said my babies were going to be big or come early, and they were big and came early, 2 at 39 weeks 1 at 35 weeks, 2 were over 4kgs the premature one was 7lb 5.


My cousin had a 9ob 10 oz baby and he got stuck in the birth canal, had to have an emergency c section, friend of mine had a 11 lb baby and he was a c section.

As far as I'm concerned a planned c section is better than an emergency one.

curlybob

Thanks everyone, and Lynski I found that website great. I do believe that your body will only grow a baby that you can birth, and I have always had wide hips...however I have my list of questions ready for Thursday and will demand a proper discussion regarding a section, the reasoning why, pros , cons etc and also I am going to ask for them to do an internal check before they decide on their plan of action for me and baby, as I have been doing the pelvic exercises and taking the raspberry leaf tea. However If they do decide on a section and give me a proper explanation as to why, I certainly wont put the baby in risk and after doing some research on sections I will just accept it.

I will let you know what happens in the end and just keep my fingers crossed I go myself in the meantime.

Thanks again for all the support and advice, it has really helped me ')

curlybob

Just to update you, had another scan today, different doctor who sat and discussed everything in detail with me, and after hearing my attitude and feelings towards labor, he dosent feel the need to shedule me for a c section. He said he believes that babys are usually relative to the mothers size and that when i do go into labour, it will become apparent quickly if I cannot deliver, but until such a thing arises he sees no need for a section. I was delighted, so plenty of pineapple and curry and walking now for the weekend for me to encourage little baby out

thanks again for all you advice.

Toots

That's great to hear, I'm sure you're relieved. Best of luck with the birth!