A small number of patients turn up to my office requesting a caesarean section for their first birth.
I have no issue with this. Many women have been thinking about this for a decade or more. Some have some quite pronounced anxiety around the mode of birth. If your concerns are around pain management during birth then please talk to me. This particular issue can be very well managed by my anaesthetic colleagues.
At any stage of pregnancy I am happy to discuss the mode of birth. If you choose to have a caesarean section I will counsel you on the risks of caesarean section:
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Caesarean-section/Pages/Risks.aspx
The risks of caesarean section increase with each caesarean section that you have. On an interesting note, we don’t counsel everyone else on the risks of vaginal birth (I will discuss this in a later newsletter)
One thing I particularly like to point out to the women who request a caesarean section is that we need to get their first birth ‘right’. If they have any desire to have a vaginal birth, they should attempt that the first time and not suggest it after an elective caesarean.
You can choose to have an elective caesarean section.
Elective caesarean section is possible and feasible – let’s discuss it.
“Whatever way birth happens, it is your rite of passage into motherhood, and that passage is to be celebrated. Natural childbirth is a passage, caesarean birth is a passage, and birth with an epidural is a passage to be celebrated. That passage cannot be taken away from you. Every mothers birth experience is valid and an act of courage.”
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