To be consulted

Or am I doing the consulting? Dunno

I shall be having a consultation with my obstetric consultant on Friday, re: the birthing of baby.

Also included is this fortnight's ante natal check, so unless I suddenly start being muchly unwell and/or I swell up, I'll leave worrying about my BP till then.

And so to prepare for the consultant.

I would like my baby to be delivered by elective c-section for the following reasons:

The rate of successful VBAC is somewhere between 34% and 50% - depending what you read - which means at least 50% end in an emergency c-section. At nearly 37 years old, having never been in labour before (I only got as far as stage one of induction with the twins, and nothing began at all) my own chances of a successful VBAC would be less than this.

An emergency section carries the greatest risk to baby and me, as well as having the longest recovery time. The only sure method to avoid an emergency section is to have a planned one.

My pelvis limits labour options, but not as much as my previous c-section. I cannot be induced or helped along hormonally, nor should I have any form of assisted delivery as both of these increase the chance of uterine rupture or general distress on the part of mother or child. Additionally there are time restraints in a VBAC. The trial is abandoned and a section performed in a number of scenarios of an attempted VBAC. So, the chance of an emergency section is pretty damned high.

Reasons I won't be sharing with the consultant:

Supposedly female obstetricians and GPs have a much higher rate of repeat elective sections than the general population. They have the facts and that is the decision they take.

An entirely vacuous and not vote swinging reason, but I am happy with having a definite date to make arrangements around, and not being left to overcook.

With regards to a trial of labour, that involves, well, waiting, trying and a probable emergency section, having put my body through an unsuccessful labour. If I could know it would work, then yes, I would go for it, but statistically, I'd like to minimise the risk. Baby's health is far more important to me than my experience of being a complete woman etc etc. I do not fear pain or worry about saggy bits (although avoiding them would be nice, I am aware of the udder effect/recovery period from a section). I am not too posh to push, I am too prudent to persevere.

Doesn't quite have the same ring/dismissive tone to it though. Huh.