I'm new to this forum and I need some questions answered. My partner and I have just moved to Adelaide and I am 15 weeks pregnant. I have concerns that it is not permitted to have an elective caesarean in Adelaide. I am a Registered Nurse in another state and have worked in theatre as a scrub nurse for many elective c/s, and have also seen vaginal births live in the birth suites there. Due to my experiences and having seen first hand the multitude of things that can and do go wrong in vaginal deliveries, not to mention the more often than not damage, as compared to the controlled and calm situation of an elective caesarean, I am adamant that I will in no way deliver vaginally. However, many have told me that here in Adelaide 'they' won't allow a c/s unless it is on medical grounds. Is this true and can anyone tell me their experience with this?
Last edited by Meringue; March 12th, 2010 at 09:22 PM.
If you birth in a private hospital with a private ob you should be able to have an elective on request.
In a public hospital, not so sure. Perhaps find out if there are any private obs who work in public hospitals that might be able to accommodate your request.
Either way I do recommend you get a copy of the excellent book "Delivery by Appointment" which gives a good unbiased look at the benefits & pitfalls of c/sections. Just be aware that there are plenty of post c-section issues that aren't apparent at the time of birth - I had a maternally requested c-section and ended up with a post-surgical infection that lingered on for 10 weeks after my baby was born - during that time I was largely housebound and had problems carrying my baby for any period of time. Also you need to understand a C/S can impact on subsequent pregnancies. Even if you have already made the decision (like I had) the book will give you a good idea of what to expect.
Thanks for your reply. As I said, I am well aware of the risks and complications associated with surgery as I am an Australian Registered Nurse. However, I need to know how to go about GETTING the c/s in a public hospital in Adelaide. I have been told that since this a 'conservative' city, they generally don't allow it, but I've already made up my mind and am even prepared to travel home to NSW a month before so I can have it done...if its easier over there as compared to Adelaide.
My understanding as an RN is that it is my right to autonomy, to choose my treatment, as long as my decision os well informed. Did anyone choose a c/s in Adelaide and was outrightly refused? Or is it that they agree if you insist enough pointing out your well-informed reasons? I just dont know what the system is like here in SA.
Actually I suspect you might find it more difficult in NSW as there was a lot of publicity (in 2007/2008?) when the health dept there published a new policy about doing C/Sects only for medical reasons in the public hospital system there.
I've had a bit of a trawl around on the SA dept of health website and this is the only guideline I've been able to find, and it makes mention of maternal request C/S but doesn't indicate any policy of refusing such requests, so you might find it's quite possible. When I was pregnant I rang the local public hospital and spoke with the midwife in charge of the maternity ward, and discussed it with her. I'm sure you could do the same with whatever hospital you are thinking of going to, and it would save a lot of speculation and asking around. Your GP might be able to answer this too, if you're doing shared care.
ETA - Miss H I had an elective C/S in a public hospital in Canberra, which I asked for. It was considered medically appropriate because I was genuinely traumatised by my first birth which was grossly medically mishandled. (But I didn't know that at the time of my request). I was able to describe the impact that trauma had on me for a long time after the birth.
Last edited by AnyDream; March 12th, 2010 at 10:58 PM.
I agree with Marydean in that you probably never got to see the after effects of the CS being a scrub nurse. The healing process can be bad and many women have complications after a CS. The loose skin that hangs after the cut heals and also the numbness in the scar which does not get any better. Oh, and the risk that you take every time you have subsequent children that your uterus won't take it with the scar or that you are limited with the amount of children you can have. I have had 2 elective CS and would change it if I could go back.
Yes, I'm sure that if you go Private, you will find an OB who will give you a CS and put the reason down to whatever and the private Health insurance will pay.
Meringue, I think the best thing for you to do is make an appointment with a Dr, get a referral to an Ob and go from there. You wont know for sure what the truth is regarding this until you ask because you will probably just encounter a lot of confusion and conflicting stories. I recommend you do a lot of reading to make sure that you are making a truly informed decision, because having a surgical birth is classed as a major operation and it isn't always as simple as it seems. Have a read of some of the articles on the main BB site here Birth Articles - Give Birth With Confidence and Knowledge and go from there. All the best
Thanks ladies, but I have also worked on surgical wards. My concerns arent with the recovery, even though Ive seen all sorts of post-op patients, I know EXACTLY what to expect pre, post, and peri-operatively - risks and all. My concerns are more with the damage that I am well-informed to know about that occurs with a vaginal delivery, and nothing will change my mind about what I have actually seen in both forms of delivery. I know the pros, cons, risks, etc. and absolutely will not have a vaginal delivery.
I cant go private, my private health doesnt cover it. I'd love to hear from women who had an elective non-medical c/s in a public hospital, and what obstacles they faced, and how they eventually got their c/s.
I'd be very interested to see if there are women who have received an elective CS in a public hospital. I had my first elective CS in a private hospital but did not have Health Insurance this time around. Even though it was my second preg and the first was CS they tried to push a vaginal birth on me until the end. Luckily because I had had a CS previously, they couldn't force me to VB but they really tried.
Hmmm...thats not very encouraging news. Im thinking of going the psychologically traumatised angle because of all that Ive seen in birth suites - not something Ill scare you all with details. Let me just say that Ive seen a significant number of VBs go wrong as compared with elective c/s.
need info
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