Info about private midwives please

[BellyBelly]

Oh no I must have missed something! What cervix probs do you have hon? Even women who have had cervix surgery previously and even parts of their cervix removed have had successful vaginal births, from what the midwives tell me, it's often slower to dilate due to scar tissue, and patience is needed. Slower starts sometimes but all goes beautifully. I would definitely suggest chatting to a private midwife before you make plans so you are armed with some facts and experiences to get in the right frame of mind, and so hospital policy doesn't get in the way of you having a perfectly safe vaginal birth.

Plan for a VBAC, or if you just plan for a c/s then you definitely will have one Surround yourself with the VBAC cheer squad to keep positive and see it's possible and yes, be conscious that it may happen but at the moment from your posts sounds like you are resigned to the fact you will have one.

If you want to find some MIPPs, there is a list here: http://www.maternitycoalition.org.au...ndex.php?id=15

[Danni]

Ive had 3 or maybe 4 operations on my cervix due to abnormal cells and I have had a couple of biopsys and some of my cervix removed. Its pretty tough the doc told me with lots of scar tissue...and apparently I have a very high chance of losing my babies within the first 14 weeks.

My doc said that I can have a trial by scar, but if the labour goes too slowly they will do an emerg c/s. arrghghhh the decisions are awful!

I might speak to Alan? I wonder if he is in melb!

[BellyBelly]

There has been a recent discussion about someone who had the same procedures and I posted heaps of replies from midwives, maybe in third tri or labour forums - they all said the same thing - labours all went beautifully, just slow to start. Many doctors have a problem called failure to wait - not failure to progress on the mother's part. I think there is nothing wrong with doing that if there is no sign of distress from the baby or yourself. So why just section when it's just not going fast enough for their liking, with no signs of problems? Definitely get yourself an IM if you plan to birth in hospital with challenges from the docs like you have mentioned.

[Danni]

ty kel, i definitely will

[Julie Doula]

Hi Danni,

Lots of hopes and thoughts coming your way for a better experience next time. Maybe a different hospital and different CP? I supported one woman with previous cervical surgery, she went fine, it is possible. Hope you find the ideal IM.

[feeb]

Hospitals do not say no baby in recovery to be nasty it is because of a few reaosn firslty a midwife must stay if the baby stays as theatre nurses are not qulaified to look after them and staffing in maternity units means that the midwife must return to the ward to look after other patients as they are not luckey enough generally to only have 1 pt if that was teh case they could stay with baby in recovery.

Also theatres are cold and sometimes babies can have breathing problems after a cs and sometimes mums can recover a bit differntly to others.

A cs is major abdominal surgery and can have major complications as can any surgery. If a mother has had a genreal anassthetic they can be very sleepy and unsafe to even hold a baby in bed, and after a spinal they cant move around the baby freely as numb.

[Flicka]

Hi,

Just wanted to say first hand that previous cervical surgery doesn't mean things will go wrong.

I have had a couple of biopsies (?spelling), laser surgery to remove CIN3 from a large area of my cervix as well as an operation to remove a ovarian cyst that meant I have a 4 inch scar (like a c-sect scar) as well as only half an ovary.

None of this was considered to be a problem by my hb midwife when I was planning the birth of my son. In the end we didn't have a homebirth as we transferred after a couple of complications.....However!!! without my hb midwives I would have ended up with a very different birth to the one I had. I had an augmentation at the RWH but with no other intervention. My baby was birthed vaginally with no other drugs, forceps, epi's etc. She did an amazing job of keeping all the other stuff at bay so I could get on with birthing the baby.

You cannot go past the experience, knowledge and support of an independent midwife. Even (or maybe especially??) if you birth in hospital they are invaluable. Hospital was telling me one thing based on their policy....and she would give me the evidence and then protect my decision.

HTH