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Hayley's story
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First pregnancy and birth
Her first pregnancy was without complications. She did not attend antenatal classes and did not actually meet her midwife until after giving birth. However, she gathered information from books, websites and television programmes. She was more interested in the baby's development during pregnancy than in the details of giving birth. She hoped for a natural birth but remained open-minded in her attitude towards what might happen.
She went ten dates past her due date. Then her waters broke but she did not have any contractions. She waited for 24 hours, then came into hospital to be induced. She laboured for 14 hours but only dilated 3 cms and her baby's head never engaged. Eventually she had an epidural caesarean. After the operation, she stayed in hospital for two days and found it difficult to have to rely on medical staff for handling her baby. She thinks the aftercare in hospital could have been more emotionally supportive - she felt like she was a burden. Once she had returned home she recovered quickly and was able to breastfeed her daughter.
Current pregnancy
She did not find out about the implications of caesarean for future pregnancies until she became pregnant agai. She was surprised to learn that there was a decision to be made about how to give birth. She initially thought she would attempt vaginal birth, but a scan at 20 weeks showed a low-lying placenta. This made her consider a planned caesarean. Another scan at 34 weeks showed that her placenta had moved and vaginal birth was a possibility. However, her husband worked abroad and she decided to book a planned caesarean as it would allow her to schedule the date so he could be around for the birth. It also meant she could organise family support for after the birth. She felt ambivalent about having a caesarean for convenience rather than health-related reasons and disagrees with the practice of women choosing a caesarean for their first birth. However, she felt confirmed in her decision after discussing the reasons for her previous caesarean with an obstetrician. She thinks that having had an uncomplicated first caesarean also played an important part in her decision. She hopes that she will recover even more quickly this time round, as she won't have to go through labour before the operation.
She thinks it is good that women who have had a previous caesarean are offered a choice over how they want to give birth. She would advise other women to consider all the information that is available in making their decision and not to be frightened to ask for a caesarean if this is what they feel is best for them. |
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She felt very let down by the lack of support she experienced on the hospital ward. It was hard to be dependent on people that seemed unwilling to help. Played by an actor.
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You said about the aftercare. Do you want to tell me what happened afterwards that concerned you, or what happened?
Right… Well, I mean everything was fine during the birth and that and the women down there were, were brilliant, but up, up in the ward, I just… the only way I can describe it - and I can remember saying it to mum and dad - was I felt like a burden on them. And I mean, having a section, I mean, it's major surgery, you're kind of limited, I mean, I was in bed with a catheter and a drip, got newborn baby beside me, never held a newborn baby in my life, wanting to breastfeed, and I just felt… I felt like I was a burden because I needed people to help me get the baby and I didn't feel like they were very forthcoming in helping. It was like there were no allowances for… you know, it's like, “It's your baby, get on with it”. And it doesn't matter that you're hooked onto a drip, catheter, you know, you've had a great big wound in you and you're trying to reach over and… so I did feel really, like… I mean a lot of it could have been made worse… the fact that you've just had a baby and your emotions are all over the place. But I didn't feel like the aftercare was very good at all. And it's the one thing I'm not looking forward to this time. Because I've got a section booked for Monday, so I will be having another caesarean and I just want to get in and out of hospital as quickly as possible basically.
And how long were you in for, after the first birth?
I had my daughter in the early hours of the Monday morning, and I was out on the Wednesday. So, it was just two nights.
And that was long enough?
Yeah, I just wanted to get out.
And, and it didn't improve at all as you felt better?
I don't think I was in for long enough, basically to really see. There was one girl that was brilliant; she was a young girl and she was fantastic. But the rest of them I didn't rate, and I mean, I had women opposite me, one woman that didn't, did not want to go home and they were basically like, “Go!”, you know, “We need your bed space, just get out and get on with it. ” So there's just no allowances at all. I mean, as I felt, once, once I'd got rid of the catheter and the drip and I was up and about, you do feel better. But it's the fact that you were bed-ridden, and you're just like, you are relying on these people to give you a hand and, you know, and you just didn't feel like they were very willing to do so. |
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Statistics about the likelihood of women having a vaginal birth after caesarean confirmed her decision to have a planned caesarean. Played by an actor.
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I suppose looking at the statistics, like the likelihood of women that had… I mean, one of the things that stuck in my head was, was out of all the women that try for a natural birth after having a section, only seventy percent will, and thirty percent will end up with another section. So there were those kind of things that did kind of niggle in my head, but they didn't… I wouldn't say they ultimately influenced my decision, I mean, it was for personal reasons that I've chosen another section. But I suppose having the information there did kind of back up some of my reasoning in my head. |
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There is no longer a medical reason for her to have a caesarean but after battling with herself she has decided to stick with that option because of her personal circumstances. Played by an actor.
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And what was your preference for delivering this time? You said to start with that you wanted a natural birth?
Yeah, it was a natural birth and the twenty week scan showed that the placenta was lying low. So I had to come back for another scan at thirty-four weeks and as time went on …well, my husband works off-shore and I was… you know, it's just one of these things that, I think because I had the choice this time, that it's probably why I've gone for a section. So I had… another scan at thirty-four weeks and the placenta had moved. So I mean… well, that wasn't the reason for having a section, it was me that decided ultimately to have another caesarean. And a lot of it…well, I hate saying it but it was convenience, because it's not something I've ever, it's not something I agree with, it's like, you know, like first pregnancies and that, just, “I am not having a natural birth” and you go and pay for a caesarean, that's not something that I agree with. You know, I really don't. …But, I mean, if you've got money that's fair enough, that's what people do. So, I didn't really like opting for a section …it's just a personal kind of battle I've got going on in my head. But anyway, just for my circumstance, and that my husband is home now and we know when it's going to happen and I've managed to get my mum to take time off work to look after… you know. So… it's… it literally is convenience for me rather than any health reasons. |
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Speaking to the midwife helped her to make up her mind to have a planned caesarean. The doctor said he could understand her reasons. Played by an actor.
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So when would you say that you made the actual final decision and stuck with it?
That was not that long ago. It was… I suppose I'd had it in my head before my thirty-four week scan, and when I had my thirty-four week scan, so that was five weeks ago now, and the placenta had moved, and everything was fine. And I was back to like… “There's no real reason for having a caesarean.” I think that was when I made the decision through speaking to the midwife. After the scan, she did say to me, she said, “I think you sound like your mind's pretty much made up”. And she said, “I'll get a doctor to come in and speak to you.” So when the doctor came in and he read all my notes from the first birth. And he did say, he said, “I can understand why you're making this decision.” I mean, it's just wasn't a good birth and I didn't get anywhere. So he was, “Right, so I mean you want… you basically want a section”, and I just went, “Yeah”. And that was about five weeks ago now. |
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She would advise women to consider all available information and not be afraid to ask for a planned caesarean if that was their choice. Played by an actor.
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What would you say to another woman who has had a previous delivery by caesarean and was planning her next delivery? What advice would you give to her?
…I wouldn't give any specific advice. I mean, the only think I suppose is I'd say is, “Just look at all the information that's available and just ultimately decide what's best for you.” I mean, the choice is there, and you know, whatever her personal circumstances are, you know, don't be… if she wants to have a section then, you know, then don't be frightened of saying it because the choice is there. But just to look at all the research, all the information that's there. |
