Making decisions about birth after caesarean

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Pregnancy & children >> Making decisions about birth after caesarean >> Aged 31-35 >> Interview 09 >> She assumed that after her first caesarean she was likely to need another one. Once she learned that she could attempt vaginal birth she wanted to kno

Pregnant with twins, had CS when she did not dilate beyond 9cm. Felt happy with her care and recovered well but disliked need for support after the operation. Keen to have vaginal birth with 2nd child. Went two weeks overdue, then delivered very quickly after being induced.

Pregnancy & children >> Making decisions about birth after caesarean >> Aged 31-35 >> Interview 10 >> She had worried that she might get postnatal depression again, but her experience of VBAC was so positive that she can easily imagine herself having m

Reached final stage of labour with 1st child, cord wrapped around baby's neck, had last minute CS. Felt cheated and experienced postnatal depression. Determined to have vaginal birth with 2nd child. Had easy labour and 'perfect' birth experience.

Pregnancy & children >> Making decisions about birth after caesarean >> Aged 30 and under >> Interview 16 >> She felt very ill after the operation and took a good month to fully recover. She hadn't realised she would not be able to drive for 6 weeks and had t

Had emergency CS after 18 hours of labour due to 1st baby's large size and awkward position. Recovery was difficult, felt low and exhausted for one month. Same problems of size and position with 2nd pregnancy, advised to have planned CS. Planned CS was much better experience.

Pregnancy & children >> Making decisions about birth after caesarean >> Aged 31-35 >> Interview 03 >> She felt disappointed to have had a child without having gone through labour. It was very different from how she had imagined the birth.

Very keen to have intervention-free birth with 1st child, laboured to 9cm, then had CS when baby passed meconium. Felt cheated and upset long after. Wanted VBAC with 2nd child but opted for CS when 2 weeks overdue. Planned CS was much better than expected.

Pregnancy & children >> Making decisions about birth after caesarean >> Aged 36-39 >> Interview 12 >> Her recovery after VBAC was not as quick as she had expected and she had to revise her belief that her difficulties feeding her first child were relat

Keen on vaginal birth with 1st child, felt she lost control at hospital, had various interventions and emergency CS. Decided to have VBAC with 2nd child against consultant's advice, but supported by doula and midwife. Very pleased with unassisted birth.

Pregnancy & children >> Making decisions about birth after caesarean >> Aged 31-35 >> Interview 10 >> She felt confident that she would have a natural birth because the pregnancy itself went so well.

Pregnancy & children >> Making decisions about birth after caesarean >> Aged 40 and over >> Interview 05 >> Because of a previous miscarriage, she did not start to think about how to give birth until her hospital appointment at 20 weeks.

Had a very traumatic 1st birth, long labour, CS was offered only after baby went into distress. Felt excluded from decisions and treated unsympathetically. Felt pushed into VBAC with 2nd birth. Chose to go private instead and had planned CS.

Pregnancy & children >> Making decisions about birth after caesarean >> Aged 36-39 >> Interview 25 >> She had clear ideas about what she wanted her birth to be like: she had prepared with yoga and breathing and wanted to avoid an epidural.

Wanted intervention-free birth, but was induced when 14 days overdue. Laboured for 19 hours, accepted CS when baby became distressed. Felt involved in decision-making, but disappointed afterwards. Keen to experience vaginal birth with 2nd child.

Pregnancy & children >> Making decisions about birth after caesarean >> Aged 30 and under >> Interview 23 >> She made a detailed birth plan for her VBAC and felt more confident to express her wishes knowing more about what to expect.

Had lengthy labour with 1st child after being induced, taken for emergency CS after baby's heart beat dropped. Explored options early in 2nd pregnancy, decided on VBAC. 2nd child born after 10 hours, painful labour but great sense of achievement.

Pregnancy & children >> Making decisions about birth after caesarean >> Aged 31-35 >> Interview 20 >> She didn't make a detailed birth plan - while she hoped to avoid interventions, she didn't feel that strongly about it.

Went 8 days overdue with 1st child, laboured for 48 hours. Had epidural and then emergency CS when child became distressed. Easy recovery but felt wrong about having planned CS with 2nd child. Considered it during labour but persevered and had vaginal birth assisted by forceps.

Pregnancy & children >> Making decisions about birth after caesarean >> Aged 36-39 >> Interview 29 >> She does not think there is much point making a birth plan for a planned caesarean. It's more important to have her husband there to support her on th

1st child delivered with forceps and ventouse. Had bad tear, lost lots of blood. Planned caesarean with 2nd child 16 months later on advice of doctors. Struggled to decide how to deliver 3rd child, pessimistic about her chance of having VBAC, feels planned CS is the safer option.

Pregnancy & children >> Making decisions about birth after caesarean >> Aged 36-39 >> Interview 07 >> She decided against writing a birth plan because she thought her vision of an 'ideal birth' was unrealistic.

Went 14 days overdue with 1st child, was induced, then had CS after 2 days of labour. Advised to have planned CS with 2nd child, booked for 10 days past due date, still hoping to go into labour. Surprised by her positive experience of 2nd caesarean.

Pregnancy & children >> Making decisions about birth after caesarean >> Aged 30 and under >> Susan - Interview 01 >> She wanted to be more in control than she had been with her previous birth and prove to herself that she could achieve vaginal birth.

First child born by emergency CS. She felt disappointed with the process and keen to give birth to her 2nd child vaginally, but discovered at her 20 week scan that her placenta covered her cervix (placenta previa) so she would need another CS.

Pregnancy & children >> Making decisions about birth after caesarean >> Aged 36-39 >> Interview 29 >> She was surprised that the consultant just asked about her preference rather than engage her in discussion. She had expected more of a two-way process

Pregnancy & children >> Making decisions about birth after caesarean >> Aged 31-35 >> Interview 03 >> She didn't consider the possibility of caesarean and not knowing anything about it made the experience particularly traumatic.

Pregnancy & children >> Making decisions about birth after caesarean >> Aged 31-35 >> Interview 03 >> She wanted to keep things as natural as possible and thought a water birth sounded ideal for mother and baby.

Pregnancy & children >> Making decisions about birth after caesarean >> Aged 30 and under >> Interview 24 >> She was keen to keep things natural and have a water birth.

Had planned CS one week pat her due date when it was found that baby had stopped moving. Mother experienced rupture and needed a blood transfusion. Wanted a water birth with 2nd child but advised to have planned CS due to previous complications.