Help! Doctor says c-section!

Date: Thu, 23 May 2002 20:34:37 EDT
From:
Subject: help..doctor says c-section.

Hello, my name is . I have posted a few times before. My husband and
I have a dd who is 13 months old and a son that is due on June 8 (so they
say). My post is for advice and prayer. I am currently 38 weeks and am very
big. The baby is measuring 43! My cervix is "unfavorable" meaning that it
is still completely closed and thick. I had a c-section with my first child
because she was measuring big. Her final ultrasound said she was a little
over 10 lb. well, she was only 8.2 at birth. Now, my doctor is concerned
that this baby will be too big for delivery too. I really don't want another
unnecessary c-section. I am scheduled to have an ultrasound Tuesday and then
I am supposed to see the doctor again. I believe that our God is one who
loves impossible obstacles so our prayer is that I'd be in labor before they
even have a chance to do the ultrasound. I am feeling very discouraged and
anxious about this situation because I know that if I do have a second
c-section I will most likely never be allowed to try a VBAC if God blesses us
again. I would love to hear from anyone who has any advice for my husband
and me. If not, please pray that our son would make his appearance feel free
to email me privately if you like.

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Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 22:30:42 -0400
From: Roger & JaneAnn
Subject: Why can't women deliver their babies?

,

I know this isn't your doing at all, but why would they tell you that you can't deliver your babies? If I understood your post, you weren't even allowed to try to deliver your first and now they don't want to even let you try to deliver your second? I was so close to this situation and am thankful that things in my situation worked out the way they did. My first was premature, born at 5 pounds and 9 ounces. The doctor told me that it was a good thing that she was premature because I am "too small down there to deliver anything bigger myself" and had I gone to term I would have had a c-section. My second, 6 years later was born after a swift start to labor in the driveway of my grandma's house....he was 7 pounds and 9 ounces and I didn't even tear!! My third and fourth have gotten a little bigger each, although not all the way to 8 pounds without even tearing.

What criteria do these doctors use to figure out if we are 'too small' and unable to deliver our babies, especially the first? A lady at church, pregnant with #4 is already scheduled for her fourth c-section because she 'can't' deliver vaginally. She hasn't even ever gone into labor because of her 'big' babies (8 pounders).

Also, when I went into premature labor with #1, the ultrasound said that she would be lucky to come out at 4 pounds. I have heard that they can be off by as much as 2 pounds, especially in the later weeks of pregnancy.

Take care and prayers to you and your baby!

Jane Ann

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Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 22:33:19 -0500
From: "David Crank"
Subject: Response to: help..doctor says c-section.

First let me say - I am NOT a doctor. I am just a husband and father whose
wife experienced 4 c-sections before having 2 home VBACs, and who has read a
lot about cesareans, VBACs, home births, etc. Hopefully Doctor John can
respond to your question with his professional opinion. I can't speak to
issue of how concerning your present uterine measurement is or the
assessment of the present condition of your cervix. I will confine my
comments to the issue of having another C-section because the "baby is too
large."

I think many doctors are overly concerned about large babies in general, and
even more so with VBACs. Do babies truly grow too big for delivery? I
suppose if a woman truly has a seriously malformed pelvis for some reason
(i.e. a previous injury), then there truly may be a problem where the baby
cannot pass through. Absent a clear indication that this is the case, our
bias (Mine & Lori's) would be to wait for the baby to come naturally, in its
own time, however big - unless there was strong indication of distress or
danger to the baby.

I've read many times about the inability of doctors to accurately judge that
a baby is too big. Even X-rays do not tell the true story because of the
impact of pregnancy hormones in loosening up connective tissue and how the
pelvis can spread wider during delivery in a squatting position (recently
learned that a woman's pelvis can even separate a bit sometimes when
required).Our first doctor "proved" to us by X-Ray that our first baby was
too large for my wife's pelvis. His conclusion was later proven to be
totally false.

With VBAC's, some doctors are very concerned about uterine rupture. There is
a risk of catastrophic uterine rupture even without prior cesareans. Though
the risk is believed to be higher with VBACs, it has still proved to be very
small. Will a larger baby increase the risk? Maybe a little, but is it
really a significant amount? I don't think so. I read of one 12 lb + baby
born by VBAC as well as numerous others well above 10 lbs. Is a large baby
truly a legitimate contra-indicator for a VBAC? I think most midwives with
extensive VBAC experience would say "NO"!

Research VBACs on the Web for yourself. Perhaps you should get another
doctor's opinion. Don't be pushed into another cesarean unnecessarily. After
the first four c-sections, our approach has been not to willingly accept
another section until it is a proven necessity (in our view - circumstances
like being very late, large baby, extremely long and slow labor, etc., did
not meet this criteria -- things like:a baby stuck in the transverse lie
position, evidence of true fetal distress best addressed by c-section, or a
true inability to deliver the baby - would meet our criteria).

In Christ,
David Crank
www.UnlessTheLordMagazine.com

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Date: Fri, 24 May 2002 23:57:10 EDT
From:
Subject: Re:Subject: help..doctor says c-section.

Hi, I am new to the post and just became Quiver full minded but felt I should
respond. I was told on the last 3 of my 4 pregnancies that I would have a
c-section. Well 4 pregnancies later I have not had one. If you are going to
the hospital to deliver, stick to your guns. There will be tons of equipment
to monitor you and you DO have God on your side. I told the Dr. I wanted to
do everything possible to have a natural birth, I would only do the c-section
if it looked as if the baby or my life was at risk. The Dr. respected that
and we proceeded. On the last birth the Dr. kept insisting that I was
probably going to have the c-section(while I was in labor) because there was
meconium in the waters (baby stool) and he was afraid the baby was at risk
for breathing complications etc. Needless to say she was born with
absolutely no complications and the Dr. was not able to get into the room in
time because she came so fast. I hope this helps and encourages you. I know I
did not have any previous c-sections, but I will share this one last bit of
encouragement.... With my third child at 4 1/2 months pregnant they had to
cut me open because I had a mass on the outside of my uterus that they
thought was cancer, it just turned out to be a fibroid. They said because the
incision was so big(about 6 inches across my abdomen) I would almost
definently have to have a c-section because my muscles would not be strong
enough to go through labor. They went ahead and scheduled me for the
c-section because he had also turned breech. I went in the morning of January
2nd with strong convictions that this baby was to be born naturally. I said
please do one last sonogram because I really want to still go for a vaginal
birth, the Dr. agreed and right before our eyes on the sonogram screen he
turned into the correct postion! Yes, they did have to break my waters, but,
he was born 7 hrs later and was just beautiful! The icing on the cake was
they told me that I would have to have part of my uterus removed because of
the fibroid. I went in 6 weeks later and it was still about 8 sonometers, I
knew in my heart God wanted me to have more children and as I said earlier I
have 4... the rest is HIStory as He is still writing it. I will be praying
for you. God Bless you so much, and I really hope this helps.

Michelle Hanna....mommy to 4