Ceasareans to order. Should the NHS charge?

[Fairydreams]

One of the other things to consider is that as the trend towards caesareans increases, so is expertise in natural births reduced. For example, there are now very few doctors who can handle a breech birth well. Fortunately for us there was a visiting consultant from another European country when we discovered our daughter was breeched. Given that it was too late for a section, it was a relief he was there. Most of the staff agreed that in 10 or so years time the lack of expertise will be so bad that mortality might actually increase if you miss a section!

[sarah_d]

Apparently women are finding it harder to give birth now and increasingly things like forceps are used and babies are at risk due to long drawn out births.It's not that women are too posh to push, but that the pushing just isn't working!This "too posh to push" thing seems to be how a lot of people descibe the women who choose to have caesereans but they are only a small percentage of the cases that occur.They just seem to get all of the attention.As for whether women should pay i have no idea!

[Ousetunes]

Interesting comments, nice to see some adult responses on this issue.

 

Personally - as a man - I believe there should be a charge for what I would deem fashionable sections, the 'Too Posh to Push' deliveries as they are being termed. And I reckon £5k sounds reasonable. (Now there's a new line for Loan adverts: 'Need a loan for your next Caesarian Section?').

 

My wife endured two emergency sections but only after going through hours of pushing for a natural delivery. Particularly with our youngest daughter things were getting pretty scary. Fortunately, she was whisked into theatre where the surgeons and nurses etc were out of this world. There must have been around 7 people tending to my wife. These people deserve to be on top rate wages!!

 

Moreover, I don't believe having a baby is something you should just fit into your calendar. Too posh to push? Posh enough to fork out five grand then maybe?

 

Incidentally, my wife stressed that the epidural was fantastic. So maybe there's another reason to try and give birth naturally. Oh, and no, we're not planning on having anymore kids. We have been blessed with two wonderful girls.

[sarah_d]

For any one that is really interested about this debate there is a very good article in the Guardian about the upsurge in caesareans and how the fall in midwifery is partly to blame.

[FairyNormal]

I guess I am lucky really. I have two children and had natural, very quick births with both with no pain relief or anything. My son was a big baby and was premature. Because of his size and the fact he was 5 weeks prem, the docs were champing at the bit to give me a section as soon as I got to the hospital. I had to argue the case for not having one as I didn't see any real reason to do it. They tried to scare me into having one by saying there could be complications but I refused. In the end they let me have my way and by the time I was up in the delivery room, it was only 10 minutes and he popped out!!

 

Now I am not that daft that if something had started to go wrong that I would have refused. I DIDN'T need a section and there were no complications at all.

 

I think that sometimes doctors can be too keen to do a section when it may not be neccessary.

[Abdul]

Originally posted by sarah d

For any one that is really interested about this debate there is a very good article in the Guardian about the upsurge in caesareans and how the fall in midwifery is partly to blame.

 

I'm pleased to see you managed to understand the point of the article (because I certainly didn't). I thought it was just another pro-womens choice rant.

 

Anyway, here's the article:

 

Cut it out - Do women have the right to a caesarean?

 

EDIT - Sorry sarah d. There were in fact two articles on the Guardian website about this. The opinion above, and the leader article here (which did make a lot more sense )

 

Cutting argument - Guardian Leader

[sarah_d]

It's not a rant,it just gives possible reasons why there is an upsurge and possible solutions.It is in favour of well-informed choices though.

[Moon Maiden]

I really don't think that the pushing isn't working. I think that the whole process of how pregnancy and birth is being dealt with needs to be re-thought.

How many of the women here gave birth on their back? How many of the women here were tied to the bed with monitoring equipment unable to move and allow gravity to help the little chap/ess out?

How many women here have been frightened or forced by medical staff into taking treatments that hinder not help the process?

 

With my first child I had to go to theatre after I had delivered him because of more complications and spent 1/2 hour arguing with a midwife over whether I would be having an epidural or not. If it wasn't for the fact I was exhausted after a 12 hour labour I would have put the ***** thru the wall. Especially when I found out later it was mainly because they couldn't be bothered to monitor me on her ward if I was put under. (hurrah for me mother the nurse with big ears). This I may add was just the tip of the iceberg in relation to selfish **** ups the entire team made.

 

I know in many hosptials there are staff who are really looking out for the best interests of the mother and child, but there are still lazy and irresponsible workers out there. The rules need to be changed to help sort out these spanners.

 

Sorry it is a sore point

 

Moon

[Hadron]

I saw on the telly it costs an extra £1500 for the surgery. I think if the opinion is for surgery when the medical staff say its not necessary then the extra costs should be payable by the parents. I would have told my wife to get on with it, if she asked for the op but everything went well naturally.

 

You have to have the choice, people are softer these days, no doubt about it, and so we must constantly change to meet the new challenges.

[elf]

Moon Maiden - your spot on - there is something wrong with the methods imposed on women when giving birth, especially the first time when it is very scary and you don't really understand what is going on but the medics do - more care should be taken to ensure things happen the way you want as much as possible. Something as simple as having your own music playing or something like that.

The midwife who was present (i use that term in the loosest possible sense) at my daughters birth barely looked at me for hours didn't bother asking if I wanted any pain relief etc

thing is so long as both you and the baby are fine at the end it doesn't seem right to complain because you are so thankful for what you have.

 

Is there any evidence to suggest that c-sections make it harder to bond with the baby / produce milk or anything else?

Despite all the troubles natural chilbirth can bring I do not understand why any woman would not choose it.