# can i request a caesarean?



## joeyrella (May 13, 2009)

hello
i am 41+3 with no signs of labour starting spontaneously.  i had a stretch & sweep on friday but nothing happened.  the baby is lying head-down with its head engaged in the pelvis (2/5), but its spine is lying to one side of my bump and its arms and legs over the other side.  it has been in this position all the way through the pregnancy and has never altered, possibly because i have a uterine septum which may be 'trapping' it in that position although i haven't had any scans to confirm that.  my midwife thinks the baby's shoulders are preventing the head putting enough pressure on the cervix to start labour.  i'm booked in to be induced on thursday (term+13) but am worried that no amount of drugs will make my baby turn into the correct position to pass through the pelvis.  can i request a caesarean straight off or will i have to attempt a natural labour first?
thank you
joanne


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## emilycaitlin (Mar 7, 2006)

Hi,

As you've no risk factors or medical indication really for a section, you probably won't be able to have one without seeing if you can labour first. Babies can turn often in labour, but I see where you are coming from about the septum. It all depends on your consultant, but I would expect that they'll examine you fully, and if they think you can labour and deliver normally, they will go ahead with the induction.

Let me know how you get on,

Emilycaitlin xx


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## joeyrella (May 13, 2009)

thanks very much for your response.  as it turns out just a few hours after posting i did go into spontaneous labour.  it took 24hrs to get to fully dilated but my contractions then became very weak and short and i wasn't getting any urges to push.  i tried pushing for three hours but it was doing nothing.  the midwives couldn't decide by feeling the head which way the baby was presenting so i had to go to the consultants' ward for a definitive answer.  i was scanned and they decided the baby was just about in the right alignment to have been delivered normally but that it was something else about me that meant i didn't contract well.  i ended up being prepped for a c-section with a trial forceps first.  the baby came out at the second forceps attempt.  i was just very relieved it was all over by then!
thanks again
joanne


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## emilycaitlin (Mar 7, 2006)

Hi,

You've really been through it! I'm glad it's all done now and you are both ok at this end of things, thanks for letting me know, and enjoy your baby!!

Emilycaitlin xx


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