I can tell you, I had a terrible labor and delivery experience with my first and was in a very similar mindset as you the second time around. Turns out I was wrong. The actual labor was a breeze and I delivered a bigger baby in far less time with far less pain (did it without pain meds and had LESS pain than with the epidural) and the recovery was fantastic.
Do not push for it, play it by ear. I bet you will be surprised.
Some insurance companies will not pay for what they term as an "elective" primary C/Section--that is, a womans first C/Section, when there is no medical reason to have one.
You would have to check with your insurance company.
They do not consider having a terrible time with your first birth to be a medical reason.
If you were given meds for Group B strep, you were most likely allergic to that. You are usually given penicillin to treat it. Penicillin allergies are very common. Be sure your doctor knows what happened. Your records can be pulled by the doctor to find out exactly what medication it was.
There are other medications that can be used to treat Group B strep.
Demerol will not only make you vomit, but can adversely affect the baby in other ways. It is not often used any longer in the OB setting.
i don't know i have capital blue cross blue shield as a primary and the medical access card as a secondary meaning whatever blue cross/blue shield doesn't pay.. access does.. however blue cross pays 100% maternity costs ( at least my husbands policy does) i have no idea about hospital policy..
i was also given the meds for group b as i tested positive maybe i was allergic to that.. the dumb nurse told me demerol will make me puke especially on an empty stomach but at that point i didn't care.. i begged for the epidural and they refused until i got 4 centimeters
The hives could be an allergy to something that isn't medication, such as latex.
Could your insurance be placing constraints on when they will pay for a c-section?
Could there also be hospital policies involved?
Fortunately, second labors are usually far easier than first labors, or there would be very few second babies!
Unfortunately, inductions are usually longer and more painful than allowing labor to occur when your body is ready.
Yes, as everyone has said, there are risks associated with C/Sections, which are major surgery. Your doctor is actually being responsible by not simply offering you one ahead of time, without good reason.
But listen:
Let him know that you don't want a long, drawn out induction, if possible. If you get to term, and your BP is high but your cervix is not "ripe" and ready for labor, then you and he should speak again about a C/Section.
If he won't do one, insist on an early epidural.
I don't know why you broke out in hives--there is nothing they give you for the epidural that can cause this. Most often, you would have an allergic reaction to an antibiotic--where you given one IV? This is often done if labor is long and drawn out, and the mothers water has been broken for a long time. Perhaps you were allergic to something else they gave you.
Stadol does not work well if you take it too often, and usually does not work well at all after you have been given 1 or 2 doses. Demerol is not usually given any longer, due to side effects such as you experienced.
Hope this helped clear things up somewhat. Hopefully, things will go better this time!
i had high blood pressure...
why did they start your labor last time? i've heard these problems can be common when you're induced- your body wasn't ready to have the baby. Perhaps if you let labor start naturally it'll go smoother.
I am not peekawho but want to throw in my 2 cents worth.
A C-section is surgery - there are always risks involved with surgery so one should only have surgery when there is an absolute need. Also, bare in mind that you will need to be pumped full of drugs in order to have a C-section so potential reaction to the medication applies both ways. During a surgical process, reaction to the drugs could be much worse than during a vaginal delivery especially if other complications result (uncontrolled bleeding etc).
Wow. Im sorry you had such a horrible birth experience w/ your first. That doesnt mean that will happen with your 2nd though.