sunnyjt

Hey guys,

Thanks so much for all the help and support when I found out I was pregnant. I am feeling so much better now, and so excited to be a mom for the first time! Yay! I've found a lovely Ob-Gyn who speaks English in Milan and have my first appt tomorrow.

One question I have and thought it might be better to get some advice before I see the doc, is about c-sections (cesareans). It seems like every single women I know here in Italy has had all births by surgery! And a friend, Italian, told me the docs do this way more than they should for money?!?!?! What the heck??

I have resigned myself to the fact that I will do this (try anyway, if things are ok with the bub) naturally. How can I avoid an unnesscary cesar? Anyone have advice on this?

Thanks everyone

Stellina

Hi Sunnyjt
Glad you’re feeling better now and are started to get excited
You do kind of hear lots of stories about there being loads of births by c-sections here in Italy and I don’t want to generalize but I’ve been told this happens a lot more in southern Italy. Of all my friends here in Florence who’ve had babies none of them has had a c-section so I wouldn’t worry about it. Just get loads of info beforehand about the hospital where you’ll give birth and try and do some antenatal classes too which are a great way of meeting other mums to be and also to find out what sort of support there is after the baby has arrived.
Good luck with your first appointment tomorrow.

Patty

Hi Sunnyjt
when I had my baby in Milan I went to the Buzzi Hospital in Via Castelvetro- (Ospedale Vittore Buzzi) . It was (at the time) the most forward thinking birthing hospital with rooming-in and stuff. Its also called Ospedale dei Bambini (Childrens Hospital) . Their obstetric unit works and collaborates with the University of Milan.

Isakat

When I was pregnant with DS, I went for a scan in London and was told that the baby was breech, so was advised to give birth in a proper hospital where they have all the necessary personnel to perform a c-section.
The first gyno I went to here in Italy, was quite persuasive for me to have the op., while I was not happy at all to have a c-section. So, I changed the gyno. Got the name of a very famous obstetrician in Rome, who also spoke English. He was very laid back, said not to worry about anything and said that from his experience, breech babies do turn the right way in most cases and placentas do move up later in pregnancy.
This is exactly what happened to me and I had a normal birth;DS was born 6 hrs after they broke the waters. I did ask for an epidural though as I do not believe in suffering pain unnecessarily.
I found out that the first gyno was pressing on me to have the c-section, because it was her husband who was the surgeon. It is true that c-sections cost a lot more than normal births and I believe this is why they push on women to have them, especially on those with private medical insurance as ourselves.
I am very much against c-sections as there is higher risk for the mother than delivering normally. It is an operation for god's sake that should be performed only in emergency. Women having c-sections recover much longer, have more complications and pain than women who deliver normally.

So, how do you avoid the unnecessary c-section?-by being a 'testarda' and telling them that you are delivering normally if all is well. Change the gyno if you are not happy with him/her telling you what to do.
It is your body they are cutting, not theirs after all.

TestaRossa

To throw in my two pennorth as someone who had both kids by c-section - in the UK - the first an emergency after 24hrs and the second initially elective, then, as it turned out, mandatory, recovery time is like it is for natural birth, as in every woman is different. You aren't supposed to drive for 4 weeks but it is actually up to you, your doc and the insurance company. I've known women start driving again after 2 weeks. Compared to the pain friends who gave birth naturally were still in weeks later I can honestly say it is a week tops, if that with a section. I had both fully awake and with minimal pain relief after the second one as I have a bad reaction to morphine. I got through it with ibuprofen, and it was only the first 48 hours I needed it. When the consultant looking after you says that he doesn't feel a woman should be put at any more risk after all she has been through (3 miscarriages after baby no. 1) so she should have a section if she wants then I have to wonder about the idea that it is riskier than natural birth.... This was a consultant who was considered one of the "top" docs in the South East in his field..two sides to everything, but basically if you end up having one, don't worry about it. Planned was brilliant - seriously.

indiebird

I think the point is every woman is different and every experience is different. One of the good things about being in Italy as opposed to the UK is you get more choice over who you see to get info from. If you go to a gynaecologist and you don't like what they say or you feel they are too pushy then you can change here and that is one of the good things about the system here. Often in the UK you feel 'stuck' with the midwives you see and you hardly ever get to see a doctor and everything is often 'theoretical' anyway as the midwife/ obstetricians you see if/ when you arrive at hospital in labour are just who happen to be on duty at the time. I know it's easy for us to say but try not to worry Sunnyjt too much even though it's a huge step into the unknown.xxxxx

sunnyjt

Thanks everyone. I am going to stay positive! I think I just have been watching too many lovely youtube clips of women having natural delivieries in water with low lighting and candles and I want that too!

Going to see my Dr today, so will report back Appointment is later this eve- let's just hope I can stay awake for it- soooo damn exhausted! xxx

37100

I don't know of any one here in Italy who has had an elective c-section - and I've been here a long time. All the women I know had one for very good medical reasons. Slept all the way through my first pregnancy. 2nd, I threw up almost the whole time.

gelato

Sunny -where are you in Italy? That makes a huge difference. I know that Campania, or example, has a shockingly high rate of c-sections whereas many areas in the North have quite low rates.

Honestly, if I were pregnant in Campania I'd go elsewhere for the birth.

Rome is OK but I do know a couple of Roman women who've gone North to give birth because it's way more like Northern Europe up there ie. birthing tubs, fewer c-sections etc.

K in Modena

Hi Sunny and congratulations!

This time last year I gave birth in a lovely birthing centre in Modena where they believe in natural birth, you are allowed to move around as you like, they have birthing stools, etc. I'm sure a big place like Milan will have something similar. Mine was attached to the main policlinico (where they have a very different approach despite being on the same corridor!) No birthing pool as it's a very small place but they do have them in Italy so that could be another option.

Almost everyone I bumped into from my antenatal course ended up with a c-section but I think that was just a coincidence as I have hardly met any c-section mums since then so don't panic!

K

sunnyjt

Thanks everyone. I met my Dr the other day, and she was cool. She really, REALLY harped in on me not gaining too much weight, and I'm a normal weight to begin with (5'6 and between 60 - 61 kgs). That was pretty weird, but my Italian hubby was thrilled as he seems to also have some bizarre fear of fat chicks (or, of me getting gat). What the heck? So, besides feeling pressure to not give in to any cravings and be a skinny pregnant (different...) she was good, told me to just live my life, enjoy the odd glass or two of wine, and not eat raw meat. She also said coffee was fine, and so is exercise. So, I continue on.

Thaks so much for all the advice and support. Man, the weight thing is driving me nuts tho!

Lorna at Vicenza

Sod the bloody weight! You're gonna get a big, fat, round and heavy belly anyway and even if you don't put on lots of extra weight that isn't all baby - you're still going to feel fat and wobbly.

If you're a "normal" weight then you're hardly likely to suddenly become obese in 9 months - unless you eat 12 cream cakes and 6 pizzas everyday.
Eat a normal balanced diet and give in to any cravings otherwise you'll get fed up and cranky. Just do what feels right for you. Every Dr will tell you different stuff anyway.

I put on 12 kilos with first kid and the gyno told me it was perfect. I put on 10 kilos with second kid and a different gyno told me it was perfect. I didn't have massive 10 or 11 lb babies. They were both just under 3 kilos when born.

And if you put on a few extra pounds it'll come off again. Some people put on lots of extra weight through water retention and what have ye ... and it all comes off whn the baby is born.

I'd rather be relaxed and happy than worrying about a few extra pounds here and there ........... and wait till you see the size of your boobs when your milk comes in

K in Modena

I'm a firm believer that you do what your body tells you to. Mine told me to eat, eat, eat! So I did. I put on quite a bit of weight but it all came off again quickly enough when breastfeeding. Baby Emily didn't latch on at first and I was told that if I hadn't had loads of milk (and I mean LOADS of milk!) it would have been a total disaster trying to breastfeed her. I like to think I was storing fat during pregnancy to feed my baby with later on. Result a year on- thin mummy back to original weight, thriving 11kg baby