Cancelling ELCS?

[PushkinTheCat]

Has anyone here ever booked, then either cancelled or postponed, an ELCS?

I’m honestly not keen to mess the NHS around but am quite annoyed. Need to decide between ELCS and VBAC, and have been told I need to make this decision by 36 weeks, ideally. But my follow-up consultant appointment to make and discuss said decision is at 38 weeks. I’m currently 34 weeks.

At my consultant midwife appointment two weeks ago (when I was 32 weeks), there was much sucking of teeth about how things were getting very booked up for the week before my due date (for various other reasons, I felt she was pushing me towards VBAC).

I am still very torn as to what I want to do, and I am half considering saying I want to book in for an elective, with a view to potentially cancelling it (or postponing it to 40+10) nearer the time. I feel bad even contemplating this but what I don’t want is to find I can’t see the consultant before 38 weeks and then be told there are no elective slots available. I’m trying to pursue getting the appointment brought forward but the consultant’s secretary has been...less than helpful so far.

Has anyone ever booked, then cancelled or postponed, an ELCS? If so, did this cause a problem?

And if you planned to VBAC but booked an elective “at the last minute”, how far in advance was it arranged?

[PushkinTheCat]

Anyone?

[KTD27]

Can’t help regarding cancelling but I booked my ELCS as a just in case (various reasons I won’t bore you with) I wanted a VBAC but at 36 weeks when the consultant checked for ELCS dates at 40+ weeks there was nothing. They were booked up solid for two weeks. I had to take a date at 39+4 and in the end that’s what we did.

[Dinosauratemydaffodils]

Not quite the same as I just went into labour ahead of mine and was holding a baby by the time my slot rolled around. I would imagine they would expect/allow for a degree of flexibility.

I would think cancelling one might be a bit easier than trying to squeeze one in last minute though. Mine was booked at 32 weeks for mental health reasons and because my consultant was going to deliver dd herself so wanted to get her diary sorted. A now friend discovered her dd was breech at 38 weeks (due around the same time) and struggled to be fitted in.

[PushkinTheCat]

Thank you - that is basically what my consultant said, that it would be easier to book one then cancel it, than try to squeeze me in at the last minute.

[Kezmum14]

I wanted a vbac after my second c section so we didn’t book in a date for c section At all. In the end I was kept in with high blood pressure and asked them to try inducing me as they wanted to give me a c section the following day. I got my wish but eventually had an emergency c section 3 days later as labour wasn’t progressing. My advice is don’t book it in. Just see what happens once you go in to labour :)