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Pregnancy

When is your ELCS booked for?

37 replies

Tea1Sugar · 27/03/2014 14:29

Mine is 39+0 (15th April :-)). That's the earliest my consultant would agree to. But other hospitals I know allow 38+. Am I being fobbed off?

OP posts:

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gunwalloe · 27/03/2014 14:52

Ive not got my date yet but have been told either week 38 or 39 depending on how the pregnancys going

clairealfie · 27/03/2014 14:54

I'm along way off getting a date but have been told it'll be in week 39. I'm sure the guidelines say 39 weeks as there is a higher risk of breathing problems before this date.

gunwalloe · 27/03/2014 14:57

Op why do you want a earlier elcs?

DreamingOfAFullNightsSleep · 27/03/2014 14:59

Mine was 37+6. For twins though. plus ? faltering growth for one. If I have a fourth baby, I'd have an elcs, and at or around 39 weeks. My consultant said stats are hugely different from week 37 to 38, & again to week 39. I'd cook 'em as long as you can.

Tea1Sugar · 27/03/2014 15:08

Oh for sure I don't want my baby to be endangered in anyway and am happy with 39+0 I just wondered how different hospitals can have such different thought processes and policies.

OP posts:

weebigmamma · 27/03/2014 15:22

Mine is 39 weeks and happening in 2 weeks time! 39 is the earliest my hospital will do it unless there's a medical reason for going earlier.

VeloWoman · 27/03/2014 15:32

38+3 with one baby, I am high risk though so it's medically indicated rather than truly elective.

I think the rate of breathing problems in babies goes down at 39 weeks which is why they like to do them then (CS babies are at higher risk of breathing issues at birth so it kind of makes sense).

Foxeym · 27/03/2014 15:34

All 3 of my CS have been at 39 weeks, they won't do it any earlier in my NHS trust

PenguinsEatSpinach · 27/03/2014 15:45

Velo - I would say that's truly 'elective', it's just that elective is a misleading word. In it's true meaning, elective simply means that it is elective surgery - i.e. planned and scheduled in advance - rather than emergency surgery. I know what you mean though by, in everyday language, elective implying a personal choice.

In my area is it 39 weeks unless there is a medical indication (for mother or baby) that an earlier delivery would be safer. That's because of lung maturity mainly. I think, in the past, they tended to be done earlier because it was seen as 'term', but now more is understood about the likely difference between a baby who comes of their own accord at 38 weeks and a section at 38 weeks.

IMissSleep · 27/03/2014 16:07

Mine is booked for 39+4!

Unless I go into labour before obviously!

JosieMcDozie · 27/03/2014 16:30

Mine is booked for a week today and I'll be 39+0. Trust won't do them earlier unless medical reason to do so.

StarsInTheNightSky · 27/03/2014 16:37

Mine is 39+4, I wanted it to be as late as possible so bean has as much growing time as he can, but our consultant isn't very happy about it and wants to bring it forwards to 36/37 weeks (other medical concerns), but that's going to be decided for definite at our 36 week scan.
I think 39 weeks is the norm, it certainly is in our hospital

Tea1Sugar · 27/03/2014 16:42

Oh ok so mine at 39+0 seems pretty standard!

OP posts:

balenciaga · 27/03/2014 16:46

Mines 38+4 due to severe SPD

Had to fight for it to be changed though they wanted to do it at 39+0

Dinnerdinnerdinnerbatman · 27/03/2014 16:47

Mine was due to be 39 + 5, but apparently they are fully booked until my actual due date (they do 3 ELCS a day).

Hoping not to go into labour beforehand, we are 30 mins drive from the hospital so having a panic about that!

Writerwannabe83 · 27/03/2014 17:03

Mine was originally 39+4 but then forwarded to 39 weeks. My Consultant said the Trust does not allow them to be done any earlier than 39 weeks unless the mother or baby are at risk.

peeapod · 27/03/2014 18:37

39 weeks and 6 weeks to go.

It is truely elective because ultimately it is about mothers choice, yes combined with medical expertise but its ultimately about that combination anyway.

It is about balance of risk having it so late. i think there is only something like 5% of people who go into labour before their due date, and if you do then you can have one anyway..

PenguinsEatSpinach · 27/03/2014 19:01

I agree Pee. If a woman goes into labour before 39 weeks it's not as if that means she can't have a section, just that it moves to officially an emergency one. So if there are health benefits from waiting to 39 weeks it makes sense to give them plenty of weight (absent other complications).

BTW, I didn't intend my previous comment negatively towards ELCS. I just meant that a decision to plan a section for physical medical reasons is just as 'elective' as one purely for preference or mental/emotional health reasons. I think too often people feel that they have to justify an elective section, and it shouldn't ever be that way.

IMissSleep · 27/03/2014 19:16

I was told at my booking in app that if I went into early labour I could still have a section. After suffering months of old section scar pain I think I would definitely ask for one

peeapod · 27/03/2014 19:19

its the old stigma of mental health problems rearing its ugly head again isnt it?

End of the day its still a "medical" reason and thats certainly all I am revealing to people..

cathpip · 27/03/2014 19:26

Mine is booked for Monday morning :). I will be precisely 39 weeks!!

weebigmamma · 27/03/2014 19:46

Trying to think of a 'non-medical' reason why anyone would want a section.... depends what they mean by 'medical'- psychological trauma is medical when it's not associated with childbirth isn't it, so I don't know why, if the trauma has to do with birthing, it suddenly becomes something trivial and 'non-medical'. I am having a section because I had a 3rd degree tear the last time and the consultants I've seen all disagree on whether or not I have medical or non-medical reasons. I don't care about it any more though- I'm sticking with the people who believe me :-) They should change the terminology from 'elective' to 'planned' because it cuts out all the judgemental crap.

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PenguinsEatSpinach · 27/03/2014 20:06

weebig - I tend to use 'planned' when talking on here for exactly that reason. I think the only truly 'non medical' reasons someone might want a section are probably ones you would only really get in private care - like to ensure that a baby arrives at 39 weeks and before you husband is off to Australia to play in the Ashes/the season starts/to ensure it doesn't mess up the filming schedule for your new TV series. Pretty much anything else is medical of one sort or another isn't it.

weebigmamma · 27/03/2014 20:20

lol yes, I forgot about things like that. As it happens a section at 39 weeks really does suit us in that way as my OH can take a week off his teaching job and then he's into the Easter holidays anyway. Of course if the little blighter comes early it will screw everything up lol...

neversleepagain · 27/03/2014 20:48

38+0 - that was with twins.

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