To ask for a c section date today at 28 week appt with consultant

[roundligament]

I am having a scan first to see the size of baby
Last son born at 35 weeks
Want to plan a c section date this time so I can get my mom here
I'm thinking 38 weeks
I'm really struggling
Suppose to be having sequential growth scans are these every 8 weeks do you know?

Aibu to want a date at this point?

Have you had a c section previously?

When I had my first section I was given the date when I was about 18/19 weeks pregnant.

With my second section I was given the date when I was about 25/26 weeks pregnant.

My local hospital will not do a planned section any earlier than 39 weeks unless there is an immediate medical concern.

My last section was booked for 39+5 so cutting it very fine. Unsurprisingly I went into labour naturally 3 days before my planned section.

Is there a medical need or is it just for the convenience of being able to plan help? If the latter yup yabu

Yes I had an emergency c section previously
This baby will go to special care like my son
There is a medical need
That's why I'm asking about the date not the moral implications or the rights/ entitlement to one.
@QueenofmyPrinces thanks that's more the sort of answer I was looking for
So i hope I can get one booked today as otherwise I'll be 34 weeks and since my son was 35 weeks last time it's understandable I want to book one before 34 weeks!

Grow scan would usually be 28 and 32 / 34 but it depends. DS was measuring large and I had them fortnightly as per consultants instructions.

In what was are you struggling? Realistically they won't do major surgery to help with your childcare situation. How far away is Mum? Is eldest child's Dad in the picture at all? Or his family?

And agree all non medical C secs I know of have been 39+ - thry want to give baby asl long as thry can in there. Good luck

After 2 emergency c sections I had third planned from 1st booking in appointment but didn't actually get a date till 32 weeks. Also unless there is a problem our hospital would not do it before 39 weekend like a PP my waters broke 4 days before cs date.

Cross Post.

Yes if its been agreed then ask today, and assume it'll be late. Ask what happens if you go into labour earlier so you are clear what to do

thank you for the info on growth scans I didn't know there's one at 32
Well my son was below 3rd centile
This baby is under 10th centile
The babies were both exposed to and this baby is still exposed to opiates
I am married to a very nice man thankfully who's the dad of our son also 🥰
My mom is in Switzerland so not that far but last time I was so bereft and I thought my son would die and I would die. So I wanted her there. The thing is that section was also planned for 38 weeks too so I would say that having a date wouldn't have made a difference in that case. I did go into labour with my son.

Also I am having some major mobility issues now which are ongoing from my first pregnancy and nerve damage caused by a nephrostomy (if you know me you now know who i am as this is a really unusual procedure)

I wanted to have this baby at 40 weeks originally to lessen the chance of feeding issues but I am on my knees now I'm struggling so much

Of course yanbu to ask that! I don’t know if they will necessarily do it for you, but definitely not U to ask.

I wasn’t given a date till about 36 weeks with dc2 but then dc1 was two weeks overdue. If there’s a good chance you’ll need an earlier date then of course they should give it to you earlier.

Definitely ask but they might wait until a little later to give you a date.

Our hospitals don't carry out sections before 39 weeks unless there's a medical need but if you go into labour sooner rhen you just go in and have a semi emergency section. They were happy to give me a date at my 32 week appointment.

Do you mean you want to set the date in advance, or actually have the section early?
Of course you can ask for a date from now. But unless there is immediate danger to the baby or to you, most consultants would not perform a section under 39 weeks as there is a lot of evidence that the baby’s lungs are not mature yet. It is done occasionally when the benefits outweigh the risks but even then, not usually electively before 38 weeks, and you will be given steroids to help babies lung mature in advance.
It is sometimes done before that, but only when continuing with the pregnancy is too risky for you or baby, or in the emergency situation.

I don’t know your history, but from your updates, you sound very brave. I really don’t mean that to be condescending at all. Hope all goes well for you x x

Ok so maybe I need to wait a bit longer to get a date. I guess it won't affect it either will it. If I go into labour they will deliver the baby anyway by c section so I don't really have control. If I don't go into labour then more like 39 weeks
I would prefer to avoid having a baby with any breathing problems. My son didn't have them but the steroids were given in less then 12 hours and I was so worried about him.
I'll see what they say today
Thank you all for the supportive answers and information regarding dates. It seems quite taboo to have a c section and sometimes people query the medical need for one (even if I didn't need one I still asked a different question)
Let's see what they say today
Ps @Favouritedress It's not condescending, it's nice. Thank you. It made me feel better about this post to receive some nice answers with a bit of love in them xx

The consultant could decide 30, 32, 34 etc OP based on the scan. Mine were fortnightly as he was measuring large but he came at 35 weeks EMCS.

If giving birth is a risk, then confirm what happens at the first sign of natural labour - do you need to get in ASAP to be booked in for the C sec?

You can always ask and tell your consultant your fears/hopes. It might not change anything but they’ll have listened.

You can do this. X

I'm five mins away from the maternity ward and they know me there from the last pregnancy so they would deliver the baby if I went into labour
We have already agreed that there is no way I would have a vaginal delivery for this baby for a variety of reasons
I just hope I can have an epidural / spinal instead of a GA this time!
So I'll ask about that as well today. Good idea
My scans at 10.15
I hope the baby isn't very small. It feels longer then my son was

Thank you all for the support 💕
I have to say despite everything, I am really, honestly happy. And I think my body is amazing for carrying another baby. I am elated not to have a kidney issue this time. I am thrilled to be pregnant. It is a blessing.
And I am thrilled that this baby will be there for my son. I didn't want him to be an only child. My first son is amazing and I am lucky he has no health problems and is really funny, cute and loving.
I am frustrated because I spent a lot of time and effort and money coming off of opiates, gabapentin etc to manage the pain from the first pregnancy. I have had lots of successful nerve blocks. I just can't have them whilst I'm pregnant and they have worn off now so I am back in some really acute pain. And I have to take opiates to try to manage that.
But I have quit them all before and I will quit them again. It's just another part of the journey.

Hallo, my pal opted for a c section and asked for her second one on her 16 week appointment. So just ask today and get it done. It will be a weight of your mind knowing. I'm also having my second baby and I was offered the choice of having vbac or elective this time and I only decided at 36 weeks that I would pick an elective. Hope all goes well x

I was given a date early (4th section). Just ask for a date at your consultants appointment and they will probably give it/book you in

I was given two possible dates (the Tues and Thurs of the same week) but as a complicated patient I had to have a particular surgeon. They needed her rota to confirm which of these days she'd be in, which wouldn't be out until 3 weeks before. It sounds like you might be similar, and I doubt your mum will mind if she has to wait two days.

The growth scans are 4 weekly from this point, so you have another chance. Also being under the 10th percentile is not very small at all, so that shouldn't worry you. Good luck today.

It is never too early to have this discussion with your consultant.

Depending on growth, you might find you have even more scans. I had twins and at one point was having scans weekly due smaller twin growth. One set by the ultrasound department and the other at fortnightly consultant appointments. Every week it was a 'will they won't they deliver this week' from 29-36 weeks! At 36+2 weeks they scheduled an induction for a week later and babies arrived 36+5! Maybe them finally setting a date caused me to relax and allowed labour to start naturally.

At least if you ask, you will be able to get an idea of what their plan is, how long they expect you to remain pregnant - especially given a previous pre-term delivery. When they will give you the steroid shots to help develop lungs (I had them at 29 weeks as they feared early delivery) and so on.

I asked for a date at my 28 week growth scan. They said they didn't normally give them out that early but as I had reasons for needing to know they did.

They gave me a date about week 32/33. I just wanted to wish you luck. Giving birth is a very anxious time whatever way you do it and sounds like you are really going through it

YANBU at all

Usually they get them booked in around now

Otherwise, like you say, at 34 weeks it'll be cutting it fine

Hopefully you'll have no issue getting the CS agreed to as you've had one before

My local hospital don't do them before 39 weeks unless medical need of course

Off on a tangent, but with DC1 I got a CS for maternal request agreed quite late on, think I was around 35 weeks, then had it at 39 weeks

I think mine was booked at 28 weeks for 37 weeks ( had a previous still birth due to undiagnosed iugr at 34 weeks). 2nd baby actually arrived at 35 weeks with emergency section following early labour.

I initially had doppler scans every 2 weeks from 28 weeks but it became 3 times a week when growth slowed down at 32 weeks.