To ask if you'd accept or reject early caesarean

[Helpplease14]

I'm booked in for a caesarean at 39 weeks but my consultant has now suggested pushing the caesarean forward to 38+2 (tomorrow) due to me not currently being able to feel the baby move. On the monitor the baby is fine, but I've had an issue with movements since day one and an anterior placenta and go through periods of feeling the baby move lots and then some days, nothing.

The pros to pushing it forward are obviously the baby being here safely, but the cons are having steroid injections, the baby not quite being 39 weeks, and the whole situation feeling a lot more rushed and stressed whereas everything felt calm having a set date next week. I'm just really conflicted about what to do. I may well start feeling the baby move again tomorrow but if I didn't I would go to the ward twice daily until I do begin feeling him again, or my section next week, whichever.

Can I ask what anyone on here would do? I'm really conflicted, and obviously want to meet my baby ASAP and I feel like that's clouding my judgement.

I had twins induced at 37 weeks (consultant recommended) they were both a good size no problems went home next day. Go with medical advice would me my thought.

I would take the obstetrician's advice every time. I had DD1 at 36 weeks due to PE and trusted my Ob's judgement .

My last child was born at 38wks by csection and ended up in SCBU then transferred to NICU at another hospital then transferred back to SCBU at the hospital of birth. I had steroid injections prior to the section but my child still needed a lot of assistance and intervention at birth. This reason alone would make me very wary of an earlier section, however, if you have discussed it with your surgeon and they’ve explained it thoroughly then you should do what is right for your baby to reduce any risks.

My csection with dd was push foreword to 37+6 due to reduced movement and a fall in to weight gain. They gave me the steroid injections, 1 in the leg on 2 consecutive days.

All was fine, dd is now 2 and perfectly healthy. Better safe than sorry

The NHS don’t usually offer unnecessary surgeries, they certainly don’t move them up unless it’s medically necessary. Baby is passed 37 weeks, get them here as safely as you possibly can, which if the consultant recommending is now, then now.

The consultant isn’t going to recommend this unnecessarily. I had two c sections at 38 weeks and did not need steroid injections.
Hope you’re meeting your baby soon x

As far as steroids go the guidelines have changed since I had ds 5 years ago at 37+ 4, no mention of steroids made ( ds was fine) when I was considering a second a couple of years back they told me I would need a 38 week delivery(my medical issue) and steroids were now advised before 39 weeks.
In answer to your actual question, yes I would absolutely bring the date forward if its being recommended, at this stage the risks are minimal, your baby will be a good size and effectively term.

I would personally reject as my last c section was at 38 weeks exactly and DS2 was in NICU with breathing problems for weeks, even with the steroid injections and being a big baby at 11lb 2oz. But, only you can weigh up the pros and cons for your personal situation OP.

If you're having a c-section anyway then you might as well have it now. Anything could happen without you knowing if you can't feel movement, it's not worth the risk.

When I was in your shoes these are the things I considered.

*Listen to the advice from your consultants they know your medical history and that of your child to date.
*Ask the medical professionals as many questions as you need to to feel well informed and make sure you understand the answers.
*I know some Trusts prefer to section or induce if there have been more than two episodes of reduced movements and the baby is term 37+w as there is a higher incidence statistically of still birth if the pregnancy was allowed to progress.
*You need to have a long hard think about how you'd reconcile a negative outcome that could be attributed to you deciding to wait until next week for delivery.
*Your body could go into labour at any point which would mean you'd have to adjust your timeline.
*It'd be significantly more stressful for you to begin to labour and have to be fitted into the emergency obstetric theatre list.

Good luck

I have no idea why some of my message came out in bold 🙈

100% I'd bring it forward - babies are considered term at 37 weeks.
I am secretly hoping I need an early section (currently being induced on EDD)

Bring it forward - my c section were at 38 weeks and no steroids were needed

@Paraballa has a sensible and measured approach to this. If I had had good dopplers and movements were normal on CTG, I would be inclined to continue with conservative management.

They don’t offer csections without good reason so they must think it would be a good idea.

I had my DTs by CS at 38+2. No steroid injections. Anything from 37 weeks is considered full term.

Better safe than sorry

Bring it forward they wouldn’t suggest it unless they felt it was safest for the baby.

110% bring it forward

Paraballahas a sensible and measured approach to this

Not really. Paraballa references if the OP chooses to have a csection. She's having one anyway. The question of if isn't the point of the post, so isn't particularly helpful I wouldn't have thought.

Ask them why they aren’t following the results of the AFFIRM trial which has very clearly showed that decreased movements should be delivered at 39weeks

I have had 2 c sections, one at 38+4 and one at 39 weeks. I needed steroid injections for the first one- it is Trust policy that everyone has them if c section booked before 39 weeks.

If you are having a section anyway then I’d go for it, 38 and 2 is not early, babies are classed as term at 37 weeks.

Absolutely bring it forward. I don’t mean to sound harsh but I can’t believe you’re asking that at all.

My dd was delivered at 37wks by csection due to placenta previa. I had the steroids they didn't do anything at all to me and baby was born absolutely fine. Good luck whatever you decide, how exciting.