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.

Thank you for the responses. My consultant is only suggesting pushing it forward due to my anxiety, he said said that from a matter of the babies health the best thing is to wait until 39 weeks which is why I was conflicted as I don't want to make decisions based on myself rather than the baby. I have to have a caesarean regardless of whether it's this week or next week.

Deff go with consultants advice. A few minutes on the monitor twice a day doesn't prove baby is well and you have no real reason to wait and increase risk. Hope it goes well.

Definitely bring it forward. The Consultant has advised this with good reason, please listen to them and trust them with this.

I’d go with the early date, absolutely.

Think about it. Even if the reason you can’t feel movements today is placenta position and the baby is perfectly healthy, what if something unpredictable happens tomorrow like a knot in the cord or calcification of the placenta preventing adequate blood flow? Normally the only warning sign you get of these is reduced movement. But you already have reduced movement. So you are basically driving blind. There are no clinically significant long-term benefits for your baby to birth at 39 weeks, over 38+2. None. A full-term baby, gestating without any “alarm bell”, is a risk. Why take that risk for no improvement in outcome?

I’d strongly advise taking your consultant’s expert advice on this.

Best wishes.

I had a c/S at 38+3 because of very low fluid and a breech baby, so yes I would! DD was a decent weight at 6lbs 7.

My youngest was born at 38+2,
Planned section

I had to have steroid injections the day before I gave birth to her She was, and is, fine

I would go for it esp in view of reduced movements

Oh and monitoring, even twice daily, is only ever a snapshot and can’t protect your baby in the period after the monitor is removed. Problems can develop rapidly. It’s like drink-driving / monitoring would be the equivalent of wearing a seatbelt while drink-driving which would improve your safety slightly but not deal with the fundamental safety issue, but the early delivery would be the far safer equivalent of just taking a taxi instead.

Hope all goes well.

I'm off point here, why steroid injections at 38 weeks if 37 is considered full term? Isn't that unnecessary worry to the parents? I delivered dd1 at 37 weeks as the consultant said she had stopped growing and didn't need steroids so genuinely curious.

Op, I would go with the earlier date for your peace of mind if nothing else. My 37 week baby was absolutely fine (and 7lbs 6!).

OP, I would advise you to disregard all the advice you are given on this thread about the steroid injections, from people who clearly have no idea what they are talking about. It is standard practice to give steroids before 39 weeks if performing a Caesarean section. This is due to an increased and not insignificant risk of respiratory distress syndrome in babies born via Caesarean section before 39 weeks (and the main reason that elective Caesarean sections are performed routinely at 39 weeks and beyond, even though a term baby is 37 weeks onwards). Good luck! (And take advice from professionally trained people, like your consultant!!!!)

I had reduced movements throughout the last trimester and was booked for induction at 37+5, but ended in a c section at 38+2 - no steroids given, baby was born fine and 8lbs 6oz - no NICU and we would have been home in a day had I not had an infection/baby had latched and not lost weight.

I wouldn't hesitate.

Take the advice of the consultant and bring it forward. The things you raise are not worth the devastation of a still birth baby. I can't see why the baby would need steroids. My baby was born naturally at 38 weeks and was not considered prem. 2 weeks before is perfectly normal.

In the nicest possible way, forget what everyone on Mumsnet says - their advice and support is great but this is a conversation you should be having with your consultant. It doesn't matter what non medically trained strangers on a website think you should do.

Go through your concerns with the consultant and ask for more information about the risks before you make your decision.

I don’t think 5 days will make any difference.
And at 38 +2 your baby won’t need steroids and is unlikely to need any medical intervention at all.
Both my babies were born naturally at 38 weeks and were just normal, healthy newborns

Sometimes you should think of yourself OP. How bad is your anxiety? Speak to your consultant and midwife and weigh up what's best for both you and your baby.

Why is everyone fixating on the steroids?

OP, it's so difficult to make decisions like this because in obstetrics there often isn't any hard evidence to say which course of action is best, and most of the time you only know whether you made the right choice retrospectively. Canvassing for opinions on here can be useful but it's ultimately you who has to make the decision. There are no guarantees either way so ask your consultant as many questions as you can think of, and then make the choice that feels most comfortable. I hope everything goes well whatever you choose to do

And yes, steroids are routinely given before elective caesareans before 39 weeks now, for the reasons that several people on this thread have already explained.

If there was even a glimmer of doubt in my consultant’s mind, I’d want that baby whipped out at the earliest opportunity. As far as I can see, none of your reasons for not bringing it forward even compare to having your baby there safe and well.

Also not sure why you’d need steroids. I thought the cut off was 36 weeks....

It is standard practice to give steroids before 39 weeks if performing a Caesarean section. This is due to an increased and not insignificant risk of respiratory distress syndrome in babies born via Caesarean section before 39 week

I missed this and stand corrected. You learn something new every day

Bring it forward.

If nothing else, going to the ward everyday twice a day is a waste of your time and resources.

I would bring it forward too, especially if that is consultant’s advice.
Good luck xx

I missed that you're having a caesarean birth anyway, but regardless of that it sounds like the suggestion to bring it forward isn't based on a clinical need because if Baby, but due to your anxiety.

Your mental health is important and if you would feel happier bringing it forward and your consultant is happy to do it earlier then do that.

People seem to think your baby's Health is in danger but from what you've said that doesn't appear to be the case.

But your anxiety levels are important and while 38 weeks is earlier than ideal, it's not terrible either.

Don't feel guilty about putting your mental health first. You are very important. The consultant wouldn't suggest it if they thought it would be detrimental to your Baby.

I wouldn't bring the birth forward no. Particularly if I was having a c-section.

But only you can make the right decision for you.

I don't think this thread will be good for your anxiety OP. Many posters have missed the update that the suggestion was made to bring it forward due to your anxiety

I would think that it's five days. No problems in bringing it forward. You want to do what's best for your baby. But what's best for your baby is also what's best for you.

Having read your update, if the ONLY reason the consultant is suggesting bringing it forward is because of your anxiety, and he/she has zero concerns about the baby’s wellbeing, then I can see why you feel conflicted. If I were in that situation I would probably try to wait the extra few days. But that’s me, not you!

As somebody who's baby was stillborn at 37 weeks please bring it forward. There really is no good reason not to.

I would bring it forward, your anxiety is only going to increase and that will cause issues in itself such as lack of sleep. Get your baby out safe and sound and enjoy!