To ask for an early c-section?

[ChickenDippers123]

So I'm 29+2 and I'll be having an elective cesarean around 39 weeks (haven't been given a date yet) due to medical issues. I have ulcerative colitis and have had my large intestine removed, a stoma bag and then a stoma reversal where I am connected small bowel - rectum to allow me to go to the toilet 'normally' again.

My colorectal surgeon is adamant I need the section because he wants to preserve my pelvic floor as much as possible in case I need further surgery in the future for a pouch.

But last week I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and my blood sugars have been a bit all over the place, I'm currently managing it with diet.

I've also been told I have strep B and apparently that means you need antiobiotics if you go into labour or your waters break?

Would IBU to ask if I can have a C-Section earlier than 39 weeks? With all of this in mind I'm really worried about my waters going/going into labour and having an emergency c-section. I know they don't tend to do them at 37 weeks anymore but do they still do them at 38?

Do you think I have a big enough case for it? I understand if they won't and I won't get upset with them but I just think it would be best for me to have it a bit earlier with all of this in mind.

Thank you

You can ask. You'll need steroids though if delivering before 39 weeks by section

You need to ask. Set it all down clearly and see what thry say. Here you wouldn't need steroids before 37 weeks but even if you do, it's just two injections

I think they might be reluctant speaking from experience (I had gestational diabetes too, it’s so tough to control!!!) and I had heart issues and pre eclampsia, was taken in for an emergency induction in the end as they wanted to avoid section in my case. Basically in my situation they told me before 39 weeks especially in diabetes babies the risk of breathing issues ect is higher so they try wait as long as possible! I was literally at the end of my tether by the time I was taken in as I had been so unwell all the pregnancy and though a few times they debated inducing me on a weekly basis the consultant waited till it was an emergency to go ahead! Now in your case it might be different and I would def ask about it because there might be more leeway for you! And doctors have different opinions! They let me go till medication wasn’t really working any more but I actually think I was let go too long before they induced me but I’m also glad in a way because my baby was a lot smaller than they expected, a good ten pounds at least and I think had I of gone earlier she would have been more ill, as it was she was three days in intensive care! Not to scare you, the intensive care wasn’t just diabetes related it was Also to do with the labetalol I was on and we had a bad labour too! Just my bit of experience! Def talk to your doctors and see what they think!!!

Sorry I said ten pounds lighter when I meant ounces! Baby brain!

I think some Trusts would induces at 38 weeks for gestational diabetes, so you should be able to get a section at the same gestation. You’ll probably need steroid injections first to mature the baby’s lungs (be warned, these are very painful). I would expect you to have regular growth scans & clinic apts if you’re diabetic so plenty of opportunity to request an earlier section.

I got one at 38 weeks 14 years ago, due to previous birth trauma from a large baby.
You gotta ask/ beg.

Certainly no harm in asking. Theyll talk to you about the risks of delivering prior 39 weeks, e.g. much higher chance of respiratory morbidity (even with steroid help) before 39 weeks. But of course they need to weigh up all risks, including your health too, and they can put in additional mitigation measures in place.

My friend was booked in for a section at 39 weeks as she'd had a series of operations for vaginismus (possibly spelled completely incorrectly). Anyway, her surgeon insisted she didnt attempt a natural delivery and undo his hard work. She went to labour naturally and they did an emcs. Just worth bearing in mind - going in to labour doesn't mean no section.

I was given an elcs for medical reasons at 38 weeks on hospital recommendations. No steroids needed. However they went with their dates, not mine which I KNEW were right and dc was teeny (just over 5lb) - by my dates would have been 35 weeks at that time.

I was given a CS 10 days early due to GD and polyhydramnos. I did have steroids but iirc, that was because they thought my waters might break quite early due to being so vast!

They might be reluctant to (for good reason) but you can ask.

Up in Scotland here and I was induced at 36 weeks which failed and had a csection at 37 weeks. Dd was given steroid injections. Can they bot get you for monitoring every day? I did this after 36 weeks with ds and I managed to get to 40 weeks (consultant would have let me go natural if my body had started labour) unfortunately I had a section again as it didn't.

No harm in discussing it with your midwife and consultant.

You wont need steroids before 39 weeks
I had an emc at 37+1.

Oh, I feel your pain. There's nothing harder than continuing to carry a baby when you're in a complicated pregnancy.

I had my section at 37 weeks. It was complicated all the way through but things got very scary at 36 weeks and I begged them to bring my C-section forward but they wanted me to wait until 38 weeks. I stuck it out until 36+5 and then I started getting rib pain so went in thinking I had pre-eclampsia (had been borderline for ages and was going in for daily monitoring). I also had OC. They really wanted to wait until 38 weeks and then they did some liver tests and brought it forward to the following day!

They did tell me at some point during the conversations that we had prior to that that they would bring it forward if I needed it for my mental health but it wasn't the best thing for the baby, and I couldn't bring myself to make that decision as it didn't feel like proper parenting (not that I had a clue what parenting actually was at that point ) so I was going to stick it out but I was really relieved when they said they'd bring it forward, if a bit anxious about the liver situation.

I had steroids and my little girl still needed a bit of oxygen when she was born - she was breathing and crying but a bit blue and working too hard for it. Fine now two years' on but I wouldn't underestimate how scary it is to hold your baby and then have her taken away because she needs help to breathe.

I did also have GD (I had it all, baby) and it will be all over the place for the first couple of weeks whilst you work out what does and does not spike your blood sugar. What I found was that the nurses tended to be very anxious about any blood sugar spike, but my fetal medicine consultant and endocrinologist were both very relaxed about them (none of mine were anywhere near double figures which seemed to reassure them). I was really upset about having GD and massively resistant to any sort of medication (very unlike me) so controlled mine with diet all the way through. I now think I was a bit silly about worrying so much about potentially having to take metformin but I didin't need to in the end anyway.

Good luck. The good news is that my GD and liver zipped back to normal virtually as soon as she was born and two years on both are fine.

I had an elective c section at 37 weeks and was given steroids beforehand. I was told steroids weren’t needed if I started to go into labour naturally and then had an emergency section, as that was my body doing the equivalent.

Do ask.

I had twins, gestational diabetes and waters around 1 baby tricking out. They would not bloody budge, i was house bound in so much pain, i was booked in couple of days before xmas, i asked for even 2 days earlier so i could have more chance being home as i had other small children. An absolute no was what they said. Good luck tho

I had a planned section at 38wks due to transverse presentation and a large baby - my uterus was observed to be very thin during my previous section so they didn't want me going to 40wks with another large baby. I had HG for the whole pregnancy so I was exhausted too and needed it to be over. I had two steroid injections 24hrs apart at 37wks and then the section a week later. Steroid injections hurt! It feels like they're injecting concrete rather than liquid.

Ask and state your reasons, ultimately they can only say no.

My doc didn't want me to go into labour for various reasons on my second pregnancy so booked me in for a c section for 37 weeks. It went fine.

@richteasandcheese that’s not correct. I had my son by ELCS at 38 + 6 and no steroids were prescribed.

My area GD is induction at 40+5 if under control, they did say they can induce from 37 weeks, but they don't tend to unless they think the baby is massive. I don't think you'd get a section pushed much earlier than 39 if everything is going ok.

I had an elective section (maternal request not medical) booked for 39 weeks exactly, then my waters went 2 days beforehand at 38+5. So my section was technically classed at an emergency- but there were no emergency circumstances. I just went in, was monitored for a few hours, and they performed the section after the staff shift change. I had also tested positive for strep b, so they put me on antibiotics when I arrived. There was no drama, is was as calm as an elective, they dubbed it 'semi planned'. Also no steroids needed. No advice on wether they will bring it forward, but just saying even when you think you have it all planned things can change.

I had an elective section at 38 weeks at my request. My hospital trust give steroids before 39 weeks. This was 4 years ago