Emergency c section delayed due to electives?

[JenS16]

I was admitted yesterday for an emergency (category 3) c section and they can’t fit me in today as the list is full of electives! Hopefully tomorrow but they can’t say for sure.

I am fully in support of women having a choice when it’s comes to childbirth but AIBU to think that emergencies should be prioritised over electives as there is a risk to the baby of waiting??

(I know I don’t know the situ of the women but waiting for electives but as they are not classed as emergent I would assume there is lower risk or they’d be re-classified…)

I had mine by elective and was delayed several hours to give priority to the emergencies. This was twenty odd years ago, has the policy changed since then?

I was in a similar position. I was admitted to hospital for monitoring and potential induction. Baby was showing signs of distress so they didnt want to induce me, but wouldn't make the decision to go to c section even though it was obvious that's where we were heading as they were so short staffed, so I was just left being monitored.
In the end I did have baby via an emergency section due to an immediate emergency during monitoring. I was rushed straight to theatre.
I dread to think how long I would have been waiting there had it not happened like that.

Just to wish you all the best OP, pregnancy and childbirth can be such a stressful time and the not knowing makes it so much worse. It’s my son’s birthday today but I remember all too well the stress of 9 years ago - it’s too easy to underestimate this for those not actually going through it. I do hope they turn to you soon and I’m sure it will all be fine and feel worth it when your lovely baby does arrive.

My sister was very upset when she was admitted as an elective because she didn’t live close enough to the hospital if anything happened. They had her booked in for a week later to give baby an extra few days but baby and it became a fill blown emergency in the early hours of her second night. Not all electives are simple straight forward wishes.

It's hospital jargon that doesn't mean what "we" think it means.

DS has been seriously ill in hospital and put on the "emergency list" for operations a couple of times. That was when I discovered that in their terminology it means, as you have found, " if there's time after we have finished the electives". I assume they must have another term for the "we have to do this NOW" type of surgery.

My own C section was classed as a "planned emergency section"!! So I guess "elective" in that the date was 2 weeks away, but not my choice due to baby's disability.

I’ve voted YABU as while some might see my own c sections as a choice, it was due to medical reasons in that baby needed to come at 37 weeks, and a prolonged induction following by EMCS carried a higher risk of serious negative outcomes, in comparison to going straight for a planned section.

Itsounds so hard not to worry but if things were that much of an emergency you would have given birth by now and hopefully you have.

I was scheduled in for what was technically an elective (it wasn't my choice it was medical advice that my baby's life would be at risk with a vaginal delivery) it was classed as elective because it was known in advance and could be scheduled. It was explained to me that an emergency is one that needs to be done urgently and can't be scheduled and that no matter how many electives there were emergency would always take priority because they can't be delayed. As it happened I went into labour before my date and therefore ended up with what was technically an emergency because it couldn't wait. In most hospital if you can wait 24-48 hours your classed as an elective and not an emergency which is probably why your not being given priority. A lot of the 'electives' and in the same position as you, very few people choose to have major abdominal surgery with a long and painful recovery without a medical need.

Hopefully you don’t have to wait much longer

Haha, good one. ELCS doesn’t mean the mother is too posh to push! I had one for my second because we both could have died if I had a natural labour due to placenta previa. Yours can’t be that much of an emergency if they aren’t rushing you in so stop being so precious.

My first baby was by emergency c-section, and my second was classed as elective purely because I was diagnosed as having pre-eclampsia and was given one day's notice that I had to have another c-section. It couldn't be classed as an emergency c-section, even though it was technically. We would have died if I had gone into labour.

Therefore, not all electives are straightforward. Some of them are because of a late stage problem and so are no less of an emergency than any other.

I had an EMCS this summer, from the decision to baby in my arms was an hour max, so not a 'blue lights' but quick! So I possibly 'bumped' someone. But my sis also had a section 2 weeks later it was elective as she had placenta praevia and she arrived at the hospital on her date only to be sent home soon after due to EMCS.

I understand you frustration/ worry though. All you want is your little baby in your arms safe and well. But I really don't think they'd keep you waiting for electives if you were at a higher risk. Still awful for you waiting and worrying though. Make sure to keep asking

I had placenta percreta with my last pregnancy and it was planned elective when I hit 34weeks. If I had issues before then I would be whipped down before anyone else as it can be fatal. But thankfully this didn’t happen and it was planned and organised for the right team to be there waiting to delivery my son.I said before hand on the day could it be postponed if another emergency happened and they confirmed no as although it was planned elective it was organised as specialised surgery. Several medical experts basically booked there for that surgery in advance so they wouldn’t postpone it. So it could be that today the ones planned and booked in have been for some time. It’s such a stressful time for you and all the waiting I know will be making you so anxious but I don’t doubt if they needed to delivery you baby now then they would take you down ASAP.

I had similar. Was sent in for induction and it failed was told I was going to have to have c-section. Was being induced 3 weeks early due to reduced movements. I starved for 3 days waiting for a space to have the section and still didn’t get it. I asked to be sent home until Monday where I could be put on the elective list. It was still noted down as an emergency even though it was conducted as an elective.

Elective doesn’t always mean someone has just decided to have a c section. They class breech babies as elective, but it’s not as if there is a choice. Emergency (as in baby half way out and stuck) would always be put before elective.

DD was a cat 1 - 27 minutes between them pressing the button to get everyone piling in and her being born. Before that I was being induced (just that morning) due to pre-eclampsia- there really wasn't much indication beforehand that an EMCS would be needed though.

My point is, if baby needed to be out right now they'd make it happen. Do talk to the midwives etc to clarify for yourself why it's OK to wait but don't think it's because you don't matter. I hope it all goes well and baby is here soon.

The terminology is mis-leading. The surgical team review and prioritise the list each morning. I was on the elective list for the afternoon but pushed to first in the morning ( ahead of other emcs) due to pre eclampsia. Hope you are in soon. If you are concerned, make sure you ask.

Oh op it is scary.

I had a category one with my first and we were in moments later due to fetal heart rate.

With my second, I spent lots of time in antenatal inpatients due to a bleeding placenta previa, pprom and transverse baby. Was an eye opening 6 weeks - I can tell you that in a cat 1 they sprint from where they are. I had a needle hanging out of my arm at the time!

I was told that as category 3 I would be early on the morning waitlist. Went second due to a GD lady. Was told I would only be bumped for cat 1 and 2 but all the scheduling for the day meant cat 3 would alway be on the early morning waitlist. They can monitor your fast etc as well.

I found the whole thing very stressful and mysterious so I hope that helps but I know where you are coming from.

good luck OP!

I was a category 1 and my scar looks like the work of a madman with a machete. Rest assured if they’re not prioritizing you it’s because others are more urgent.

Sorry as this is a bit off topic I was lurking on the thread and got curious when I saw your comment. Might I ask how bad your pre-eclampsia was? I’ve seen a lot of women saying they required a c-section because of the same problem but I was allowed a natural delivery. I would say my BP got as high as 180-95. Trying to figure out if it’s just different hospital policies or just a case of bigger health problems. Although my doctors kept delaying my induction and I was getting scared I would have more health problems because I just kept watching the numbers creeping up more and more and I asked them to just get it over with already!

What a lovely thing to say to a scared mum who's just had her birth plan is changed and is worried about her baby and about to have an operation! Hope you feel better now for being so mean

This thread - telling OP not to be precious. Of course she’s scared and worried and nervous and that’s really understandable.

As outlined there are lots of reasons for people needing sections at various timeframes plus concerns about NICU bed availability, particular specialist people needing to be present for particular sections, keeping one theatre available for a crash. It may be some of those planned do need doing before yours.

Are you happy you are being monitored? Are you being checked on? Can you feel baby moving? Please do ask for updates and the details of the monitoring you are having, ask what timeframes are looking like and if you should be transferred elsewhere. I really hope you get a plan together and can meet baby soon.

I really feel for you, OP. I've been in a similar situation with inductions- Doc saying "we need to start this induction within 12 hours", then MW team saying "bit busy at the moment so please lie in the corridor for 3 days".

Hope you go in soon. If you're still waiting, I'd speak to one of the MWs and make everything as clear as possible- you were told it needed to be done within X hours, it's now Y hours, you're concerned, what are the options?

Yes women can request one, but if there is no medical need m, they’re going to be denied. I had to meet with the consultant midwife to lay out my case and why there was a medical need before I was ‘allowed’ to have a planned c-section.

elective does not mean the parent elected to have it. Just that it is planned as a natural birth is for some reason deemed unsafe.
however it does seem baffling that you are pushed down the list for electives. I know lots of people who went in for electives and ended up waiting around for quite some time while they dealt with emergency C-sections.
Hope you get sorted soon.