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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Ladies that have had elective c-sections - when did u get booked in??

32 replies

HelenEmjay · 31/08/2005 11:23

Hiya girls, im really sorry if this has been brought up a thousand times already, but im kinda needing some info ASAP! i had my appointment with the consultant last thursday - an appointment which was made when i was 12 weeks pregnant to get my elective c-section date (im now 37 weeks) i waited for over 2 hours only to be told MY consultant was away and his stand in couldnt give me a date, so i would need to wait until next thursday, needless to say i was bloody fed-up! anyway they did say they could 'pencil me in' for the 19th september, but im due on the 22nd of september!!!???? surely its leaving things a little too late right? this is my third baby, and my last delivery was by elective c-section and he was delivered one week before my due date, i really dont feel good about leaving it so late! is this normal??? i went into labour with my first baby before my due date and my sister just gave birth to her little girl at 37 weeks! any ideas as to how i make sure he books me in a little earlier? im not asking much by that am i????? i see him again tommorow morning! not looking forward to it!

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mears · 31/08/2005 11:26

The later the better IMO HelenEmjay. The date you have been pencilled in fine as you will be well over 38 weeks. Evidence now shows that babies do better delivered as close as possible to their due date when elective C/S. If you do go into labour, you will have your C/S then.

swiperfox · 31/08/2005 11:28

Hiya - don't be fobbed off by your consultant. I had an absolute nightmare with mine because he didn't think i should choose to have a c/s. He left it late as well but not as late as you. I had to keep pushing and pushing him until he agreed, very reluctantly, to get me a date. When you see him tomorrow be very very adamant about what you want and make sure he gives you a date or it's going to get too late. I had mine at 38 weeks.
Really hope you manage to get your date sorted. Have you spoken to your midwife about it?

northender · 31/08/2005 11:43

I had mine 3 days before she was due, no problem. They routinely do them in the last week before you're due where i live, within that week I had the choice of dates. dh was doing an exam on the Tues so I asked for the Wed! Hope it goes well.

Original poster

HelenEmjay · 31/08/2005 11:45

Thanks ladies! I have to say im not really worried about going into labour as i feel at least then baby would know he/she was coming, and not just suddenly dragged out! (i know that sounds abit daft, but i always feel abit sorry for them!) Thanks mears! - i understand that no-one wants there baby born too soon, but i thought babies where considered full term at 37 weeks? i know sod all about these things really i suppose, if i asked him to book me in on the 12th (the Dr last week said his theatre days where mondays??) that would make me 38+5 wouldnt that be ok? im not sure really what in specific im worried about, i just seem to have a bad feeling! sorry i know that sounds abit silly!

OP posts:

Janh · 31/08/2005 11:50

Well, mears should know!

For my second baby I was supposed to be having a trial of labour, so not the same, but they let me go to 42 weeks by scan (40 weeks by dates) before they said I had to be induced; and ended up having CS anyway.

3rd CS was scheduled for 38 weeks, again by scan, and 4th for 37 weeks. Both of them were very sleepy babies, dozy for ages, and definitely not really ready, and I would have preferred to wait longer but consultant was concerned about the scar.

HTH

mears · 31/08/2005 11:52

Babies are full term at 37 weeks but with elective C/S there can be breathing problems at birth in babies near 37 weeks because of the fluid in the lungs that is not squeezed out naturally by the birth process. That is whyit is better to be as close to due date as possible. There can be discrepency of scans/dates so that babies you think are 38 weeks are actually 37 IYSWIM?

Babies born by C/S later also feed better. 39+5 weeks is actually better. Most pregnancies whn left to their own devices often go past 40 weeks, often up to 42. You could have a baby in there that does not want to make an appearance till 42 weeks, so the later the better.

mears · 31/08/2005 11:54

Also it may be that the 12th is already booked with enough C/S deliveries. There is a need to keep the number of C/S managable when they are booked in otherwise women are waiting all day because there is a long list and labour suite takes priority. If there is an emergency case there, it will be done first.

happymerryberries · 31/08/2005 11:55

I was booked in for an elective section at 39 weeks (footling breech). In the end we had ds at 38 weeks as I had pre-eclampsia. He was a very respectable 9 2 at that stage and we had no problems.

jampots · 31/08/2005 11:55

I had my elective at 37 weeks so I didnt go into labour - scan showed big baby and as I had struggled with the first smaller one the consultant didnt want to risk it. I knew from about 29 weeks that I would be having an elective and it was booked from then I think.

Original poster

HelenEmjay · 31/08/2005 12:00

Thanks mears! i can't understand why the Dr last week couldnt explain things to me like that! i asked! I am happy to leave things until that last minute if thats the best for baby! i suppose because my last was born a week early i figured that was the norm! Northender - i had a very similar experience last time, my consultant (the same one as this time!) said when do you want to be booked in then? i thought it was bizarre! - i dont want this baby pulled out if he/she is not ready! i think its a pretty harsh way to be brought into the world as it is! i just feel a little worried by recent events, i have been given blood tests for OC, and although they have come back very very slightly elevated they say they are not worried - but i am a little worried! my mum said recently she lost her third baby to what she thinks must have been OC but it was about 30+ years ago so she's unsure, but obvioulsy this has worried me a little, im trying to keep a sensible head about things but you end up feeling a little torn!

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Original poster

HelenEmjay · 31/08/2005 12:06

happymerryberries - my first was 9lb 14oz and my second was 8lb, so i do have quite biggish babies! that must be a good thing for them, if they are born a little early??

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eidsvold · 31/08/2005 12:07

I originally had a registrar wanting to book my elective c-section for around 37 - 38 weeks. At that stage I was wanting a VBAC. For reasons no important here, I ended up with an elective c-section. The decision was made when I was 7 days overdue and had dd2 at 10 days overdue.

Original poster

HelenEmjay · 31/08/2005 12:09

Yes jampots, my last elective was booked when i was 20 weeks and so i knew all the way through! - which was a little strange, how was your baby being born at 37 weeks? did he/she have any problems?

OP posts:

happymerryberries · 31/08/2005 12:12

But size of baby does not mean maturity of lungs, so the later the better. As it happens mine were fine (dd was also a section but that was emergency and I had started labout at 40 weeks). The scans can tell you about how big they are but not how wel;l their lungs will function.

In the end we were all OK.

Hoipe that things go well for you

Original poster

HelenEmjay · 31/08/2005 12:14

Thanks hmb! im glad it all went good for you all! im hoping to say the same in a few weeks!

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jampots · 31/08/2005 12:55

ds was fine when he was born apgar 9:9 but he did develop a little grunting sound when breathing which the paeds kept an eye on during my stay in hosp which turned out to be nothing really. He was born early because they suspected he would be large-ish and seeing how i struggled in my previous labour the consultant thought it would be best.

Twiglett · 31/08/2005 12:57

at 39 weeks both times

or do you mean when did you get the appointment .. with DS it was at 33 weeks (when we knew there was a problem) and with DD at 36 weeks

Furball · 31/08/2005 13:01

I had a similar experience. They finally booked me in for 39 weeks when I was 37 weeks. DS had other ideas and my waters broke that evening. I went in and had the CS the next morning.

Original poster

HelenEmjay · 31/08/2005 13:07

Sorry twiglett! - its the way i word things! im kinda trying to find out when i can expect my baby to be born! am 37 weeks now and i still havent been given a date! getting a bit fed-up with it all.
How much did your ds weigh jampots?

OP posts:

jampots · 31/08/2005 13:08

8lb 12

happymerryberries · 31/08/2005 13:09

oh and both mine were apgars of 9....they both had blueish hands.

Original poster

HelenEmjay · 31/08/2005 13:10

Really furball? i think that may be my issue, i have a feeling im not going to make 39-40 weeks, not sure why but, baby has been engaged for a couple of weeks now and i have been getting more and more braxton hicks and they are sometimes getting quite strong! may mean nothing though....

OP posts:

highlander · 31/08/2005 13:42

DS was booked in for 38+5. 7lb 2oz. APGARs 9 and 10. I let him sleep for 4 hours (he had to be ventoused out and was none to pleased about it!) then he latched on striaght away.

Original poster

HelenEmjay · 31/08/2005 13:58

Aww your poor ds highlander! some babies have a rough entrance dont they? Good apgars though, its reasuring.

OP posts:

highlander · 31/08/2005 14:06

The doctors were actually out of breath trying to frag them out. As they were transferring me back onto the trolley I quipped, 'crikey, having a baby is hard work isn't it?!'. Dirty looks all round.....

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