So if you know you are having an ELCS, how far in advance do the hospital tell you when it is?

[CrapBag]

Baby is breech so unless she turns I am having an ELCS.

The consultant who tried ECV (failed) said they phone 5 days before to tell you the date and you have to go up a couple of days before for a pre op appointment.

When I said to the MW about the 5 days, she looked surprised and said "is that what he said?" which made me think I won't actually get 5 days notice.

The first date the mentioned is the 3rd Feb, next Thursday which should mean that they would have contacted me today if it was going to be then. I am actually hoping it will be the 7th or 8th, the next 2 dates they mentioned. I am due on the 9th.

How much notice is 'normal?' I have plans for the first 3 days next week and I don't want to faff about up the stupid hospital for a pre op appointment where they are going to tell me what I already know about sections, plus I have already signed the consent form.

I don't know about the first bit sorry mine was EMCS.

As for pre-op they aren't just for chats, they are also to carry out tests. For what it is worth the pre op doesn't take long, but it is quite important from what I gather.

Bugger, I was hoping I wouldn't have to bother seeing as I have an antenatal appointment on Tuesday morning anyway.

with ds2 they booked it 2 weeks in advance for when i would be 42 weeks preg as i wanted to go into labour naturally.

dd, 3rd child, we booked it at 37 weeks for 39 weeks.

but it may well be different for each consultant - i guess the more in advance you book it, the more choice you'll have potentially. i wanted a consultant to do 3rd one so there was only 1 day in a 2 week window he was free to do it.

I was told about 3 months in advance.

sorry just noticed about the pre-op, with mine all they did was give me tablets & instructions when i booked, there were no tests.

For my first elcs I didn't get given any notice but for my third one I had the date from about 7 weeks!

Ohh sorry maybe pre ops for ELCS are different than other ops I have had then. Might be best asking your midwife or the person who phones to book you in what it involves.

So 5 days really isn't a lot of time and it doesn't look like its even going to be that, judging from the look on the MWs face. Quite annoying really. My friend is having a night in next Saturday and I said I'll be there if my section isn't on Thursday (or if I don't go into labour anyway ). Be nice to know I have a 'last' girls night in before the sleepless nights start again.

They have already tested me for MRSA and talked over the procedure with me, although I have a couple of requests. Consultant said DH and baby will leave theatre whilst I am stitched but I want them to stay. I also want skin to skin and a few other things.

nunnie its probably different hospitals do it different ways! They are all bloody different.

I saw the consultant on the tuesday and she booked me in for the next day so I had less than 24 hours notice!!

Blimey!! Not much time then.

I'm not due to see the consultant again though so just waiting for a phonecall now. Annoying when I have to remember to keep my mobile glued to my side in case I don't hear it.

Mine was decided at my 20 week scan...so plenty of time to get my head around it.

They gave me 6 days notice. Mine was booked while I was at the hospital after 2nd failed ECV. But if I hadn't decided to opt for the 2nd ECV, they would have booked it after the first one, about a week and a half in advance. I had mine when I was 38+1. x

BTW, just out of curiosity, does anyone know ANYONE who has ever had a successful ECV? They told me there was about a 50% chance before I had mine, but I have yet to here of anyone who has had one that worked. It bloody hurts as well! x

My nan had one that worked with my dad. Apart from that I don't personally know anyone but then I don't know that many people who have had it done either.

I wasn't even offered a second one! I would have taken that as this baby isn't shifting but I think the consultant knew she wasn't going to.

Not in the uk but my elscs was booked in 2 weeks ago for 3rd feb. same reasons as yours... they aim for 39 weeks as a mark through all the developed world now as there are less risks of accidental labour or respiratory problems if too early. Id ring them and ask when?

Crapbag - in a way I wish I wasn't offered it, they told me it was unlikely to work but I felt too guilty to refuse it. Luckily the consultant stopped sooner the 2nd time as she was not budging in the slightest - so it wasn't quite as harrowing the 2nd time round!

Heh, my experience with my breech DD was:

Consultant appointment at 37 weeks where he made a pathetically feeble attempt at an ECV which obv didn't work so booked me straight in for ELCS. I think he was just going through the motions.

No pre-op appointment made because "that consultant always forgets to make them". Community midwife made last min appointment when I told her I was booked in for CS.

Turned up at the hospital on the day of my booked ELCS to be met with blank faces. My name was not on the list. They checked the book - I had been crossed out because, apparently, I had already given birth.

Was promptly sent home and told to come back tomorrow because they were too busy and the list was now full. Got home and within 30 mins my waters broke. Went straight back to hospital where they did a bit of monitoring and told me they might be able to fit me in but it would be at the end of the day.

Then some bright spark thought they would do an internal and they discovered I was fully dilated with a leg presenting. Cue all hell breaking loose and an EMCS due to danger of cord prolapse.

So I had 2 weeks notice, then 1 days notice, then an afternoons notice then no notice.

I hope you have a much better time!

I had an appt with a midwife and then a registrar 7 weeks before due date. They just wanted to reconfirm my ELCS, I was then told to go to the booking desk. I went to the desk and the lady gave me a range of dates I could choose from in a 10 day period. I chose the date and it was booked.

My DD decided to come early and I went into spontaneous labour 4 weeks before ELCS so ended up having a EMCS anyways.

With DD I booked the date about ten weeks in advance. With this one they said we'd discuss at 36 weeks but at 32 weeks I asked about my date and we booked it in. I then changed it by a day a couple of weeks ago. Having elcs next week. :-)

Pre-op is for final blood tests etc - mine is in a couple of days. I signed consent weeks ago.

Hth.

Soozle that is awful! Sounds like the sort of crap that would go on at my hospital, they aren't known for being a good hospital at all.

I suppose it all depends on the hospital but seeing as I haven't even heard about a pre op yet, I'm assuming it isn't going to be Thursday now.