Postponed ELCSes

[Sparklies]

My medically necessary ELCS is on Thursday (as an aside, isn't it amazing how time slows down in this final week when there is an end time in sight? Urgh!)

Whilst obviously emergencies do take priority as they should, has anyone shown up at the hospital for their ELCS and had it postponed until the next day as there have been just so many emergencies? If so, have you been sent home, or do you stay in overnight etc? How late have you had your ELCS if it was originally scheduled in the morning before they just give up and tell you it won't happen that day?

It's a two hour hike to the hospital with heavy bags on public transport (I have SPD too) so I will be gutted if it's postponed and I have to go home and then out again.. not to mention the childcare issues. Obviously none of this is as important as those who need their baby delivered in an emergency but I'm just curious as to what happens to ELCSes if enough EMCSes happen.

I realise every situation/hospital is different so just looking for anecdotes really!!

at my hospital they have a separate theatre (& consultant team) for electives so you never get postponed for emergencies (EMCS go to labour ward theatre with the on-call team). The elective list is a maximum of three sections (two if they are particularly complicated) first goes in a 8am, last one out at 1pm - you have to get there at 7am, so if you are last (least complicated) on the list you wait for a few hours but it isn't bad at all (I've always been first luckily (?)). I think it's a pretty good system!

Well my hospital had a different (and I suspect more common) system to Peanutbutter's: electives got bumped for emergencies, and it was just luck how long you had to wait. The hospital only has one operating theatre.

I went in at 7am on a Friday expecting to have my elcs at 8am, and after 2 false starts (getting gown on, signing consent forms, walking to door of theatre and then being told "we have an emergency, you'll have to go back to the ward") was told "sorry, we've run out of slots, you will have to come back on Monday".

However, my contractions had started naturally at lunchtime while I was waiting. Long faces all round when I told them. Eventually a surgeon was found - I think I ruined their Friday night but everyone was very cheerful about it!

If you are not in labour, you might be sent home, but this is a rare event.

Thanks everyone!! :)

I don't know if there are separate theatres at mine (C&W in London) but I was warned I might be bumped further down the list for emergencies. It didn't occur to me until today that I might be bumped off the day's list entirely!! I'm near the front though (I would have been first but there is a mum with diabetes which is fair enough) so I'm optimistic.

I am dreading the thought of false starts.. all that anticipation and then the let down! Ugh!!