Hoping to have ELCS but bit worried about my due date

[redundant]

Hello, wondering if anyone has experienced similar or has any advice.

I am hoping to have an ELCS for my second pregnancy - currently about 28 weeks. My only niggling concern is that I'm not convinced my dates are right, and am worried that might end up with ELCS scheduled too early.

I don't know exactly when I conceived, but had scribbled in my diary when my last period started. But when I went for my 12 week scan I was dated/measured as nearly 14wks, so due date was brought forward 2 weeks.

20 week scan tallied up with the 12 week one, so at the moment all the HCP think my due date is right. It's only me, and am wondering if I should just accept I got it wrong?
Any thoughts? Am I overthinking/making a mountain out of a molehill?
thanks!

why are you worried about it being too early?

Up to 20 weeks I was told that all babies grow at the same rate as your dates would be fairly accurate.

My dates were brought forward a week from my scan. I'm due for my 2nd ELCS on Wednesday. I can't wait! I'm huge! Have faith in their judgements, anyway you can always decide to have the baby as close to your due date as possible if you are worrried about breathing difficulties etc.

Babies grow pretty uniformly in the first trimester and scans are accurate to within a few days. If your 12 week and 20 week scan agree then I think they're probably right.

If you schedule your cs as close to 40 weeks as possible then even if your dates are a fortnight out, you'll be having a cs at 38 weeks (which is within the 37-42 weeks signifying normal gestation).

But I'd trust the scans if you don't know when you actually ovulated.

thanks guys, I kind of know I've been overthinking this! I think they routinely schedule at 39 weeks, so even if my dates were two weeks out, then it would still be 37 weeks which like you say, seems to be deemed ok.
Off to go and find something else to worry about, sure it won't be hard!

Is there a medical reason for ELCS, and when did you (or did you at all) go into labour with DC1? If the consultant agrees that you need a CS, you could well put your case to have it scheduled for 40 weeks, but then have it done as an emergency if you go into labour beforehand. Decisions on that would depend on how quick your birth was with DC1 etc, if things progressed very quickly you might risk being too late for the CS. There are higher risks of breathing problems with CS that happen before 39 weeks so if I was unsure of dates I would be keen to push the CS back at least a week, I wouldn't want a CS at 38 weeks unless I absolutely had to.

The only reason I'm asking if there's a clear medical reason for CS is that if you are in a position of having to negotiate/argue to have a CS, you might have to just take whatever the consultant offers rather than start haggling about timing, whereas if they 100% agree you need a CS you're in a better position to discuss when exactly it happens.

thanks Zimbah.

There is no medical reason for me to have an elcs (DD1 was breech, my waters started leaking on my due date, didn't go into labour at all). But I would much prefer another Cs for various reasons.

Although consultant has said I can have one if I really want one, am a bit worried about the dates thing being an excuse/reason for them to turn me down or for it not to happen.

The ideal from my point of view would be to schedule it for 40, but with very clear instructions that if I go into labour before, that I will have one as an emergency. But I think that is massively unlikely to happen, understandably, because I won't actually be an emergency...

I know obv health of baby is the most imp thing (which oddly is one of the reasons I am more comfortable with another CS) but I am finding the whole thing quite stressful - have had a pregnancy filled with lots of puking/HG/SPD/etc so just want to have as stress free a birth as poss. But I do know I can't necessarily get what I want!

I will mention my dates worry to the consultant - think I have to for my own peace of mind, although if I didn't bring it up I don't think they would even clock it. I think it will make my chances of an ELCS less likely, but there you go.

That's difficult then, I imagine you would be hard pressed to argue for having an emergency CS if you go into labour before the planned one. But of course it will depend on your consultant and the hospital policy, you might be lucky.

When you do you next have an appointment with the consultant to discuss it? And have you looked into VBAC (I'm not implying you should try for one at all, just wondering if you've read all the threads on here and looked at other online resources for info to help in your decision )

I had a planned CS scheduled, but my waters started leaking 10 days beforehand (never went into labour, just waters went). They simply did the CS earlier than scheduled.

Technically I suppose it was an emergency CS, but I went in at 8 in the morning, they did it at around 4/5 pm, which was when they had a free theatre, and that was that. No concern, no huge rush.

If a consultant has agreed you can have a CS, then you can normally have one. Don't let the words 'emergency CS' put you off. There's world of difference between a blue light, racing down corridors 'get this baby out now' scenario, and one where you present in very early labour, or just with waters leaking, and they say okay, let's try and get you into theatre sometime in the next 12 hours or so when we've got a slot.

Of course, you could have a very rapid labour which means things progress too quickly for a CS, but if you've not had a very quick labour beforehand, that's not very likely at all.

I think scheduling a CS for as close to 40 weeks as possible is a good idea. Scheduling before 39 weeks isn't ideal.

Redundant-I'm due to have my 2nd CS on Wednesday.
It's not an emergency. I had my first CS which was elective as well again no medical reason- my request.
Early in the pregnancy up to 36 they thought it might be breech but had scan and baby had turned.
Went into hospital today for bloods etc, and was told that if I went into Labour they would do my CS, this was the same for my first baby.
Have you spoken to your midwife about a CS?
I told them I'd like another at 12 weeks and a vaginal delivery has never been discussed.
I had my first in Solihull and this time it will be Bristol, so hospital's may have different policies.
Never too early to clear it up, also it takes off the stress of worrying, if you really want a CS.

thanks guys, this all helps :)

Had midwife appt today - she is very pro-vbac (helps with one of the clinics) so I feel like a naughty schoolgirl when I tell her I want a section, not like a grown 37 year old! ridiculous! She has booked me in with the consultant again for 37 weeks. I discussed the dates worry thing and she basically said to talk to the consultant but suggested having it booked for 40 weeks sounded sensible. I think I'd be pretty comfortable with that. Didn't explain what would happen if I went into labour before that - have to speak to the consultant about it.

Anyway, I feel a bit better about it all, hoping I will still get to have a section. i'm in Oxon, my hospital is the John Radcliffe and they are very successful in vbac rates etc, so I do feel like I am disappointing everyone by not wanting a vbac but there you go!

ps happywheezer all the best for Weds :)

Hi, this is one of the reasons I was put off having a ELCS. However my circumstances are much different than yours.

My DD was born at 39+1 within 2 hours and 5 minutes.
My DS was born 36+3 I arrived pushing with very little action before that, but he was brow so got stuck and needed an EMCS.

I was told if I arrived in time then they would do me as an EMCS, however with my history it was unlikely I would allow enough time for this, and they only recommend 39 weeks+ here for ELCS unless there is a problem. So once again with my history I am not likely to make that date so needed to plan for the possibility of a VBAC wanted or not.

So I am now down as VBAC that way there is no suprises for me.

Your circumstances are of course different so speak to your consultant.