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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Section advice and dating scan question

30 replies

AlexaChelsea · 28/10/2013 19:17

How do they plan for elective sections?

I've been told they'll plan it for a week or two before the due date, and also that they let you go full term and if you go into labour, do an emergency

What's the deal?

Also... Dating scans. They've given us our date and it's nearly 2 weeks out. How can they be so inaccurate, but base so much on this date? I'm worried because the elective section date will be based on this, and it's wrong.

Will they re-date at a later stage? Or do they go by this date as gospel (even though it's wrong and I've told them it's wrong!)

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HaPPy8 · 28/10/2013 19:18

Why do you think it's wrong? Dating scans are thought to be very accurate, more so than lmp so I would try not to worry about that.

Original poster

AlexaChelsea · 28/10/2013 19:26

Erm, because we know which date we had sex!

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AnitaBlake · 28/10/2013 19:38

www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/948.aspx?CategoryID=54&SubCategoryID=140

Sperm can live for upto seven days, so its not necessarily the date you had sex that you conceived.

Iirc babies develop sucking reflex at 35-36 weeks and are full term after 37 weeks. They did my c section at 39+2 the second time, your dating scans are very accurate because they look at the babies development, so can be much surer of your due date xxx

RubyrooUK · 28/10/2013 19:49

Hello!

At my hospital, they do sections as close to the due date as possible. So mine was at 39+5. This is for the good of the baby to ensure it has as much time to develop as possible.

If you went into labour early, my hospital would do an individual assessment. In my case, my section was for medical reasons, so they would rush it through as an emergency. In other cases, they might see if a woman felt she wanted to continue in labour and try for a vaginal before proceeding straight to an emergency section. But mainly you would end up with an emergency section unless you changed your mind (or the baby got there pronto!)

Re: scan dates, they normally are quite accurate. However, I know exactly when I conceived DS2 as it was the only night that DH and I got to have sex that month and yet it appears it took five days for the sperm to get round to it! Also, are you sure you're taking into account the fact they give you a date from your last period rather than conception?

Original poster

AlexaChelsea · 28/10/2013 19:54

The date was from the scan, not the LMP.

And they've dated up two weeks early, not late!

So, unless the sperm magically travelled into me two weeks early and waited about, it's wrong.

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Original poster

AlexaChelsea · 28/10/2013 19:55

So they'll go up to close to the due date, and if I go into labour do an emergency section?

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RubyrooUK · 28/10/2013 20:02

Hmmm, sadly I'm shit at maths so I can't work out the scan date mystery. Hopefully someone else will have more useful feedback on that one!

The section thing is definitely true for the hospital I went to. They don't go all the way to term, they tend to do it as close to 39 weeks as possible. They do some earlier for medical reasons but mainly they try to go as late as possible. The consultant said any early labours would be treated as an emergency section.

Original poster

AlexaChelsea · 28/10/2013 20:18

Okay, so what if you go into labour and the baby starts coming? My sister had her second within an hour of her waters breaking! I realise that isn't likely, but would they have time to do a section?

Is the recovery just the same, or is it better after an elective than an emergency? (Like, I assume they might not be as delicate if it were in a rush.. Would it take longer to heal? Or is that ridiculous )

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RubyrooUK · 28/10/2013 20:40

Is it your first? If so, I think very few first babies come that quickly unless you are really unlucky. My first labour was 72 hours!

As for the difference between elective and emergency c-section, I have only had an elective. But as far as I know, the only real difference is that with an elective, it's all planned so it can be done as slowly or fast as necessary. And you aren't in labour so it's quite easy to get in an epidural and so on. When you're in labour, it can be a bit less calm but if there is no major medical reason for the section (ie the baby isn't in distress etc) then there shouldn't be too much difference between them.

(Also with a planned section, you have a pre-section appointment where they give you anti-nausea drugs, compression socks etc but you probably just get them at the hospital if it is done as an emergency.)

Are you having an appointment with the consultant to sort out having a section? I was able to ask all these things at that appointment, which was really helpful and set my mind at rest.

Original poster

AlexaChelsea · 28/10/2013 20:43

No, not my first, but my first section.

Yeah, I have an appointment with a consultant at some point but not not a while and I wondered about this today.

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midwifeandmum · 28/10/2013 20:46

They add plus 2 wks for conception etc. Remember its 40 weeks from first day of your last period not from conception

RubyrooUK · 28/10/2013 20:49

Was your other/s early or late? My first was 40+8 and although the midwife freaked me out by telling me the second was fully engaged at 38 weeks (when I was still at work!), there wasn't any movement by the section at 39+5.

If very quick labours do run in the family though, it might be worth mentioning that at your appointment and they might err on the side of caution and make your appointment earlier rather than later.

Childbirth......it's never easy!

Original poster

AlexaChelsea · 28/10/2013 20:51

What do you mean they add 2 weeks for conception?

If it's based on my last period, why did they measure the baby in the scan, and give me a date based on that?

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Original poster

AlexaChelsea · 28/10/2013 20:53

My DS was late. My mum and sister both had very fast second labours. I'll mention it.

I assume then, if they reckon nearer the time I'm fully engaged, would they bring the date forward? Or just wait and hope I don't go into labour?

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RubyrooUK · 28/10/2013 20:58

In my case, even though my DS2 was fully engaged at 38 weeks, they just told me to keep an eye out for an early labour signs and to call if I had any. They left the section where it was booked in. I know two people who have gone into labour with a section booked (each labour started at around 36 weeks) and they had their sections without problems though.

Original poster

AlexaChelsea · 28/10/2013 21:01

Ah that's good to know. Maybe erring on the side of caution is best - if it feels like labour just go to hospital?

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SoYo · 28/10/2013 21:04

They do elective sections after 39 weeks unless there's an urgent medical need to do it earlier. This is because there's good evidence that babies are more likely to have breathing difficulties at birth requiring resuscitation and/or SCBU if delivered by elective section prior to this. If you've gone into labour before this it doesn't apply as the stress on the body of labour causes you to produce steroids that help with the lung function. Even if your baby is fully engaged before this they won't deliver it electively by section as a baby can go in and out of being engaged or stay engaged for a long time, this isn't a strong indicator of imminent labour. If you went in in labour before your section date they would assess you at the time and decide how to deliver you then. If you had laboured very fast sometimes it would be safer to deliver you vaginally than by section, depending on the original reason for your section. Hope that all makes sense!

RubyrooUK · 28/10/2013 21:06

I think they have the 24 hour line you can call the hospital on, which they stick on your notes at some point further through the pregnancy. I always called that when I had any concerns in late pregnancy and they were always very good at either asking me to come in and set my mind at rest or reassuring me.

mamababa · 28/10/2013 21:33

What SoYo said. They don't do them early now the chance of children with breathing difficulties/asthma/chest infections decreases hugely week by week and day by day if you leave them to 39 weeks. I had a placenta previa and my due date was early jan so because of bank hols etc - I was booked in for section at 39 + 4 and was v worried about natural labour but fortunately it was all ok.

Original poster

AlexaChelsea · 28/10/2013 21:44

Ah okay, thanks.

I can't have a vaginal delivery, so they'll just have to rush me in for an emergency section.. Though will the hospital know this in enough time if it happens? God I am freaking out. Probably unnecessary. I'm sure this happens all the time.

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RubyrooUK · 28/10/2013 21:56

Don't freak out.

Honestly, I had a fourth degree tear with my first birth, so that is why I was forced to have a section for the second. I was very lucky to escape with no incontinence. The doctors really didn't want me to have a vaginal birth but still booked me in after 39 weeks so I think they are pretty confident that they would have time for an emergency section in most cases if necessary.

Original poster

AlexaChelsea · 28/10/2013 21:57

Oh that does make me feel better.

Thanks ruby

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noshthis · 28/10/2013 22:50

Hi! So glad I found this thread :)

Can anyone tell me about the prep before an elective c-section? For instance, not eating before, if you have to do an enema, etc?

Many thanks in advance!

Also for anyone worried about their section - if you go into labour before they definitely just rush you in for an emergency section. Happened to a friend of mine.

Original poster

AlexaChelsea · 28/10/2013 23:05

I'm sure they would rush you in, my concern was that I wouldn't make it in time.

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RubyrooUK · 29/10/2013 07:31

Hi Nosh,

I think all hospitals have slightly different routines (ie some places like you to shave and some don't).

You will have a pre-op appointment a few days before. At mine, they took various bloods and urine. They go through complications that could occur. They gave me anti-nausea pills to take the night before and on the morning of the op. they gave me compression stockings to wear after the op.

On the morning of the op, I had to be at hospital early. I was taken through lots of checklists and my results from the bloods were checked. I put on my gown and then they checked where they would make the incision and took me into theatre. I met the operating team, did more checklists and they gave me an epidural and began.

Afterwards I was discharged the day after the op with blood thinning injections to give myself daily for a week to prevent DVT. And a bit of pain relief (not enough!).

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