How early can an elective lscs be done?

[onceipopicantstop]

Hi
Just wondering at what stage lscs are usually booked? What is the earliest they would be considered? I have significant mental health issues - ocd - and am really struggling with this pregnancy. Am nearly 36 weeks and seriously considering requesting a lscs as am so worried about the effect my anxiety is having on the baby? Don't think I can cope with another 4-6 weeks of this.
Has anyone else had a lscs for mental health reasons?

They usually can do it from 38+1 days so less then two weeks for you.

Round here they won't do them before 39 weeks now. When I had DS1 in 2012 he was ELCS due to breech at 38+3 but for DS2 was advised wouldn't be before 39 weeks as that minimizes the risk of breathing difficulties (not that DS1 had any) so I'm booked in for 39+4, 3 weeks today!

Thanks for replying. It seems a bit of a desperate measure but I really think the baby would be better off out! The stress hormones can't be good for him. I'll have a chat with the mw later this week. I guess the other option would be to ask to be induced - I'd prefer a vaginal delivery if possible.

Or maybe should start in the raspberry leaf tea, pineapple and curry in the hope labour will start early of its own accord!

I wonder if they'd consider doing it earlier if it was for maternal health? Although the risk of complications worries me.

I had a CS at 36+6 due to severe pre eclampsia, I think they only consider early birth if the maternal health risk is an immediate emergency. Are you getting extra support for your OCD?

it is best to have the baby at 39 weeks+ because of the risks of breathing difficulties.

when my ds was born, he had breathing difficulties and was in scbu for 8 days on cpap, with a feeding tube, it was hard.

onceipop a 36 week baby is statistically quite a bit more likely to have health and development problems than a 39 week baby. I imagine you would be very anxious about that even if they did agree to it? Really, any negative effect from your stress while pregnant will be absolutely tiny (stressed women have healthy babies all the time!) and definitely much less than the negative effect from being several weeks early. The baby would not be better off out.

I hope I don't sound unsympathetic, I can see you are really very anxious, but this is what your midwife will tell you.

I had my ELCS at 39 weeks. Don't push for it to be earlier, risks to respiratory system are significant.
Being induced doesn't mean much, my induction (ds1) started on a tue at 8am and finished on the fri at 5am. It was very stressful. By comparison, for the ELCS, I arrived at 7.15am and was first that day so ds2 was out by 9.30am.
The ELCS was much less stressful, although I had a lot of help with the physical stuff once I was home.
Good luck with whatever you choose.

Thanks for all your replies. You're right that it's probably too much of a risk. I'm just getting a bit desperate as my symptoms are really out of control. Dc1 was 9 days late so the prospect of another 6 weeks of this is scaring me. I do have support but things are difficult even so.

NICE guidelines (very recent) are 39 weeks. I have - in my opinion and a few other consultants' opinions - good (physical in my case) medical reasons for 38-38.5 weeks but my current consultant won't budge before 39 weeks. But the fact that some others would means it isn't set in stone and some depends on PCT policy too as well as individual consultants. Just be aware of the risks - they are just increased risks rather than definites, but the research does back up the 39 week rule.

I am sorry you are struggling, it is hard enough with just the regular pregnancy anxieties let alone with extra mental health issues on top. I can't imagine how hard you must be finding it as I'm struggling at 32 weeks!

I have preg-related anxiety 'issues' related to previous problems for which I'm consultant-led anyway. My consultant has offered induction anytime from 38 weeks if I want it; he would prefer to go to 39 but is very clear that from 38 weeks it's my call. His view is that my being a "miserable mess" for weeks before baby arrives won't make for a positive start when it does arrive. I'm actually planning to hold out till 40 weeks but have agreed additional monitoring to help me relax a bit.

I'm thinking maybe what I need to request is intervention if I go post dates - whether that's induction or cs.

My hospital said the earliest is 39 weeks as well when i asked.