No available slots for elective c section

[eastlondonmummyE13]

Hi all!
Hoping for some reassurance/advice here please!
36 weeks with first baby and we don't have a date for our planned c section as the consultant told us all slots for our "due week" are taken.

Has this happened to anyone? What happened in your case?
Nobody told us we needed to book it in sooner and assumed we would book it at our 36 week consultant appointment...
I mean... the baby is due when it's due, and they'll have to squeeze me in somewhere, I just don't feel as happy knowing I don't have a "slot"
But I guess if I was going for a vaginal birth, I wouldn't have a slot either... dunno how to feel! Feeling a bit let down by our midwife as we have been talking about a planned c section since December and we weren't advised to book a slot
I also imagine that some of the planned c sections that week may not happen so it might open up a slot for me?

Any advice would be lovely
Thank you!

Well anyway, will just leave it at hope you get your a date soon and everything goes a lot more smoothly from now on for you

emergencies are emergencies- electives are very different. Obstetrician and theatre time are very limited.

Same thing happened to me. My waters broke 10 days before my planned ELCS date so I rocked up to the delivery suite. They asked if I still wanted a section which I did so monitored me overnight to make sure nothing more labour-y happened and I was first on the list the next morning. I presume that my planned slot was given to someone else.

Bear in mind that even if you book a date, if an emergency comes in, or someone booked for a later date gets to need an earlier slot , then then you could get bumped. This happened to a friend. She was at hospital waiting to go to theatre but was informed there had been two higher priority cases come in so she would have to go home and they would try to fit her in the next day. Son born late the following day after a bit more waiting about.

I didn't get a slot until a few days before. It was all full up but they had to do it as they didn't want me to go over 40 weeks. So if someone didn't cancel they would have, had to bump someone and give me their slot. They seemed quite casual about it so I didn't worry.

Even if you have a slot it can be changed last minute. It’s hard but just go with the flow. You’ll get your section.

Are there any other hospitals near by? having your baby at a different hospital might be an option?

Thank you all, that all makes sense and definitely makes me feel better! Knowing this definitely makes it easier to go with the flow a bit more.
There is another hospital very nearby, however a few people I know have given birth there and had pretty bad experiences unfortunately! So I'd definitely prefer to stay with my current hospital as it's one of the best around here (which probably makes it one of busiest haha)

Just remember an emergency will always take priority over an elective cesarean. There are finite surgeons /anaesthetists, theatre hours. You could end up giving birth naturally. Be prepared for that possibility.

It sounds as though in your case you started as elective but the consultant decided that you should not go beyond 40 weeks so you were rightly given priority over other cases on the day.

In my area women can't book themselves in for a C-section, I wasn't aware that was a thing. The only people I've know who've had a C-section booked well in advance are those where there was a medical reason that the pregnancy couldn't continue beyond a certain point. Everyone else had a C-section at 39 weeks approx, with the exact date only confirmed relatively late on. I presume C-sections for medical need would always take priority but I don't know?

In my area, a woman can call gynae admissions from 33 weeks to arrange their elective section, providing they've had their birth choices appointment with the consultant already, which is what I did.

I opted for mine to be at 40 weeks exactly and then was called to ask if I'd be willing to swap to 39+6, which for personal reasons I refused. It didn't matter anyway as labour came on at 38+3 and being my second, baby was ready to come out in under 3 hours. I still opted for a c section.

So yes, things can and do change by the hour!

An elective that takes place before its planned date is counted as an emergency. Granted it’s very different in practice, but they still categorise it as an emergency.

I was booked in for an elective at week 39. My waters broke at week 38 and I had the c section on the same day. It was deemed an emergency c section even though I didn’t even have any contractions.

If your aim of to avoid induction then surely going into labour yourself would be a good thing?

Sections are usually booked at 36 weeks in most trusts by the consultant, it sounds like you've just been unlucky that all the slots have already been taken by high risk women who needed them and therefore were booked in early.

Hi I appreciate you might not see this in time but I’m in the same position as you were.
I currently 37 weeks and they said they’re all booked up the week I’m due (08/10) but I’m on the list and will be called if a slot becomes available and if it doesn’t and he happens to make an appearance before then I should go in and they will do it that day (at the end of the day).

Did your situation change, did you get a date? If you didn’t, how did it all go? I’m anxious because my husband is actually working 2 hours away and I really need a bit of notice to make sure he gets here.

Any advice welcome.

2 things. You could be very local to my unit and in my unit, the lowest risk electives are sometimes having their sections as emergencies In labour (if they don't have a VB first) because we don't have room to book them in for their own slot.