Is there a chance I won’t make a c section in time?

[OtherCoraline]

I have had two births via induction- one was 3 pessaries, drip, one was one pessary. First labour was 8.5 hours, second was 6. I am planning on having a c section this time around, but it’s just occurred to me; if I go into labour before the c section date and then find someone to drop kids off with, head to the hospital etc, is there a chance I won’t make a c section? If I turn up say 5cm dilated, and say I want one, will they take me immediately? Is there a cut off for how far along labour wise you can be to have one? It’s not medically needed but my births were traumatic. Thank you for any advice/info.

If you’re booked for a cs and there’s theatre space then you go as an emergency cs.

Unlikely for that situation occur if you’ve not gone into labour naturally before I’d imagine. So try not to worrry too much! But yes they do c sections on dilated women all the time.

Hi! Sis went into labour before the date of her elective section. She phoned the hospital and said she still wanted a section and they told her to just come in and her baby was born via section a few hours later. She was 2/3 cm dilated. I’d say at the first sign of contractions just call and tell them x

Thanks for your reply @Autumn1990. I know it’s not necessarily likely but genuinely what if I’m 8 or 9cm by the time I’m in the Labour ward?

How long will it take you to drop the kids at a friends or neighbours house? More than 6 hours?

Why were you induced before? If you were overdue twice, it seems fairly safe that you won’t go into labour early this time?

But otherwise what the PP said. You can still have a c-section, if theatre is free.

I was induced for reduced movements and then size. I wasn’t overdue.

no @Daisyrainbows, from house to drop them off then hospital about 45 minutes.

Obs anaesthetist. If you go into labour you'll be done via the emergency theatre instead. Urgency of which is determined by clinical need so fetal distress/risk to mums life is first then prioritised accordingly. You may go immediately but it's not guaranteed due to the nature of an emergency theatre. If you come in fully dilated they'll encourage you to have a natural birth or forceps if needed as a csection at fully dilated it far greater risk

Yes but you’ve still not gone into labour naturally and first natural labours tend not to be mega quick.

Impossible to know whether or not labour will even start by itself. If it does, I would get going to the hospital at the first sign of early contractions. Seeing as you've had 2 vaginal births before, it is possible that labour progresses very fast. Wouldn't be able to put a definite number of centimeters on the cut off for c section as everyone's labours progress differently. Eg. could be 5cm for hours, or could go 5cm to fully in 30 mins as a multip.

If time to proceed to section you'll be done as emergency, but more pressing emergencies would have to go before you. As PP said a section at fully dilated comes with risks so may be discouraged if it comes to that.

All of this to say, labour is unpredictable. If time they will still do your c section. If progressing fast it may not he possible. Hopefully labour doesn't begin ahead of your elective date. Do you have anyone who could do the 45 minute drop off for you if it would save you time? One less thing to stress about.

I had a section planned but went into labour naturally. Was 8cm and they did an emergency section within 20 mins of realising I was in labour

I was 9cm and they were able to do a section on me (emergency crash section under GA)

I think you go to cs very quickly. I ended up with a VBAC but at least 5 staff checked I didn’t want the cs including the most senior person on shift. They were very geared up to taking you straight to cs

Yes, it will depend on theatre space and your medical priority relative to other people waiting. The hospital where I gave birth had one theatre for electives (fully booked) and one for emergencies. I went into labour at 4am (waters broke) a few days before my section was scheduled and went straight to hospital but didn’t get my section until 12 noon as I had to wait for the emergencies from overnight labours to be dealt with first. My baby was breach so did have a medical need but the labour wasn’t very advanced so my priority was lower than the overnight emergencies.

My dd got stuck and they were getting worried about her. I was either 9 or 10cm at the time. (They first thought 10 but when I started trying to push something happened that made them think it was only 9.)

Anyway they realised they had to get her out so they had to… erm…. push her back up before delivering via C section.

It wasn’t the most dignified moment of my life 😂 but it goes to show just how far along the natural delivery path you can get and still end up with a c section.

Sorry to ask again but say I arrived at 5/6cm, can the midwives say ‘let’s just see how you get on for a bit’ or something similar? If I’m very adamant about a c section, do they have to take me to one before I progress to 10cm?

I believe they would usually act in the best interests of you and the baby so it’s very situation dependent. My labour progressed very quickly before the date of my planned CS so I was fully dilated by the time we reached the hospital. Baby was footling breech so was delivered by emergency CS but I had to give consent on the operating table for them to deliver baby in whatever they deemed to be the safest way at that point.

They may well want to discuss having a vaginal birth, especially if you'd gone into spontaneous labour and have had two previous vaginal births, so your chances of another "successful" birth are good. Quite a few women who are booked for CS because they want to avoid induction, will actually go for a VB if they labour spontaneously. There are still risks associated with a CS, so they still need to make sure you are making the right decision for you.

If you are adamant on CS it will probably get done but it may not be immediate and, if has already been said, you are fully dilated, the risks change again (it's not that it can't be done, but if there aren't concerns about the baby at that stage, it is definitely not the preferred option) and they would probably more strongly recommend VB.

I went into to labour the morning of my booked c section. I just got bumped to the front of the queue.

The midwives will ask if you’re sure you still want a section given you are progressing well and quickly, meaning an easy VB is likely. You just say that you still want a c-section. They will not ‘pushing’ you into a VB, just making you aware of risks and likely outcomes. It remains your decision.

if you are 5/6cm they will prioritise you for a section as the more dilated you are, the greater the risks. If there is a theatre free they will take you straight away. If there is someone with an emergency you will have to wait and you may dilate further during that time.

When I requested an ELCS (maternal request - no medical indication) for DC1 I had to go a see a specialist midwife to talk through options and make sure it was what I wanted. I asked this same question and she said that theoretically I could have a section all the way up until the baby was crowning, but at that point they’d have to push the baby back up, it would be much more risky than a VB for both mum and baby, and likely more traumatic than a VB.

For DC2 I again had an elective section but went into labour early. The midwife did ask if I was sure I wanted a section. I just said ‘yes’. It was night time and they wanted to wait until the day shift started if possible so they kept checking how dilated I was with a view to keeping me waiting if I was under 4 cm dilated, but going straight to theatre if I was beyond that point.

Just go asap as presumably if you’ve opted a section a huge benefit is to not endure labour

Just curious why you want a C-section?

I have experience of this sort of thing. DD2 was in a breech position but I could only get my section booked for 39+5 due to the way the Easter weekend fell last year and my eldest had been born at 38w exactly. My consultant told me if I went into spontaneous labour, I needed to just go to the hospital straight away. No waiting for a bit at home, no seeing how things went - just get there ASAP. She also told me if I really needed to, to bring DD1 and she could wait in the waiting room with DH until our childcare could collect her from the hospital. I wasn't comfortable with that idea (mostly because neither us or our childcare have cars so i didnt want the stress of swapping car seats between taxis), so our plan was that I would go to the hospital by myself and DH would follow.

As it was, that was exactly what happened. A few days before my section date, I went into labour. I was at the hospital within an hour of realising contractions had started / waters broken (and that included getting up and dressed as i had been in bed 😅). DH stayed at home with DD1. Due to the time I went to hospital, it was faster to drop DD at nursery rather than wait for our childcare, so DH dropped her as soon as the doors opened and then rushed up to the hospital. When I got to triage, I was immediately assessed and they started getting things sorted for the section route. Then I was scanned and it turned out baby was head down so I opted for a VB instead. But they were all very aware that I had been supposed to be having a section. I'd also add that my active labour time was around an 1hr in the end, so quite fast and there wasn't a lot of time to get things sorted but noone suggested I couldn't have the section if I wanted. It was 4hrs ish total from first twinge to birth. So in terms of your plan, I think you need to: 1) be very alert to early signs of labour, 2) have a plan to get to hospital on your own so you arent delayed by childcare issues (I took a taxi), 3) make sure you are clear with every mw / doctor who sees you that you want to go ahead with your section and you do not want to try for a VB. Good luck!

I went into labour before planned section (after emergency section due to medical errors the first time). I had to be very firm at the hospital. They tried to tell me not to come in until my waters broke etc but I went anyway. Then they talked about a trial of labour. I told them to read my notes, especially what the consultant had written and that I didn't want to discuss trial of labour any further. They then accepted the decision after reading the notes but pointed out that I would not be prioritised over someone with urgent medical need which I said of course I understood. I waited maybe 2 hours. The issue for you will be the timings, especially if the labour ward is very busy. Maybe ask your consultant to ensure your notes are very clear including about previous fast progression of labour and obviously don't delay in getting to hospital. Fingers crossed for you.

That sounds like a scary experience! How long was your labour and how long had it been by the time you got to hospital? I am already nervous about something like this happening with my 2nd as I was told I have a high risk of another breach baby and my first breach baby came at 38 weeks (a few days before my scheduled section).