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.

A friend had this happen very recently. She went into labour naturally, but had been booked in for a c section later that week. They let her get to 8cm before being able to fit her in for the c section. I guess it’s because she wasn’t an emergency, so was just to be fitted in asap if possible.

Mine was also at 38 weeks and a few days before my scheduled section date! I had a few twinges and then it was about an hour and a half from my waters breaking at home to baby being delivered at the hospital. I had felt uncomfortable throughout the day but as DC1 was late, I didn’t think much of it. Everything was fine though, it was very stressful at the time for us but the hospital staff were amazing and once baby was here it was all a bit of a blur!

I had a 3rd degree tear with first baby so I requested and was agreed to have a cs for my second. I went into labour at 35 weeks waters broke at home. Went to hospital straight away.was being prepped for cs was almost about yo be wheeled in but was told a more urgent cs was taking priority. Contractions had already started at this point so I just had to have a VB.

I was worried about this, I’ve had 3 vaginal births and DS born a couple of weeks ago was breech so I had a c section booked in, they only gave me a date 4 days beforehand despite him being breech the whole time and they don’t do them before 39 weeks so I was really worried I’d go into labour before and we live a long way from hospital so I was thinking it might end up a vaginal breech birth. They said if that happened and I arrived at hospital in labour they would encourage me to carry on with a vaginal birth and not do a c section but that was very much based on me having 3 very quick and straightforward labours before they thought it would be fine 🤷‍♀️ I was much less
confident about that and just wanted him out safe . Turns out on the day, 39 weeks exactly, I was having mild contractions and I think I would have had him that day or the next had the section not been booked but we got there in time and it was fine. They did a scan before to check he hadn’t flipped and the Dr asked me if he had turned did I still want a c section anyway so I think if I’d felt really strongly that I still wanted a section, even if it turned out to not be necessary they would have let me have one and I guess they are doing them all the time on ladies where they get to a certain point and it ends up as an emergency, some of those must be fully dilated so I don’t see a reason why they wouldn’t go ahead with it if it’s what you want, they might suggest you continue with a vaginal birth but I don’t think they would insist on it if you felt strongly it’s not what you want.