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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Elective c/s

22 replies

RambleOn · 12/10/2008 21:22

If you are having an elective c/sec, when do they do it compared with your due date?

I suppose it's different depending on the reason for section, but if you could give me an idea..

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ScaryHalloweenSquonkRAAR · 12/10/2008 21:23

sometime within the two weeks before you are due.

I think, though, it varies from PCT to PCT so yours may be different from ours.

moodlumthehoodlum · 12/10/2008 21:24

i had an elective with ds and they decided at 36wk to do it at 38. He was of unstable lie and footling breech though, but I hthink 38w is pretty standard.

Original poster

RambleOn · 12/10/2008 21:29

Do you have any say in when it is done? If they decide to give me an elective, I would prefer to wait as long as poss.

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andyrobo237 · 12/10/2008 21:43

I had mine at 38+2 weeks, but the norm was 39 weeks. It does depend on the Consultants preference and the hospital protocol. I had a choice of Tuesday, Wed or Thurs or a week, or the following week, so yes, you can have some say!

There is no reason why you cannot get as close to your due date as possible, the only risk being, the closer you are, then there is more chance of going into labour naturally, and then needing an emergency section. THis did actually happen to me with my first - went to an ante-natal appt at the hospital in the morning, and DD was born that afternoon! I did think the nurse knew I was in labour (and so did my mum), but I was booked in for a section the following week, when I would have been just over full term. Second time round was an elective section, and I felt it was better, as I was obviously not in pain with labour pains!! It was curiously calm and not at all nerve racking! Good luck!!

HeadFairy · 12/10/2008 21:52

I had mine at 39+1. They insisted on the +1 so they can put it down as a full term delivery.

chilledmama · 12/10/2008 21:55

Usually PCTs like to do it before you go into to labour naturally therefore it is quite normal to be takn in anytime after 37 weeks. My friend was due when our PCT was busy so she had her elective on her due date...

constancereader · 12/10/2008 21:58

39 weeks exactly

aquariusgirl · 12/10/2008 22:01

Generally it is 39 weeks but may be less if you have had a c/s before but as you said it also depends on the reason for it. But chances of breathing problems can increase with elective sections (no stress of labour to help their lungs) so they are done as late as possible.

baytree11 · 12/10/2008 22:02

i will hv it at 39wks, 11th Nov.

PortofinoPumpkin · 12/10/2008 22:02

With mine they insisted I went to full term - then didn't do it at the last minute as baby had turned up the right way.

whomovedmychocolate · 12/10/2008 22:03

Rambleon - I was given a date of 39+6 but they moved it forward for other reasons. The latest guidelines say 'not before 38 weeks unless medically indicated'.

Original poster

RambleOn · 12/10/2008 22:23

Thanks everyone. I had an emergency one last time after 13hrs labour, and DD did have mucousy lungs as aquariusgirl mentions.

She was also a quite small baby, and this one also looks on the small side at 27wks. Am worried about his breathing if they take him out early.

He is due 10th Jan. Does anyone know if late dec/early jan is likely to be a busy time in the labour ward, and give me more chance of forced into a particular date iyswim?

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whomovedmychocolate · 12/10/2008 22:24

You can book it now. It's a really odd experience. You take your diary, they take out their diary and stick one of your stickers on the relevant date and that's it - it's booked.

You can insist on going to term obviously though and asking for steriods if he has to be evicted early.

Original poster

RambleOn · 12/10/2008 22:31

Can I? Insist on going to term that is?

Ha ha - could I say "Oh that date's not good for me, I'm lunching with the girls that day!!"

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whomovedmychocolate · 12/10/2008 22:37

You certainly could. In the event of you going into labour before your booked date they would just take you in as an emergency section anyway if you are booked - unless you decided at the time you wanted to try for a VBAC!

Original poster

RambleOn · 12/10/2008 22:45

Oh, I didn't know that wmmc. I would much prefer doing it this way.

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whomovedmychocolate · 12/10/2008 22:49

Oh RambleOn it is your baby you know and your birth - the surgeons are just assisting you with it!

When I realised I had to have DS within the week I elected to have the caesarian and actually, in spite of complications, it was good to have control of when it happened. You do have to go in the night before though and you don't get a lot of sleep!

eidsvold · 12/10/2008 22:59

WIth dd3 I was told - between 38 and 39 weeks. I had dd3 bang on 39 weeks.

WIth dd2 I was tossing up between a vbac and elective section - she was finally born by elective section 10 days past due date. No labour - no braxton hicks nothing right up to date she was born - she was in fact still quite high up also.

I had a say with both of them. I asked for it to be more 39 weeks with dd3 ( the cs decision was made fairly early in pregnancy) than the 38 weeks.

aquariusgirl · 13/10/2008 16:26

wmmc going in the morning of is now quite common - I went out to dinner with DP the night before having left DS with friends for a couple of nights then came home the morning after c/s! Rambleon remember minimal staffing sometimes around Christmas /New Year noone wants to work in hospital at festive times anymore!

whomovedmychocolate · 13/10/2008 20:20

Round here you have to be here the night before - mind you they kept me for the month before - perhaps they thought I would leg it?

aquariusgirl · 14/10/2008 11:36

well you know how irresponsible those pregnant women can be.....lol!!

Sycamoretree · 14/10/2008 11:56

Mine ECS was at 39 +5, because I was fighting for a vbac until the last minute.
They wanted to do it earlier, but I insisted on hanging on for more last minute scans to see if there was really an issue with the size of the baby. (There was, ahem 10lbs 2oz). TBH, there was a fare bit of tugging to get him out!

So yes, of course you can say. Although often health professionals don't make it seem that way, IYSWIM.

I will say though, that you should just be sure that going to term is the best way forward, depending on your reasons for a section. The reason they put them in from 38 weeks is because, if they forsee serious problems with labour, they don't want to risk you going into labour before they can perform the section. In some cases, if labour advances quickly, it can make a section very difficult.

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