C Section at Christmas

[TobeornottobeXmasMama]

I hope this is the best place to post as I know you all love Christmas so will hopefully get my dilemma.

I am hoping to have an ELCS on 22nd December but after seeing the MW (who I get on really well with informally) she shuddered and said “ooh no I’d wait until after”

So my dilemma is, in a perfect, risk free world, would you rather have baby here before the big day or wait until after but spend Christmas heavily pregnant, distracted by the impending CS and nervous about going into labour over the (short staffed) holiday period?

Christmas with a newborn would be awful!

enjoy being lovely and pregnant / be looked after and then have baby - their first Christmas will be next year! All the fun.

surely 39 weeks is better than 38 if there is no reason to go early.

medical advice obviously wins though.

I didn't think they would do a ELCS to avoid vaginal delivery until 39+ weeks?

My worry would be that it would get booked in for say the 22nd, but a higher risk person would come and bump you off - then you may not be home in time for Christmas.

For context, I had a ELCS following an EMCS and I had GD. Booked for 38+3 because of the GD.
The theatres hadn't been in use for planned sections for a few days prior to my section as it was so cold, the theatres were too cold for babies.
We were the first group of women, attempting it for a few days. There were 3 of us.
The start was delayed because the theatres were too cold. They took down the First Lady over an hour after they were planned (she had pre-eclampsia and GD and they would have put her on the emergency list if they hadn't managed to warm up a theatre). Me second, with GD.
The 3rd got sent home as it was too late, she was ELCS to avoid vaginal delivery. No idea when she had her baby in the end 🤷🏼‍♀️.
December last year 😊.

I've had both, and if medical advice is all the same, I'd go with the pre christmas date. It was very relaxing over Christmas as loads of family were around and helped out with my older dd, and I didn't have to do anything for anyone except myself and baby. For the post Christmas cs, I was still trying to help everyone else. Birthdays pre Christmas are imo better than after Christmas as too - my Ppost Christmas child often gets forgotten about

Pre-christmas definitely. I had DS before and Christmas with a newborn wasn't the slightest bit awful, it was bloody lovely. Also very practically speaking I'd far rather have it booked before the 25th and get bumped than having it bumped a week later and risk the possibility of an early January baby and the nursery fees being prolonged until Easter.

That was me some years ago. Best thing ever having a new born at Christmas. No regrets at all.

I had a c section baby on the 22 December. I wanted it out of the way and was paranoid about low staffing over the Christmas period (no justification for this!) I was out the next day and had to force myself to rest. That first Christmas was lovely. Still in the baby bubble and family helped. Now I much prefer a birtday before Christmas. Often we pick a weekend in the month to have the party and have a ‘party day’ with just us on the day.

I had a section on the 22nd of dec! I'd rather have been pregnant on Christmas day than have a 3 day old baby tbh. But that may have been my unsupportive family. I thought my parents might have visited, might have brought us Christmas dinner, but no. We had bagels for Christmas Dinner because we were too disorganised and tired to do anything else. We also have an older son, aged 3 then,so had to be 'on' for him.

I'm still a little bitter about it tbh.

When you're so close to your due date, Christmas is likely to be a lesser priority no matter whether it's before or after.

I'd keep your Dec 22nd date, hopefully get home the day after and have people look after you and cook for you while having lovely baby cuddles.

I had elective c section on 22nd Dec due to breech. Even tho at the time you were meant to stay in hospital for 3 days they let me leave on 24th so I could be home for Xmas. We had a really lovely chilled Xmas day. I'd def do that again. Also meant I could eat all the cheese and pate I wanted

Nothing useful to add but Xmas babies are the best! I had 2 of mine on different years 2 weeks before Xmas. The new born bubble +Christmas is so special.

Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed reading this lovely post. I had a 23 Dec baby too (many years ago) and reading this brought it all back.

I was induced on Boxing Day as was almost two weeks late. I was the only person in labour and it was very quiet! Got my pick of the rooms etc. staff were great.

I remember asking why it was so quiet and mw told me that women hold their babies in a bit over Xmas period as they don't like them for birthdays! They also said they don't do ELCS on the 25 and 26 dec. In my case 27 was a Sat so no ELCS for four days. I thought that can't be right but ONS data shows 25,26,27,28 dec and 1 Jan are the least common birthdays of the year so must be some truth to it!

I ended up having a crash section on evening of 27 it was still lovely and quiet. By the 29 dec it started to get busy again!

I wonder if mw said that because 22 dec could be a busier time with everyone getting ELCS in ahead of the break. I also think the medical advice is to get babies as close to 40 weeks as possible, so that could play into it.

I've also had a ELCS on a Friday, during covid, so hard to compare but the actual surgery was great. Aftercare was horrific but think it was due to covid.

None of this is probably helpful but interesting nonetheless!

@CobraChicken or anyone else!
Can I ask why a Friday section should be avoided?

Im actively trying to get a Friday booking due to childcare….

Yes i’m also interested in the Friday advice please! I’ll be having a ELCS in November but no idea what day yet!

Is this is the same thing i’ve heard about surgeons making more mistakes on Fridays because they are tired at the end of the week?

First Christmas will be different anyway. Do what is 1. Healthiest and then 2. Better birthday for your child and for you having to plan presents/parties for 18 years!

Maybe because of lots of emergencies before weekend and getting bumped to Monday?

I had an ELCS on a Friday (my choice) last year, no issues, was all very prompt and efficient.

My birthday is between Xmas and NY and I’ve always hated it so I would personally avoid but others would say otherwise!

Day 3 was when I hit the maximum level of pain and for some reason it was much worse this time than last. There’s also the risk you don’t get out of hospital straight away. I think I would still rather baby had arrived before Christmas though and just do lots of nice Christmas activities in the lead up then have a very small Christmas and maybe introduce everyone to baby closer to new year when you’re up and about a bit more

I had a csec on Christmas Day...obv not planned but induced on the 22nd Was a strange but lovely experience christmas sons on the radio while she was born, all the staff wearing Christmas hats (my dd even got a hand knitted one for after she was born) everyone was so happy (considering being in work on Christmas Day) spent a lot of pregnancy worrying baby would arrive on Xmas day and in the end was out of my control. I was out Boxing Day just over 24hours. Would be lovely to have a squishy newborn around on Christmas Day. After all the worrying it was my best Christmas yet

Congrats op

Would the 20th/21st be possible ?

I promise you the staffing is no difference for anaesthetists on Christmas day as any other day of the year. I've been an anaesthetist working Christmas annually for 8 years now. We are just incredibly busy as we cover all epidural requests (which has gone through the roof now lots of hospitals can't offer entonox), pcas, emergency csections/forceps, seeing any pre or post op unwell patients

No. Number of emergency cases isn't affected by days of the week.

We wouldn't bounce Friday > Monday either if a section needs doing it will be done in the emergency theatre over the weekend

If I'm guessing it's because weekend staffing is lower for paediatricians so maybe delays in getting a newborn baby check which is a requirement to go home (and if paeds are overwhelmed by sick children then they prioritise over baby checks

Personally I'd want it before Xmas, good excuse to not help and be waited on hand and foot with all the nice food and you can have a drink, lots of good telly etc etc.

Looking ahead- my birthday is just before Christmas and I love having it then. Everyone's always in a good mood and up for a night out. Just make sure you do what my mum did for me. I always had a birthday party and she threatened family that if anyone ever bought me a "joint" birthday and Christmas present she'd do it for their kids- even if their birthdays were in July

Someone I know has a birthday in the week between Christmas and New year and find it a drag. Everyone is partied out, tired and broke. People lose track of the date in those days between Christmas and New Year and so forget the birthday.

So if I had to choose, I certainly chose before Christmas - but then I'm shallow and just like presents 😀

I think if you choose the date you can plan everything else around it. I had a c section in December so had frozen food and treats in the freezer, cards written and sent, all presents wrapped by about the end of November, including Santa presents for both dc. It also meant we could organise a babysitter for dd1 - grandma - and it didn’t disrupt her plans.