Possible c section tomorrow

[mum2bemay22]

I’m 35 weeks and 4 days today, went in for my normal twice weekly monitoring on CTG machine as I’m a gestational diabetic. When I came off the machine I was made to wait for three hours to see a doctor. After seeing the doctor she said she was admitting me to give me steroid injections as she is worried the placenta is failing and baby may need to be delivered depending on the outcome of the urgent scan tomorrow. Has anyone had a section around this time too? Will baby be ok? Will he be taken to NICU? I would have asked the doctor but I kind of freaked out and didn’t want to ask any questions straight away until I had got my head around it. TYIA!

My DD was born at 35+5 weighing 4lbs 13. She spent 5 days in special care but is fine. Babies born a bit early sometimes struggle to regulate their temperature and blood sugar which is why DD went to special care. She was in an incubator and had to have her blood sugars tested often. A lot of them also suffer with jaundice, DD did and had to have phototherapy.
In all likelihood your baby will be absolutely fine but might need a little bit of monitoring and help for a week or so.

I was in a similar situation although placenta problems due to to praevia. DS was born on the dot of 36 weeks (but 35 by my dates) and was 6lb 9. Didn't need ICU but did have a long stay on the ward as he couldn't feed. He's now nearly 4.
Hand hold as it's a scary feeling knowing you're having a baby prem.

my baby was born at 36+3 no emergency he just came early weighed 8lbs 3oz! no major issues apart from antibiotics as i was strep b and jaundice

I know he is already over 7lbs so that’s reassuring to know and they’ve just given me my first steroid injection to help with his lungs if he is taken out. Have to wait and see what the outcome is of the scan tomorrow. Very worrying but at least I’m in the best place for us both. Doesn’t help it’s the hottest night ever!!

Good luck for today love. I hope all goes well. I also go to weekly CTG monitoring and fetal medicine scans due to low growth and gestational diabetes and it’s been my worst fear so far. I am just over 35 weeks now so keep thinking it’s gonna be okay compared to 28 weeks when I was so worried

I didn’t realise that they can tell whether the placenta is working properly by the CTG monitoring!

Wishing you so much good luck for this morning and when you meet your little one, it will all be worth it

Thank you @woodeffecttiles. I don’t think they can tell by CTG monitoring but they were asking me how I was feeling and I said fine just that my readings were becoming quite low and yet I’m on insulin three times a day and the highest dose of metformin a day and usually my numbers would rise alongside my insulin levels. Then when they tested me in there I was reading at 4 which is when everyone started to panic. Haven’t slept, I’m so nervous. I’m only two days away from 36 weeks so it’s not far off of term so hoping if we do meet him early that everything will be absolutely fine 🤞

Not completely like your situation but in case it helps happy to share my experience. I had borderline GD and was admitted with regular contraction like pains (turned out I was dehydrated) and reduced movements almost exactly your stage - 35 +3 on admission.

They thought they might have to deliver so did the steroid injections (you will probably have already had the first one by now but if not just FYI the injections themselves are ok but they sting a bit after - totally bearable but wish someone had mentioned that to me as I didn’t realise that was normal). With me they were able to do overnight CTG monitoring and observations then later that night and repeated in the morning they did a scan and dopplers that showed placental function in colours on the scan - don’t know the technical terms for that, sorry, and were happy it was ok so got us stabilised, IV fluids etc, and were able to hold off delivery for another 2.5 weeks (with v frequent monitoring).

Although I did not end up delivering at your stage it did look likely at one point and my consultant was v calm about the idea of it. Said baby would probably be small but not so small that they would worry much, that the steroid injections would help a lot escpecially if they could give them 24 hours to take effect (but that they were still helpful even if delivery was sooner) and that if they did the c section then as well as the usual surgeons, anesthetists , midwife etc there would also be a paediatric doctor in theatre too, and that they would expect that baby might need a short precautionary NICU stay, but that would depend on how well baby’s lungs were working. They obviously couldn’t tell me precisely what to expect but were overall very reassuring.

Really good luck.

Sorry - seen that you had the jab last night.

Should say I wasn’t kept in for the 2.5 weeks - was able to go home for quite a bit of it but was in for probably 4 or 5 nights as well as daytime appointments in that 2.5 week period as and when needed for the monitoring or any other concerns (especially movements). All was fine in the end - little one is currently asleep on my chest after a huge cluster feed.

Thank you for that information. My numbers are also getting low which is worrying. Same like yourself I am high dose of insulin 4 times a day plus max metformin. I have been on it since 16 bloody weeks as I had GD with my son in previous pregnancy. He was born at 37 weeks by emcs and he’s completely fine. 36 weeks is a good gestation and baby is ready to come out now. The last few weeks are only for extra weight on baby so don’t worry too much. I know it’s easier said than done. I will be thinking of you and your little boy. It’s gonna be okay.

Hope all goes well today.

Thank you for the kind posts, it means so much when I’m feeling worried. Pregnancy can be such a mix of emotions, I always thought the end of pregnancy would be the easiest! I’m hoping the scan is this morning so that I’m not sat around worrying all day, I’m sure it will be, they are usually very good. I’ve had my blood sugars monitored every two hours through the night and I’ll be back on the CTG machine when the ward is back awake. If my placenta is failing then he will be better coming out than staying in and that’s the way I’m looking at it, in a positive light ☺️ And on the plus side I get to cuddle him sooner!

Also I have another question and don’t know if any of you know the answer but I have been trying to read online about the steroid injection and I know it’s given to mature the lungs but it says everywhere that after 34 weeks it’s not needed? Have I been given it because a GD baby is less mature than that of a ‘regular’ baby?

I'm 37+6 and had the steroid injections this week as it looked like I was going to have to deliver. I think whatever gives your baby the best chance of fewer complications they will do. Luckily my little dude has stayed out and I'm having my c-section next week. Very good luck for today, let us know how you get on xxx

I think it depends on the policy of your hospital. For e.g. at mine they won’t give the steroids after 35 weeks if I remember correctly.
And you are right, sometimes it’s better baby is out than in.
When my son was born he was so small and wrinkly like an old man lol and now he’s a huge 2 years old and sometimes I can’t believe he was so small and fragile when born. We were so scared to even hold him lol

Hope it’s not too long waiting round. You must have fasted throughout the night in prep of the section?
Oh god yes I also used to think the last few weeks of pregnancy are meant to be the easiest and they so ain’t!

And don’t worry, you are at the right place. They will look after you and your baby very well.

Well doesn’t sound like steroids are a bad thing anyway so whatever is there to help I’m happy with. No haven’t had to fast yet...from what I can gather and I’m going on limited information until I see the doctor again this morning is that they will send me for the Doppler scan to see how the placenta is working and the fluid before they decide what will happen next. They say the next steroid injection will be tonight around 9pm so I am guessing I may need that before anything happens? Hard to know at this stage but when I did mention to the doctor yesterday that I was under the impression I could go to 38 weeks she just said ‘things change and I’ll make a decision in the morning about a possible emcs if I’m not happy’ and we left it at that and she told me to go home and get my hospital bags...
Will keep you all informed as the day progresses and I have further updates, thanks for being so kind, it means so much!

Most babies lungs have developed enough by 34 weeks, but some hospitals have different policies and guidelines. The hospital I work at is currently doing research and will offer steroids to women with GD up until 37 weeks (with consent of course).

Hope the scan goes well!!

My hospital does steroid injections unless baby is over 37 weeks.

My twins are due to be born by elcs at 36+5 and my consultant said that unless they have anaemia (and they're showing no signs of it) then they'll only be kept in a couple of days.

I know they've estimated your baby at 7lb but if he comes out smaller then it's worth knowing mothercare, Tesco and next so tiny baby clothes. Mothercare does free next day delivery on all of their premie stuff.

My hospital’s policy was to give the steroid injections if an earlier c section was likely to be needed even if it was a bit later than the point at which they felt steroids would be needed for a natural delivery. As I understand it (and I may not have fully or properly understood it through the preggy brain fog...) the reasoning seemed to be that c section babies can struggle a little with breathing anyway as they can be mucussy as their lungs have not be compressed as they would be coming out of the birth canal in a natural birth, so the steroids have a benefit even that little bit later.

They can if they need to do the injections closer together (mine were done 12 hours apart) so if necessary I expect they will bring your second one forward. Fingers crossed that there will be no need and that the scan will go well. You are in the best place though and hopefully the midwives and doctors will be as lovely as mine were.

Good luck today. I had steroid injections at 34 weeks as the doctor suspected a problematic with my placenta. Luckily turned out to be a false alarm and baby has stayed in since happily enough. I'm now 35+4 and hoping we make it to 37 weeks (still at risk of preterm labour).

It's not easy worrying about this sort of thing happening and feeling it's too early but if it's best for baby to be out the you have to go with it and yes cuddles will be all the sooner! All the best 💐

I know they've estimated your baby at 7lb but if he comes out smaller then it's worth knowing mothercare, Tesco and next so tiny baby clothes. Mothercare does free next day delivery on all of their premie stuff.

This. I've never known these estimates to be accurate. I've known so many ppl be told their baby is measuring big or small and it's not turned out to be the case.

My sister was born 11 weeks early. Yes, she did go into neo natal. But she's a teenager now and you wouldn't know she was born early. She weighed just over 2lb.

I hope all goes well x

Good luck for today 🤞🏻 x

I was given steroids when I was just over 38 weeks, so it does seem different hospitals, different policies.

I had my DD at 35+6 days (after steroids). She was fine and stayed on the ward with me. She did get jaundice though (which is common with early babies), but that was easily sorted out with a light box thingy.

Guidelines here are steroid injections before 37 weeks OR before 39 weeks if a x section is needed.
As PP has said a vaginally birth squashes them a bit and helps breathing. That's why in a c section they squash the baby a bit on the way out. I'm sure this has a technical name by the way!
It's also why planned c sections with no medical reason are set for 39 weeks.
I had the steroid injections with DS (well one - wasnt time for 2) and he was able to breathe unaided.