Experiences of ELCS if you went into labour?

[wjg65ka]

Hi,

I'm 36wks, so not due for a little while longer. I have ELCS booked at 39 weeks.

I've never had labour, always sections. Feeling abit crappy today and isolating with covid, I think the anxiety of it all is making me worry what would happen if I went into labour early.

Has anyone ever went into labour early prior to the csection and if so, what did the the experience go like? I'm terrified of being turned away and having to deliver naturally when I have a lot of risks

If a vaginal delivery is medically appropriate and something you want then if you go into labour early that may be possible. If it’s either medically inappropriate or you prefer a section then you still get a section. How quickly it happens would depend on how you/your baby are and what the immediate workload on the labour ward is, but if you’re in labour the clock will be ticking and it wouldn’t usually take long to organise the section. It’s not an uncommon scenario.

I was booked in for an ELCS on my due date last year. I went into spontaneous labour 5 days early. My waters broke at 3am and contractions started straightaway.

I went straight to the hospital but as it was 4am when I arrived and it was my first baby, they wanted to wait until 8am until the day team came on shift to assess me. However, the midwife could see I was in a lot of discomfort so did an internal exam to find out how far along I was. Turns out I was already 3cm dilated.

The surgeon came to speak to me and said they would have to take me to theatre there and then as I was progressing so quickly that if I dilated much further then it would be safer to try for a vaginal birth as the baby would be too far down the birth canal.

I was taken straight to theatre and given another exam, I was 4cm dilated by this point. Baby was delivered 3.5hrs after my waters broke.

On my experience, if you go into labour just get to the maternity unit as soon as possible and insist on the CS. They may try to tell you it's too late but if you get there early enough that won't be the case. Prep your DH or DP to advocate for you.

I was booked in for a c section with my 4th when my waters broke 3 weeks early (no labour pains). I called the hospital and went in to be checked. It was evening at this point. The only reason for this section was that I'd had 2 previously (and not that long ago).
It took a while but after seeing a consultant, they kept me overnight as they had more staff on during the day with the understanding that I'd go in for an emergency section if I went into labour. I didn't and had my section the next day.
I didn't at any point have to fight my corner.
The only thing I'd say is don't wait if your waters break/you go into labour.

37 weeks and I’m in the same boat. They’ve told me I can still have my section if I go into labour early. I’m just planning to get there at the first sign of a twinge!

I have a few medical reasons and also had my last section under two years ago so that's another factor into why I'm having another.

I have really bad period pains and I've been "clearing out" if you know what I mean so I'm worried something will happen soon. Baby's very low, but having never had labour I have no idea.

My hospital is currently at capacity and they keep issuing statements asking patients to call up before they arrive to be phone screened to establish if they still need to come in or if they can be delayed, so naturally I'm worried