Those of you that have had an elective C Section

[CharXo]

Could I ask those of you who have had an elective C section, when did you get your date? I’ve been told the section will be in week 39 but I’m just wondering how much notice I’ll get? I’m worried I’ll go into labour beforehand as previous baby was born at 39 weeks!

My elective c section was approved at 34 weeks but I was given my date for c section at 37- almost 38 weeks.
I was told around 34 weeks that if I go into labour to phone triage and explain that I am booked for an elective c section. My midwife assured me that triage/ labour ward would ask for me to come in and start the process then but if they felt I was too far gone then it would be a natural delivery.
I was phoned 37+6 weeks and given a date of 39+1. The midwife said if I go into spontaneous labour then to phone and they will advise next steps.

I was told they don't do electives before 39 weeks. I was 39+1. Date given at 37 weeks.

Like PP i was told that if I went into labour before that I was just to tell the hospital I was booked for an elective and it would be sorted

Mine was booked for 38 weeks exactly, but then I got ill and out she came at 37.
This was DD2. Despite having 'major surgery' I was in far better condition than after DD1 and her 'natural birth' which included stalled labour, prolonged rupture of membranes, and unsuccessful induction and 5 days on labour ward. Hence the C-section 2nd time round!!

Around 36 weeks.

Week 37 but got the date at 6 months

Got my date around 32-34 weeks. Had it at 39+1. My second one because I have GD they said will be between 38-39 weeks but as close to 39 as they can and that I'll probably get given that date at 28 weeks.
If you go early I believe it's treated as an emergency c section - that is what my hospital told me first time around X

8 days before but had been given a rough idea over the phone that it would likely be the Friday or the Monday, it turned out to be the Friday

If you go before your elective date they will just take you in as an emergency, my friend was scheduled but went into labour 5 days before so they just took her straight in

My first was brought forward so planned in a couple of days before. My second was booked for 39 dead on, I went in to labour before then. Went straight in to labour ward, was given the option of continuing or having the c section. Had the c section, all was fine!

My date wasn't confirmed until the end of week 38 and won't happening until the end of week 39 (next week!) But if you go into labour early you will be treated as an emergency.. Some hospitals must be busier than others. I tried to request closer to 39 weeks based on health issues but it wasn't possible.

It took me a while to decide on a section, I think I asked for one at around 35 weeks so they booked me in immediately and I got my date that same day. Just ask your consultant, they should be keen to get it booked. They will generally aim for 39 weeks because baby's lungs are stronger from 39 weeks on and since section babies don't get the same squeeze on the way out they can have a lot of mucus etc in the airways and need help to get breathing going properly so they want the lungs to be in the best possible condition. If you're worried I'd ask now for a date as close to 39 week on the dot as possible but they'll take you as a emcs if you go into labour first. Emcs doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong, only that you've been in any stage of labour before having your section.

I got my date at 20 weeks just after my scan. It was my 2nd DC and I was booked in to see the consultant after the shit show that was DC1’s birth, after he’d seen I’d researched the stats he agreed and booked me in there and then. DC2 was born at 39 weeks exactly.

Got my date just after 20 week scan- may at 21/22 weeks. Was told it would be at 39+1 but I went into labour and had VB at 38+6! They were planning on taking me in for emergency C but I popped DD out before they could even get their gloves on.

Miy elective caesareans were both booked in when I was 36 weeks.

DS (transverse breech with placenta praevia) was supposed to be booked for ELCS delivery at 38 weeks, but I asked to go to full term so that he could be born in September and not in August. Fortunately, my lovely consultant agreed. He said he had to officially advise me that 38 weeks was the recommended safest option, to minimise the chances of me going into spontaneous labour as it wasn't possible to have a natural delivery, but there was only a mnimal risk in delaying it when I lived so close to the hospital, so he was happy for me to make an informed choice to do that. As the hospital didn't do ELCS bookings at weekends, DS was booked in for, and born on, the first Monday in September at 40+1.

DD was footling breech and also had to be a ELCS. Again, the consultant recommended it was booked for 38 weeks, but I wanted her to be born as close to full term as possible, even without the school year cut-off considerations I had with DS. I agreed to 39 weeks, but that date fell on a Saturday, so she was born on the Monday, at 39+2, seventeen months after DS.

With both DC, I was told to call ahead to say I was on my way, and go straight to the labour ward if I had even a twinge of pain and they would do an immediate EMCS. I only lived 15 minutes away from the hospital and stayed very close to home for the last weeks of both pregnancies, so I wasn't too worried if this happened. Fortunately though, I didn't have any signs at all of going to into labour with either of them, so they were both born on their booked dates (DS at noon and DD one minute past noon!). Both births were such lovely experiences with straightforward recoveries.

Well, it was elective in the sense that three attempts at induction had failed. OB wanted PROM, baby was big (8lbs he said) and I was worrried about not progressing and needing an emergency section. I signed the papers at 20:00 and he was delivered at 21:22 - all 10lb 11oz of him!

I got given a date at 36 weeks for a section at 38.
My understanding is they like to do it after 39 weeks but they don't book you in too early in case they need to do it earlier anyway.

Given a date at 36 weeks for 39+5. Went into labour at 39+3 and taken in as an emergency.

I got my date at 36 weeks to have section at 39+1. Went into labour at 38 weeks and ended up with emergency section

Thank you all for your replies! Hopefully will have a couple weeks notice then 🤞🏽

I had mine at 39 with baby #1 and 39+1 #2
Both mine were a Monday so I knew it would worst case be pushed back to the Tuesday.
Just be careful if they try and give you a Friday...it could easily be put back to the Monday as they don't do planned c sections on the weekend - and you run the risk of going into labour over the weekend.

Hi what do you mean by researched the stats? Around what?

Mine was booked by about 24 weeks for 39 and a few days. I had a consultant appointment booked for the next available date after my 20 week scan and she booked the section then and there based on my previous birth.

I got my date through the post at 21weeks for 39+2 weeks (39 weeks was a Saturday). They thought it would be fine to go to the Monday rather than the Friday as my first was 8 days late but this one decided to be on her way while I was in the hospital waiting for the doctors to decide the order to do the planned c sections in! Needless to say we was then first 😂. At least I was already in hospital as the contractions went from nothing to 5 mins apart in 45 mins and I had no signs of labour at all beforehand and arrived thinking I was going to have a smooth planned c section 😂

About week 33 or 34 but it was twins. For the type of twins l had then NICE guidelines say they should delivered during week 37. They were delivered at 37 +1. It was meant to be 37 but there were no neonatal beds in the county so l had to come back the following day. I’m still annoyed as they didn’t end my nil by mouth until 4pm and discharge me until 8pm -they only did that as l pushed them hard and threatened to walk out. Then l had to come back the following day at 7am 🙄

We discussed about elective c section at 28 weeks and was agreed by the consultant, was told it would be done at week 39. But my waters broke at 36 weeks and ended up having an emergency c section 🤷🏻‍♀️