C section booked for 35+5 should I be concerned?

[Foreverbusymum101]

First pregnancy, at 20 weeks I was told I had a low lying placenta, yesterday (10th April) we found out I actually have vasa praevia (placenta split in two, connected by an exposed cord of vessels lying on the top of my cervix) very high risk and not good stats for baby if I went into labour. So initially they said I will need to go in for a c section at 37+1, but they called me today (11th April) and advised that due to NHS policy changes it will need to be even earlier than that 35+5, making her a whole month earlier than her due date. I know she won’t be super early and almost 36 weeks but what complications are we likely to run into? 2 weeks ago she was measuring at 3.5lbs which was considered right where she should be for her gestation. Has anyone had a similar experience? We’ve got another scan in a couple of weeks (4 days before section) so they’ll be able to tell us what sort of size they think she is then too. Just really worried at the prospect of there being issues :(

I had ds at 35 weeks. He weighed 5.7 and was great. Bf the next day. Had slight jaundice and needed to sleep under a light. Stayed in a week.. He is now 10. Very fit and healthy and of average height! Hit his milestones on time.

As a paediatrician, I would far sooner the obstetricians hand me a 35 weeker, than a closer to term baby who has exsanguinated from vasa praevia. The former may need some help, or may need none, but will almost certainly be fine in the longer term. The latter is terrifying.

35+5 seems pretty early. I’d want to fully understand why. I had a baby at 36+6 last week and they wanted to do steroids and were very concerned about her being a day earlier than full term.

Shes doing well so far, but does have the common newborn issues of wind/gas/needing help to poo, and being very clingy, even though she’s avoided jaundice and is gaining weight well. None of my other babies have had those issues and it is tough.

My daughter arrived naturally at 35 + 5. Just as another poster experienced, my baby was 5.7 and was jaundice. She also struggled to latch, but I was well supported and went on to BF for 2 years. My daughter is now 6 and perfectly healthy.

I had a planned section at 36 weeks. 8 pounds 10.

Jaundiced and couldn't bf.but kept in fir a few days under observation. As a pp said better a week or 2 prem than a failed placenta.

I have had a 28 weeker and a 34 weeker. The latter was 5lbs 3 and in hospital for two weeks; mainly due to sats dropping unexplainably. Both are doing great now (13 and 3)!

Sorry my post should have said 37 weeks. 37 weeks is classed as full term so you could look at it as your baby being 1.5 weeks preterm.they know what they are doing.

DD was born at 36 weeks due to pre-eclampsia was only 4lb 1oz but beyond being kept warm in an incubator for 24 hours she didn’t need any other support. I steroids before the C-section. She was discharged at around 4 days old (me on the other hand was still there on about day 8 😭)

Hello,

I had this exact situation with the added complication of placenta accreta too and was hospitalised from approx 26 weeks until I had my son at 32 weeks as a cat 1 section due to a heavy bleed. 35 weeks is amazing for VP. Be prepared that you may not make it to 35 weeks and they may decide to bring your date forward. My target was 34 weeks but we didn’t make it that far. I was just glad that it was a controlled section where I was already in the hospital and it was beyond the 23 weeks that I initially thought I was going to give birth at! With every day, you get through the stats start to look more and more positive. Good luck OP. X

i had a different issue but was told they can treat the baby externally if something happens but very little they can do internally so DS was born at 37 weeks so maybe not as early as you but he had issues. He in his 20’s now

I had DS at 35+0 by emcs due to preeclampsia. He weighed 5lb4oz. I had steroid injections 12 and 24hrs before the cs. He was fine, he stayed in the hospital nicu/scbu for 12 days, mostly for feeding. The first day or so was jaundice but after that he was fine. He’s now two and he’s really well and has caught up with most of his friends. He did take a bit longer than others to reach some milestones like crawling by 12.5months and walking at 16 months but now you wouldn’t be able to tell that he came 5 weeks early.

My 3rd baby was born at 35+ 6 (I was induced as she’d stopped growing) she was a tiny 5lb but perfectly healthy. We had to stay at the hospital for 3days due to her weight. She is now a bright a bubbly 4 year old. No problems at all.

All a long time ago now but me and my 3 siblings were all born between 5 and 8 weeks early…I’m the youngest and now early 40s! None of us required any long term medical care, all met milestones etc as expected if not earlier and you wouldn’t know. Not a recent experience by any means but hopefully a tiny bit of reassurance that it can be ok.

Also had a 35+5...5 lbs 9oz, and is now a solid wee trooper. Best of luck.

As @nocoolnamesleft has said, so much safer to be born planned and safely rather than a crash section which had with older.dc and was horrible.

Absolutely would rather her be here sooner rather than later just wondered what complications if any given the circumstances, when they mentioned the initial date it was always a possibility that I could be in sooner if I had even a single drop of bleeding. Luckily nothing so far. I don’t know what their policy states but instead of hanging on for 4 weeks it’s now 2.

I’m guessing the risk of me going into labour is too high given the circumstances, she would most likely die if I went into labour naturally so they want to avoid that at all costs. I will be having 2 steroid injections one day after the other the week before I go in. I assume the date was based on availability. Was your little one weighing on track throughout the pregnancy prior to arriving?

I had a similar situation with my first and was told I'd need a c section at 36 weeks with only a couple of days notice. I was told to expect a premature sized baby based on her measurements, but she was 5.3lb and didn't need to go to NICU. She was tiny but absolutely fine. Only issue was that we struggled to breastfeed because my milk took a while to come in and she was so small she struggled to latch. Good luck OP.

Omg what happened?

I’m 33+1 today but they said to be on high alert from 35 anyway so if anything it’s a bit of relief that we have less time to wait given that it was initially another 2 weeks on top of that.

The steroid injections are a very sensible precaution. It is unusual for a 35 weeker who has had steroids to need help support with breathing. The average 35 weeker might need a bit of support with feeding, and careful attention not to let them get cold, maybe a bit of jaundice. Obviously a higher risk of needing SCBU than the average term baby, but not necessarily, and if needed probably not for long.

My daughter is nearly 21 weeks pregnant and her 20 week scan showed Vasa Previa II bilobed with velamentous cord insertion, and placenta previa. She is from the UK but lives in the USA. The high risk pregnancy team plan to keep a close eye on her and she will have an elective cesarean at 35 weeks. I think she will be well looked after, so not concerned about that side of things.
My question is, are there any mums out there who went through this and have positive outcomes/stories? She's making herself ill with worry about brain damage in utero because of the reduced oxygenation from VCI and as a consequence of early delivery. She's so far from home, in a new city and has no family nearby apart from her husband who is equally terrified.
Googling it is, if anything, more scary because there are stories from other scared mums to be, but next to nothing on outcomes from those further down the line. It would be great to hear personal stories from anyone who has been through it. TIA.

I had my first at 35 weeks due to pre eclamcia 6lb had twins 34 weeks due to pre eclamcia again 5.4lbs and 5.2lbs had steroids with twins. They were fine and discharged before me. That was when you stayed a week after c section.