Repeat C Section

I was due to have my son the 21st of May. When they went to scehdule me it was either a few days before or after the date, not several. My OB would rather wait as close as possible to the due date. I was allowed to pick the 23rd, which is my husband's bday and exactly 2 1/2 yrs from my daughter's bday. Good Luck!

I have been working in Labor & Delivery for 12 years. It would be best to do the C-Section somewhere around 38 weeks. So yes, a week before puts you about 38-39 weeks. Reason is, your uterus could contract on your old scar and tear which can cause multiple complications. An emergency c-section, which can cause you to be put to sleep vs a spinal anesthetic, whereas your husband/s.o. may not be able to be present during the birth of the baby if you are put to sleep. Also, bleeding which can cause you to have a hysterectomy because when you are pregnant & laboring, your uterus has a hard time contracting after delivery which already puts you at some risk. Also, if you uterus ruptures, it can be very dangerous for your baby. Decreased oxygen & heart rate. Listen to your doctor. Ask questions. If you need another opinion, get one. Basically, it is for the safety of you & your bambino.
FYI - I had a c-section after a trial of labor. Knowing all the things from working in L&D, I am glad to have had a c-section.

BEST WISHES!

During my 3rd c-section, my doctor found a 'uterine window'. My uterus was pulled so thin that she could see right through it. According to her, had I waited another hour, I would have ruptured and almost certainly lost my baby, and possibly not have survived myself even though I was already in the hospital. It goes that quickly.

This all occured because I was in labor. My point is, contractions can and do cause ruptures. I am not saying that this would happen to you, and I surely hope it doesn't, but please get all the details from your doctor no matter what you decide. The worst rip-off would be not having your baby survive. Best wishes.

Contracting against the old scar is probably not going to rupture it, or the chance is about 1 in a million. I would call around and see if you can switch to a doctor that is willing to deliver your babe on the 2nd! Some doctors now let their c-section patients wait til they go into labor naturally and then do the section just for the health of the baby anyway.

If you go into labor early they can always do a section if they need to, but it's the pushing the baby out part that ruptures scars, and even then it's really rare. I'm having my second c-section on the 27th of May and they told me if I go into labor before the date it's no big deal, I just go the hospital and have the section then. It's not like you're asking for a Vbac. I would seek another doctor if you really want to have the baby on grandma's birthday. That sounds like it would be really neat!

Most c-sections are done a week before the baby is due...that is just how it is and what most OB's recommend. I would not fight with the doctor on this..if the OB tells you that you have to go in a week early then you have to..I don't think there is much you can do about that other than finding another OB and even then you don't know if this OB will give you what you want. I had a c-section with my first child and wanted a specific day (although mine was a week ahead of my due date) and because of the doctor and hospital schedule I was not able to and had to deal with it. You can't control the schedule of the doctor or hospital so I would let it go too. There is a chance of you rupturing since you had a previous c-section and I am sure that is why the doctor isn't letting you go any longer. I am having a VBAC (although most doctors do not allow you to have a VBAC due to the risks)...wish you luck

I was induced due to preeclampsia and didn't progress, ending up with a Csection also. If you know, going into the second delivery, that you will be having a planned Csection, I'd say fight for what you want. Yes, scheduling it a little earlier would give you less of a chance of spontaneously going into labor, but it's no guarantee anyhow, and unless you had some particularly dangerous situation with your first delivery that would make your scar particularly delicate, there's no reason your scar wouldn't hold up against a little contracting. I'd say it's your right to press the issue with your doctor and have it your way.

I had an emergency c-section with my first child.
My 2nd child was a scheduled c-section.
MY Ob/Gyn... schedules c-sections 2 weeks BEFORE the due date. This is so that you are not hitting it too close to the due date and are going through contractions/labor... because this can cause complications. And sometimes, a 2nd birth goes quicker and you may start going into labor/contractions and before they can even do a c-section, you may be giving birth already, vaginally. And... many hospitals do not allow VBAC's nor does insurance cover it. So you NEED to know this first as well.

Within this 2-week window for when my Doctor schedules c-sections, I then chose which date I wanted to have the surgery done.

With my first child/c-section... I had to have it done, because I did not dilate all the way.... thus, I had an emergency c-section because otherwise it would compromise my daughter.... my water had already been broken etc., and I was NOT dilating. Although they tried to induce me. But I did not feel like I was ripped off. Medically... the stability of my baby... my daughter not coming out and my water being broken and my not dilating and their monitoring of her vitals.... warranted it being a c-section. They tried to induce me, they tried to wait it out... but in the end... it was not happening and I had to have a c-section.

My OB/GYN is a long time highly respected Doctor... he has had patients rupture.... and hemorrhage. If this happens, it then compromises the health/life of the Mom and the baby.... and this is then an emergency situation of course.

all the best,
Susan

Sounds like you may need to be looking for you a new Dr.! This is not a big deal and you should not have to have a c-section early unless a medical issue arises. Or ofcourse if the baby decides its time but other than that I don't see any reason why the Dr. can't wait. Hope you are able to give your grandmother this wonderful gift.

I would NEVER get into a power struggle with my doctor. If your provider has no respect whatsoever for your wishes, get a different one!
And yes, I do believe you were ripped off when you were talked into an early induction the first time around, unless there was a medical reason for it (and no, say that you may have a big baby or that is might be easier to go early does NOT count as a medical reason!).
If this doctor sewed you up properly then having a few contractions against your old scar carry a minute risk for complication (again, unless there is a medical reason that you are at high risk, such as a vertical incision, instead of a low transverse one). Actually your risk from complications (such as excessive bleeding) during a repeat c/s is HIGHER than your risk for a uterine rupture if you were to attempt a VBAC.
I have a close friend who is pregnant now, and her doctor scheduled the repeat C/S for a day after her due date. If she goes into labor before, she will attempt a VBAC.
Get yourself a more respectful provider!
Good luck.

It is your body and your baby! I understand the health risks, but it is unfair for your doctor to make that decision this early on. If you did not progress last time you may not be contracting at 39 weeks this time either. And due dates are not always accurrate. A reasonable doctor would say lets wait and see how your pregnancy goes. My first was taken early by c-sec and has a lot of health problems. I just had my second by c-sec at 40 WEEKS! I insisted my doctor not take him any early than he had to. Good luck and God bless you and your little one!

Do you trust your doctor? Do you believe that she want's what is best for you and the health of your unborn child? IF the answer is yes, then listen to her advice. If the answer is no, then get thee to another Dr. pronto! While chosing a date is fun, and may seem like no big deal, your Doc has her reasons. If you are not satisfied with her answers, seek a second opinion (rapidly) and see what someone else says. You can't always get what you want.....you can make your wishes known, but ultimately she is the medical authority...the smartest person in the room in respect to your uterus...that is what you pay her for, to deliver you and your baby in a healthy, safe environment.

There should be no problem in going a few days past 39 weeks. I've had 3 c-sections and my OB was somewhat flexible on date. They do have certain days that are 'surgery' days so they do usually plan them on those days however. My Ob does planned c-sections on THursdays. Maybe that is why she's pressing you because it doesn't fall on her usual surgery day?

The decision should be up to you. You might want to get a second opinion form another OB and then go from there. Or you can simply tell your OB that you are firm on waiting until you go into labor to perform the C-section or try for a VBAC. I think that doctors are getting lazy these days and the sceduled C-section makes it easier on their scedule. Sometimes they forget that mother nature ultimatiely decides when baby is ready to come out. Be firm on what you want. If she still fights you on it, then she is not the right doctor for you.

I think you should at least look into the possiblity of a VBAC and a new doctor. It sounds like you would have preferred a vaginal birth the first time and if you are a good candidate for VBAC maybe you want to pursue that rather than a specific date.

You can get more info on VBAC by doing a basic google search, going to the National Institute of Health's website (www.nih.gov) and doing a search for VBAC or going to the ICAN website (http://www.ican-online.org)

Good luck! C.

Have you thought of doing a VBAC?

I'd say find a new doctor. I know that a lot of OBs have a policy of scheduling a repeat c-section a week before your due date, but not all do. My former OB had this policy, but then I switched to one that was very supportive of a VBAC and would have scheduled a c-section any time after 38 weeks that I wanted.

I ended up with a successful VBAC, which involved contracting against my c-section scar, with no ill consequences. And recovery has been MUCH easier this time around.

Good luck.

Have you looked into a VBAC????

Maybe you should go to another doctor for an opinion.

Honestly, if your due date is Nov. 3 and it's your 2nd baby, I am betting you will go in to labor the week before anyway. Me, all of my friends and their friends never made it to due dates after the 2nd one. I would listen to her. She's more concerned with the medical side for both you and the baby. Your grandmother will be so thrilled with just seeing this new baby that it will certainly not affect her life time of joy. I vote listen to the dr.

I had the same first experience as you and then another planned c-section. However the second planned was my choice - I was given the option of a VBAC.... all that to say, if you have options, and don't NEED a second c-section, I don't see why you can't wait. I do know if you do NEED a second c-section they do schedule them 1 week before the due date b/c studies have shown it's safer then risking going into labor (if that's your case).

How long has it/or will it be since last C-Section? I had to have an emergency C-Section with my 2nd child. My ob let me decide whether or not I wanted to try VBAC or schedule a C-Section with my 3rd child even though I had just given birth via C-Section only 10 1/2 months earlier to my 2dn child. Of, course I know all the risk involved and I decided on a repeat C-Section and my OB signed off and willingly scheduled me in on the day that I wanted (my mom's bday) I def feel you should speak up and if you have to switch OB's. there is no reason for your OB to fight you about your birth plan.

I think it's for the doctor's convenience. It sounds like she wanted to determine (both times) when she would have to be available--if you go into labor on your own, you might wake her up or interrupt her weekend. Call me old fashioned, but I think that's part of the job of being an OB! There are times when going into labor after a C-section is a bad idea, but it doesn't sound like your doctor has indicated any specific issues that you have to make your scar especially vulnerable. I plan on having a VBAC, and I know there is very recent news that this should be done more often. If labor caused rampant problems for scars, that wouldn't be the direction the medical community was moving in. I hope all turns out well in any case!

Before you decide whether to have another C-section or not, you should try to do some research on the risks and benefits of both VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section) and c-sections, if you are a low-risk pregnancy. There is alot of misinformation out there, by OBs, midwives, & other health care providers about the risks and benefits of both. Generally, if you are low-risk, your baby is much better off going full term and being delivered vaginally..... and c-section is not a risk-free surgery -- it is major abdominal surgery.... our bodies were evolved to give birth through the va-jay-jay :), not through your abdomen. That being said, for some women, their better choice is a repeat c-section. But don't be bullied into it if you don't want it and are low-risk.

All that being said, if you are set on having a repeat section, I would suggest consulting another OB about it. It seems like a matter of a few days shouldn't make a difference, and every day your baby is in the womb (if things are going just fine) is better for the baby.

Good luck!

I can understand where you're OB is coming from.... I am due September 27th with my second child, which will be a repeat C-section as well. My doctor told me the same thing, that he will schedule me for the c-section at 39 weeks. I am sure they are just looking out for us, however, talk to your OB again and stress your reason for wanting that date and see what she can do, if anything. Good luck either way and congratulations.