Sarah - (and I've just realised I'm about to out myself here ), I'm facing the same thing, except that I don't have a choice in the matter. Which in some ways is easier as I can't second guess a decision I don't get to make, but anyhoo.

We might end up being c/s buddies - I'd say you're probably due around the same time as me. Yay!

Anyway, as well as things that others have suggested, I'll be doing the following:

- pushing for a surgery date as close to full term as possible. E was born ECS 14 days post dates after spontaneous labour, and was in no way overcooked. I'm also going to ask them about the feasibility of allowing labour to start prior to going into hospital for the surgery. Don't know whether they'll agree to this one though.

- Not telling anyone (except maybe one or two people) the date, to try to keep an element of spontaneity to it. Also to avoid the constant 'oooh, are you excited' calls leading up to the actual date. I'm just telling people that I'm due in July and will leave it at that.

Depending on the hospital it's usually unlikely that you'll get to have bubs with you in recovery itself, even if they have a midwife who can stay with you. This is primarily because there are other patients in recovery. If that's the case, I'd push for as much early contact whilst still in theatre. I've also been told that having bubs skin to skin whilst being stitched up is not a problem with a non-problematic surgery (which is normally the case with an elective), but if there is any haemorrhaging, for example, they will have to work on you quickly without you having skin to skin.