Might seem like a silly question...

[Blondie]

At how many weeks gestation do you give birth if you have a scheduled C-section? Does it depend on the pregnancy / mother / baby?

[Nai]

It depends on the reason for the c/s and the OB as well. Often they will schedule between 38-39 weeks to avoid an emergency c/s if the mother does go into labour naturally. Other Obs prefer to wait until after 39 weeks to give the baby as much time to develop and be as close as possible to their EDD.

I had a uterine rupture with DD2 so if I had another baby it would be a scheduled c/s at 37 weeks to reduce the risk of rupture again so it depends on the circumstances and the baby, mother and Ob really.

[Beach Mama]

I think it depends but usually they like to you be close to your EDD but not to go into labour naturally. I had an emergency at 11 days over with DD after being induced and elective after 14 days over with DS and no labour.

ETA: What nai said!

[Blondie]

Interesting! I thought that might be the case. Thanks ladies

[wysiwyg]

Have always wondered if it is elective for say no particular reason just say previous caesar why is there the concern about woman going into labor? Eg why not wait till due date, if labor starts can't you still proceed to a section?

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

[TaRhLi.]

My OB's preference was between 38-39 weeks, his reasoning is that hopefully baby hasn't engaged and it is easier to get them out if he can get his hands easier around the head. DD's elective c/s was 38 + 2, and originally the twins were booked in at 38 + 4 but he took pity on me as I was so big and uncomfortable so we had them a week earlier at 37 + 4

[Blondie]

Have always wondered if it is elective for say no particular reason just say previous caesar why is there the concern about woman going into labor? Eg why not wait till due date, if labor starts can't you still proceed to a section?

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

I always thought that it was because they needed to book in the appropriate staff for the day?

[~Kim~]

Also depends on the hospital policy.
I wasn't booked for a section until 40+1 with DS as they wanted as close to EDD as they could. And, they knew he was bigger (4.1kg at birth at 39weeks).
With DD2 she was a pregnancy after dehiscence (my previous scars broke down). She was delivered at 38 weeks, but we had had scar scans. With her we really couldn't risk a labour.

[DaintreeDream]

I was always told between 38 and 39 weeks.

My girls were born at 38+2, 37+6 and 38+4 my ob wanted to deliver earlier yet term as my girls all required medical intervention at birth and therefore didn't want to risk me going into labour.

[peanutter]

Yup, depends on lots of things.

With mine, they let me go to 39 weeks, but if DS2 had started coming earlier we would have been straight off to an emergency c/s.

Another friend though who was having a c/s for different reasons was 37 weeks, and she might have been allowed to pick which day...

[Blondie]

I have pretty much decided that the next bub will be a C-section so assuming that nothing goes wrong they might let me go to 39+ weeks. DS was 41 weeks (no induction) he was veeeery comfortable in there.

[Three Graces]

My husband's cousin and his wife are having their third baby this year and will be having an elect c/s at 40 weeks. She went overdue with her previous two, so it's not likely that she'll go early and she said that the paeds prefer them to be 40 weeks or as close as possible as they're less likely to have issues with their lungs etc. Mind you, she wouldn't have an issue if she went into labour beforehand (i.e., there's not medical/scar issues). I got the impression that if their obs was a bit more supportive, they would have tried for a vbac.