c-section and other things

Obviously my docs want me to get to 37 weeks, I'll be 32 on Thursday. We're already planning a c-section due to some health problems I have, neither one of us want to risk it. Anyway, im curious, for those that had a planned c-section how far along were you before the doc scheduled it?

Also, this is it for Marshall and I as far as kids. I have a connective tissue disease ans my docs have always told me pregnancy would be horrible for me, this far this pregnancy has been unremarkable in regards to the EDS but i think.marshall and i are scared of tempting fate. We were talking the other day and this entire time he's said that he was going to get snipped, but then I started wondering, should I just go ahead get my tubes tired during the c-section rather than him have to go through the vasectomy. What are y'alls thoughts?

 

We never planned a c-section, it was agreed on, but we never set a date. I made it to almost 35 weeks when I woke up one day and knew that I had pre-eclampsia and needed to go to the doctor, and sure enough, I did, and ended up with an emergency c-section 12 hours later. And I did get my tubes tied during the c-section, simply for convenience's sake. I was already open, might as well do it at the same time ya know?

 

Becca, thats what I was thinking too ... If they're already doing the surgery why not go a head and do it.

 

If you deliver in a Catholic hospital, you might need to verify that your OB/Surgeon will be able to do it during the section, my hospital had to approve it ahead of time.

 

I had a scheduled C-Section also, my Twin A was breech the whole pregnancy, so I had no choice, and I really didn't care, all I wanted was to have 2 healthy children, it didn't matter to me that much how I had them. We didn't schedule the C-Section until 36 weeks, at the last appointment I had before the actual C-Section. I had the C-Section at 37 weeks 5 days - I had no signs of labor and I think I could had made it longer, but it was the Friday before Labor Day - I was teasing my OB he didn't want me to ruin his Labor Day weekend by going into labor .

At the last ultrasound I had at that last appointment - Max was measured bigger than what he actually was when he was born, so I am not sure if he stopped growing for the last 10 days or their measurements were that wrong, I think he was estimated to be 7 pounds 10 oz at the time of the ultrasound and his actual birth weight - about 10 days later, was 6 pounds 5 oz.

I trusted my OB and I think I did the right thing - I had 2 healthy babies and my recovery from C-Section was REALLY easy - I was up and carrying for the babies the following morning after birth, and by the time we went home 3 days after birth, I was carrying babies up and down the stairs without any issues - I had some cramps here and there, but nothing major. Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!

 

I knew all along that I'd need to have a C-section since my girls were both transverse the entire pregnancy. When I was 35 weeks, we scheduled the C-section for 39 weeks. My perinatologist was the head of maternal-fetal medicine at the best teaching hospital in our state and his opinion was that it was better to keep the babies inside for as long as possible (with careful monitoring to ensure the placenta was still functioning efficiently). Of course - the best plans never work out. Piper wasn't growing well and my blood pressure was rising to almost Pre-E levels, so I had a semi-emergency C-section at 36 weeks.. It was the right choice since Piper wasn't getting enough nutrients. Like other people, though, the ultrasounds had measured my girls bigger than they actually were (about a 1/2 to a full pound bigger) so they came out smaller than expected and needed additional time in the hospital than we had been told they'd need.

 

My Baby A was breech for awhile and my OB scheduled a c-section for me at 39 weeks. He eventually flipped head down and I was able to have them naturally, though.

 

I had a c/s scheduled because I had 2 previous c/s's with my older kids. My ob at first (at the beginning of the pregnancy) said we'd schedule no earlier than 39 wks. I thought "39 wks holy cow.....I can't imagine being pregnant with twins at 39 wks!!" But by around week 32/33 he scheduled an actual date, 37.5 wks. But, as happened with both my other kids, my water broke early (36 wks with my oldest, day before 39 wks with my second and my c/s was scheduled for the next day), at 36 wks 2 days.

My last u/s was right at 36 wks, just a couple days before, and my boy measured at 7.4 lbs, and my girl measured at 6.2lbs. 2 days later at birth, my boy was 6.4 and my girl was 7.2. So the weights were a full pound off on each of them, one too light, the other too heavy :lol:

Because it was my third section the recovery was both easier, and harder. Easier in that my muscles had already been cut twice so they weren't as painful, a lot of the nerves were dead already too. We came home 2 days after the section with both babies and i was fully caring for them by then. Harder, in that I had a bladder infection to deal with from the catheter, and I had 2 older kids to care for as well.

Overall I'm fine with all my birth stories. C/S's aren't the ideal, and if you can avoid it then go for it, but if that's how you get healthy little babies, it's really not that bad.

 

My doctor knew I was having a c-section, but we had never scheduled it because she wouldn't schedule until I got closer to due date. However, I went into labor at 35 weeks, but when I got to the hospital they already knew that a c-section was going to take place, so even though it hadn't been scheduled, the nurses were on top of it when I got to the hospital.

 

Honestly I never thought about them letting me go longer. I obviously want the babies to get as fat as possible and be the healthiest when they're born. I have to say the storys about the emergency c-sections b/c of water breaking early and whatnot are crazy , again something I never thought about ... hey this is my first pregnancy what can I say, lol . I think I've been more focused on getting through certain milestones b/c of my health issues and the fear that the previous doctors put in me about having children I didn't think about other things. I have a f/u OB appt tomorrow, I'm going to talk to him about it.

For those that your water broke, were y'all showing any signs of preterm labor prior to your water breaking?

 

Nope nothing with any of my pregnancies. I had high blood pressure (not pre-e yet) with my first son, I was on modified bed rest at home with him. I was going to a friend's wedding one saturday afternoon and was standing in the kitchen getting a piece of gum when i felt a *gush* and thought I had peed myself. Rushed to the bathroom, I was soaked down to my feet...and the liquid wouldn't stop coming out. Went to L&D and had him 12 hrs later.

My first daughter, it was the night before my c/s, we were supposed to be at the hospital by 5am for pre-surgery stuff. DH and I had intercourse because we knew it would be awhile before that happened again. About an hour later I felt a small pop and some liquid come out while I was sleeping. I got up and walked around a good half hour, trying to decide if it was my water or not. Every time I laid down something came out. Every time I walked around it stopped. Her head was pressing down and blocking the hole I guess. Anyways we finally went in and she was born around 3:30am, just a few hours before my scheduled c/s.

With the twins, I had just had a doctor appt a few days before, my cervix wasn't moving at all. I'd been having braxton hicks really bad for months, and a few weeks before had gone to L&D because my BH's were coming every 3-5 minutes. By the time i got there and got hooked up to the monitor's they had settled down to every 20 mins or so. I was in the kitchen getting something to drink that night when I again felt/heard this little pop. I wandered around again, trying to decide if my water had actually broke or not. Took a shower...debated some more. After about an hour I decided to go get checked, it didn't hurt. They have a little test strip of paper that's supposed to turn blue if it's amniotic fluid coming out. The paper wasn't quite blue so they weren't sure, but I was sure There was enough liquid coming out when I walked around and went from laying/sitting/standing that I knew it was my water, but not enough when i was laying flat on my back attached to the monitor's for it to turn the test paper blue. They called my ob and asked what to do, in that time I started contracting every 5-7 minutes, some were strong enough for me to have to breath thru. OB came in and said "Let's have some babies, shall we??"


ETA.....I had a tubal done with my twins, since they were already in there it just made sense. I've had a few issues since the tubal but overall it was fine. My friend had her's done later, since she had vaginal births, and her recovery was much harder than mine was.

 

My doctor scheduled an amniocentesis and potential c section (if their lungs were mature) at 35 weeks due to Cholestasis of pregnancy. It was scheduled at my 33 week appointment, although I went into labor the day of my amnio. I actually didn't know I was in labor though so ended up having the amnio. It wasn't until I had the non stress test after the amnio that I was told I was having a contraction every 6 minutes! I thought it was the irritable uterus I had been dealing with for the last 8 weeks! By the time I was getting ready for the c section (5 hours later), I definitely knew they were contractions!

For my first pregnancy (singleton) I had a scheduled c section (due to health issues), although my water broke 3 days early. I had no preterm labor, I actually never had a contraction. I woke up, had a shower and thought I was dribbling urine. I realized as I was getting dressed it was a constant slow drip. 3 hours later my daughter was born.

The c section wasn't too bad, I was in quite a bit of pain, but due to health issues I couldn't have narcotic pain medication once the spinal wore off. Advil and tylenol got me through the recovery and I was up and about the following day with both pregnancies.

 

My baby A (my darling daughter) was breech. My OB's office said they would only do a c-section (unless there was some other health issue) if baby A was breech, she stayed breech and when I was 36 weeks along, they scheduled it for my 38th week. That's when I knew for sure that I was going to have a c-section. Though every u/s and every u/s we had after an NST did confirm that she was breech each time.
My DH and I knew we could only afford two kids and I do remember the doctor telling us early on that it's a lot easier for him to get the vasectomy then for me to have the tubal ligation. My DH totally balked at having a vasectomy (he was a total baby about it). And since I was getting the c-section and was opened up, I had the tubal ligation done.
Recovery from the c-section was not bad. It would have been easier if I did not try to do too much and tried go without the pain medicine. Maybe not the best plan right after having it done.