C section/early delivery

I'm normally just a lurker but I have to ask what you guys think about this.

I'm 31 weeks along. We are having a planned c section. We were planning on having the c/s the last week in February or first week of March. Which would put me around 38 weeks. I was comfortable with this. But the dr keeps on pushing to do it earlier. He has not given me any reason for doing it earlier other than, he belives the babies will be fine anytime after 35 weeks. I just feel like they need to bake a little longer though. He does have twins of his own and we know him quite well so I really feel like he wouldn't lead me astray.

So when we were at the dr.'s office the last time I checked in with the lady who schedules things to make sure we were on the books for our c section (2/29), she couldn't find it, so she said she would check with the dr and get back to me. She called today and said our original c/s date wouldn't work and our new one was scheduled for 2/18/08. (I would be 35 w 4 days) That is way earlier than I am comfortable with, but at the time I was so thrown off I just said ok, sounds good. Called DH and he was not happy with that date. Found out the dr will be out of town the week we want to deliver. I called and left a message saying I want to change the date to a later date. We have an appt on monday and we will talk more in depth about it that day but I needed to bounce this off someone else!

But this is my concern, if I put the off the c/s and then something happens while he is gone, I get a totally random dr from the practice. Do I risk having another dr? I haven't met one I really like all that much except for my dr. But I guess they are all qualified and I really shouldn't worry about it, but I am a hormonal preggo woman!

I haven't had any complications this pregnancy at all. I have two other children that I carried past term and even then they didn't want to come out. I have no history of PTL, but this is twins this time.

We have chosen to do a c/s due to my previous labor experiences. 1st was 14hrs labor w/ emergency c, second was a vbac with 40 freakin hours of labor. My cervix does not like to open at all. I'm not wanting to go through that again and don't want to risk anything with the twins and my long labors.

So what have you heard or experienced with having 35 weekers? Is that just too early?

Sorry for the novel!

TIA
Debbie

 

That does seem a little to early especially is everything is going well. Honestly I wouldn't let them schedule for less than 37 weeks if there is no problems. Hope you work it out with the dr.

 

I'm actually surprised that your Dr wants to schedule a c/s at 35 weeks for an eventless pregnancy with no other reason than they'll be fine at that date. In my hospital, they won't allow inductions before 38 weeks unless there is a medical reason. According to Dr. Luke (the author of the twins, quads, and multiples book), full term for twins, and the optimal time for delivery, is between 36 and 38 weeks. Before that they may not be able to regulate their body temperature or suck properly and may need NICU time. It may be that your babies would do just fine, but why depriving them from the extra days or even couple of weeks that they could have growing in your womb before facing the real world? If you feel it's not right, speak up and schedule for as late as your medical situation will allow you, even if it means delivering with another doctor.

Good luck with your decision!

 

I haven't heard of any doctors scheduling a C that early without any complications or reasons for doing it. Personally, I would wait til 37 weeks even if it meant having another doctor in the group do it. Many babies born at 35+ weeks do well but it doesn't seem right to take that risk for the sole reason of the doctor's schedule.

 

My boys where born at 35 wks 3 days. Both were in the NICU, David was intebated for a day and spent 12 days in the hospital, Sam was in the hospital for 6 days. My dr. was going to schedule a C-section at 37 wks, I was supposed to schedule the C-section the day the twins where born. Sam failed his non-stress test and there was a sudden weight difference (ID twins - two pounds apart at birth).
Both boys are doing great today, but we had to keep them inside all of that first winter, they qualified for shots to fight RSV (trip to the doctor every 4 wks was then only time they left the house). I would talk to the doctor and find out his exact reasons for the early C-section. Are they identical or faternal twins? Good luck.

Debbi

DS - Daniel 7/12/95
DS - Andrew 8/13/97
DS - David 10/14/04
DS - Samuel 10/14/04

 

Trust yourself - I agree with pp's that you should speak up and ask the doctor to schedule a later date. You will be well taken care of - I'm sure your doc wouldn't go away without leaving your chart for another doctor to make informed decisions with if need be.
Hormones don't make you imagine things that don't exist, they just amplify issues that are already there! Trust yourself,

Angela

 

i see that you are having frat twins.

Mine are id and we are going to shedule a c sect for 36. Hid reasons are a vag birth after 36 weeks leaves your self open for complications with the second baby(cord prolapse etc)Otherwise i would be attempting a vag del...both still head down...but i dont want to take any risks, or end up having a vag and em c sect.

Not sure why he would want to bring them on so early being frat twins, though, Definately ask him why and ask when his twins were delivered and why and when he usually delivers twins. Dont be scared to bleed him for info, this way you will not end up feeling like you have been robbed of valuable baking time just to suit his schedule.

And if you still don't think his reasons for such an early delivery are satisfactory, ask another ob his opinion. I have done this with my dr before on occasion and it has paid of with me being monitored more closely and feeling like my twins are being looked after and my concerns are taken serioulsy.

goodluck..stick it to him!

 

I agree with the PP's that 35 weeks seems awfully early for no medical reason. I wouldn't worry about having another doc do the c-section if that ends up happening. They go so quick and work behind a drape. You'll hardly know who is in the room.

 

I agree with pp as well. Definitely talk to your doctor about this. A lot of 35 weekers do just fine, but if there is not a medical reason to go that early, I think it is better to wait for the good of the babies.

 

That seems early. My peri was going to schedule my c-section somewhere between 37-38 weeks.

 

I asked my doctor at my last appt how long would he let me go and he said that as long as things are fine with me and the babies that the babies should come when they are ready - even if it's 38-39 weeks. He said that most women pg with twins deliver around 36-37 weeks. There is no way he would take them early for no medical reason.

 

I would totally risk having a different dr. to have my babies bake longer!

If you are not comfortable with it, don't do it! That does seem rather early for no medical reason.

 

I would really voice your concerns. You need to worry about the babies lung development. Seems a bit early since there haven't been any p roblems.

Dianna

 

That is way too early if you are healthy otherwise. I had a singleton at 35 weeks and she was so tiny even at 5lbs, she had difficulty feeding at first and although everything else was fine it was still very difficult with such a small baby. Twins came at 33 weeks and 3 lbs each which is another story, but I would go with taking the chance of having a random doctor than having twins come at 35 weeks when you could go to 36 or 37 weeks instead. (this is of course if all is well with babies). Just my opinion.

Good luck

 

Thank you for all of your replies!! I'm glad we are all on the same track. I just figure the longer they are in the better.

I did talk to the Nurse practitioner today and she said they have no problem changing it to a later date (3/3/08) but they were just concerned with them coming earlier. She did remind me that I have a chance of not having my dr if anything happens while he is gone, and I let her know we put that into the equation.

We still have an appointment coming up on Monday and we plan on grilling him on his reasoning for the early delivery, but I really don't think I'm missing anything. I just want to do as much as I can to help keep them out of the NICU as much as possible. I know there is no guarantee but its worth the shot, its better than something happening and knowing I could have waited longer.

The NP did say we can always change even the latest date depending on how it goes and how the babies are doing.

Thanks again for all of your support!!

 

I had my little ones at 35+1 . My waters broke. When i got to hospital they gave me a shot of steroids. Both babies came home with me 2 days after birth. Ds weighed 5.14 and dd weighed 5.8..No nicu,no oxygen and no problems feeding. Just 2 perfectly healthy twins. I was lucky though. There are alot of women on here even at 36 or 37 wks that had nicu time . Keep your little ones in as long as possible. Their health is the most important thing right now.
With my first dd, dr induced me cause we didn't want to be in hospital over xmas. I had been dilated to 4 for 3 wks , so i couldv'e gone any day. He just broke my water and 2 hours later i had her.I was 40 wks along.
Good luck on your next appt. And don't let him talk you into something you dont want to do.

naomi

 

As my doctor stated, a 35 week old (gestational) baby is still only 35 weeks old, even though it is a twin! Twins don't grow faster.. I would totally wait!!! That is over a month earlier than full term! I'd hold off! MOST people seem to have the opposite problem as you do and won't do the section early enough for the mom!

 

I think you're right to be concerned. Granted, we had other issues going on (IUGR), but mine were born at exactly 35 wks and then spent 3 weeks in NICU. I get frustrated sometimes when ladies on this board beg their doctors to deliver them early; I think the longer they're in there, if all's well, the better. I'm sure my daughters would have been better nursers had they stayed in longer. As it was, they "magically" started nursing like champs at 40 wks! Anyway, there are other women on here who've had success stories at that gestation, but in my opinion there's a big difference between 35 wks and 38 wks. You should go with your gut.

 

My babies came at 35 weeks and 2 days via c-section. I had bad preeclampsia so the decision was made to deliver them early otherwise it would not have been scheduled until 37/38 weeks. My babies were 5lbs 3oz and 4lb 12oz. Both babies were healthy and did not require any NICU time. The only issue we had was jaundice. That being said, if given the choice I would have preferred they stayed in a little longer. I am surprised they want to take them that early without much reason.