C section

Probably a silly question but what is the actual difference between an emergency and a planned c section? Does a planned section take longer?
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Emergency needs more rush to epidural and more worrying about baby’s health. My planned c section took around 30mn the surgery and all was around 1h30.

@Roberta is a planned section more relaxed?

I’ve had a emergency one but the planned one was great. Couldn’t feel safer.

A emergency one is unplanned usually you go into labour naturally may be a quick decision it may labour for hours and that doesn't go to plan and for reasons you can't control the safest option is to go immediately for a Csection Planned you plan ahead of time and hopefully don't go into natural labour or if you do then can go immediately to the hospital and have the Csection as planned before active labour starts ☺️

Emergency is a decision on the spot. You sign everything without much explanation. Exactly what it says, emergency. Planned is way more relaxed, you know well ahead of time that you’re actually having one. You’re spoken to by your consultants making sure you read all the information and sign everything you need to. The date wasn’t really decided on until a week before for us due to the time being busy for them. But we went in the morning and was with 3 other women who were having the sections on the same day. You were told who would be going first (ours was high risk first to low risk). I’ve had both, but tbf my emergency was “better”. I had a panic attack when I went for my planned when they tried to do the block. But the emergency was awful because I thought I was going to 💀

@Alex I had a planned section planned for the morning but baby ended up making me go into labour the evening before so ended up being an emergency section. I’m now having a planned section hoping it goes to plan, so wanted to know the actual difference between the two.

@Emma Yep, this is the issue I’m having they’re not giving me a date until I’m 37 weeks which is quite late as i could end up going into labour again which is dangerous for me and baby. My emergency one happened so quick!

A friend of mine had one planned for the 16th Jan (due 31st Jan), she ended up going for a semi emergency on the 1st Jan because she was in spontaneous labour. She said it was better than her first one which, again, was an emergency one, because she’d already done all the paperwork and was fully prepared even tho it was so early. If you’re worried, speak to someone at your next appointment/ give them a call. I was also given some meds to take the night and morning before too because I was 38 weeks for my planned. I wasn’t given any for my emergency

I had an emergency c section after 8 hours of labour. She pooped and that's why I had go have one. They brought the paper work in, told me to read it. Asked if I needed more time to read it. I signed it, asked when I last ate, given anti sickness drugs and wheeled litrally next door all within 10 minutes. I already had a canula because I'd been induced. I had a spinal, which is preferred these days for awake surgeries. It took them 7 or 8 attempts to get it in my spine (I messed my back up when I was 21 which didn't help) they have to put it in, in between contraction, which i breathed through. They said if they couldn't get it in I may need a general. At this point I broke down begging not to be put to sleep. An emergency call for an ITU anesthetist was about to go out when they finally got it in my spine. After that it was super calm. I just laid there singing to myself unless I had someone speak to me. They checked me over to make sure I was numb and baby was out 30 seconds after the screen went up.

@Emma ive tried speaking to so many people and noones helping, not even my midwife! At this point im getting so stressed cause I don’t even know my section date and I’m due in about 8 weeks! Yeah, I was given them meds too but ended up not taking them as I went into labour the evening before 😂

@Helen my first even though it was an emergency went smoothly, so I’m hoping my next one will too just wanted to know what the actual difference between the two would be and if there was anything different

I've not had a planned but I know people who have. You had a date (although this can change if there are too many emergencies). There is a lot more time and it's a lot more relaxed

@Helen yeah hopefully this time I go through with the planned one

The main difference is an elective is easier on you due to only having to recover from the surgery. There’s no bodily stress before hand as you don’t go into labour. An emergency you have been in hours of labour, your baby possibly getting into distress, your body exhausted. You recover from the surgery and labour. It’s usually also a result of risk to life so it’s not as gentle and they are quicker to get baby out (that can lead to bigger less slightly scars due to urgency). I had a cat 3 and a cat 4 and they were both very relaxed and chill. I went into labour 10 days before my section date but it was exactly the same as my elective.

It's normal to not know your planned section date until much closer to the time. I found out a week before

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I had an emergency c section due to lo heart rate dropping after contractions. They had all ready preped me for theatre, signed loads of forms and was wheeled down to theatre, it was such a calm atmosphere, spinal was amazing, within 10 mins our lil lad was born, he had the cord round his neck and had a poo. I was asked if I wanted any certain music on, was chatting the all the theatre staff. The longest part was stitching me up. But your in such a bubble the time goes by so quickly. I was in and out within the hour

@Charley but a lot of mums I’ve spoken to and know have had their dates around 35 weeks including myself with my first, and I went into labour which i shouldn’t have which means surely they have all my records on file and they’d request an early one for that reason. I’d also need to make plans with my mum and husband etc, and a few days or a week isn’t enough notice.

Unfortunately that's how things are, with the state of the NHS now it's less common to know this far in advance when your section will be. There are not enough c section slots as they are becoming more and more common, and unplanned ones are also becoming more common due to failed inductions and the expectation for women to birth on a schedule. It's more likely you'll get your section date about 1-2 weeks before it's happening. This is all they can plan ahead in most hospitals nowadays. And unfortunately your need to plan doesn't really come into it as if you were having a spontaneous vaginal delivery you wouldn't know when that would happen anyway I'm not saying it's right, just that it is the way it is at the moment in most hospitals

@Charley yeah, it’s crazy cause my cousin had her date early on and this was recently, so maybe it’s the hospitals too. I have my appointment for my date when I’m 37 weeks, I’m not allowed to go up to 39 weeks as it’ll put me and baby at risk, which I why a weeks notice just isn’t enough. Apparently their excuse is they only run this clinic once a month which I don’t think is true. I can’t take my toddler into the operating room with me which is why I’d need to know atleast 2 weeks in advance so people could take time off work. Even my midwife said 37 weeks is very late to find out a date.

They try their best to put me off an elective c-section and I was already close to my 37 week, they did it almost on 38 weeks. I had to argue a bit and ask them also the risks of the vaginal birth and bring data of the amount of emergency c-sections that happens. In the end i’ve got so stressed that started to develop pre eclampsia and they had to move it forwards

@Roberta the issue with me is due to health issues, I’m not allowed to go into natural labour, as it could end up killing me if I go into labour, that’s why I’m chasing a date so badly and I’m also high risk on top of everything so it doesn’t help that I’m stressing and stressing my baby. I just don’t know what to do anymore

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