Is it best to have an AM or PM slot for a C-section?

I had an emergency C-section at 5:45 am and it meant I could have that whole day with my baby

Hospitals tell you usually to come in for the morning (first elective also and another in 4 weeks) and I was told to come in for 7am, went into theatre at 4.30pm due to emergencies

I would say AM because you can’t eat for hours before hand, if AM then your asleep for a lot of it. I had my section at 11.45am and was starving by then 😅

I was told to be at the hospital at 5am I went to theatre by 8:30 usually the early you are there is a higher chance you get a private room

Am because you can’t eat that morning and if there’s delays I would say the afternoon ones would be impacted more

I’ve had both and much preferred the AM slot

I came at 7am, and went for c section around 8.30 am

I was told to be at hospital by 11am. And my section was at 1pm. But I couldn’t eat or drink after 3am. 8 hours prior to going in.

I had to be at the hospital for 11.30am ready for the afternoon slot, I couldn’t eat after 6am so it’s fine and no different to not eating overnight. It’s not as bad as the comments saying ‘you can’t eat for hours and hours’ Even if you’re given a morning slot there’s no guarantee you’ll actually go down to theatre in the morning if emergencies etc come in. You can be pushed back to afternoon or even to the next day

I had my section at 8am, which meant that I was back on the ward by lunchtime and able to have visitors in the pm. Any later and we wouldn’t have been able to see anyone until the day after as they’re very strict with slots! Plus, my husband was able to stay with me until 9pm, whereas he’d have to leave sooner if I had a later section as 9pm is the cut off on the ward. In summary, the earlier the better!

I had my emergency c section at 8:03am. I wad prepped by night team, they did hand over in theatre and I was cut open by the new doctor for that day. It was quiet nice experience. They warned me there was about to be a lot of people in the room, which I ignored. I'm rather glad it was in the morning because I hadn't eaten except a biscuit that night. The only negative was the ward was full so I ended up in the induction room with to be mothers being observed so I felt very missed & forgotten about as I didn't have my obs taken for 8 hours and I was white as a sheep and barely able to stay conscious. (Didn't help I didn't eat till 1 as they didn't bring me breastfast & my husband turned my drip off and that was left for 2 hours before my canula flew out my hand & my husband had to deal with that - he was a nurse so he knew what to do).

With my elective I had mine in the evening, didn’t like the waiting tbh. Because had to get to hsptl very early in the morning just to wait the whole day. But I can understand as it’s done on priority basis. However I was lucky to get a private room even at the end of the day.

I was PM, didn’t have my section until 5pm and was fasting from 6am - was starving 🤣 also my husband had to leave at 8pm and I didn’t even have my feeling in the legs back!

I would say earliest, I got the 11am slot which was the latest slot in my hospital on that day. I didn’t end up having my section on that day due to emergencies

I arrived at 7am, baby was born at exactly 9am. It was great to not have to wait around. Some people are left waiting all day and it must be so boring! Especially when you can’t eat anything

Morning is best but I had a morning slot then it was changed to afternoon. Had her at 15:08pm and was on the ward just in time for visiting hours. I found it hard overnight still having the catheter in so couldn’t get up to get the baby out the bassinet x

I had an unscheduled c section and waited from 9:30AM and didn’t end up going into surgery until 4:30PM because I’d eaten 3 dates and had 1 glass of water that morning 🫠 I had to wait all day because of that and I wish I’d eaten more lol. Go for the AM!

I was the last slot on the list so went down for mine at 4pm by the time everything was sorted baby was born at 4:58pm by the time I'd been in recovery etc we were back on the ward at 6:30pm my husband had to leave at 8 and then by 9 the midwife and nurse we getting me up out of bed with no family support around or encouragement particularly. The first night was a struggle I won't lie. X

You definitely want the earlier slot if possible. The doctors will normally prioritise you on the morning according to medical urgency, so you don’t usually get much say in it. Couple of considerations. If you, for example, get a 12pm slot and an emergency comes in, you’ll be pushed back. If you get pushed back enough, you might even get sent home, which will suck because you’ll be bloody starving Marvin. Also, it can be harder for your bladder to recover from the procedure later in the day (due to the hormones you produce in the evenings) so if you do end up going into surgery later, don’t be in a rush to get your catheter out. If you’re given the choice, get it taken out the next morning after your bladder has had a chance to rest.

I have only had morning but when I looked at the advice you had to be in hospital only an hour later than you did for the morning slot if you were on the afternoon slot! So I would say morning is much better as less waiting around and less overall time spent in hospital I imagine. Even second on the morning list I didn't go into theatre until 11am.

At my hospital all elective sections are told to come in at 7am. I was second on the list, but due to emergencies I didn’t go down to theatre until 230pm x

My son was born via elective c section and I was told to be at the hospital for 7am and I wasn’t took down for the c section until 12:30 and he was born 1:16 and I didn’t mind that time tbh feel like it would be better than late at night

Didn’t know you could get slots! I got told to get there for 8am and then due to emergencies, mine got pushed back until about 4.30🫠

Yeah definitely morning I was gutted I got the 12pm slot for this one! 😫

They tend to be in the morning for scheduled operations.

I was allocated a 7am slot, but didn’t end up going down to have my baby until mid afternoon as the ended up having to perform some emergency ones on the morning. I was a tiny bit furious yet understanding, but my mucus plug went the day before my scheduled section and I was contracting like a bitch for 30 odd hours.

@Stacey ouch!

@Samantha depends on the trust. My hospital, and lots of other, have a morning list and an afternoon list.

@N 💞 yes, that's what happened in mine actually. But emergencies happen which can disrupt that list sadly. I had prepared for a morning section but ended up having baby a day later in the afternoon 🤷🏾‍♀️

I got called in for 7am (3 of us booked in for the day). I was second on the list and went down for spinal at 9:30am. My son was born at 10:13am, and as they hadn’t booked lots of us in, they put us first on the list for the newborn check the following day as baby and I were recovering well so we could be out first essentially. Being on the early list meant that we were able to go home by 11am the following day, which was fab!

Had mine Monday and was 9am slot, he was born at 10.09am , definitely preferred not waiting around all day stressing and hungry/thirsty, was up and about by 5pm

Definitely go for a morning slot if possible. I went in to hospital for my elective at 12.30pm for the afternoon slot and due to emergencies got bumped and they tried to reschedule it to 6 days later!

I was scheduled for 10:30am, came in at 8:30am. They didn’t pull her out until 12:44pm. Based on that, I’m not sure it matters what time you choose.

@Brooklyn thank you!

@Morgan 3 dates!!!? Omg!

Thank you everyone for your answers

@Amy yeah…it was AWFUL and I had to sit in the ER….I couldn’t go up to the labor and delivery floor and the food network was the only thing I could watch to boot while in the ER lol