Elective Caesarean at 40 + 3, acceptable?

[jmsgld]

Elective caesarean has been booked for 40 + 3 , they have known that it was needed for several weeks but only just booked it for 3-4 weeks time.

Is this normal? The consultant went to great pains to point out the increased risks of emergency CS over elective and then passed us on to the midwife who stated that it was the first date they could do.

To me this seems like a very good way of heading for an emergency CS, with the associated increased risk.

Any doctors on here know whether this would be considered acceptable practice?

Many thanks,

James

[jmsgld]

It was the fact that the consultant had just spent a great deal of time explaining the various increased risks associated with an emergency CS versus elective (and that CS once in labour is by definition an emergency CS), and then we were booked in for 8pm 3 days after the due date and 10 days after we were originally told it would be.

If they are already running 10 days behind, I would imagine that (if she makes it that long) there would be a very good chance of being bumped anyway.

I am a vet, I would find it hard to defend increased risks to my patients in a similar situation and just wondered what any doctors thought.

[jmsgld]

Elective simply means planned ie before labour has started, so your wife's was an elective CS.
Emergency is once labour has started...

[jmsgld]

That's my understanding of it, but that certainly sounds like an emergency situation !

I hope all went well.

[jmsgld]

Glad to hear all went well, not a situation I would wish on anybody.

Nice, although to be fair I have heard that the "sweep" was more painful than child birth from one of our friends.

Have decided to go privately, some things are more important than money...

Edited by jmsgld on Monday 24th July 19:40

[jmsgld]

Thanks for the support, the community midwife was a little shocked and voiced her concerns with the NHS Obs / Gynae consultant who then arranged the CS for the correct day, however by this stage we have completely lost faith / trust with the NHS and are still planning on going privately as long as they can find a suitable anaesthetist.

I think you are right, if you are insistent enough/ kick up enough of a fuss you will probably get the appropriate treatment on the NHS, however I don't want a surgeon under duress to perform a CS on my partner nor the stress of them cancelling at the last minute...

There is a a lot more to this story that I won't go into, but suffice to say that if I were to behave clinically as the NHS consultant has done I would fully expect to be hauled in front of the RCVS and face disciplinary action.