what day of week is best for planned c section?

[Anonymous]

They normally do it at 39 weeks or a couple days later. 39 weeks would be on a Thursday. So I could probably do Thursday or Friday since they don't do them on weekends. Any thoughts either way?

[Anonymous]

I did not have a c but delivered both of my kids on a Saturday (coincidence!). One thing you may wish to check is whether the LCs are available over the weekend. If you intend to BF and you have a c on a Thurs or Fri, you may have lots of questions or need various supplies over the weekend and if the LCs aren't there, you will be SOL.

[Anonymous]

Do you have older kids? How much leave does your husband/partner get?

With no older kids and a DH with little leave. Do it on a Monday - you will have help at the hospital, DH can work on Wednesday and Thursday, while you have help at the hospital, and is then with you for those first days home at weekend and he could then perhaps take Monday off.

With older kids, wait until Wednesday, stay at the hospital over the weekend, come home on Monday and then there are 5 more days before DH is taking care of a newborn, older kids and an adult that just had major surgery.

Otherwise, I doubt it matters.

[Anonymous]

I had c-section scheduled (my water broke early I went earlier) but my Dr. had specific days that he scheduled for, assuming that you want your doctor to perform you are probably stuck with their hospital schedule.

[Anonymous]

I had mine on a Friday and it was not ideal. There was no lactation consultant so by the time I saw someone on Monday morning my nipples were cracked and bleeding because of a poor latch (I had no idea). I was told that the weekend staff at hospitals tend to be more part-timers and are just not as familar with hospital precedures, etc.

[Anonymous]

My 1st was an emergency on a Saturday morning. My 2nd was a planned C-section on a Friday before a holiday weekend. After the fact, the nurses told me to never schedule for late in the week because most hospitals will not do any scheduled over the weekend and will do a lot of their inducements on Thursdays so that when those don't work out, they turn into C-sections on Fridays. That's probably somewhat anecdotal but for both of my births the hospital was very crowded and I was stuck in the recovery room for quite a while before they could get me into a regular room. For my 2nd, they told me there would be a longer wait for an LC but I wound up not needing one at all. My scheduled Friday C-section also took place a couple hours after my scheduled time (so I was prepped and laying around getting nervous) because the hospital was so stacked up. That said, I didn't have a lot of choice in the matter (scheduled one was for pre-e and when my doctor was available) and other than having to wait around for rooms, the care was good.

[Anonymous]

Good advice from the pps.
Just another but of advice, schedule it for the 1st appt of the morning. Otherwise you have to fast all day, for me that was so hard, then mine was delayed sue to an emergency c section so I had to wait even longer to deliver (and eat!).
This may not bug some people but it made me miserable and shaky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did not have a c but delivered both of my kids on a Saturday (coincidence!). One thing you may wish to check is whether the LCs are available over the weekend. If you intend to BF and you have a c on a Thurs or Fri, you may have lots of questions or need various supplies over the weekend and if the LCs aren't there, you will be SOL.

LOL are you serious?

What makes you think LCs don't work weekends? You know several women go into labor over the weekend, right? Some of them even end up with emergency C-secs... Yup, LCs work on the weekends.

[Anonymous]

I had both of mine on Tuesdays. That was a pretty good time. The lactation consultants were available and I got out of there on Friday.

[Anonymous]

To 13:11, LCs do not necessarily work on weekends! I gave birth at WHC on a Friday night and went home Sunday midday without seeing an LC b/c they only work M-F from 9 to 5. Seems crazy because obviously people have babies at every hour of the day and night, but it is certainly worth checking with your hospital because the OP should not assume an LC will be there all weekend.

[Anonymous]

Assuming that most folks work in the hospital Monday - Friday, I would vote for Thursday. Honestly, the earlier in the week the better. By Friday folks are just plain tired (assuming of course, that they work Mon-Fri). I'd rather have someone operating me be as fresh as possible.

[Anonymous]

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, mornings, in order of preference. Hospital is fully staffed, medical and nonmedical personnel.

[Anonymous]

Hospitals usually aren't as fully staffed on weekends as weekdays, so I'd try to plan around that if possible.

[Anonymous]

If you have an older child I'd pick Tuesday. That was my plan, so that #1 could be in daycare while I was in the hospital, and then I'd still have one day to myself (Friday) before having to deal with 2 kids over the weekend. Monday would also work, but I felt like Mondays are always chaotic.
I also received the advice not to do Fridays, since hospitals are usually less than fully staffed over the weekends. With my first, I delivered on the weekend and I did not see an LC until Monday either.

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone. That is a really good point about avoiding the weekends, I'm just not sure if I will have the option since I will be 39+4 on the Monday and I don't know if it is worth the risk of me going into labor on my own, which would be really bad. This is our first so no other kids to work around. I guess I will try for Thursday if Thursday and Friday are my only options.