s/o post: did you get to pick your c-section date?

emma&katiesmom · September 2011

This time around my OB told me she'd schedule it with the hospital and then they called me and told me when it would be. I didn't get to pick a date and I didn't feel it was an option to ask or debate a date. We did schedule it several weeks out because I expressed concern about needing time to line up childcare for my older two kids (really just getting someone to take them to daycare and elementary school) since I'd have to be at the hospital pretty early in the morning.

Now I'm scheduled for 7:15am on Oct. 31st which is just fine with me but I have had a lot of people (family and friends) saying I should have asked for 11/1/11 and many think that Halloween is a terrible day to have a birthday if I get to schedule it. This is a new OB for me and the thought never occurred to ask for a particular date because I really just want to meet my baby boy. I can't imagine it's common practice for the patients to chose a time and date that they want and the OBs and hospitals are that accommodating. Am I wrong?

With my old OB he only did c-sections on Wednesdays and I kinda begged to have my c-section at 38w6d instead of at 39w6d... (since those were the Wednesdays close to my due date at the time). He agreed but that was an odd situation because he only scheduled c-sections one day a week and my DD was measuring big and I was a hot mess with ripped upper ab muscles.

lorist202 · September 2011

First, I think Oct. 31st is an awesome day for a b-day!! Have the Halloween theme the weekend before, and your kid has the most memorable party all year! Plus, your child will associate his/her b-day with costumes, candy, going out at night... fun! Then bring on the gifts! Does it get better than that for a kid?

The 11/1/11 is cool, but after the novelty wears off, I don't think it would be as interesting as the Halloween birthday.

As for picking a date, I did not get to pick. My doc was on call on a particular day when I was 39 wks, and that was the day my breech baby was delivered.

emma&katiesmom · September 2011

Oh yeah, I'm embracing the Halloween b-day but I can't tell you how many people are being so negative about it. Our family doesn't just celebrate the person on their birthday - it's usually a big family party the weekend before or after the birthday. So even if trick-or-treat happened on the 31st we wouldn't "screw our kid over" by not doing something special for them because it's his special day that happened to fall on a holiday.

bringontherain61805 · September 2011

The same sort of thing happened with us with DS. I was due April 8th. When I went to schedule it, the office secretary called and offered me an "option" of April 1st or 5th. She seemed genuinely surprised that we wanted April Fool's day. However, for us its a fun birthday so we had always said once we knew my due date that if we were offered 4/1, we would take it. Several people offered their opinions and sort of harrassed us for wanting it.....oh well. Our kid, our choice

Jessicaanne_1@yahoo.com · September 2011

I think Halloween is an awesome day for a birthday. My doctor said to me "The earliest we can do you c-section is Mon March 7th, does that work for you?" I said yes. Then later in the week, the lady from the hospital called to confirm the day and time.

Heather & Nayt · September 2011

We had May 16th planned for a long time do to knowing I'd need to have early since I am type II diabetic, so I told my mom who bought tickets to be here the friday before. We then changed doctors and I told him our only baby sitter was going to be here that day and he said as long as she doesn't come any early then that it's fine by him.

KariChadDora · September 2011

My OB simply stated he would like to do it as close to 39 weeks as possible, but not before and that we could do any day of the week, first thing in the morning, except Sat, Sun and Mon. We started looking at possible dates for when I turned 39 weeks, which was Tuesday, 10/4 and he and the hospital both happened to have availability that day so we took it. So yes, we did "pick" the date but within certain restrictions provided to us, if that date hadn't worked for either my OB or the hospital we would have moved on to the next available date without hesitation.

Sundrup23 · September 2011

I wouldn't worry too much about it. My "planned" c-section was scheduled for Valentine's Day. I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I was nervous too because I didn't want a Friday the 13th baby either. But all that worrying was silly because low and behold...he came early and I had my c-section on Feb. 11th instead. Just because it is planned doesn't mean that it will stay planned...KWIM?? I think Halloween would be super cool. It is not like having a Christmas baby (which I am having...planned for the 28th). Where gifts are given out at 4 family events and you still have to do a birthday. I thought it was hard enough to have a baby born early February just because it was so close to happening after Christmas. But...I am just super glad to even be having this baby no matter when he is born due to my history. He will be cherished and we will work things out with his birthday. It is not the end of the world.

Keep the date and don't worry about what other people say.

BrendaLou1969 · September 2011

I got to pick the date. My doc does c-sections m-f at 7am as needed. Pretty cool!

shouldbworkin · September 2011

For the most part, yes. I picked the date and the OBs office verified that there was OR time and the OB was available. I scheduled 8 weeks in advance, so had no trouble with OR times, but ultimately had my time pushed back an hour, which was no biggie.

magdalina.h · September 2011

I think a Halloween birthday would be awesome!

My ob chooses the date, but let me choose mine. Aidan was born on 2/1 and I wanted Lucas to be born on 2/21. Both boys were born on Monday and that date was special to me. She cried with me and had it written on the books at 19w to make sure I had that date. I was 38w1d

MrsCali_Bride · September 2011

I chose the date for my scheduled c-section but my daughter had other plans (water broke) and decided she wanted a different date. I wanted April 1st so they'd get their April birthday and diamonds as birthstones (which meant diamonds in Mother's jewelry for me) but we ended up delivering three days earlier.

Soon2BMrsN · September 2011

Nope. They scheduled it for me.

2-Step · September 2011

Not really. They told me I could influence the date if it happend to work out for everyone. The hospital has to coordinate the OB, the anesthesiologist, the nurses, the OR time and it all has to line up perfectly within in a 7 day window. They aren't so concerned about your schedule at that point. My surgery scheduler let me suggest a few times/dates, but my OB was booked or someone else was so I ended up just saying- ok tell me when! They picked the 8th at 9am and I went for it. A few people bugged me too because they said I should do 11/11/11 or my moms birthday 11/9, which I asked about, but I wasn't going to make it a hassle. I figure whenever the stars align will be when it can work!

bridgeybride · September 2011

I got to pick my date.. but the OB I wanted was only on August 1st of August 4th..I could have gone with any of the doctors...

As for Halloween bday.. my older sister's bday is Halloween.. I always called her a witch when we were kids.. she and I have NEVER gotten along.. still don't. I would pick 11/1/11. Much cooler. I thought 8/1/11 sounded better than 8/4/11.

Mrs. Mo · September 2011

I was able to but with certain restrictions. I was told that they would not do it before I hit the 39w mark but that they needed to have it be before my EDD. So, we were basically given a week's worth of days ( well, really 5 since they don't schedule c/s on the weekends) to choose from. We opted for the Friday date ( 9/30) so that it would give our huge family enough time to visit over the weekend while still in the hospital. I would rather they visit while in the hospital vs. show up at our house so that I can use the nurses as "bouncers" to kick out anyone who overstays their welcome.

RoxBride · September 2011

I was on hospital besrest from 28 weeks on, so my doctors were feeling pretty sympathetic to me. When they finally determined it was time to deliver me, normally they would have scheduled be for the next morning, but they did agree to move me up to get it done on that day, which was December 23rd. Since it was a matter of hours and didn't make any medical difference, I was more than happy to get a chance to avoid a Christmas Eve birthday.

neya28 · September 2011

Sundrup23:

I wouldn't worry too much about it. My "planned" c-section was scheduled for Valentine's Day. I wasn't sure how I felt about it. I was nervous too because I didn't want a Friday the 13th baby either. But all that worrying was silly because low and behold...he came early and I had my c-section on Feb. 11th instead. Just because it is planned doesn't mean that it will stay planned...KWIM?? I think Halloween would be super cool. It is not like having a Christmas baby (which I am having...planned for the 28th). Where gifts are given out at 4 family events and you still have to do a birthday. I thought it was hard enough to have a baby born early February just because it was so close to happening after Christmas. But...I am just super glad to even be having this baby no matter when he is born due to my history. He will be cherished and we will work things out with his birthday. It is not the end of the world.

That coming early thing actually really worries me b/c we'd need to scramble for arrangements for DS. Yikes.

Keep the date and don't worry about what other people say.

capulet · September 2011

My practice does repeat c-sections between 39 and 40 weeks, and they schedule for Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. So basically I get my choice of three dates, but it also depends on which OB I want to do the surgery and (I assume) whether the date I want is booked already. I am waiting to schedule until I meet more of the OBs, since I just moved and switched to this practice a month ago, but I think my choice will depend more on preference for date than OB because I like everyone I've met at the practice so far.

SugarChick10 · September 2011

Yes, I got to pick my date (but my water broke before my scheduled c-section date).

The practice I go to has 10 OB's. When the office called me to schedule my c-section, I was told which doctors would be in the hospital on each day of my 39th week and I could pick whichever day I wanted based on what dr I wanted to perform the delivery.

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