I'm pretty sure you could ask them to schedule it for your actual due date if it's so important to you and if the doc does not object due to risk factors. My first was at exactly 39w (breech) and so will be this one (elective). When they called me to schedule, they were giving me some later dates but I didn't want to change plans that were already in place. Grand scheme of things the 1 week difference doesn't make a difference. Many babies are naturally born 1-2 weeks early. I have a lot of friends who went into spontaneous labor much earlier than their due date.
My second was scheduled for 3 days past my due date but I was trying to VBAC. I am going to ask for 40wk or 40+1 for #3.
Edit: I reread the question and i am guessing most Drs "like" 39wks.
TTC#1 for 19 months with PCOS and MFI IUI#3 + injectables = BFP!!!! Beta#1-134(13dpiui) Beta #2-392(15dpiui) #1 born December 2011
TTC#2 - Beta #1 -51@10dpo Beta#2 -1353 @16dpo #2 born May 2013
TTC # 3 June 2014 BFP 12-1-14
#3 born August 2015 #4!!!!!!! due June 2017
I could have gone with another person in his practice and picked my date, but he was only in the hospital on Wednesdays. So I was scheduled for the Wednesday before my due date. He would have let me take the Wednesday after my due date if I wanted.
Thanks, all. I am scheduled for 1/6 but considering changing to 1/8 if my doctor will do it, but that's only a day before my due date. I'm worried about going into labor, even though my two non-c-section babies were not early. She generally only does surgery on Tues & Thurs.
With my first scheduled section, it was scheduled right at 40w. I made it to my due date. With my second, it was tentatively scheduled for 39w, but he came earlier. My OB won't do any earlier than 39 weeks, unless there is an issue. The final delivery dates are determined by her schedule between 39-40 weeks.
That being said, my next will be at 37 weeks due to some uterine issues they observed at my last section.
I did convince them to do 40w1d with DD#3 since they had moved her EDD up by 9 days and I wasn't sure about going much sooner risking her health.
But the other three kids were 39w3d and 39w4d :-)
Me - J.R. - 05/1986
DH - J.I. - 08/1986
Married - 09/22/2006
DD#1 - A.E. - 12/15/2009
DD#2 - N.R. - 11/07/2011
DD#3 - S.R. - 05/20/2013
DS - R.E. - 10/03/2014
Absolutely in love with our 'big' family!
I'm also a proud Auntie to a crazy little girl, her brand new baby sister, a little man on his way in the next month, and a sweet little mister we will miss forever!!!
Last time my ob would've let me go to 41 weeks before I had my rcs. I was kind of back and fourth on vbac vs. rcs through the entire pregnancy so we decided to just monitor progress and see what happened. I had no cervical progress and hadn't even experienced any contractions by my 40 week appt. She gave me the option of taking another week to wait and see if either labor would start on it's own or I would have significant enough cervical progress to try induction. The other option was to go ahead and schedule the rcs. I took the night to think about it and talk it over with DH. The next day I called and asked for the next available rcs time. I delivered DD2 via rcs 2 days later (40 weeks 3 days).
My OB said that at around 37w she would show me her calendar, and I could pick any date/time she had open beginning at 39w. Honestly, with the way they schedule appointments, I might not even make it to the whole scheduling thing, lol. My son was 3 1/2 weeks early, and I have a feeling this one isn't gonna make it to 40w either.
My doctor schedules them for no earlier then 39.3 and no later than 40.3. Unless there is a complication making you need to have it early then obviously it will be scheduled for the earliest the risks of not doing it out weight the risks of doing it.
Re: Scheduled C: how close to due date can you go?
TTC#1 for 19 months with PCOS and MFI IUI#3 + injectables = BFP!!!! Beta#1-134(13dpiui) Beta #2-392(15dpiui)
#1 born December 2011
TTC#2 - Beta #1 -51@10dpo Beta#2 -1353 @16dpo
#2 born May 2013
TTC # 3 June 2014 BFP 12-1-14
#3 born August 2015
#4!!!!!!! due June 2017
With ds#2 my scheduled C-section was 39w5d
This time it is scheduled for 39w6d
My OB will schedule them anywhere in your 39th week (other than weekend days).
~after 34 cycles we finally got our 2nd little bundle of joy~
My IF blog
I did convince them to do 40w1d with DD#3 since they had moved her EDD up by 9 days and I wasn't sure about going much sooner risking her health.
But the other three kids were 39w3d and 39w4d :-)