Question-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
I'm due on March the 27th and I'm pregnant with my fourth child. I started labour 2 weeks early with my first pregnancy leading to an emergency c-section. I have had a further 2 c-sections due to my pelvis being small. Both of the planned c-sections were booked at 38 wks, I was told this is done so the baby's head doesn't engage, is this true? My main question is, after multiple pregnancies can you tend to go into labour earlier? I am concerned because my doctor has booked me in on the 21st of March for a c-section, this is 39wks 1 day gestation. I truly feel that I'm going to start labour before this date, a)because I went into labour 2 weeks early with my first prgnancy b) this is my fourth pregnancy and c) because of the size of my baby. I'm concerned about having another emergency c-section, the anesthetist was hard to get hold of at 3.00am, my blood pressure was high, and baby had foetal distress it took 4 hrs for the anethetist to arrive at the hospital. I don't want my child or myself put into any danger this time.
Answer -
The reason why we try to schedule a repeat cesarean section at 38 weeks gestation is to avoid the start of labor. It is not to avoid engagement of the baby's head. If you have had one cesarean, there is a 1% risk of rupture of the uterus at the site of the uterine incision if you go into labor. With two more sections, this risk increases slightly. Therefore, we try to perform the cesarean before you go into labor. Sometimes, it is difficult to schedule the operating room at that time and have to accept the time they give the doctor. However, if you start to feel contractions at the level of your belly button that occur more than every 10 minutes (from the start of one to the start of the next) and each contraction remains hard for more than 45 seconds, call your doctor and go to the hospital and they will do the cesarean immediately.It is unfortunate hat your hospital does not have "in-house" coverage by anesthesiologist 24 hours/day. With your history, you certainly can, indeed, start labor early. It is unacceptable for it to take 4 hours for an anesthesiologist to arrive at the hospital. It should take only 20 minutes. If you wish, you can request an earlier appoiintment for the surgery. Talk to your doctor. Good Luck.
Thanks
---------so, Can you tell me?---------------
On average does labour start a little earlier with each additional pregnancy?
I know you can't tell me exactly, but on average how many kilos heavier at 30wks, 35wks and 38- 40wks of pregnancy, is recommended so that it is easier to return to the my normal weight after birth.
Thankyou.
AnswerEach pregnancy is completely different from the previous ones. There is no way to know if you will go into labor earlier than 40 weeks, even if you had gone into labor in a previous pregnancy. Labor is initiated by the release of prostaglandins by the current baby. Most of the time, labor starts at 40 weeks. Occasionally, it can start one or two weeks prior to the due date, or one to two weeks after the due date. There is no way to predict exactly wheh you will start labor or if you will start earlier than your due date. The average weight gain during pregnancy is 13.6kg. We recommend a weight gain of 1-2kg at each visit. The ease in returning to your pre-pregnancy weight depends on each individual, the amount of exercise you do, and you normal body habitus. In general, it is not good to gain more than 2-3kg in any visit.
