Here's What You Need To Know If You Go Into Labor Before Your C-Section

You've heard the saying about how even the best laid plans often go awry, right? Yeah, life has a way of taking even the most organized and giggling at their naiveté. It's a stellar lesson for parenthood because kids are experts when it comes to screwing with a schedule and other silly matters like that. But when you're pregnant, every day feels like a new day for all the plans. And even though you know your birth plan might not look how you hope, what happens if you go into labor before a planned C-section?

Dr. Jaime Knopman, co-founder of TrulyMD, and director at New York's Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine, says the truth is, you'll "likely still wind up with a C-section."

"Unless the baby is literally on their way out, then your doctor will likely meet you on the labor floor and perform the C-Section as planned," Knopman says in an email interview with Romper. "Not much changes other than timing and the fact that you will feel labor pains."

Knopman points out that there are some cases where women who were fearful of labor and had a planned elective C-section — in other words, they are not having a C-section as the result of a perceived or understood medical risk with a vaginal delivery — may change their mind and attempt a vaginal delivery.

"Knowing that their body is starting to work on its own can be seen as a plus for many women, and it can push them to try and push," she says.

If you do begin labor before a planned C-section and end up having one anyway, then it's important to know that research shows a bit of labor before a caesarean procedure can decrease the risk of health issues associated with C-sections, including allergies, obesity, and Type 1 diabetes.

The human body, am I right?