A C-Section is a major surgery and can be very scary for most moms, it was for me. I was terrified when the ultrasound technician discovered that my son was breech. My doctor order an ultrasound to check my amniotic fluid levels once I reached 40 weeks because with my oldest son, my fluid levels dropped after I was full term. When I saw his head in my ribs during the ultrasound, I immediately knew that I would have to deliver him by c-section. After a discussion with my doctor, she explained that they could attempt to turn him via manual inversion with an epidural but that I would have a high risk of bleeding, since my placenta attached itself to top of my stomach instead of its normal spot behind the baby. I felt that my best option was to proceed with a c-section for safety reasons, even though I was very disappointed that I wouldn’t have the delivery that I had been planning for months.
Try to Relax and Rest as Much as You Can Before Your Scheduled C-Section
After leaving my doctor’s appointment, I headed to the hospital to have pre-op blood work done. I was very nervous and excited at the same time. I was able to get all the last minute things done before I had to head to the hospital. I was happy to know that I was coming home with a baby and that I no longer would be a miserable pregnant lady in a few days. If you have a c-section scheduled, try to relax as best as you can and try to rest as much as you can. Once your baby is here, you will be busy taking care of a newborn and nurses will bother you in the hospital every few hours checking on you and the baby.
What to Expect the Day of Your C-Section?
When I arrived at the hospital on the day of my scheduled c-section, they admitted me into a room in the Labor and Delivery ward and had me put on a gown. Then they hooked me up to the monitors so that they could monitor my baby’s heartbeat and contractions. My doctor came in a to talk to me and she confirmed that my son was still breech before she did the c-section. Sure enough he was still breech and the c-section was going on as planned. Next the nurses took care getting the IV put in my arm, shaved me just above my pubic bone so that the hair wouldn’t be in the way of the doctor’s incision, and gave me some oral medication to help with nausea that is a side effect from the anesthesia that they will be giving me in the Operating Room. The anesthesiologists came in a explained the spinal block procedure that they would be performing during my c-section. Depending on your hospital’s procedures, the nurses will push you to the operating room in your bed or wheelchair while others allow you to walk to the OR.
What to Expect in the Operating Room?
When they took me to the operating room, I remember it being very quite and clean, I felt over-whelmed but knew that I was in good hands. There were lots of people in the room preparing for my surgery. They had me sit on the operating table and the anesthesiologist, administered my spinal block. After he gave me the shot in my back, he quickly laid me down and it started working immediately. They placed my arms on arm rests and it felt weird laying on the table with my arms stretched out to the side. The anesthesiologist started poking my tummy with a semi-sharp object to make sure the medicine was numbing me properly before they started performing the surgery. The nurse inserted a Foley catheter into my bladder. The curtain went up so that I couldn’t see what they were doing and my husband was able to join me at this point. However, if you are unable to receive an epidural or spinal block and they have to knock you out, your spouse or coach will be unable to attend the birth.
What to Expect during the Surgery?
As soon as I was fully numb, the doctor came in and was ready to get started on the surgery. There was a lot of other people in the room that help her with the surgery. The doctor began cutting on my belly. I wasn’t able to feel any pain during the surgery. I don’t remember feeling them tug on my belly but it is possible that you will feel pressure when the doctor cuts into your belly and will push on your tummy to help get the baby out. My baby was born a few minutes after the doctor began the surgery. I felt a sigh of relief when I heard my baby cry. He was immediately handed to the pediatric nurse. She began cleaning him up and took his vitals. I remember looking at him in awe and remember how tiny he looked. While,they began stitching me back up. My doctor used staples to hold my skin together.
During the surgery they monitored my blood pressure, oxygen statistics, and they gave me oxygen through a cannula. If you feel nauseous, make sure that you tell your anesthesiologist so that he can give you something in your IV or something in case you need to throw up. Also, before surgery started they gave me an IV antibiotic injection which helps prevent any possible infections. My doctor was also very good and told me exactly what she was doing as she was performing my surgery.
The Goal of My Post is To Help Prepare You for Your C-Section
The goal of my post is to help a mom’s prepare mentally for a c-section and know what to expect. I didn’t read about what to expect during a c-section before mine, but I wish I did so that I would have known what to expect. After my surgery was done and once I healed, my c-section didn’t seem nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. I hope that you have a great experience with your c-section and that this post was helpful. I have heard that recovery is harder on mom’s who have labored for hours vs a mom who had a scheduled c-section.
