To think the gynae might have said something or anything during CS.

Gosh I'm surprised by these answers or that that would be accepted by everyone.

I had both my c-sections under GA but both times the surgeons had a proper chat with me beforehand. The first time I was a sobbing wreck after a long fruitless induction and the surgeon was just so nice explaining things. The second time I was calmer and the surgeon was more matter of fact but she did take the time to explain about the type of stitches she'd do (different to 1st time). She looked at my first scar and tutted at the state of it and said "we'll get rid of all of that and start again!" which made me laugh.

Mine were women. I noted that yours was a man, op.

I had a c section last year. Surgeon was a woman. She came to see me before I went down and was so lovely. The whole room off staff during was great and made it a lovely atmosphere. Even asked if I wanted to hook my phone up to play some music I liked. Couldn’t fault any of the team involved. Made it a stress free experience and procedure went perfectly. They all made such a fuss of our baby daughter too.

we met ours beforehand; they did a round of everyone having a c section plus once I was in the operating theatre everyone introduced themselves. I don’t remember the exact words but I’m sure he said meet your son or similar when baby came out; I’d have found it very weird not to be spoken to at all and be treated like an object that he did a job on then moved on from.

I gave my child the surgeons name as a middle name. She was very kind, she came a cross as such a strong and powerful woman, she came to check on her patients in the ward the next day, I hhoped some of her attributes might rub off on my own girl some day!
I had 4 cs and 3 different surgeons. All were engaging with the patient and made the experience positive

Nobody is asking them to chat about the price of cheese but saying "Hello, I'm..." is pretty bare minimum for the level of intimacy they have with you.

Mine was urgent urgent and I was unconscious, haven't a clue of anything about mine! But baby was out and safe at 35 weeks so that's all we and am presuming all the staff cared about!

Have to say I do think it’s unusual to not even say congratulations after. Not saying hello beforehand is also a bit odd but I could put that down to nerves possibly. I had a trainee SHO do my section (her first one) so all I could hear was non stop whispering as the Reg gave step by step instructions. I’d rather have heard nothing to be honest 🤣

Oh god , not only do the surgeons have to save you and your babies lives , if crash section , certainly, they have to engage in pleasant conversation as well. He may have just done one before you and doing another one straight after you.

I had the same surgeon for both of my CS

He was very chatty going through all the checkups before he started

He announced sex and time of birth. With dd everyone was quiet after she was born as it was touch and go to get her to breathe those seconds before her cry seemed like an eternity

He actually said when he opened me up to get her she was staring straight at him which gave him a shock

He was lovely and friendly

As a midwife I can definitely say some obstetricians are like this. They’re not doing it to be rude or even that they normally have poor bedside manner (out of the OR they’re fine). They’re just in the zone and they’re concentrating. Some people can chat and do sections, some people just can’t. And that’s fine. The idea is in a maternity theatre it’s more the job of the anaesthetist and the midwife to chat, obviously they do have stuff to do as well. But maybe not requiring quite as much concentration.

You won't remember it one day op.
I was in theatre for a possible emergency section after pushing didn't work in the delivery room.

I was basically allowed two pushes on ventouse and two with forceps then section.

I was so busy being sick from all the drugs they pumped into me, I don't remember anything. I didn't even realise DH was standing behind me holding my hand (strict instructions not to look at the business end).

I remember it being VERY dark in theatre and having a chat about the Today programme starting on radio 4 as it was 5.55am.

Then baby was out, I started puking and I never saw the consultant again. I suspect he had been on call and went back to bed!

He might have said hello and told me his name, who knows!

The baby is 15 next week.

Congratulations on your new arrival.

I met my surgeon before and all the way through he chatted with me and the others in the room. We talked about all sorts. It was a really lovely atmosphere. He told me when to get ready to meet my baby. I was very lucky and had the same surgeon for both my sections. Scar is non-existent too. And I saw him after both for follow ups. Just brilliant.

Was it elective or emergency?

I had my baby in my own hospital. The need for c-section was urgent urgent. I only know who my anaesthetist was because I recognised his voice. I didn’t know who did the procedure until the following day.

Turns out that it was the utterly amazing registrar on-call, because it all happened so quickly that the consultant was still putting his scrubs on. I’ve never met him. I only know his name because I asked so I could send him a thank you card for his appraisal folder.

I don’t know which of my paediatric colleagues resuscitated my baby.

I don’t care that nobody spoke to me. I care that I left home with a live baby without brain injury (even with all the quick decision making and action, I very nearly didn’t), and I am incredibly grateful for everything that they did.

Even if it was a slightly less dramatic emergency, the obstetric on call may not have had time or presence of mind to focus on chat, as there may have been a good few other emergencies on the list to move onto next, and one of those may have been more mentally taxing.

if it was elective, then I agree that it’s a bit more unusual. Perhaps he doesn’t have very good social skills. Perhaps for him, it would have been a routine experience and he has forgotten what a miracle it is for you as a parent. Perhaps he did previously chat and then got a complaint about this intruding into someone’s experience of childbirth or that they found it inappropriate when he should have been concentrating on the matter in hand. Perhaps he was still relatively inexperienced and concentrating very hard.

Try not to dwell on it, and enjoy your lovely new baby. Very many congratulations! (I wish I could go back to the time when I had a lovely little baby in my arms).

Yes the anaesthetist was amazing for mine- a really funny personable chap. I knew my surgeon as she was my OB during my whole pregnancy. We had Christmas tunes on and all very convivial really considering I was being cut open! She did a great job on the surgery and chatted once baby was safely out. She made a joke it was definitely my husbands baby - as she was clearly a little mini clone of him.

I know a few surgeons... only one is chatty, and thats because his patients are very often awake as he fiddles with their brains. Even then, he's concentrating hard and anything he says to a patient has some relevance, even if it sounds frivolous (ie 'do you remember x' or 'whats your favourite colour'...).

The rest would very much prefer their patients were not awake and its a major problem if they are as it means something has gone tits up. They want to concentrate on their job and in some respects that job is VERY much easier if they focus on the mechanics, yes, the meat and bones and so on and so forth... than if they wibble about entertaining the thought that this is a person.

So yeah its nice if they have a good bedside manner but I'd put that way down the bottom of the list of priorities when it comes to surgeons!

Many surgeons are like that IME.

I only really remember the anaethiologist, very friendly, and my DH filming the entire thing over the screen.

And the nurse who had to shave me down there because i was a week before schedule and hadn't done it myself! The humiliation of being naked from tits down on a narrow bed, nightie held up as a screen, while all these strangers watched and chatted.

Also nobody told me the bsby would come out screaming and kicking like my first (vag birth) that shocked me.

I remember holding her while the team tried to stitch up, but I kept bleeding out so asked DH to take her. In the end they called the specialist from home to help.

I cannot imagine having a major surgery, that was successful, I went home with a healthy baby, and then caring that the surgeon who did a good job didn’t make chitchat with me.

My section went well, inoffensive scar and healthy happy baby. I have zero recollection if the surgeon said anything directly to me. Other staff did who were responsible for my direct care. The surgeon as I recall did their job and left. Major abdominal surgery that comes with risks to mum and baby - literally cannot imagine caring I didn’t get a jaunty ‘hello! Do you like that we’ve got Magic radio on?!’

Congrats on your new arrival!

I don't think I could even tell you the gender of my surgeon, and it was only 5 weeks ago! I was a bit distracted I guess.

Other people in the theatre were engaging with me and they were lovely. Never crossed my mind to think the surgeon should have spoken to me. Honestly, maybe they did! It was a blur ...

During my C it was the anaesthetist who was the one who talked to me, I was his sole focus, everyone else was there for the baby.

Ahh gutted!

I am having another C later this month. I also tried to get the same surgeon. Sadly she too had moved across the country. But they all knew who it was I was asking for before I even said the name 😂

Some are just very skilled.

Ah, I did wonder but he's gone onto pastures new I've been told by my obstetrician! 😂 Even she is impressed with my scar and said he did a good job.

And this was replaced with a really large badge that says "hello my name is..." so HCP don't ever have to do that.

Apparently you can ask. And some do like to revisit their past work!

Mine did introduce himself but I had an EMCS but not an urgent, urgent one so there was time I suppose. However, I recall led him being arrogant when I visited triage once and also quite matter of fact after the birth. However, he did a great job, I had no infection and my scar is invisible so I wish I could have him again actually.