What to ask re c/section: appt tomorrow

[muminaquandary]

My brain has gone blank, so can you ladies help me please? I have requested a further appt with consultant re my elective c/s, and amongst other things wanted to discuss:

• Currently booked in at 29 August, but would like to wait until EDD, 1/9/06, in order that baby be at term & also because I don't want my child to be youngest in school year (DH thinks this is silly reason btw and that much nicer to have a short pgnancy ...)
• Pain relief policy
• Suturing methods and policy at the hospital, eg staples vs stitching, what kind of suture material
• Policy on skin to skin contact
• Who holds baby while mum getting stiched?
• Ask them to respect the fact that I don't want crappy radio on in the background during section (!)
• Getting b'feeding established: can I stay until it is established or do I have to go home after 5 nights (they have put this as usual maximum stay except for medical complications)
• Recovery period & any pointers for recovery

Can you think of anything else I should ask?

well I don't know about this birthday business ... at first I didn't care, then other mums & my mum (teacher) gave me the heebie jeebies about it .... then DH is an August b'day & he is one of the most highly academic, general all round success stories that I know .... and I of course am super brainy as well as fragrant, beautiful and a tough old boot oh and useless at decisions atm ....

actually I am a november baby and was a real late blossomer academically: socially fine at school but never really achieved anything .... hmmmm

Probably a load of bollocks then! My sis is a July baby and hated the fact that no-one was around for her birthday parties (actually thinking about it she did rather well at school)

yes, but I like the idea of quiet birthday parties!!! (what a meanie I am!!)

oh s*d it I am even more confused now

will stick with the original plan of asking to wait until EDD, then if anything happens before then, c'est la vie ...

just think - an august birthday means you get to send them off to school a whole year earlier than a september baby and if not working think of all that lovely time for yourself (and housework of course)
ive got one of each - oct and aug so can see both sides - wouldnt worry to much !

But, if you have the baby in August you can choose whether he she is ready for school when the time comes. If you have it in Sept. then you won't have a choice.

Right: got the c/s booked for 1st Sept

As for the other q's they were answered as follows

• Pain relief policy : Spinal only, no hand held, then painkillers, eg Voltarol; catheter put in after painkiller & removed the next day (@6am!!!!)
• Suturing methods and policy at the hospital, eg staples vs stitching, what kind of suture material : they use monocrysome (sp?) to suture, no staples; dissolvable
• Policy on skin to skin contact : prefer husband to hold baby until stitching finished; midwife takes baby first to resuscitaire, performs APGAR, quick wipe down, etc
• Who holds baby while mum getting stiched? (see above)
• Ask them to respect the fact that I don't want crappy radio on in the background during section (!) : bring your own CD
• Getting b'feeding established: can I stay until it is established or do I have to go home after 5 nights (they have put this as usual maximum stay except for medical complications) : only stay in for medical complications
• Recovery period & any pointers for recovery : level of fitness and health of mother pre-op; get moving gently but early; 2 hours spent in recovery then go to ward Other q's that came up:
• no dimmed lights as deemed too dangerous for c/s
• will meet the team the day before
• no wound drains unless complications
• hosp will shave you; otherwise DYI to level of pubic bone

Sorry, but had to jump in here re Hotmamas comments. I was born 29 August and had NO problems at school - in fact I was amongst the top highest achievers when I finished school. I don't think the birth date has any influence on the performance of the child - it's down to the child and their own learning limitations.

Glad you've got your date sorted now.

Sorry, didn't mean to sound like I'm having a go at Hotmama - I know it's only a comment on research that was found. It just goes to show, I think they should be researching how they research before they print such stupid conclusions!

frankly research is always flawed, but I figured that I wouldn't want to have to go thru jumping thru hoops to hold him / her back if it was needed .... so this way Istick to the EDD, but if anything happens before, then it will just be Fate ... !

Oh good muminaquandry. It's all sorted then. A september baby it is. :-)

quite exciting having an actual date - i loved being all organised for my second c/s and went ahead with 26th august b/d instead of waiting till the next week as couldnt wait to meet him - sad i know!

sarah... snap here except i was 19th august - my sister is 31st aug!!! im worried about my dd oct 3rd birthday as she starts in september and is almost 5 and i know that she may well be bored the first 1/2 year as she is already polls ahead of the ones who are just 4 ish - hopefully it balances out as they get older - i did extremely well at school and university so understand what you mean