Section pre op - what happens?

[Loopylouu]

Sorry to sound so clueless. I did ask the midwife yesterday, but she was filing in the form ignoring me as per.

I've had a section before, it was planned but I actually ended up going into labour two weeks before the date, so obviously had no pre op.

What do they do and who will I see? No one had told me!

My appointment is for the day before my section. Is it worth dh coming with me? He is absolutely clueless (older ds is from a previous marriage) and just thinks of it a routine in and out surgery, so when I have tried to tell him what it's like he doesn't listen.

Also will I get to talk to someone about what happened with the edipidural the first time? I thought I was going to die when it was going in, lighting bolts up and down my legs, I started to black out after it was in, no one realised until I used every last ounce of energy to hit a nurse to alert them. Then they were testing if I could feel, I told then I could feel parts of my abdomen but they didn't believe me- until they started cutting and I screamed.

I really am scared now about this time round.

Hi Loopylouu,

My son has just turned 1 and I had a c-section with him. It was planned in that they induced me and the induction process didn't work so I had to have a c-section. Let me see what I can recall...

Firstly you need to enlighten your DH that it is major abdominal surgery and whilst it can be considered routine in this day and age, you're not in and out as quick as he might think. And yes, I think it would be advantageous for him to come with you.

So, I was in hospital anyway so had the opportunity to get my questions answered by a surgeon which was useful. They will shave your upper pubic hair off which is no biggie to be honest. Oh and you're nil by mouth from midnight the day before and no water after 6am. Although you will be given a date for your section, you won't know what time until the morning as they obviously prioritise emergency c-sections over the scheduled ones. I was lucky in that I was the first one in the morning.

You have to change into a gown with those lovely fetching paper knickers and assuming your DH is accompanying you he will have to wear a gown and hat over his clothes.

As a planned c-section you will get a spinal block rather than just an epidural. For me that was the worst part as the first couple of times they tried to get the spinal block in I was in agony because my back wasn't quite at the right angle. However, they constantly assessed whether they were in the right place and as soon as I felt the tingles in my legs they put the anaesthetic in, the spinal block and within 2 minutes I was horizontal on the table. By the time it's taken effect you should be numb from just below your boobs down to your toes. They put a catheter in as well which obviously you can't feel as you're numb by that point.

Once you are numb it's incredibly quick. From being horizontal to my DS being born was just over 16 minutes and then I think it was another 30 or so whilst they sewed me up. You (and your DH) can't see anything as they put a screen up but I could see a little bit of the sewing up afterwards through a reflection in the light fitting which was fascinating more than anything.

They will ask you whether you want skin to skin as soon as your DC is born. I was happy for my DH to hold him whilst they were sewing me up but then I had skin to skin once I was in the recovery room and I was attempting to breast feed for the first time probably an hour after he arrived!

The spinal block for me wore off around 6pm so that was about 8 hours from when it first went in. Some people recover quicker than others but my advice would be not to rush moving around. I asked to get the catheter out pretty quickly as I felt okay and by the time I went to bed that night I was able to walk to the loo and back and even get up to change nappies! However, you are very sore and they won't let you out of hospital for 48 hours afterwards.

And sorry, just re-read your message so you know most of what I've written already but I hope that some of this helps!

Thanks it was just the pre op appointment the day before that I am clueless about!

The just checked my blood pressure, asked if I had any concerns and did a swab (mouth and nose) for mrsa, it took all of ten minutes.

Tell the anesthetist on the day that you blood pressure plummeted last time as they will be ready for it, but do tell them if you feel even a little bit sickly as they can fix it quickly.

I preferred the spinal block the the epidural, it seemed much more numbing and I couldn't move my legs at all.

Oh, and they also gave me antacids in the pre-op and told me when I could last eat/drink.

Loopy, the fact he's not taking in information from you (again) isn't a particularly good sign.

Given that in past posts it has become quite clear that your DH is, a bit of clueless pillock who needed a kick up the arse from his wife's mate about childbirth, I think you'd be wise to be frog marching him to that pre-op so he can fully appreciate what will happen and so he is prepared himself for the day. The better prepared he is, the better the support he can give you, if nothing else.

I also suspect that if he doesn't get the full information directly from a HCP you could find that he doesn't give you the support you are going to need after the operation because of his attitude that it is routine surgery. He needs to hear the stuff about recovery etc too.

He is coming to the appointment with me. I angling to get them to tell him about everything recovery wise.

They took the mrsa swabs at my midwife appointment yesterday.

I'm getting nervous now, but yes, I guess this time I will be able to speak to the team properly this time rather than my rushed CS last time.

At my pre-op appointments (2 planned sections) I just had swab, bloods taken (for cross match in case of transfusion) and was given a printed sheet with instructions (eg nil by mouth from midnight) and ranitidine prescription to take on the morning. It was purely admin and was seen by midwife/ phlebotomist. There was no opportunity to discuss the procedure then- only on the morning I saw the obstetric registrar and the anaesthetist and they did their pre op bits then. I think it varies a lot between trusts though...... why don't you ring and ask?