If you had an emergency c-section...

[otterbaby]

How much time passed between them telling you that you needed one, and actually getting into the operation room and starting the procedure?

So emergency sections are all different, some are super quick from decision made to table and others are more like you need a section as things aren't progressing but you and baby are fine so things are a bit slower. In my case I leap frogged over someone else who needed one.

My emergency section I was on the table within ten minutes.

Hardly any in my case. I had a chat with anaesthetist about starting an epidural for a section vs forceps delivery then baby got distressed. I was knocked out and in theatre in about 5 minutes. Dh was quite traumatised.

About 2 hours

Less than 4 hours..

About an hour. We waited that hour to see if I would progress but I didn't, so we went for the sections

*section! Thankfully there was only one

My DD had one last year, once the decision was made she was in theatre in under half an hour

Check up was at 8am. Consultant came at 9 am! - he pushed me in a wheelchair to theatre - staff were joking I was getting special treatment.. He crashed the thing off every corridor!! Ds was delivered at 12.11..
Glad he was a Dr and not a ft porter!

I had a category 2 emergency cesarean which is probably the most common type of emergency. It usually means that there is a concern but that it is not immediately life threatening to mother or baby. These have to be done ‘urgently’. We have to deliver within 90 minutes of the decision being made in my trust. I think it was probably 30 minutes from decision to baby being delivered in my case and this is about average in my experience as a midwife.

Category 1 cesareans are when there is an immediate threat to life and we have to get the baby out within 30 minutes of the decision being made, however usually this is actually much quicker.

Category 3 cesareans are usually an elective surgery that has been expedited ie. if you went into labour before you were booked in.

I don’t Completely remember but I think it was 10-15 minutes.

Breach discovered, then I was knocked out with a general anaesthetic. The pain was excruciating then it was gone very fast as I recall.
Remember going down a corridor very fast and being told to not push.

It depends on the category of c section. For me I was told if I wasn’t ready to push in a hour then they would advise a c section. It was about 90 mins later I had my section.

A category 1 section is where there is immediate danger to the life of Mum or Baby and the baby should be out within 30 mins, my local hospital aims for baby out within 10. In this c section its normally done under a GA.

A couple of hours but it was my choice after a long not progressing labour. We weren't at danger's door but it needed to be that day.

I was already in the theatre for a forceps attempt but that failed, then within about 2 mins they had topped up my drugs and done the first incision.

We knew it was an option when they took me to theatre - I think if I did it over I'd request a C-Section sooner!

I had a cat 1 c section (not so common). DS' heartrate dropped in MLU - it was immediately obvious that something was wrong. MLU was part of the hospital, I was in theatre 10 mins later, given general 5 mins after that and he was delivered (fine!) 5 mins later. So 20 min from things first going wrong to delivery, and about 7 Mon from the consultant's decision to delivery.

Very quick - say 20 minutes. The consultant was shouting at the other staff to get me down as they appeared to be faffing about (not sure if they were or not). It was a fairly traumatic experience for all concerned but a happy ending thankfully. I had a planned section (as a result of being overdue and not wanting to induce) and the anticipation and built-up of knowing it was coming was worse in some ways than the short shock of the emergency.

30 minutes to an hour, maybe? It’s hazy...was the in very early morning and I’d been in labour for over 48 hours by that point so wasn’t exactly with it. It wasn’t a life-threatening emergency though.

They're all different. Mine was an emergency c section due to IUGR at 28 weeks. However, they didn't do the op until about 48 hours after they told me I needed it as they wanted to try and hold off to get certain meds into them before delivery. Whole experience was terrifying obviously but actual c section itself was a breeze, delivered both boys in 20 mins, it was really calm and they made it through. Scar healed nicely and both boys are ok, good luck 👍

As soon as I signed the papers. I was 7cm dilated when I arrived and it was discovered the my daughter was a foot first breech.

About 30 seconds, the midwife and junior doctor clearly knew what was going to happen so when the senior doctor arrived it was a quick examination and he said "Baby needs to come now." They grabbed the bed and ran. My poor husband was left standing there and he said it was just a few minutes later when the midwife walked back into the room, he was convinced she was going to say something dreadful and then he saw she had a baby with her, I think at that point he forgot about me and went off to the ward to help wash and dress her.

I had to have a GA and I assume the theatre had been warned when the doctor was sent for and they were waiting for me. They asked me if I agreed to the section and I remember crying and saying, "I want my baby." I don't remember anything else until I woke up and midwife told me I had a beautiful baby and they were going to take me to see her.

I should add during the 48 hours boys were constantly monitored and was told if heart rates dropped we'd be in surgery inside 10 mins which wouldn't be great. Thankfully didn't happen.

30 mins

About 4-5 hours. I was told I was urgent enough to be first in the queue but not urgent enough to call a surgeon in.

About 15 minutes after I was walked through the procedure and signed the consent. I was already being monitored as DS was back to back with his chin up. My blood pressure was sky rocketing so they moved quite quickly.

I had a category 1 C-section with DS after his heart rate dropped alarmingly. I had already been bleeding for a while (with undiagnosed partial placenta praevia) and they’d put me on a drip to speed things up as I’d ‘stuck’ at 9cm.
They literally ran through the hospital to theatre with me hanging onto the trolley and got him out in less than 7 minutes from the time the doctor dashed in filling out the consent form. Luckily I’d already had an epidural so they topped it up and I stayed awake.
Was all a bit traumatic!

Thanks everyone. I'm considering birthing at a MLU which isn't attached to the hospital and if I needed to be transported, would probably be 25 mins all in all to get me packed up and blue-lighted over. It sounds like for the most part, it generally would take minimum that amount of time to even have things prepared for my arrival which is reassuring...

Some of these stories are intense though, 30 seconds!!