ELCS- can someone walk me through the whole experience?

[Greenknees]

With my first baby I needed an EMCS under general anaesthetic so I was asleep the whole time. Now I am due baby no 2 and have decided that a ELCS would be the best and safest option for me and the baby.

So the whole experience is very unknown to me! Can someone talk me through what it was like- how they anaesthetise you, what it feels like, what it feel like after, how they patch you up, what you can see, how quickly you got to hold your baby, what it’s like for your partner, any decisions you had to make etc? I would really appreciate being prepared this time!

Even for my emergency section they sent DH home overnight. For my elective he went home and I didn't need him. I was able to stand up, pick baby up, feed him, put him down myself. There were staff around to help (although they were very busy elsewhere on the ward overnight actually, and pretty much left me to it as a 2nd time mum).

My experience:

Went to hospital at 7am

They called me down for surgery at about 10:30ish

Took me into a room. I had a spinal block, which didn't really hurt. I lay down, they checked I was numb by spraying freezing water on my body and I couldn't feel anything from my armpits down I would say.

They cut me open, obviously felt nothing but they were tugging away. He was then out and placed in the arms of my husband. I was shaking too much. I also shake with too much adrenaline but when I calmed down he was handed to me.

He was born at 11:17 and like others have said the stitching took the most time. Probably 30 mins but I wasn't paying attention.

24 hours later I was home