Being exposed during c-section

[babyfish2]

Hey all,

Bit of back story - with my first child I had an EMCS. I was wheeled down to theatre on a bed, spinal put in and then transferred (lifted on a stretcher I believe) to a different bed in the operating theatre. I'm extremely self conscious and despite enduring 12h of labour beforehand, I was still very much aware of how exposed I was. As they transferred me to the other bed, my whole behind was on show and I was mortified.

This time round I'll be having a planned section and just wondered if anyone has any experience, will I need to be lifted on to the other bed with my whole bottom on show again? Or will I just be kept on the same bed as I'd be walking down to theatre where they'd just insert the spinal and then lay me back down?

Aware this is such a minor thing for some people but it's been eating me up, my first experience did leave me pretty traumatised so please be kind.

Thanks in advance x

I totally get it - this is the kind of thing I worried about a lot before my ELCS. I walked into the room, sat on the bed and then had to lie down on the same bed for the actual operation. So no transfer. After it, I'm pretty sure they had to shuffle me onto a bed to wheel me into recovery but I was lying on my back the whole time and the staff just moved my legs and body over. I hope that helps.

Yes same as PP for mine too xx good luck!

Hi OP I walked into the operating theatre, had the spinal put in and then laid down on the table. I was of course wearing one of the fetching robes, with the split up the back but I don’t think my butt was on show! I made sure I’d secured it as tightly as I could. Then she put like a breakfast tray on my lower half/on my hips and covered me with a sheet. There was only one nurse there at that point and maybe another hovering about at the other end of the room. The other staff came in then from another entrance. It was all over in minutes!
Good luck, there’s so much going on you won’t notice and the staff are concentrating too much to be bothered about our bits n pieces anyway.

@mynameiscalypso I'm so glad I'm not alone thinking about it! That does really help, thank you. Hopefully the same happens with me this time and the poor staff don't have to have an eyeful

Unfortunately, @babyfish2, there is no way that you will be able to stay on the same bed that your wheel down from the ward on - you will need to be on a proper operating table. But if this is a planned section, you may be able to walk down and get onto the trolley table in the anaesthetic room, as @mynameiscalypso said.

Thank you @Missingthebridegene ! 

I vaguely remember a silver tray somewhere in the room too @Suzi888 but can't remember if it was on my lap or not! thanks for sharing your experience, hopefully mine is similar and not a room full this time round!x

Yes, like PP, walked into theatre, sat on side of bed for my spinal and then lay myself down on the theatre bed.

@SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius Thank you. I have already been informed that I'll be walking down to theatre so hopefully, like you said, I'll be able to just lay on the operating table! Fingers crossed, anyway!

The other thing I meant to say was don't be afraid to tell your midwife your worries - they're totally understandable after a traumatic birth. The staff all knew I was very anxious for other reasons and they went out of their way to make me feel at ease - this included being first on the list, for example, so that I wasn't sitting around for hours getting myself in a state.

For what it's worth my elective/planned c-section was just the most incredible experience x I LOVED it x so calm and peaceful and just wonderful! I often close my eyes and relive it! Xx

Where I work you’d be sat on the operating table for the spinal and then just spin round to lie down once it’s in. MW’s put a catheter in after that and then the surgeons prep... those bits you are uncovered for. Intra-op you’re covered up apart from where they’re operating. At the end you get slid into the normal ward bed and turned side to side to a) wipe off any remaining dribbles of blood/skin prep, b) get you off the grotty sheets you’ll have been lying on for the operation, c) put an ST under and make sure there’s not been a gush of blood pv after moving onto the bed. Lots of places give anti-inflammatory suppositories at the end too to help with post-op pain relief (should be mentioned as part of the consent process). There isn’t really a way to get a baby out without quite a bit of exposure unfortunately. Hope it all goes smoothly.

Put the gown on the "wrong" way, so the ties are at the front. Makes it easier for skin to skin immediately after the birth and removes any risk of your bottom being on show.

I was given some paper pants to wear. Don't know if I asked for them, I don't think so. Obviously they put a catheter in at some point but I was frozen by then and oblivious.

@UnicornAndSparkles Putting the gown on the wrong way won’t work for a spinal anaesthetic.

@Greybeardy I thought this too but the midwife told a friend to do it for her cs and they sat her on the bed and lifted the gown to get the spinal in, covering her bottom with the paper bedsheets below her in the process. She was advised to wear it this was to aid skin to skin.

That sounds like a really odd way of doing things to me, but I guess it would work for a completely straightforward case. It does make it harder to keep the back sterile and for difficult spinals it can be very helpful to be able to see the entire back (DOI: am an anaesthetist). Sections are messy operations too and the gown would most likely need changing at the end as well if a woman’s been lying on it (they often do even the right way round, but it’s easier to do it when they’re the right way round). Skin to skin isn’t that hard with the gown on the right way round - normally once lying down we just get the woman to take one arm out of the gown and then she’s all ready to tuck the baby under the flap.

To the people in the theatre your boys are just bits . They’ve seen many many many many arses and fannys
I really would try and not worry

@Greybeardy as another anaesthetist I am with you there!!

@Greybeardy @countbackfromten

Sorry to hijack but with my EMCS I was very much out of it afterwards, I had my epidural topped up for surgery and I’m sure diamorphine given from my sketchy memory? Also knackered after labouring for two days.

Considering VBAC/ELCS. One of the things that puts me off is the spaced out feeling. I felt I lost the first 8ish hours with my baby! Is the diamorphine necessary? And from your experience would I expect to feel as bad with an ELCS or are the drugs given different?

I am interested in the ‘silver tray’ mentioned. I am a midwife and often wonder if there’s an alternative to the full exposure from the ribs down while cleaning prior to draping.

Please do discuss this all with your midwife though, she’ll be really happy to walk through the procedures at your hospital. It’s a privilege caring for women who have had traumatic experiences the first time and chosen a c/s, it’s very relaxed and business as usual but also obviously very special because you have a baby! FWIW I take the blood pressure cuff arm out of the gown but have seen them put on like a halter neck (never like a dressing gown though!) and when rolling at the end to clean up and remove the sheets I swap sides with the anaesthetic nurse so that I am always the one behind you.

@Overthinkingalways I’m not @Greybeardy or @countbackfromten, but if you discuss your concerns and requests with your anaesthetist it should certainly be possible to come up with an anaesthetic and/or analgesic plan that doesn’t leave you feeling spaced out, whether you have VBAC or ELCS.

@Ginandplatonic thank you.