Elective C-section - step by step

[Jellybum2019]

Hi everyone

I once found a great thread which detailed people experiences step by step of their elective c-section but have searched and searched and can’t seem to find it.

my friend has just found out she will be having an elective in 2 weeks time so we hoping to share this with you because I remember thinking at the time that it was really insightful. I have had 2 emergency sections myself after long labours so although I can share my experience, it would be really handy to have some information to share with her of step what happens when you arrive at the hospital and getting to theatre etc when it isn’t an emergency.

thank you!

You wait, basically.

i was told to come in at 9am, but ended up being bumped down the list as emergencies came in. Had the op at 3, DS was out really quick, but being put back together takes longer. Think was in recovery about 4:45. I was very, very hungry and there was no food 🤣

Yes to PP. You wait. You are repeatedly bumped down the list as it's not usually urgent.

Pack decent snacks and food for afterwards. Take a cool box with cold drinks and sandwiches.

I was on the morning list so told to arrive at hospital at 7am. I’d been told to fast overnight and not drink after 6.30am and had anti acid tablets to take. I wasn’t bumped down the list fortunately. While I was waiting, I had meetings with one of the surgeons, the anaesthetist and midwife who introduced themselves and went over my medical history and I could ask any questions. When it was time for me to go to the operating theatre, my husband changed into scrubs while they did the spinal anaesthetic and put the catheter in, then he joined me. Baby was born and checked and I was sewn up, then taken to recovery for an hour or two. Then I went to the post natal ward. It was all very calm and organised and a positive experience.

I also got to play music of my choice at mine- they offered to put what I wanted on Spotify- that was a really nice touch.

Following with interest

Also yeah lots people come in and out to explain what they’re going to do. I was in for ELCS because of my breech baby, so they scanned to check he was in fact still breech- if he hadn’t been then I’d have been given the option to carry on or go home and wait- but the consultant was more than happy to go on with the c section either way.

i did sip water all day as it was a long wait, that was fine. I just read my book, dozed and waited, we had a room to ourselves. (This Was NHS)

the spinal block was quite uncomfortable going in- but not bad. One of the drugs they give you can cause sévère itching- I was unlucky as I got the side effect- but they give you something to combat it straight away.

When people say it feels like someone doing the washing up… I’ll be honest, it felt much more like someone was rooting around under a car bonnet. Extreme pushing and pulling. But no pain. It’s very weird. But it’s fine!

I work in theatres. Once you get into theatre they usually sit you on the table and check your details. They then put in the spinal, which can sometimes take a while depending on how easy it is, as soon as that's done they get you to lie down and a catheter is put in. Once that's done and they have checked that the spinal has done its job, they will prep your tummy to kill any bugs and put a big blue drape over you which will be hung up like a tent. They do one more check, then crack on.

Sometimes the spinal can make you feel sick because it makes your blood pressure drop but they can give you other drugs for that. Baby is usually born fairly quickly and checked over by the midwives and then brought for a cuddle while they sew you up, which is what takes the longest. Once it's all done they transfer you back onto a proper bed and take you back to the ward with baby - ta da!

We came in by 7am and sat in a room on the labour ward. Had monitoring done and the team (who I had all met before) poked their heads through occasionally to say they expected it to be around lunchtime and to be ready to go.

At half 1 the anaesthetist came in and said 'ok, let's go!'

I was a bit shocked and could only reply that I hadn't even taken off my knickers yet so did that, and then we walked down the hallway to the theatre.

Once inside the whole team introduced themselves, they put the spinal in really quickly and easily and found some speakers so we could play music through them.

DP sat next to my head, the curtain went up and I felt nothing at all, not even a tug. I didn't know they had started until they told me they already had. It was a very happy chatty room, everyone was in a good mood.

After 5 minutes they said 'ok, baby's ready', dropped the curtain and the anaesthetist filmed DS being lifted up and DP announced the sex. He was born at 14:02 and was passed from the doctor to the midwife to my chest by 14:04 and nearly two years later I can still feel the warmth of him against me. He was so warm.

The anaesthetist took some photos of the three of us, DS stayed on my chest for half an hour until he was weighed, wrapped in a blanket and passed to DP to hold while they finished stitching me up, then he was put back in my arms as they wheeled me to recovery, and I beamed at everybody I saw, so proud of my baby.

Sorry for the essay.. here goes…

I was so terrified of having my section so pretty much just spent the 9 months researching it all 🙈 I wish I hadn’t because I knew wayyy too much in the end up. Some of the best videos on YouTube I watched were by Jennifer joy and eilidh wells. Another great thing for the step by step explanation is if you find the maybe baby podcast that Anna Williamson was on, I listened to it again the night before I went in because she’s so calm about it all and it was exactly as she says. I was low risk so knew I’d be last. Went in at 10am (my hospital take two early and two later) which meant I was allowed to eat breakfast before 6 and could have water til 10. Most places give you the tablets to take the night before but at mine I was just to take them when I arrived at 10 (anti acid tablets). Got there, nothing wrong with me, in no way a patient yet had to put a hospital gown on and lie up on the bed, that was the weirdest bit 🤣 I actually thought I’d be more scared than I was at that point, I think you kind of go so far beyond scared that it’s just like ‘oh well’ 🤷🏼‍♀️🤣 I’d say just try to mentally take no involvement in the actual operation side of things, that’s not your job to worry about. You’ll know most of it already though. I think I’d waited just over 3 hours by the time they came for me, every move at the curtain made me twitch! I’d been round to the toilet a few times and caught a glimpse of the big bright lights in the theatre like omg it’s really happening 😬 Walked in and was asked to sit on the bed for the spinal, my partner was in with me too. He just sat at the top of the bed though, I didn’t hold his hand or anything, was so scared for the spinal as soon as we walked in I didn’t even notice whether he was still there or not 😂 totally built it up to be this huge event and it wasn’t at all, the cannula was more nippy and that was only because I’d never had one before! Really couldn’t have told you when the big needle went in my bag after the first ‘bee sting’ one to numb it. Then expected to go instantly numb so was rushing to get my legs round but it actually took ages to come on. I was so relieved when I lay down that the bit I actually had to do something for was over and I just had to lie there now. I realised when I got home that they shaved me but I honestly can’t work out when they did it because I watched the whole time and it definitely couldn’t have been after the screen was up because the second it went up they started 🤔 I dreaded the catheter going in but again it was a non event, I watched the nurse go under the sheet to do it but really couldn’t feel it at all as I’d already been numbed. The curtain went up, I felt what I can only describe as someone’s hand on my bikini line the way it would feel if someone was rubbing a wax strip onto you (not the pain of peeling it off), just putting it on and very lightly pushing down on that area. I had told the anaesthesist of my ridiculous obsession with watching every YouTube video there has ever been on csections so he told me he wouldn’t tell me when they’d started until they were already quite a bit in. He told me they’d started and I couldn’t believe it. There was a few seconds of the kind of cpr action that I could see going on through the curtain but no pain then 90 seconds in he said ‘they’ve got a baby’ and suddenly I heard this baby screaming! I was in total disbelief at that point, I couldn’t get my head round it. 1) it was supposed to be all this pressure etc and the whole thing was so underwhelming, 2) they’d only just started the operation like a minute ago! 3) there would have been people in that hospital in labour for days on end in another world of pain and I’d just walked in there and been handed this baby! I really couldn’t understand it at all. They took him to get weighed and my husband went over to take some pictures. They then lay him on my chest but it was an awkward angle so I think my husband eventually just held him. I was aware they were stitching me up to some extent but zero pain again. As I was wheeled round to recovery I just couldn’t comprehend the whole thing. It was genuinely the best day of my whole life and I’m so glad I got the lovely chilled section I had heard about 😊 I think most people do! The recovery was also fine, I was standing up 8 hours later and home the next day, just took it extremely easy the first week and even though it didn’t hurt to walk about, it could be so easy to walk too much and overdo it so don’t be tempted. Good luck! You’ll be fine, I wouldn’t even flinch going for one now ☺️

Same as pp. I went in for 7am but they didn't have my blood or something so they took another elective then an emergency. Had dd at 15.38. Was absolutely starving and they said watch telly in the day room. Was an f-ing cookery programme 😂
All I had after was tea and biscuits as had missed evening meal due to not being back on the ward. Anyway when they took me in they chatted to me whilst I had spinal block and then they did what they needed to do. I saw dd then she went to her dad and I got stitched up. I was a bit out of it and lost quite a bit of blood but didn't need a transfusion. It was very lovely watching DH and dd though him chatting to her. Then I fed her, had anti d (o rh negative) and back on ward. We both slept really well that night.

I had an elective c section. 3 of us were booked in for 7am and were given a number based on medical history. I was thankfully number 1. Not all hospitals prioritise emergency c sections. My hospital had 2 separate theatres and surgical staff so all the emergencies went to another theatre as too not disrupt the planned c sections.
i met with the anaesthetist, the surgeon and my midwife. All were incredibly lovely and calming. My bloods were worrying so I had another set taken and rushed. They were back within 30 mins and I then walked round to the theatre room.
Whilst there I had my spinal injection, (choice of general anaesthetic, epidural or spinal with the anaesthetist making the decision). I had the cannula put in and then laid back waiting for it to all take effect. I had sickness medicine and antiobiotics put into me. My husband was brought round when I was ready.
The surgeon talked through each step. The curtain fell and sadly my squeamish dh seen everything! Not to worry as they hd a nurse there for him if he felt unwell. I became very unwell during the c section- this isn’t normal and was due to my medical history. The team were fantastic and done everything they could to make me feel better and remain awake to see my dd. I had a gentle c section where they push down on the top of my stomach to make the baby think she is being born naturally. My
body pushed the baby out and she then was laid on my chest, crying away.
That was all within 5 mins.
she was taken to be checked and cleaned, my dh stayed with me and I remained for another hour until I was stable and stitched back up.
Once ready, I went to the recovery ward with my dd and dh. I watched her get weighed and then fed her. My spinal wore off within 3 hours (previously I was numb up to my shoulders) I moved to the post natal ward and remained there until the next day when I went home. The midwives helped with changing dd and helped me get out of bed. Moving around slowly but as soon as I could really helped with my recovery.
overall it was a nervous experience but not scary and very relaxed.

I was due to have my c section in the morning, so was asked to come in at 7am. I was nil by mouth from 10pm onwards and had anti acid tablets to take. I wasn’t supposed to have water after a certain time (I think it was 6am) but when it became apparent I wasn’t going to be having my section in the morning they did let me have water until about 10:30.

We waited in a little lounge with the other couples who were there for the morning ‘slot’. They took us out one by one (with partners) and we had a briefing with a midwife and I think that was when they got my consent for the procedure. It was at that point that I was given the hospital gowns and the pressure stockings to put on.

Then we basically just waited! We had another briefing with the anaesthetist (mine was just done in the room with everyone else!) and I had a scan to check my baby was still breech. That took about 10 seconds though, she pressed it against my stomach, said “yes that is a head” and that was it!

I got moved to the afternoon slot so I actually got taken down to theatre just after 3pm. The actual procedure was great and I can’t fault any of the theatre staff, they were amazing. My baby didn’t cry and was a bit shocked when they pulled her out (she was very firmly wedged in) so they didn’t hold her up over the curtain/drop it for me to see her. Obviously the most important thing is that she was OK, but I was a bit sad that everyone in the room saw her before I did. My partner took pictures of her and took a lovely one of her on my chest, but we didn’t get one of him with her or the three of us together. Nobody offered to take one so I didn’t want to ask!

Recovery was hellish. It was exceptionally hot in there and I felt horrendous and was sick twice so it took a long time for me to be allowed water and anything to eat. I genuinely don’t remember much of it (I had a medical procedure with sedation last year and I felt similar after my c section as I did with that), I think it was a combination of tiredness, adrenaline, low blood pressure and not having eaten for so long. I also had to stay there for hours as there wasn’t a bed for me in the postnatal ward to start with. I think I got to recovery just after 4pm and got up to the ward at about 11pm. My partner had to come and find us as he’d gone to try and find us both something to eat. I’d been given some toast (which I’d vomited back up) but nothing else, and obviously he hadn’t had anything. I assume they would have offered me a sandwich or something when I got up to the ward but that’s something for your friend to consider. Either bring food or remember for her partner to go and get something before almost everywhere closes- unlike us!

Another thing to consider (although maybe this isn’t at all hospitals) is that your friend will need her maternity pads changing for her, and the HCPs on the postnatal ward didn’t seem to be very proactive in doing it. I changed mine myself in the morning (as soon as I could move I wanted to get out of bed and wash!) but it hasn’t been done since the night before. I also heard two other women who had had c-sections asking for someone to come and change it and saying it hadn’t been done for a while. Maybe they were expecting us to ask though, so she should make sure she does ask!

I work in obstetric theatres. This will be a couple of long posts.

At my trust, you're given either a morning slot, or afternoon slot. If morning, you come in for 7am, if afternoon, 11am. You're asked to not eat from a certain time depending on when you're asked to come in. You are usually allowed to drink clear fluids up until a couple hours before.

When you come in, you're taken to a bed (sometimes in a bay, sometimes it's a private room) to wait with your partner/support person. The midwife or a support worker will take your observations, and listen in on baby. You get your hospital gown, two identity bracelets, and compression stockings to wear as well. Your partner should also get a gown (sometimes scrubs), shoe coverings (or surgical clogs) and a hair covering for them to wear too!

You'll meet with one of the surgeons to go through what procedure(s) they're going to do, the benefits and risks, answer all your questions, and sign your consent form. They'll also scan you if you're having a C-section for breech/transverse/unstable lie, to make sure baby is still in that position. If they're head down, you should be given the option of if you want to continue with the C-section or not. You'll also meet with the anaesthetist who'll go through all the details you'll have given at your pre-op appointment. The surgeon and anaesthetist then go off to have a meeting with the midwife and the rest of the theatre team, to confirm the order of the list. The midwife should then let you know where you are on the list and if you're allowed to keep drinking clear fluid or not.

As we have a dedicated theatre for electives, hopefully you won't have too long a wait! Once it's time, you walk or get wheeled in a wheelchair straight into theatre, along with your partner if they want to come in for the anaesthetic bits too. You'll be met by the anaesthetic nurse who'll help you sit on the edge of the theatre bed. You then get a barrage of questions to confirm your identity, any allergies, have you eaten/drank etc. All questions you'll have answered more than once that day already, but we love, love, love double checking these things. They (or the anaesthetist) will also insert a cannula for some fluids. They'll then leave you to assist the anaesthetist in getting ready. And your partner can come in nice and close for comfort.

The anaesthetist will be sterile, and will talk you through what they're doing. If you don't want them to, just say if you aren't asked. First your back is cleaned. The solution is very cold, so be warned! It evaporates quickly, so it's not cold for long. The anaesthetist then drapes, and feels the bones of your back, once they're happy, local anaesthetic is injected. It stings momentarily, but quickly gets numb. The anaesthetic nurse will help you adopt a position that opens up the spaces between the vertebrae, and the anaesthetist will begin the spinal. You should only feel poking and prodding. Nothing sharp. If you do, let them know, and more local can be administered. Sometimes the needle can brush a nerve causing an electric shock sensation down a leg. It's unpleasant, but just so you're aware. Once the anaesthetist finds the right spot, they'll inject the strong painkillers. You might feel a cool sensation wash down your legs. You'll be assisted to lie down, and the bed will be slightly tilted to the left so your uterus doesn't press on one of your veins.

Next post!

Continuing! I forgot to say that in cases where complications are anticipated/likely to make the operation longer (e.g. multiple previous C-sections making adhesions likely), a combined spinal and epidural is given instead. But most are fine with just a spinal. Side effects can be itching, shivering, nausea, dizziness. Let the anaesthetist know if feel anything. They can give medication to make you feel better. It should all disappear once the spinal wears off.

You can have any music you like on too. We usually have a speaker and someone with access to a music app present, but it's best to provide your own. Not much we can do about lights, as the surgeons need to see, but we can dim the room lights until we need the light.

Now it's a short wait for the painkillers to do their thing. You're hooked up to the monitors to track your blood pressure (checked every 2 minutes from now until the end of the operation), your heart rate, and your O2 saturation. The anaesthetist monitors the numbness progress with a cold spray. The nerves that sense pain, also sense cold. So if you can't feel cold, you can't feel pain! More people will begin filtering in. The scrub team will get the instruments, sutures and swabs ready, the surgeons will get scrubbed, and it will start to feel busy. We all have jobs though.

At some point, a catheter will be inserted. We'll won't do it without you noticing. We'll say what we're doing at all times, and all you should feel is light touching when we're cleaning. If you need any shaving, we'll do it straight after the catheter. Then we'll put some heel rests under your heels (bed sores are bad) and strap your legs to the table. Not that you can move them by this point, but we don't want them to accidentally fall off and get injured.

Once the block is high enough, everyone stops and we complete the WHO checklist. Everyone should say their name and role, we check your identity (again, we know), and we go through a list of questions so we know exactly why and what we're about to do, and other relevant things.

Surgical lights go on, and it's showtime! First we clean your belly. Same stuff that was on your back, but this time all you'll feel is touch. You're draped. The surgeons and anaesthetist will ensure you can't feel anything, then the incision is made!

NGL it's all very quick after this. You'll feel very odd pushing and pulling sensations. You'll hear the suction start and lots of watery sucking to get rid of the amniotic fluid. Very shortly after suction starts, baby is born! If you want, we can drop the drapes so you can watch baby be born, and see/confirm the sex. It's honestly an amazing thing to watch and I do recommend. You won't see anything gross. If you don't want to, then that's fine too. We give a minute for delayed cord clamping (so long as you and baby are ok), then bring baby around. Lots of places offer skin to skin straight away. But we go by what you want. If you want baby wrapped up and held by your support person, that's fine too. Baby is checked frequently to make sure they're warm enough. At some point baby is weighed and checked over thoroughly, but it's not very long, and baby is returned quickly.

After baby is born, and the placenta is removed, it's usually around 45 minutes (30-60 minutes we would say) to get stitched back up. You might also be offered a painkiller suppository (diclofenac). Once it's done, there's a second checklist we go through, but no participation needed from you this time.

Baby and partner go off to one corner so we can transfer you to a regular hospital bed. Once you're in the bed you can hold baby some more. Then you'll go to recovery for a bit for monitoring and to wait for feeling to return to your legs. Should only be a few hours before you have full sensation back. On your first time out of bed, call for assistance, you might well be a bit wobbly, especially if the spinal hasn't quite worn off yet.

Once you're ready and there's a bed ready in postnatal, you'll go there. And within a day or two you should be ready to go home!

Hope my essays helped a little. If you, or anyone else, has any questions, I'm happy to answer them to the best of my ability.

@Dyra I might have a cesarean so your posts have been really helpful thank you. I'm going to bookmark this thread so I can refer back if needed 🙂

@Dyra Thank you so much for the detail! I have a few more questions, please.

My consultant has requested a side room for me, as, due to previous trauma, I refuse to share an overnight room with strange men. If they take me to the recovery ward, at what point can I make staff aware that I should be in a side room?

If I am bumped down the list and haven’t eaten all day long, or bumped to the next day, I am very concerned about hunger. I’m only very thin, and faint if I don’t eat regularly. Can this be mitigated?

I also get UTIs very easily, and need to drink water constantly, so I’m very concerned about the catheter + lack of water, especially on a boiling hot ward. Will they let me have sips of water?

What position are the legs strapped in? I.e. are they open? Will I be bare from the waist, down? What do I walk to surgery wearing?

Can I have a coffee when I come out of recovery? (It will help me go to the toilet, which I know can be a difficult time!).

@DogsAndGin You can have a coffee after your ELCS. Mine was last month & I sent my husband out for coffee and cake (central London hospital) a couple of hours after we got back to postnatal in the early afternoon. Not sure if you’d be able to get anyone to make you one on the ward as they’re extremely busy, the fabled tea and toast wasn’t offered to us at any point. They’ll also offer you Lactulose which is good to take regularly in the first week.

I drank litres of water like a fish, the nurses are very keen to see your catheter bag fill up with light coloured urine before it is removed. I’d suggest bringing a water bottle with a straw (eg Camelbak Eddy type) as the ward will offer jugs and plastic cups, which isn’t the easiest when you’re stuck in bed, feeling sore, and trying to juggle a newborn.

I walked to surgery wearing gown, TED stockings and grippy hospital socks. You won’t have underpants on.

I had my c section 4 months ago. I walked to surgery in a hospital gown. The gown was moved up during surgery and then they asked if I wanted to lie the baby on my chest once she was born so they moved the gown down when she was placed on me. I was covered completely after the c section. On ward, j couldn’t feel my legs for a few hours but I didn’t have a full epidural. I was covered with my gown and a blanket over me. My legs were not open throughout, they were left closed as if I was normally lying down.
The hospital let me have sips of water before my c section. As soon as I was out they gave me tea and toast with some fresh juice and a jug of water. They kept refreshing the water and encouraged me to drink lots to stay hydrated. The more water you drink, the faster the catheter can come out.
Id recommend taking a flask of cold water because the water they provide becomes tepid very quickly in the heat.

@Hiddenvoice and @Porridgeislife thank you so much 😊 really helpful to know x

@DogsAndGin Just to help with a few of your questions!

I wasn’t offered lactulose. I’m not sure if they would have offered me something if I’d needed it, but it wasn’t a standard. They warned me that my bowels were likely to be in ‘shock’ for a couple of days afterwards, but I think I went to the loo a couple of days after with no trouble.

I’m not sure there’s much you can do about the eating, really. I was warned that if I didn’t follow the instructions about not eating after a certain time my procedure wouldn’t go ahead, so I think you might just have to hope you’re not pushed back too much. I’m sure PP who works in obstetric theatres will be able to advise though!

I was offered a small glass of water while in recovery, but I had to wait quite a while for it- I think because my blood pressure was low? I was then sick, so I had to wait again before I was allowed any more water or anything to eat. I got fluids through a drip though, so I wasn’t dehydrated even though I felt thirsty. My catheter bag was very full in the morning even though I’d not physically drunk very much.

I walked down to theatre wearing two hospital gowns (one on properly, the other one like a coat). I had to take my bra off when I put them on in the morning, but I was allowed to keep my underwear on until I was actually in theatre- they gave me a little plastic bag to put my knickers in. I then stayed in the hospital gowns until the next morning. I think it was pushed up fairly high to start with (someone will come and change your maternity pads for you as you won’t be able to do it yourself, mine was sort of bunched between my legs as I didn’t have underwear on, and I was on a puppy pad type of thing) but there is a blanket over you so nobody can see anything. Once I got to the ward an MCA helped me manoeuvre myself into a pair of knickers, so I could use the maternity pads normally.

I saw countless posts on here saying I would need a nightdress due to the catheter, but I didn’t need it. I wasn’t allowed out of bed until the next morning and as soon as I was allowed up the catheter came out so I could put pyjamas on!

Best of luck 🙂

Hey @DogsAndGin Always happy to help!

If they take me to the recovery ward, at what point can I make staff aware that I should be in a side room?

Unfortunately recovery is almost always done in bays. In my trust, there's only 2 side rooms in recovery, and they're almost always full with women whose babies are poorly in NICU, or have infections. It's only for a short time though. Only a few hours until you have feeling back in your legs. Then you'll be sent to postnatal ward where you should have a side room as per your consultant's instructions. Naturally, I don't know what resources your trust has, so talk to your midwife in the morning on the day, and they might be able to sort something out.

If I am bumped down the list and haven’t eaten all day long, or bumped to the next day, I am very concerned about hunger. I’m only very thin, and faint if I don’t eat regularly. Can this be mitigated?

If you're bumped to the next day, you're free to eat, so long as you're nil by mouth again after midnight. There's food available 24/7, even if only a sandwich. But you should bring snacks anyway. Always good to have nearby postnatally. You're also not a prisoner, so you're free to leave and get food, or have it delivered. As for having to wait longer than expected, that's out of my knowledge. You'll need to ask your anaesthetist for options. But it's unlikely you'll be allowed to eat anything. Fasting is vital.

I also get UTIs very easily, and need to drink water constantly, so I’m very concerned about the catheter + lack of water, especially on a boiling hot ward. Will they let me have sips of water?

Do you mean postnatally? Because you won't (or rather shouldn't) have a catheter until you're in theatre after the spinal. Before the operation, that's another question for your anaesthetist. They will be the one to decide if, and up until what time you can have fluids. Afterwards, drink all you want!

What position are the legs strapped in? I.e. are they open?

They're strapped together for the vast majority of the time. They'll need to be open to insert the catheter, and afterwards to clean out clots from your vagina.

Will I be bare from the waist down?

Yes. From the point we clean your belly just before the operation starts until shortly after it's finished. At all other points we will ensure you're covered.

What do I walk to surgery wearing?

Ideally your hospital gown. You can change in the anaesthetist room, or in theatre itself if you wish, but we cannot guarantee privacy. Most women wear two gowns. One the normal way, and the other like a dressing gown. The second gown needs to be removed quite early though as access to your back is needed for the spinal. As others have said, you can also wear underwear into theatre. But again, need to be removed quite soon after you're in theatre. We put them in a small bag, and make sure they go with you at the end. Unless you want us to get rid of them ofc.

Can I have a coffee when I come out of recovery? (It will help me go to the toilet, which I know can be a difficult time!).

Absolutely! You might even get offered one in recovery. Not everyone has difficulty though. I didn't. I don't know how fortunate that makes me.

Hope that helps a little. If you (or anyone else) have any more questions, feel free to ask!

@Dyra and @NeedMoreMilk thank you both so much for so much detail! That’s really helped me x

@Dyra sorry you must hate the amount of people who have questions for you now lol but I was just woundering what the chances of the spinal not working are? I've had 2 previous sections and on my second the spinal didn't work...I'm always a worrier and had been labouring for like 30 hours previous so I think these all played a part in the spinal not working. I'm due a section in 16 days but just worried it won't work again😞

I was staying on thr hospital ward with my planned section.

No food or water from night before, that morning I got up got showered and they sent a hca to shave where they would be doing the incision.

I was gowned up and brought down at I think around 9am but I might be wrong lol.

Me and hubby walked down together but he had to wait outside whilst they put spinal anesthetic in. I had to sit on the table hugging a pillow and they got the spinal in but was agreed as I was so short they would give me a lesser dose but add an epidural too in case I needed a bit more.

Once anesthetic all kicked in the whole team came in and they introduced me to the midwife who would be in charge of baby when he came out and asked if I wanted the curtain dropped at the moment they pulled him out, I said yes but I believe my adhesions were very bad so they couldn't do it.

They did the op, baby was born and weighed etc then placed on me whilst they sewed me up then wheeled me round to the recovery room where we stayed for a few hours then I got brought up to my room.

@gs26 I don't mind at all! However, in your case I'm afraid I don't have any numbers for you. I'm also far from qualified to know why it could have failed. However, I can say that IME it is incredibly uncommon. Especially in an elective, where (in my trust) the anaesthetist is always a consultant, and can take their time. Out of curiousity, in what way did it fail? Didn't rise high enough? Still had some/patchy feeling? Or didn't work at all? Did they try a second attempt? Hopefully at your pre-op appointment the anaesthetist can answer all your questions, and give you some reassurance. Sorry I can't help.