C-section op rules? Can you take cameras in?

[oneyummymummy]

Hi, Had em.c.section with DD so had no time for any of that, but I was just wondering if anyone knows if you can take cameras/camcorders into the theatre to film/take pictures of the birth/baby? I know its not everyones cup of tea, but I really feel I missed a lot as had to have GA and missed it all!

Just might be useful to know for next time!

Depends on your hospital I think. I have had 2 sections, 1 emergency (but not GA) in Northwick Park (NW London) and 1 elective in Gloucester. I was very specific on both occasions that they lower the screen when pulling the baby out so I could be sure it was mine IYSWIM..... And both times DH took photos, the DS's were all covered in vernix and cord still attached. DS2 posed for the camera by having a wee at that exact moment . In my experience the anaesthetist was the best person to speak to, they're at the head end and and you get the most time talking to them both before and during, assuming it's not a GA of course.
Good luck!

With the GA nobody thought to ask as DS2 was in distress, I wanted him alive and didn't care about anything else...he had to be resuscitated and had skin to skin with Daddy and so that made up for it, nearly.

I forgot all about a CD so they asked if I would like the radio on instead as the registrar had been called away.... so DS2 was born to the dulcet tones of Ken Bruce
If this is your idea of hell, remember the CD!

Ooh will check out that Elbow song for my compilation... have chosen "In to my Arms" by Nick Cave for the "reveal"!

cameras forbid in theatre in my hospital, although okay once in the recovery room next door. (I would have loved a picture of them being "born"...)

Went equipped with my relaxing music CD, only to find they had a radio/tape player! So DS was born in absolute silence! (I remembered the radio being on when DD was born by em c/s - the really annoying local radio channel!) So check what playing euqipment they have first to avoid disappointment....

that should be forbidden, damn fingers....

oneyummymummy, my first baby was born by emergency c-section with a GA, I woke up in the recovery room to the sight of my newborn daughter fastasleep in the clear plastic crib next to me, I felt like someone had just placed her there and told me she was mine - I suffered with postnatal depression for an awfully long time. I went on to have three vbac's and then only 11 weeks ago, an elective c-section, which was a very positive experience .

That gives me hope for a VBAC, thats idealy what I want next time, but just want to cover all areas! I suffered with PTSS after my DD from the surgery and everything that happened!

oneyummymummy - as well as the picture issue, is there any way they can not dress the baby until you wake up?
I couldn't hold DS2 just after his em-c-s as i was shaking too much so DH held him, just put a nappy on and wrapped him in a blanket. He was fine, then when i stopped shaking, i unwrapped the blanket a bit so we could have skin to skin and i bf him in the recovery room. i presume a GA takes longer to come round from but would a baby mind just being wrapped up rather than dressed? Or just undress it regardless so you can have the skin to skin thing anyway?

And get them to do skin to skin with daddy too when it's born, dh has done that with both boys as i've struggled with placenta/been stitched up.

Yeah, I would love to be able to do skin-to-skin or at least just have my baby handed to me 'just born' rather than washed and dressed, and would ask for this next time, but if im under GA, just dont know how much of this they would take notice of, DP would tell them,but sometimes they just take over and do it anyway!

Similar thing for me - em-c-section but the midwife who'd been with me for the previous god knows how many hours took our camera and got shots of the birth, the baby being lifted over the screen to me, the clock at the moment of birth, everything - it was lovely as unlike skramble I was so zonked by then I have no real memories of being shown dd - I just remember thinking "if it's all over can I sleep now"...

"if it's all over can I sleep now"... I know that feeling! Thats a lovely idea to take a pic of clock when baby was born, wouldnt have thought of that myself!

Neither would I but the MW did an excellent job, we got some brilliant photos. Definitely agree with what others have said on giving dh skin-to-skin - it made me glad that even if I wasn't up to it, dd didn't miss out.
Betsy on the subject of annoying music, the radio in theatre when I got carried in was playing "I've had the time of my life" - didn't work for me after over a day of labour...