Hospital won't/can't help with skin to skin or bf attempt during stitching phase of C-Section.

[onehitwonder]

Hi

I am booked for an elective section (due to issues post natural birth last time) next monday. I have just had my final appointment with the consultant and a midwife to discuss the procedure.
I raised the possibility of skin to skin or attempting to feed whilst I was being stitched (if I felt ok and not too shaky etc). The consultant said 'good idea - don't know why more people don't try it' but then I saw a midwife, who when I raised it with her said 'we have never acheived skin to skin or feeding in theatre' in fact 'no one has ever even asked about it'. She pretty much dismissed it out of hand, saying that they were looking into how other hospitals did support and acheive it, but that due to how the sterile area was arranged there, access to the chest was difficult etc etc.
She did say that they would help with skin to skin and feeding in recovery.

This has thrown me a bit. With my DD, I didn't manage to have much skin to skin or to feed her at all during the 'golden hour' post delivery as I was having a PPH and being stiched for about 45 minutes. My DD then didn't latch for 36 hours and so I had colostrum hand expressed by a midwife in tiny amounts for DD. I also had some issues bonding with DD and I don't know if earlier skin to skin & feeding would have helped this.

This is why I was so keen to try for skin to skin and feeding in theatre if possible.

I do understand that priority is the babies and my safety and with all the issues around infection etc that any 'compromise' to the sterility of the area being stiched would be a problem.

Her only suggestion was to talk to the surgeon when I see him on the morning of the op, but if the midwives have no experience of this and seem unwilling to try, even if he or she says go for it I am really not confident of getting support from them.

I just feel like I hit a complete brick wall. Do I just accept this? I was really hoping to at least have skin to skin. Apparently baby will be with the midwife/paediatrican for tests - cleaned up, dressed and then given to dad to hold whilst I am being stiched. I really wanted to be close to the baby as soon as possible .

Any advice on how to proceed here?

baby was whisked away on exit and returned minutes(felt like hours) later, i'm tearful now just remembering, but then i bf from theatre upto recovery and had that golden hour or more of just staring at her

next cs aug, i'd definitely like to see baby before they clean her up if poss but i'm not sure about an icky skin to skin as won't be able to shower until following day!

Hi Meglet and Lizzielou, yes DH is primed to try and help support the baby for skin to skin as i am assuming I will have only one arm free (and maybe not even that if the blood pressure cuff is on that side).

I was offered skin to skin but declined because I was way to shaky and felt really unstable on the op table - but dh had ds and sat next to me. I breast fed within the hour in recovery and had no problems with bonding or breastfeeding.
I know skin to skin is important and do push for it if you want but you may feel like me and feel to ill to do it - don't assume a lack of it means problems bonding and breastfeeding.

I had elcs with DS due to natural birth complications with DD

I had skin to skin, with DH holding the baby for me, and planned to feed straight away.

However due to large pph, Both DH and DS had to leave theatre, Dh then put DS to the breast while I was in recovery as I was still semi concious.

It was nice in a way that he got to do the first feed as much as me IYSWIM.

I think the skin to skin is nice in theatre but without complications you will be in recovery within 20 mins of delivery, so can still feed within your "golden hour"

FWIW, when the time comes, everything seems to happen so fast, you will just be glad the baby is born and whether you have skin to skin straight away or in the post op recovery, you just wont mind, you will be just so pleased to see your baby. Try not to worry about it now. You will have so much time to bond, it will be great.

I'm glad I've read this. DS was born by Emercency section and I was not offered him to hold while being stapled and he was given to DH to hold in a room away from me while I was in recovery for 2 hours!

All this had really put me off having a section next time - I was so upset that I completely missed the first 2 hours of his life after he was born that it used to reduce me to tears.

Now I know it doesn't have to be this way, I will make sure baby 2 stays with me from the beginning

Thanks all for more of your experiences and SarahL2 I'm glad it has made you think you can have a more positive experience next time around.

I am feeling a bit more chilled about it today - I was just so stressed by it yesterday.

onehitwonder - please try not to worry too much.

I had an elective 13 days ago and they wouldn´t let me breastfeed DS due to the drugs I had been given (in Spain not so very pro-BF) Anyway they said I had to wait 24hrs. As it happened they gave him a bottle which he rejected and he ended up in the SCBU for 3 days, being fed with an IV.

The good news is that he has latched on perfectly depsite the odds being against us

Good luck!

Just a quick update from me on how things worked out.

I had a very helpful midwife for the actual birth. She said they had never tried for skin to skin in theatre, but wasn't adverse to trying. We discussed with the theatre team and as long as it didn't comprimise the sterile area they were ok with it too.

So we slipped my right arm out of the gown and once DS (yay its a boy ) was born and checked, they handed him to DH just wrapped in a blanked, which he opened. DH was able to hold DS across my right shoulder and into my neck. So not full skin to skin, but a lot better than nothing!

DS then went on to feed in recovery and hasn't stopped since .

He is now 11 days old and has regained and gone past his birth weight, so I am delighted.

The whole experience was so much more positive than my DDs birth and i feel like I have bonded with him sooner .

Thanks to everyone who posted to encourage me to push for what I wanted . What would I do without Mumsnet?

Well done! So glad you had a better experience this time.

Congrats on your baby boy!

Just seen this thread for the first time. I am booked in for an elec c/s on 29th June and was thinking exactly the same thing as you so I feel more confident about dicsussing it at my pre op and making sure I get my own way.

When DD was born I had to be taken to theatre afterwrads as had a 3rd degree tear so although I did put her to my breast as I was being checked and she did suckle for a min, I spent the next 3 nh alf hrs away fro her. At day 9 my milk still hadn't come in so gave up and started bottle feeding. The next day my milk came in but I had given up.

I am desperate for skin to skin this time and to try BF!

Thanks for sharing your story.

I was feeding in theatre, very positive support, but I took an independent midwife in with me.

My c section was a wonderful experience - on a par with my homebirth.

Rushing off for sch run now but more info later if you want it.

Congratulations on your baby boy and so glad you were able to have close contact!