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Original poster

After CS - how soon could you hold baby?

71 replies

Angelico · 09/07/2012 22:17

Just that really. Was talking to midwife today and asked about feeding baby in recovery after CS (it has it as option to put in birthplan). Apparently that 'doesn't happen' in my hospital Confused

I feel a bit down about it now to be honest as I really want to BF and don't like the idea of delay for such a long time. In fact she admitted that I will be separated from baby at least an hour and a midwife may give her a bottle which will fuck up my BFing attempts.

The thing is they are always going on about skin to skin and BFing so why can I not have my baby with me in recovery? It's actually making me consider changing hospitals although have to admit current hospital is just round the corner and v convenient. Having my CS due to medical history and have been quite accepting of it as it wasn't unexpected but this is making me feel a bit :(

Someone tell me I'm being silly...

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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AmandinePoulain · 11/07/2012 08:29

Dh's area?! Hmm His arms!

AmandinePoulain · 11/07/2012 08:30

The 10 Steps

AnitaBlake · 11/07/2012 08:36

Would you consider colostrum harvesting? I plan to do this for bump. Basically you express colostrum into syringes and freeze them, so if there's any reason you can't feed at least baby can be given your milk. I've got really good reasons for doing it, but you don't need em!

Would just give you some reassurance.

baileyslover · 11/07/2012 08:47

Not quite the same, but I had to go to theatre straight after birth for stitches. DH did skin to skin whole time I was in theatre, then as soon as I was in recovery baby was bought to me to feed. Very shaky from spinal and low BP so fed lying down. Baby spent whole night cosleeping in bed with me.
Definately question this, as well as need for urgent formula, I thought babies didn't have to feed for first couple of hours as long as at term and no low blood glucose.

newm55 · 11/07/2012 10:24

I hope you get this sorted op. I have has 2 emergency sections so far and I am due to have an elective soon.
My 1st section was a crash section with GA. I came round in recovery and was fairly soon afterwards given baby to feed. Sadly it wasn't that successful so I gave up.
With my 2nd it was less of an emergency and I was awake. After wrapping ds up I was allowed to hold him in theatre before feeding/skin/skin in recovery.
This time I will be asking to see actual delivery bit as I ant to find out sex for myself instead of being told. Would also like skin/skin in theatre if possible.
Have meeting with consultant soon so finers crossed.

Original poster
Angelico · 11/07/2012 12:56

Well saw community midwife today and got a bit of an update. She used to work in the hospital and apparently they WILL let you have skin to skin in theatre but WON'T let you have baby in recovery at all. The reason (she thinks) is that it's a general surgical recovery ward and there might be an infection risk? Don't know whether that's plausible or not, will double check with consultant next week, but does at least sound like there's some kind of logic rather than simply being "oh no we don't do that."

Newm hope they support you :)

OP posts:
Northernexile · 11/07/2012 17:06

Hi Angelico, have just PM'd you Smile

Cheriefroufrou · 11/07/2012 17:44

its not plausable and I'ld challenge it, I work on general wards that BF mothers sometimes get admitted to (like everyone else), there are real infection risks there (not so much in recovery, everyone tends to stick to their beds and has an allocated nurse each) but if women have to come in and are BFing they are told the risks but if they choose to do it then we do facilitate having their babies in to BF if at all possible

and surgical patients are often, not the right word at all, but "cleaner" then medical patients because they are often pre-assessed or have antibiotic cover etc.. so its not like having the baby on a closed to noro elderly medical ward at all!

Cheriefroufrou · 11/07/2012 17:45

anyhoo it still makes no sense because if there was anything "going round" in recovery, you would be in contact with it then in contact with your baby anyway as soon as you're discharged from recovery (so won't have had a shower in between)

Original poster
Angelico · 11/07/2012 19:46

Yeah will talk to consultant next week although not holding my breath for good news... Tbh I need to weigh up the inconvenience of moving against having that half an hour away from bean. I know DH really is not keen to move and I can understand why as it will mean major hassle for him. As long as I get some skin to skin time in theatre I can probably live with it.

OP posts:
Meglet · 11/07/2012 19:50

Infection risk from a newborn Confused. I don't think you can get much cleaner than that!

They are bonkers. Stick with it and I'm sure they will see sense.

Original poster
Angelico · 11/07/2012 20:13

Erm... I assumed it was the other way round to be honest Confused :o And that some horrible germy adult was going to smite my PFB with pestilence and plague! :o

OP posts:
Cheriefroufrou · 11/07/2012 20:51

yeah it'ld be the other way round, but recovery is pretty clean - has to be with all those people with surgical wounds etc, its probably cleaner then the average post natal ward or HV clinic!

Cheriefroufrou · 11/07/2012 20:53

they are mixed sex though and its open plan, maybe that's what they're REALLY thinking (which would be wrong you should still be allowed to BF there)

Meglet · 11/07/2012 20:55

yes, you are right. (unless they really are mad!)

blacktreaclecat · 12/07/2012 09:46

I had EMCS 4 weeks ago. Didn't hold DS in theatre, DH did but had skin to skin and tried to bf in recovery so maybe an hour after birth. Spent all day doing skin to skin and trying to bf. DS was 36 weeks so on hypoglycaemia pathway- after 6 hours when he wouldn't latch he had a formula cup feed. We are now FFing because we never managed to latch him on and I got fed up with the whole thing.

gettingrealnow · 12/07/2012 18:04

I would change hospital tbh!

Once the baby is out and checked for a couple of minutes you should get it in your arms wrapped in a towel and do skin to skin. Those moment are really special.

I had an emergency section with DC1 at UCH London and they handed over the baby almost immediately.

Good luck!

PicaK · 18/07/2012 17:48

Well, how long will ypu be in recovrry for? I think I was there less than an hour and that was after a crash section under GA.

my gut feeling would be that if it's a short period of waiting the baby won't starve. but i'd be very tempted to avoid bottles in the early stage (Google nipple confusion). if they insist on formula demand a syringe . have you been taught how little their stomach's are.

after my cs I found I didn't get the breasts that felt like concrete stage. I did a lot of GENTLE massage and expressing - well I spent a lot of time doing it i didn't produce that much then cos you don't.

I did struggle to lift the baby out of the cot. do not try to do that. ring the bell get the midwife to do it. they will prob make a sarky comment. ignore! I nearly dropped my lityle one and my heart still freezes when I think of it.

bizarrely enough I found the formula websites had the best breast feeding info.I ebf'd for 18 months so you won't get brain washed.

good luck. use that small amount of time your baby isn't with you to recuperate. you will be doing him or her a favour as you have to be there for them all that night and prob the next on your own.

you may get horrid consyipation too - don't be too shy to ask for medicine for this.

you will be in pain - keep painkillers topped up when you come out of hospital. cos if you mess up the timings it will be worse.

Original poster
Angelico · 19/07/2012 11:16

Thanks for all the replies! Seeing consultant later so will ask a few questions then...

OP posts:
AThingInYourLife · 19/07/2012 11:39

IME I've been in recovery post-CS for several hours.

I would not accept being separated from my new baby for that long.

Or to her being given formula when my breasts were full of colostrum.

Best of luck today Angelico - I hope you get some good answers to your questions.

Original poster
Angelico · 19/07/2012 22:46

Well I got some answers although not necessarily ones to my liking - but tbh I can understand the hospital policy now.

Essentially I will get to hold baby in theatre briefly but will not be able to take her to recovery. Consultant was lovely as usual and said himself that it's not an ideal situation for new mums especially. Basically it is a small hospital and the recovery area is not maternity only but general. A lot of their surgeries there are gynae based and include women with fertility issues having investigative surgery / corrective surgery but also women who have had miscarriages and late losses. Therefore the last thing they need is to see a new baby.

It's not ideal but the fact this was acknowledged actually made me feel better about it. He said that usually if all goes well I should be back on the ward 20-30 mins after going into recovery. Need to think about it a bit more but staying in hospital will make life much easier for DH and for getting home afterwards so would have to think carefully about the upheaval of moving.

Thanks for all your messages and experiences :) Thanks

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