C Section

[mum2bemay22]

I have gestational diabetes and baby weighs 7lbs at 34 weeks so I’ve been told by my consultant that I may have to have an elected c section as it will be safer for both me and the baby but she won’t make a decision with me for definite until next week. Anyway, I’m totally fine with this now I’ve taken some time to digest it but I just wanted to hear other people’s experiences as I do not know anyone who has had one before. My main fear is that I will go to the recovery place by myself and my husband and baby will go somewhere different and I’ll miss that first ‘golden hour’ of bonding time. That would destroy me! Can anyone tell me what happens or their own stories. I’d really appreciate it before I agree to something with the consultant, thank you☺️

If all goes well. They prep you, put the spinal in, lie you down and whip the baby out. While they stitch you up you can have skin to skin and the baby can feed (mine did.) if all goes well you won’t be separated from baby or husband at all.

I had a few complications (spinal wore off midway amongst others) and so I needed to go to recovery and DH held the baby for an hour or so. We’d already had a feed and it didn’t affect bonding or BF at all. It honestly wasn’t an issue.

I had a planned c-section for medical reasons. Assuming it goes well (and yours sounds like it should), you should never be in a different room to your husband or baby. At the hospital where my DD was born, she was cleaned up before I saw her and wrapped in a blanket (and nappy!). I was able to stroke/kiss her briefly, then DH held her while I was stitched up. Both of them came into recovery with me, where we were able to have skin to skin contact. Some hospitals allow skin to skin while you're stitched up - if you have an elcs, do ask!

Mine wasn’t elective it was an emergency (classed as) because after 26 hours my son just wouldn’t budge and I was exhausted!

It was a very calm experience for me. A little crazy as I’d gone bonkers from contractions but once the anaesthetic kicked in and I felt him being pulled out (the weirdest sensation ever) the sheer relief and happiness was incredible! They wrapped him in a towel, cleaned him up and passed him to my now husband who showed him to me as best they could! He was given to me skin to skin as soon as I’d been sorted out and we were back up recovering after about half an hour. I lost a lot of blood and they had to put me on a drip but I was never taken away from him or my husband. I didn’t need a transfusion as they were concerned I would, were just bleeders in my family!

I look back very fondly on my experience. I healed up well and was up and about within a couple of days (within reason) and after about six weeks I felt back to normal even if I wasn’t quite there physically underneath. I am speaking as someone who was absolutely terrified of a section and remember saying “I’m scared” to my husband as they put the curtain up. But it was fine and all the staff there were just very good at keeping me at ease and it turned out lovely. I would have another one if needed if I have another child as it was ok with me.

Have some hats with you for baby - it’s cold in there! I had a very calm and collected experience and was comfortable throughout. Sore for a while and couldn’t really move very well but only for a couple of days. Just take it steady.

How long did you have with them both before being taken to recovery?

I had an emergency section. DD was born, cleaned up and weighed briefly then we had skin to skin while they sorted me out. I actually held her while they wheeled me into the recovery room, my H was present the whole time. We were in the recovery room for about an hour, given tea and toast, then taken to the normal post labour ward. I had my section at 8am and was on my feet by about 4pm. I recovered really well, was driving within 4 weeks. I think I'll go for ELCS this time, my previous one was a very positive experience.

Hi, having an effective c- section shouldn't stop you from holding your baby straight away and you would normally go to the same recovery unit together. I had an emergency with my first and my second was a planned c- section. With the eldest I wasn't able to hold her on the theatre as I was shivering too much, apparently a result of the adrenaline. However, on a planned c- section you should be able to hold the baby straight away - I had mine in my arms as soon as they'd done the basic newborn checks and kept hold of him whilst they stitched me back up.

Oh wow these posts have made me feel much better already, thank you! I was scared that I would have a section, I’d get to see him for half an hour and then I’d be taken away from them both for a couple of hours and I’d be upset but if they get to come with me (providing baby is all ok) then that sounds good to me!!

I had an ELCS, and was never separated from DH or DD - they were always in the same room as me.

How long did you have with them both before being taken to recovery?

It takes about 30 minutes to get stitched up after the delivery. Your husband and baby should be with you for this. You'll Be transfered onto a 'fresh' bed and wheeled out of theatre and into the recovery bay, baby will have a cot wheeled in next to your bed and your husband should be able to follow you and have a chair in the recovery bay. How long you need to stay in recovery depends, we were there a few hours with my first baby as it was busy on the maternity ward so they were waiting for a space to put my bed, but my husband was able to stay with us the while time. It was only once we were onto the maternity ward that he had to stick to visiting hours.
Make sure to write down any questions about the process so that you can ask ast your next appointment. I had an appointmemt with the anesthetist a few days before the section and they were great at answering questions

I had an emcs, I only held DS briefly in theatre when he was born because I was shaking so much but DP was sat by my head and held DS whilst they stitched me up. In recovery I held and fed DS ( still shaking but someone stood with us). I missed the skin to skin because of the shaking but it didn't affect bonding.
I started driving 2 weeks after.

I couldn't hold my DS for around 2 hours after c section and trust me, it did not affect the bonding. It didn't affect the breast feeding either.

Some c sections can be difficult, many are straight forward (especially planned). However, if you start with the thought and assumption that it will destroy you if you can't hold your baby immediately after birth, maybe you are setting yourself up for a difficult time.

I had massive blood loss after c section, and DS was in distress so they had to take him to a different room for recovery. Then for me I needed some serious surgical work. I couldn't hold him for over 2 hours but DH was with him, took loads of photos, the staff was updating me regularly.

In recovery I could hold him and BF, the bonding was immediate and we've had no issue bonding thereafter. He is now 11 years old and our relationship is absolutely perfect.

I actually can’t remember- they shot me full of morphine rather than knock me out with a GA so I was off my tits for a little while. hour and a half? Ish ?
I seem to destroy anaesthetic so that wore off in an hour and I could already move my legs before I left theatre. I don’t think that’s the norm though. Dh was with the baby the whole time - I was wheeled up an hour or so later after I’d convinced the staff I was fine. Baby utterly non bothered by being away from me and actually it was kind of nice to have that time for them at the start. Certainly hasn’t affected any bonding - ds is firmly attached ;)

It’s a pretty chilled procedure normally. Ask for delayed cord clamping of possible and immediate skin to skin.

My planned c section was wonderful

DH and I arrived at the hospital at 8am, we were dressed in our gowns and taking silly selfies at 9am and DS was born at 10am

In theatre, they put my spinal in and then the surgeon started about 10 mins later. DS was born 15 mins after that, and they lifted him up to show me before doing delayed clamping for a few minutes
Then he was wrapped in a towel and handed straight to me for a cuddle, before DH took him to be weighed and cleaned up.

Then he came back to me for skin to skin while they stitched me up.

From there, all 3 of us went to recovery until about 2pm and I was transferred to the postnatal ward

The nurses helped get me out of bed later that afternoon, and I was eating, drinking and peeing normally by the evening.

The next morning, I had a shower on my own and was discharged at lunchtime
So had barely more than 24 hours from arriving at the hospital to being back snuggled up in my own bed with my newborn

Good luck!

Thank you PP for telling me your experience, that can’t have been the best for you but I’m so glad that the men can go with them so they aren’t alone incase that happens to us. I have been told he may need help as the diabetes can cause their lungs to not be as mature and they may need help to start with.
These stories and experiences have really helped calm me down and if a section is what is required I definitely feel like it’s not going to ruin my experience of having our son. Some of them made me emotional knowing I’ll be able to still hold him as that was my biggest fear! Hormones, hey!