C section and nails!

[OliviaL9530]

Hi all!
I have a section next week and can't get into the salon to get my acrylic nails off.
I wanted them redoing for baby's arrival and had an appointment the day before but it says on the leaflet that they're not allowed 😭

Anyone broke the rules and had them on regardless 😂

Do you know why you're not allowed them? There is a reason.

Oxygen monitor - the fingertip monitor needs a clean nail to monitor oxygenation properly.

All surgical procedures specify no nail polish or false nails.

They need to be off for the O2 monitor. It's also useful to have clean nails as nail colour is a good indicator for poor oxygenation. They're not doing it to be killjoys.

I went in early and had full extensions and acrylics, even gel on toes and nobody asked me

I'm in the US and I my doctor told me it's fine to have gels on. I got a fresh set for my c-section .

Presumably if they insist of them being off they can soak them off in hospital. They just have protocol for emergencies - presumably they don't send women with pre-e or a placental rupture off the the nail bar for a soak off .

Just have a standard manicure, shape and polish - they'll look lovely.

Had acrylics for both of mine

I had gel nails for my birth (not section), all fine.

I had gel nails for my section and sadly got asked to take them off x

It's for the oxygen monitor and I had acrylics on for both of mine, no-one said anything and it was fine. I had straightforward elcs's though and mine are long, had there been complications that meant my oxygen level monitoring was important they may have cut one or two down.
Much later on during the Covid pandemic I was redeployed to a hospital and one of the patients who had Covid needed hers removed for the finger clip to work, they didn't know what to do so asked me as I still had mine (barely!) on so I was going to scurry off to Boots for some acetone to soak them off, it wouldn't have been great but would have worked in the circumstances but they found some within the hospital once they knew what they needed and it worked out. So do be aware that although it shouldn't pose a problem if everything goes well they ask for them to be removed because if things don't go so well it causes a problem for everyone. I'd expect in a maternity setting it's something that will have been encountered before though, in the scenario I mentioned the staff hadn't come across this as an issue before.

They need to be able to see your fingertips. A drop in oxygen can be first seen under the nail. Its the same for all theatre procedures

Also an FYI hair extensions are big no no if you have the metal bond type ones. I know a PP above mentioned them, the tape ones are fine, clip ins prob okay but the metal copper ring types no. I’m having to have mine removed and I’m gutted 🤦🏻‍♀️

Thanks all!

I actually work in healthcare so I'm aware of the Sp02 monitoring via the finger probe but the ones in our trust are used on ears 😂

I'll speak to my midwife and see what she suggests is best, when I've been in previously for checks and what not they've always managed to get the reading with them on x

It's not about the reading, it's about them physically looking at your nail beds to check their colour for oxygen levels.

I asked my consultant in one of my later appointments who said I needed to get my gels taken off. However my waters broke before my ELCS so ended up having to move my section forward and I hadn’t had my gels taken off. I asked on the table what they do and they said it’s fine and if needs be they could use a toe! Although they could get the reading from my finger so no need.

The only reason to take them off is so you don’t make the staff jealous (because we’re not allowed them!). Sats can be monitored elsewhere. (DOI: anaesthetist)

Had an elective a couple of weeks ago, i had freshly done acrylics...no one mentioned it at any point. I think it's fine!

Retired anaesthetist here. Came on to say no problem, we have ear probes for sat monitoring, but see I’ve been beaten to it by PPs!

I just had gel finger nail and toes and they took them off with acetone while I was waiting to go down for emcs!

I did say do u know how hard it was to paint my toenails at 9 months pregnant 😂 they laughed and said they had to remove them 🤷🏻‍♀️

Not sure they'd be able to acrylics off though!