Elective csection

[Pandabuggle]

I've finally got my elective csection date, got to be in for 7.30am Monday. Does anyone know what they do once you arrive etc and how long it usually is until they take you to theatre?

The hospital only gave me time and date a couple hours ago and that's literally all the info. Which has left it very difficult to get arrangements in place for my son. I don't drive so partner will need to drop me off, my son can't be dropped at school until 7.30 and it's then 25 minutes back to hospital.

I don't want to risk my partner missing the birth of our 1st child together. It's been a tough pregnancy with everything popping up and have GD too

Any advice or info on what happens once I arrive would be great. Hospital has been rubbish with communications.

I think you’ll get a variety of answers… But here’s my story.
I went in at the same time as about five other ladies, we were told the c sec wasn’t guaranteed to take place eg if any emergencies came in. The docs had their meeting to decide who went down to surgery first, this took around an hour. I was the only non elective and taken first. Then you are prepped which takes another 30 mins ish- you change, use the loo, they attach the spinal tap, talk to you and then begin.

Some of the other ladies had to wait a few days before they were operated on.

Good luck! 💐

At our hospital they do 3 electives in the morning, 2 are told to come in at 7:30 and 1 at 10:30….they put u in a room and do all the paperwork, get u into your gown, do your obs etc and the team decide who to do first out the 2 ladies that go in at 7:30am…it’s based on clinical need, so they’d always do a diabetic lady first etc….I’ve been first once…this was with my son and he was born just after 9am after arriving at 7:30am…we were in a similar position last time with having to drop our kids to breakfast club/ nursery….my partner dropped me in hospital for 7:15am dropped the kids in for 7:30am then came back to the hospital and found me in the little room waiting and being checked in…. but the hospital, school and nursery for us are all within 5 mins drive so he was parked and with me within 20mins. It takes longer to get you prepped for surgery, cannula, spinal in etc then only 5 mins to get baby out then longer to put u back together xx

I arrived at 7am and think I was first in, baby was born at exactly 9am. I was elective but no risks (booked in after previous c section but no problems in the 2nd pregnancy). It will vary a lot depending on how many operating theatres they have/how big the department is/how many emergencies there have been overnight and who is currently labouring etc etc. good luck

I was asked to come in at 7.30 am and unfortunately ended up last on the list so baby wasn’t born till 5pm. It was a very hungry time!

At my hospital there were two times to come in, 7am or 10am. I was told to come in at 7 (I also had GD). When I got there we were taken to the ward and I could choose my bed as I was the first there. A midwife then came in to see me and explained she would be my midwife throughout the section. She listened in to the baby with a Doppler and gave us our clothes to change into. She told us to get the babies clothes and a nappy ready (it was crazy and surreal seeing the little basket your baby goes in!)
Then the anaesthetist came in and ran through some more questions and went over the information I'd already given them. We eventually went down to theatre at about 8.45/8.50am. Never felt so nervous walking down there!
When we got there, the midwives went and joined the rest of the team in the theatre and they had their little huddle where they state their roles etc. Myself and my husband were outside the theatre with another midwife who was trying to keep me calm 😂
Then we were brought in, there were maybe 8-10 different people in there all with different jobs. My husband had to sit out of the way whilst they did the spinal. Everyone was so lovely, checking I was comfortable and even asking what music I'd like on! It did take 4 attempts for my spinal, but once that was in I was lied back and hooked up to a blood pressure and oxygen machine. The blood pressure machine goes off every few seconds.
I started to feel my legs going numb and the anaesthetist checked how far up the spinal had spread by touching me with something cold.
Something I wasn't prepared for was feeling breathless and faint. I felt like someone was sat on my chest. I told the anaesthetist and he explained it's normal and it's because the spinal has spread to my chest. He assured me that they were keeping a close eye on my oxygen and it was fine.
Once they were happy I was completely numb they began the surgery and my baby was out within about 3-4 minutes!! My husband was able to watch her coming out and she was held up over the screen for me to see. Honestly the most incredible experience of my life.
The rest took maybe an hour to get me back together then off to recovery! I'm 8 week PP now and completely back to normal with a lovely neat little scar! Would do it again without question.
Sorry for the long post, I just have a fear of the unknown and hope my experience can help in someway ☺️ good luck!

I was given a massive bottle of hibiscrub and told to shower thoroughly with it on the evening of the section, and also in the morning, including hair wash.

no jewellery, no make up, no nail polish.

can’t actually remember much about the actual morning. I think dh may have dropped me off, then driven home and caught the bus back (about 30 mins) as hospital parking is hen’s teeth and exorbitant if you can find any.

i was the only one, taken down on time, had the tech and the anaesthetist site the spinal which took a good half hour as they couldn’t get it placed. Then the rest of the team came in and surgery done. Dh took the baby off to wash/dress/weigh/obs as I was too out of it from the anaesthetic. Once I pulled round a bit we were taken to the ward.

post natal ward was the usual
understaffed hell, with the temperature to match.