Ladies who had c sections

[CoconutGirI]

I'm considering a c section .
While it's really not my choice , i unfortunately I'm suffering from health complications and I'm now being investigated over an undiagnosed heart condition so fearing c section might be the way to go.
My worry about surgery, and what I wanted with a natural vaginal birth is holding my baby straight away skin to skin contact. Are you able to hold you baby skin yo skin after its born via section? Or are you expected to wait until your stiched up?

Not advised. Recommended. As in "I had a good experience doing it this way" not "you'd better do it this way".

I was allowed to help lift her out, and then straight up for a cuddle while they sorted cord etc

I had a very hurried c-section as my condition was deteriorating and baby was in distress. They got her out and whisked her away for a few checks but even with that she was back with me within a couple of mins. Had there been no concerns she would have been passed to me sooner - really nothing to worry about if it is a calm, planned section

I had so many wires and tubes on me, lying completely flat, and with a cannula in my hand restricting movement - I didn’t think it felt safe to hold my baby, so DH did skin to skin until they finished stitching me up and could sit my bed up. I got him to hold her right by my head though!

This might sound silly but the screen is so high up, and I’m only small, so there wasn’t much much room at all to hold the baby comfortably/safely. That said, I don’t feel that’s enough of a reason for me to forego a ELCS next time. Indeed, I’m booked in for my second CS in a few weeks 😊

My DH held our first whilst I was stitched up. Baby then fell asleep. A few hours later I then breastfed and had skin to skin.

Second baby I was unwell after the section and baby was in special care baby unit for three days before we met each other. Again DH did skin to skin.

Had emcs and didn't hold the baby for a couple of hours as I had to stay in theatre whilst they sorted a couple of bits in me - it was fine though OP, we made up for it in cuddles when we were united and breastfeeding was all fine (if you thinking about that) and everything was fine she is the biggest mummy's girl ever !

I don’t think you get to choose general anaesthetic?

You can. I thought that was what I wanted with dc2. I had to see a consultant anesthetist who signed off on it for what was meant to be an elective. I ended up with a spinal though (a last minute leap of faith when I went into labour early) and it was amazing.

They dropped the curtain just before she came out so I could watch, delayed cord clamping and then skin to skin. She was weighed around 3 hours later in recovery.

With dc1 I could have held him in theatre despite being completely out of it. I was fully dilated and my waters had been broken for 81 hours so it felt like they encourage it wherever possible.

Perspective from an anaesthetist re. the different modes of anaesthesia for a section... a GA at term is a very different thing to having a GA when not pregnant and is, for most women (and their babies), the higher risk option due to the normal physiological changes that happen in advanced pregnancy. That doesn't always mean it is very high risk, but it is high-er than having a spinal or epidural top-up. There are some women who have conditions that increase that risk further (eg. obesity, pre-eclampsia, a history of anaesthetic problems, a recent meal). Equally, there are some events that may happen in labour/pre-delivery that make a GA actually the safer of the options (eg. blood clotting problems, major haemorrhage, a level of urgency that means a spinal might take to long to save a life). Where the exact balance of risk/benefit lies is slightly different for each woman and even each pregnancy for the same woman, and is what anaesthetists are trained to assess and manage. Women who have capacity don't have to accept the anaesthetists recommendations, but they do have to have been counselled appropriately about exactly where risks/benefits balance out for them to make that choice.

Elective c-section. Son born at 10:01 and he was on me by 10:06. He was then weighed and all sorts about 10 mins later and then given to my partner while I was stitched up and he stayed with my partner until I was in recovery and back on me by about 10:40 where he stayed for about five hours. I also asked for delayed cord cutting.
I did a lot of skin to skin in the early days and exclusively breastfed for 9 months and he is a mummy’s boy, we have a wonderful bond.

I wasn't allowed to with dc4 as I was shaking so they wrapped him up in a blanket and gave him to dh, who was sat behind me. Then they said he was grunting and had to go to nicu. They let me have a quick cuddle before he went. With dc5 he was really poorly so they stabilised him in theatre and then they took him to nicu. They took the bag and mask thing off him briefly and let me give him a quick kiss on his forehead before he went. He looked like one of those reborn dolls.

I remember being quite annoyed that they were wiping down the baby and wrapping them up instead of just giving me the flailing bundle of rage. But realistically, I didn't feel safe holding them as you are positioned so your head is lower than your heart and I was on a lot of drugs. Didn't really feel happier until I was sitting up. We did skin to skin later, but ds2 hated it (along with plenty of other things that everyone knows all babies like), so it's not guaranteed that your child will play ball either.

I had a caesarean and they put the baby straight on my chest, towel over her. She pooed all over me 😂
I did request cord clamping and then DH cut the cord.
I held her until they cut cord, DH held her for a bit then gave her back while they stitched me up.

I do note I was pretty brain zonked for several hours afterwards but I Def got my skin to skin contact and the birth crawl.

Can I just point out gently that after a vaginal birth the mother can need to be stitched up for a while.
Of course if possible it’s important to hold your baby as soon as possible after birth but as other posters have said, baby and mother need to be attended to and lots of cuddles feeds and skin to skin can and should happen in the hours and days and weeks after birth. It’s not a catastrophe if something important gets in the way at the birth.

I had an unplanned section and I got to hold my baby skin to skin almost straight away. They just took her for a minute after she was born but then handed her straight back to me (that bit is a blur) but I was holding her all through the process of being stitched up etc and it was so magical.

I had two c sections, one emergency and second one elective.

For the emergency my hands were bound during the procedure so I didn't get to hold the baby until after I was stitched up and in recovery. DH did skin on skin while I was in theatre. Second time around I got to hold baby after she was born then she went with DH while I was stitched up.

Absolutely no issues with bonding, both kids are like koalas now and my little shadows. Bonded with second baby quicker as first birth very traumatic but I was still grand with baby one after a couple of hours. I didn't want to hold her at first but that's because I was shaking and quite unwell.

I had an elcs. When she came out she was wrapped up and sort of plonked on my face. I was quite shaky so her dad held her for a bit, then I gave her a kiss and off she went while I was stitched up. I didn't want skin to skin, so that wasn't an issue for me.

I had an elcs and baby came straight to me. I was so wrapped up in him that I didn't notice that I was loosing blood and taking extra time to be stitched up and cleaned up. We were in a lovely bubble! My husband got some cuddles too but the baby was mostly on my chest.