elective c-section what to expect? please never had one before

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im having an elective c-section in 7 weeks ive never had one and would like to know the procedure please.i want to be awake with my DH there how long does it take?when will i be up and about again? can you pick baby up easily as i want to bf.thanks

Hi there - mine wasn't elective but I assume it;s roughly the same. my DH was with me throughout holding my hand. It took 2 minutes for DS to be born from the first incision, so that part is very quick - afterwards they have to do all the stitching which takes about 30 minutes, but you can't feel anything and you're busy cuddling your baby!

It does feel a bit weird but no pain at all, so don't worry about that.

I was up and about very quick after the epidural wore off, if it's elective you won't have had too much anaesthetic like I did (loooooooonnnnggg labour) so should wear off very quick - a few hours? Lots of lovely painkillers so no pain afterwards either, and I bf DS for a year, no problems. picking him up was no problem at all, picking up piles of laundry, or plates, sadly, took a little longer

hope this helps!

Mine was great. They held DD up so that we could discover her sex and the anaesthetist held my head up so that I could see her delivered. DH had the skin to skin contact - up his scrubs

Yes, ask them to drop the screen if you want to see your baby being born (don't worry, you can't see anything like the incision) and for skin to skin contact asap after the baby is out.

they held DS up for us to see the sex as well, but we were too busy looking at his feet! (they are identical to DH's, spooky)

I had an elective but didn't fancy dropping the screen ... however it went really well... take a favourite CD in with you - I forgot and had the local radio on instead!

For the first night you will still be bed ridden but I got up and had a shower the next day and never looked back...

They say you can't drive for 6 weeks but I was gagging to get out as we live in a quiet village. I checked with my insurance company and they said as long as my doctor said I was fit to drive it was OK with them. My doc said of course I could drive - I had recovered so quickly.

I have nothing but good memories of her birth.

Okay well you will be admitted the night before and the morning of the op have a scan or a CTG to check the baby is doing well.

You will meet with the anaesthesiologist who will talk you through the epidural process - this may be first thing hours before the op.

When it's time for your op, you will be fitted with gorgeous surgical stockings (you can normally wear a nightie if you don't want to wear a bum revealing gown - so long as it can be hoicked up high enough.) Remember to remove nail varnish the night before and if you are smart SHAVE YOUR OWN PUBIC HAIR - it needs to be clear down to the pubic bone.

You'll be asked to shower the morning of the op as well for obv reasons.

You will be taken downstairs and your partner asked to leave while they put the epidural in. He'll go off and get dressed in scrubs (husbands normally look very cute in little blue scrubs!)

You will then be asked to lie on your side to have the epidural put in and that takes about 20 minutes to take effect. It doesn't hurt beyond a sharp scratch when the needle goes in. They then poke your legs to check when it's worked and spray cold water on you to check you can't actually feel anything before taking you into surgery.

There will be about ten people in the room most of whom will introduce themselves. Your partner will be brought in to sit at the head end, usually with the anastesiologist on the other side of you. He or she will make crap jokes about letting you know when they have started when the baby is already half out.

Five minutes later the baby is pulled out. Then it takes about 30 minutes to sew you up.

You will then be taken to the recovery ward and watched for two to six hours. You will be encouraged to get up and walk about as soon as poss. Your epidural will be removed when you feel up to it, but keep up the pain meds.

I was legging it about and breastfeeding within an hour and wasn't too sore for the first week. Then the bruising kicked in and I was uncomfortable for another week.

But overall, it's not too bad at all.

Oh and DON'T look into the overhead lights - you can see your own guts and it's not nice

I liked seeing the op in the overhead lights! You can do a birth plan you know. how quickly you want your baby brought to you, you can have him/her delivered on to you, you can have music, you can ask for the screen to be dropped so you can see him lifted out of you.
It can be a really lovely experience. Your husband should be with you throughout. You will need him to hold the baby after as you won't be able to sit up straight away. But you can hold and breastfeed the baby in the recovery room. It is all very calm and lovely usually. No pain.
A couple of things, the table is slightly tilted so you aren't flat on your back. The sensation as you lose feeling from the chest down is rather strange, so try and relax into it. The actual birth is amazingly quick and you won't notice the stitching as you will have a new baby. Amuse yourself by talking to the baby and he/she will recognise your voice and turn to you. Poke your tongue out and the baby will copy you before its a minute old. Amazing!

You will be up and about - albeit bent over -the next day. If all goes well, you can go home the next day or after two nights.Up to you. You can hold the baby in recovery. I could pick up the baby straight away, but sitting and moving is a bit tricky at first. Take your pain meds and you'll feel much better. You will be sore after, but you won't have been in labour, so it is swings and roundabouts.

well that all sounds positive to me

the reason im having an elective is 1 he is breech
im also a insulin diabetic so i guess i will have to go in night before
also baby has a few problems with his head if he gets to big i wont be able to push him out
love the idea of skin to skin when hes born though i never thought of that having to do it this way
thanks all of you
he wont consider it before 38 weeks is this normal?

Who won't consider it until 38 weeks? If it is the hopsital then yes, they probably won't confirm your section until around then. Well, that's procedure at my hospital. I will have a check-up next week at 36 weeks and if baby is still breech at 37 weeks, I will be referred to the hospital for a scan and then will they start to discuss section options. They'll probably check me again and 38 weeks and then book me in between 38 and 39 weeks.

I found the whole thing quite fun and exciting!
Re shaving, I let the MW do that (with a dry razor!) and it was fine.
Re pain, the worst bit was the first needle but even that just felt like someone scratching holly leaves on my back for a minute.
I felt too unstable to hold my baby for long though, was so convinced I would fall off the slanty op table and I just felt too weak and sleepy to be in charge of him at that point.
I threw up in the recovery room, the spasm of which ejected a pint of blood from down below. Not a problem but I felt very cold for an hour or so.
Try not to stay in bed for a whole 24hrs, keep asking when the catheter can come out so you can walk about and shower ASAP - it really helps.
Pack a couple of peppermint teabags in your hospital bag to help with the trapped wind pain that often comes with abdominal surgery. Even if you hate peppermint tea!
You will probably be moved to a room full of other CSection mums - it's nice because you'll all be buzzing for help a lot more than other mums so you won't be intimidated by their leaping about.

You should be able to get up and have a shower within a few hours - honestly the quicker you get up the better you'll feel (you may need to keep the catheter in a bit longer though). Be prepared that you hospital stay may not be that long - I was talking to my midwife yesterday & she says they now do 24 hour discharges for some women & aim to have everyone out (obviously unless you have complications) by 48 hours. I loved my elective section

Sounds like elective sections are better managed the emergency ones. I was on catheter for >24 hours, (staff shortages) so couldn't get up/see to the baby myself at first. Made demand-feeding a tad unrealistic. When I did get up, it HURT, but only for a couple of hours. Must say, I was gagging for the drugs trolley throughout the 4 day stay. I don't view it as a particularly negative experience though, but just don't feel too hard done by if you don't get the "dream treatment". There will be some pain, it's almost inevitable.

i had an elective 2 weeks ago and i can honestly say it was a good experience. I had an emergency section with my son and this was totally different. Very calm, and i was rested before hand and the whole thing was quite chilled. I had the baby onto my chest straight away, saw her coming out, and she was breastfeeding within half an hour. Discharged on the third day and didn't need painkillers after that. I'm picking up my baby and doing gentle chores but take it easy and don't do too much for the first few weeks. Good luck!

Whomovedmychocolate described my elective perectly. Don't worry, it's all plain sailing, and, for the record, I had NO problems whatsoever with breastfeeding DS2. I found the day after the op the most painful, but after a few pathetic tears feeling sorry for myself, I got myself moving and it's amazing how quickly you recover. Good luck!

I had an emergency c section after a very long labour and my only advice is take the meds on time and don't do anything other than rest when you first get home.

I was up having a shower the next morning and had no problems feeding holding DD.

I was in hospital for 4 days and the pain was ok but when I came home I started trying to clear up (DH had been home alone for 4 days and the house didn't look good!) Big mistake and I paid for it later, I was in agony and tears!

So rest and take the meds on time (including the senakot!)

Next time I will elect to have a c-section over a natural birth so it couldn't have been that bad!

finallypregnant my consultant wont consider it till 38 weeks i just wondered why as he will happily induce me at 37 doesnt make sense to me
im so hoping i dont go into natural labour before time ive had 2 early babies 36 weeks and i guess il have to cross that bridge when i come to it
its up to this little man not me
all the advise i have been given is positive and that makes me feel good
seems like a bit painful the following day guess thats to be expected then

38 -39 weeks is much better. Baby will be bigger and stronger and you almost eliminate any possible breathing difficulties. If you go into labour you should be given a caesarean as a priority if the baby is breech. I was another one who breastfed within the first hour in the recovery room.

I had an ES 4 years ago - it was so brilliant. I went to hospital at around 8am (after fasting overnight) and walked to the theatre, jumped onto the bed, it was all really really calm. DD was scheduled first thing, and born at 9.25am.
I had a very quick and easy recovery too. Already had a DS (aged 4 at the time) - I was able to go back to work one week later (I was self-employed at the time and had no choice!)

i think i have to go in night before as i cannot fast due to diabetes
reason i want him out earlier is his bones are fused in his skull and the longer he is in there the worse he will get
yet the longer he stays in there the better his breathing
we cant win
possibility his bones in his elbows are fused to giving brith will be a nighmare
already we know he will have to have operations to correct this
so i think the consultant agreed to do it
because of being breech
because of his medical probs
and i am just so worried i cant relax properly anymore

Oh, you poor thing. YOu must be worried sick. so sorry to hear your baby has problems. I would imagine the doctors feel taht the extra fusing (which would happen outside the womb as well?) is less of a risk than the breathing difficulties. But I can totally see why you are so upset and worried. You are clearly having a tough time.

yes i spoke to them today and they do consider the fusing less of a risk than breathing
but he has to have operations when hes a baby still to give his brain room to grow and breathe also prevents disfigurment

I have a couple of shallow questions. I had some serious problems last week and it's good to move on to the complete trivialities for a bit. Whomovedmychocolatesaid you have to remember to remove all nail varnish before the op. What, fingers and toes? What about make up? I was planning on a bit of eyeliner and waterproof mascara, as I look like a pig without it. Obviously if it is going to endanger my baby or cause a risk of infection, I won't bother, but...

Nail varnish is just so they can check your circulation - I think your toes and fingers start to go blue if there's any problems so they like to have them clear for easy sighting..

I don't think make up would be a problem?

I had an elective several years ago.One thing to bear in mind is that any emergency sections will take precedence.

Mine was booked in for 9am Monday morning and I think I was eventually taken down to theatre at about noon once all the emergencies had been done. So you may have a wait on your hands!

I had to have a GA, so was nil by mouth for hours beforehand - not sure what the drill is for epidurals - whether you can eat or drink beforehand...I do remember being horrendously thirsty!

Peppermint tea is really helpful with the trapped wind - my tummy amused me for ages afterwards (possibly due to all the drugs they'd given me) as I could push it and it would make a pssssstttt noise as all the air moved around which had got trapped during the section..

Hope all is okay with your little one..

Thank you hattyyellow, we should be ok now I hope but last week was just yucky. I'm not having the section until end Nov but it's so good to know what you're in for, it helps you keep calm!

I'm surprised they're waiting until 38 weeks to agree to a c-section, given that they usually schedule them a couple of weeks before your due date .

My MW told me I should have to wait until 36 weeks to discuss it, but as I'm high risk she's made me an apt at 24 weeks.

One thing she did say was to fight my corner and that it's patient choice - if you want one, with good reason, you have one.

LMAO at the anesthetist telling bad jokes, and will NOT be looking up! Thanks whomovedmychocolate for reducing my worry about having the spinal . My last section was an emergency, I was sucking on gas and air, after 2 shots of pethedine, in full labour whilst they put the spinal block in, so don't remember it very well.