I am just a week away from welcoming our 4th child into our family! It has been one crazy year for us, and not really in a good way. At all. There have been some great blessings along the way, though! One of them obviously being little miss coming! Yep, another girl. Three girls and one boy for this family. It feels right and we are READY to meet her! It is no easy task preparing for a C-section, though.
This will be my third C-section, so I have definitely learned a thing or two along the way! I am going to walk you through everything from the products I have purchased, to a few simple tricks to make things easier and, of course, the C section itself.
Let's start off with the actual C section and what to expect there.
As a doula it has actually surprised me quite a bit the lack of knowledge there is about C sections. Typically, when a woman decides to look into a doula, it's because she is most likely planning for a natural birth of some kind. Whether it be at home or at the hospital without medication, they have their sights set on their plan. C-sections are never apart of that plan for them. Why would it be? You want to live "the secret" and focus on what your body can do and how to push through the pain. You don't want to focus on what to do if you're told you must have a C section. It gets in the way of your vibe! Totally understandable. However, there may be a situation where you do need a C section, and going into one without a clue of what's happening is definitely worse than taking a little time to know what to expect should it happen. So, what will happen?
1. The Bomb
They've just dropped a bomb on you. For whatever reason a C-section is officially happening. You will most likely be told this in the middle of laboring for however long and, no, they won't spend an hour telling you what's about to happen aside from the most basic information. This is likely due to them preparing for the actual surgery on their part so they aren't going to spend a lot of time holding your hand here. This is where any previous knowledge you have about them come in handy.
2. The Prep
A nurse may come in and check your hair line down there and give the area around where your incision will be made a clean shave. Hospitals and doctors will make this next part vary a bit. But between this point and you actually being in the operating room, your husband will be taken elsewhere to prep him to be in the room with you. You will be given your spinal block (usually in the OR) with your husband likely dressed and in the room by now with you. The spinal block will not hurt. I repeat, it will not hurt. They will numb the area first and walk you through everything. Before you know it, it will be in place and you will be asked to lie flat on your back and a big curtain will be pulled up in front of you blocking your view of what's going on. You will be asked to spread your arms out to either side of you and keep them there during the duration of the surgery.
3. The Surgery
The anesthesiologist will be sitting right up near your head the entire time along with a giant team of nurses and other experts to monitor everything. They are there to watch you while your doctor and his staff focus on the baby delivery. If this is an emergency C-section, it is very likely that they have given you a medication of some kind that will make you sleepy and drift off. You will not feel a thing aside from pressure. I know that word can be tossed around in the medical world as just another word for PAIN. In this situation, it really will be pressure. Soon enough, though, you will hear the baby crying and you can focus on little one while they stitch you up. If you've been given a sleepy medication, it's very likely that you won't be awake much enough to see the baby right away or you could be "out" for a while afterward. This is something that you need to bring up with your doctor if you have an issue with being so tired during and after the surgery. If the C-section is planned, you are fully awake and aware but totally numb, so there is no problem in asking about their particular routines and if you are able to make it known that you do not want to be sleepy or put out should there be an emergency. They may or may not allow you to choose, but it doesn't hurt to ask.
4. Recovery
If you have been sleepy and out of it, the next hour or two will just basically be you sleeping. But you will be taken to a recovery area and watched to make sure you're doing okay. Nurses may place the baby on you to try and feed if they know you are hoping to breastfeed. As you come out of it more and more, you will likely be waking up to nurse after nurse coming by to check on things. Your uterus, your blood, your temperature, everything they can possibly monitor they will be monitoring. You have just been through a major surgery and they treat you as such.
5. Now what?
Now that you're awake and functioning normally, you're going to spend your time pretty normally as if you had just given birth vaginally. Many doctors are very strict with your diet during recovery in the hospital and you may spend the entire time there on a liquid/jello diet. Some doctors are lenient and you will be introduced to more solid foods earlier on. You will be in your own hospital room spending time with your baby and any family you want there. As the pain medicine wears off you will start to realize exactly what kind of surgery you just went through, and the nurses will make sure you know how to ask for more pain meds and to stay on top of them. At some point you'll be asked to try and walk, likely just to the bathroom. This will seem impossible, but if you allow people to help you (it's their job so you might as well), it will go easier and you can do it! I promise!
6. Going Home
Every doctor is different in their requirements for going home. You will either be waiting until you have passed gas, had a bowel movement or just a solid 3 days of monitoring with no issues. Expect no less than 2 nights in the hospital. You will have a final visit from your doctor to give the OK and you are free to somehow get dressed and get your things ready to go!
There are a few things that might cross your mind the moment you hear you are having a C section. Probably the most common one being; Will the baby and me be okay?
It's important to know that your baby can't feel any of the pain you are feeling during contractions, and they certainly won't be able to feel the incision happening. What baby's can be effected by is stress. Going from a planned natural birth to a C section, your stress level might sky rocket for a bit there, so it's important to focus on the fact that the baby won't feel pain and you won't feel pain. You will just be lying there :). It's a calm procedure and anything outside of "gentle" will just be a nurse giving the baby a little helpful push to come out if necessary (hello. pressure).
So focus on that mantra you practiced for your natural birth to keep you calm. Focus on the fact that a room full of medical professionals will be devoting their time to watching you. Every blink, every breath, everything. There will be medical professionals monitoring your baby and ready to jump in at a moments notice. Stay calm, my friend! It will likely be less stressful on you and the baby than going through hours of agonizing pain during a natural labor if you allow yourself time beforehand to process what a C-section would consist of and time to meditate and calm yourself from that initial bomb moment.
The physical recovery from a C-section is painful and varies in how long it takes you to feel 100%. If you want to know what to pack for the hospital and and how to set your home up for a C-section, it's right here! Everything You Need to Know about a C-section: PART 2
This will be my third C-section, so I have definitely learned a thing or two along the way! I am going to walk you through everything from the products I have purchased, to a few simple tricks to make things easier and, of course, the C section itself.
Let's start off with the actual C section and what to expect there.
As a doula it has actually surprised me quite a bit the lack of knowledge there is about C sections. Typically, when a woman decides to look into a doula, it's because she is most likely planning for a natural birth of some kind. Whether it be at home or at the hospital without medication, they have their sights set on their plan. C-sections are never apart of that plan for them. Why would it be? You want to live "the secret" and focus on what your body can do and how to push through the pain. You don't want to focus on what to do if you're told you must have a C section. It gets in the way of your vibe! Totally understandable. However, there may be a situation where you do need a C section, and going into one without a clue of what's happening is definitely worse than taking a little time to know what to expect should it happen. So, what will happen?
1. The Bomb
They've just dropped a bomb on you. For whatever reason a C-section is officially happening. You will most likely be told this in the middle of laboring for however long and, no, they won't spend an hour telling you what's about to happen aside from the most basic information. This is likely due to them preparing for the actual surgery on their part so they aren't going to spend a lot of time holding your hand here. This is where any previous knowledge you have about them come in handy.
2. The Prep
A nurse may come in and check your hair line down there and give the area around where your incision will be made a clean shave. Hospitals and doctors will make this next part vary a bit. But between this point and you actually being in the operating room, your husband will be taken elsewhere to prep him to be in the room with you. You will be given your spinal block (usually in the OR) with your husband likely dressed and in the room by now with you. The spinal block will not hurt. I repeat, it will not hurt. They will numb the area first and walk you through everything. Before you know it, it will be in place and you will be asked to lie flat on your back and a big curtain will be pulled up in front of you blocking your view of what's going on. You will be asked to spread your arms out to either side of you and keep them there during the duration of the surgery.
3. The Surgery
The anesthesiologist will be sitting right up near your head the entire time along with a giant team of nurses and other experts to monitor everything. They are there to watch you while your doctor and his staff focus on the baby delivery. If this is an emergency C-section, it is very likely that they have given you a medication of some kind that will make you sleepy and drift off. You will not feel a thing aside from pressure. I know that word can be tossed around in the medical world as just another word for PAIN. In this situation, it really will be pressure. Soon enough, though, you will hear the baby crying and you can focus on little one while they stitch you up. If you've been given a sleepy medication, it's very likely that you won't be awake much enough to see the baby right away or you could be "out" for a while afterward. This is something that you need to bring up with your doctor if you have an issue with being so tired during and after the surgery. If the C-section is planned, you are fully awake and aware but totally numb, so there is no problem in asking about their particular routines and if you are able to make it known that you do not want to be sleepy or put out should there be an emergency. They may or may not allow you to choose, but it doesn't hurt to ask.
4. Recovery
If you have been sleepy and out of it, the next hour or two will just basically be you sleeping. But you will be taken to a recovery area and watched to make sure you're doing okay. Nurses may place the baby on you to try and feed if they know you are hoping to breastfeed. As you come out of it more and more, you will likely be waking up to nurse after nurse coming by to check on things. Your uterus, your blood, your temperature, everything they can possibly monitor they will be monitoring. You have just been through a major surgery and they treat you as such.
5. Now what?
Now that you're awake and functioning normally, you're going to spend your time pretty normally as if you had just given birth vaginally. Many doctors are very strict with your diet during recovery in the hospital and you may spend the entire time there on a liquid/jello diet. Some doctors are lenient and you will be introduced to more solid foods earlier on. You will be in your own hospital room spending time with your baby and any family you want there. As the pain medicine wears off you will start to realize exactly what kind of surgery you just went through, and the nurses will make sure you know how to ask for more pain meds and to stay on top of them. At some point you'll be asked to try and walk, likely just to the bathroom. This will seem impossible, but if you allow people to help you (it's their job so you might as well), it will go easier and you can do it! I promise!
6. Going Home
Every doctor is different in their requirements for going home. You will either be waiting until you have passed gas, had a bowel movement or just a solid 3 days of monitoring with no issues. Expect no less than 2 nights in the hospital. You will have a final visit from your doctor to give the OK and you are free to somehow get dressed and get your things ready to go!
There are a few things that might cross your mind the moment you hear you are having a C section. Probably the most common one being; Will the baby and me be okay?
It's important to know that your baby can't feel any of the pain you are feeling during contractions, and they certainly won't be able to feel the incision happening. What baby's can be effected by is stress. Going from a planned natural birth to a C section, your stress level might sky rocket for a bit there, so it's important to focus on the fact that the baby won't feel pain and you won't feel pain. You will just be lying there :). It's a calm procedure and anything outside of "gentle" will just be a nurse giving the baby a little helpful push to come out if necessary (hello. pressure).
So focus on that mantra you practiced for your natural birth to keep you calm. Focus on the fact that a room full of medical professionals will be devoting their time to watching you. Every blink, every breath, everything. There will be medical professionals monitoring your baby and ready to jump in at a moments notice. Stay calm, my friend! It will likely be less stressful on you and the baby than going through hours of agonizing pain during a natural labor if you allow yourself time beforehand to process what a C-section would consist of and time to meditate and calm yourself from that initial bomb moment.
The physical recovery from a C-section is painful and varies in how long it takes you to feel 100%. If you want to know what to pack for the hospital and and how to set your home up for a C-section, it's right here! Everything You Need to Know about a C-section: PART 2
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