Cesarean Section Delivery

Why would a pregnant woman require a cesarean section?

Cesarean Section Delivery

A cesarean section, or c-section, occurs when you have to have abdominal surgery to remove your baby. A cesaraen may be planned in advanced or it may be a sudden need. Sometimes a cesarean section is necessary for the health of the mother and/or baby. Whether you have a planned cesarean section or an emergency cesarean, you will undergo surgery in the operating room. After the operating room is prepped and ready, you will be brought into the room. Your labor partner will be given a set of scrubs to put on. Because there are so many things going on in the operating room at one time, it is common to have 5-10 healthcare professionals in the operating room during the cesarean section.

Reasons For A Cesarean Section
There a number of reasons that could cause you to have to undergo a cesarean section. If you have had a cesarean previously, you may get the option of having a cesarean or trying for a vaginal. If your baby is breech or you have placenta previa, you will need a cesarean section to deliver your baby. Sometimes doctors will perform cesarean sections if the baby is expected to be very large. If you are carrying multiples, your chances for a cesarean are higher. HIV/AIDS patients almost always give birth via a cesarean section to reduce the risk of infection in the baby. If you have genital herpes and have an outbreak at the time of delivery, your baby will be born through a c-section to prevent infection. Sometimes the cervix stops dilating or the baby does not go into the birth canal properly and this can require a cesarean to deliver the baby. If the umbilical cord comes through the cervix, your baby MUST be born immediately via cesarean section to prevent oxygen from being cut off. This is known as cord prolapse. Sometimes labor is so stressful for a baby that the baby's heart rate drops significantly and raises a cause for concern. If this happens, your doctor may recommend a cesarean to deliver quickly.

Procedure
You will have a catheter inserted to collect urine since you will not be able to get up to use the restroom for quite some time. If you have not had an epidural, you will be given a spinal so that your lower body will be numb for the procedure. You will also have an IV line placed in your arm or hand for medications and fluids. When you are wheeled to the operating room, you will be placed on the operating table and your legs will be strapped to the table to ensure safety. A sterile cloth will be draped in front of you so that you can not see the surgery. Hair around the incision site will be shaved and your skin will be cleansed well with a cold antiseptic solution to prevent infection. Your abdomen will then be draped with sterile material. Once the anesthesia has completely taken effect, your doctor will make an incision above the pubic bone. You will not feel the cutting, but you may hear machines that are used to suction fluids and seal off bleeding. Your doctor will continue cutting deeper into tissues and muscles until he reaches the uterine wall. Once the uterus is reached, your doctor will make one last incision into the uterus. The amniotic sac will be opened and the baby will come through the opening. As your doctor is pulling the baby through the opening, you will feel some pressure and tugging. The doctor will then cut the baby's umbilical cord and your doctor will hold the baby up for a moment before handing him off to a team of neonatal doctors and nurses. Medicine to help your uterus contract will be given through the IV and the placenta will be removed and examined. Your doctor will then suture your incision sites closed and a sterile bandage will placed over the wound. A nurse and the anesthesiologist will remain with you throughout your entire delivery, which will take approximately 45 minutes from start to finish.

Recovery
After you are all stitched up, you will be taken into a recovery room for observation. Nurses will continue to check your vital signs and she will also massage your uterus to get it to contract. You normally stay in the recovery room for approximately 1-2 hours and then go to another room for the remainder of your stay. You may or may not see your baby while you are in the recovery room. Your catheter is usually removed within a day of the surgery and your IV line will also be removed. You will most likely only receive liquids for 24 hours after delivery and then you can normally eat a regular diet.

Recovery after a cesarean section normally takes about 6 weeks. Because you have just had a major abdominal surgery AND given birth to a baby, you should try to take it as easy as you can. You may have gas pains, abdominal pain, uterine contractions and incisional pain. Walking is beneficial to recovery and you should try to walk as soon as possible. Avoid climbing stairs and ask for help with household chores and other children for a few weeks. Do not lift anything heavier than your baby. You will need to wear a sanitary pad for bleeding. This bleeding is called lochia and will last for several weeks. If your incision site becomes swollen, has a foul smell, bleeds or has an increased amount of pain you should call your doctor.

Risks
Because a cesarean section is a major abdominal surgery, there are risks involved. Mothers that undergo cesarean sections are more likely to develop an infection and have longer hospital stays than mothers who have a vaginal delivery. The recovery time is much longer and can be quite painful. Mothers may also experience alot of blood loss and clots following a cesarean section. There is also a risk for bowel and/or bladder injury during the process.

Comments: Cesarean Section Delivery

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clairegonz - 89 days ago.
HI there, just wanted to pop in and say hi ...ive got a low laying placenta and if its still low at 30 weeks then ive got to have a C section, can you girls tell me the earliest you can have a planned one ?? ive heard 38 weeks but im not sure...im due on or arounf xmas day and would love my little girl here for then.

sherwise23 - 94 days ago.
im 33 weks pregnant but due another section, anyone any idea when your date for the procedure comes through?

Bri - 96 days ago.
bella-aye - Definately! Actually you probably have a better chance since you have already done it once before. I would research VBACs and how your best chances of success is. I've had one section and looking forward to my VBAC.

bella-aye - 97 days ago.
i'm 6 wks pregnant with my 3rd child, and i want to know from moms who have more than 1 child by having both vaginal and c-section is it possible to deliver vaginally after a c-section? my first child was delivered vaginally without any complications and my second was an unnecesary c-section my doctor claimed she was 10 lbs.and was too big for a vaginal birth, which was a laugh because she was 7 lbs 4 oz. when she was born... i would love to read everyones experiences and opinions thanx :0)

jennabug - 102 days ago.
Hi ladies. I had my second c section yesterday morning and I feel so much better this time than I did with my daughter 2 years ago. Maybe because I knew what to expect. I do have a pretty decent amount of pain from my ribs to my groin but other than that I really feel good, and my son is amazing so that makes the pain so worth it! I am very swollen but I have to say, I bought an abdominal binder and OH it makes such a difference! It's amazing! I recommend it for everyone, it helps with the pain and it takes the weight off your belly and back and helps your tummy get back to it's original state quicker. I love it and wish I would have bought one with my first! Good luck to all the c section mommas!

indigocream - 107 days ago.
Just had my 6th c-section 8 weeks ago and wow... I must be a super hero now... I cant feel any thing on my stomach... All nerves are gone except for an occassional sharp pain... maybe my nerves will reconnect

lglenn38 - 109 days ago.
Pipsmom, I had a general anesthetic with my first c-section and a spinal with my second. I am about to have a third c-section and I will definitely have the spinal again. You may be more relaxed with the general anesthetic while you are under, but the recovery as far as I am concerned is far more difficult. The recovery from the spinal was a cake walk. The only thing they gave me for pain was Advil. My first c section they had to give me demerol for the pain. The doctors also have a tendency to be 'less gentle' when under a general anesthesia. (That info came from an OR nurse). Plus, you really do miss the whole experience of giving birth to your child, and I feel every mother should be awake for that whether they deliver vaginally or by c section.

pipsmom - 109 days ago.
Ladies, could anyone with experience of the following let me know how they got felt afterwards, like bonding with their baby, waking up to pain etc x I have been told I have to have a c-section following complications from my last pregnancy, but the dr wants to do it while I'm under general anesthetic. The c-section alone scares me but being wheeled into a room, knocked out with drugs then waking up and being given a washed and dressed baby seems so surreal to me. Anybody out there experienced this? Dr prefers to do it this way as the muscles are more relaxed and aids recovery. He has said I could have an epidural or spinal if I prefer but I have no experience of either and who am I to go against his advice x Edit Delete

alison33 - 111 days ago.
I will be having my 3rd c-section in November. I dread the recovery :( but as long as I have a healthy baby, it will be worth it

hotlipsmommy - 111 days ago.
im going in oct 9 for my 3 c-section

Ashers mom - 111 days ago.
Hi, Just wondering if any of you ladies have experienced your 2nd C-section? I'm due to have my second on Friday, my first one was excellent and went really well - I hoping with all my heart this one is the same :-/ Just wondering really if theres anything different 2md time round, esp. recovery wise? Any top tips would be great!!!! Got a good support system round me for when I get discharged, and I know my 15 month old son, Ash, will be well looked after by Nana and Grandad Hill whilst I'm in hospital too. Any advice is welcomed ;-)

jenakatessa - 116 days ago.
well i gave birth to my son on the 22nd of July. I was Scheduled for a c cection on aug 4th due to him being in breech position....well at 2am july 22...my water broke...LOL i was just going pee and i stood up and was headingf back to my room and it happened.....and kept happening all the way to the hospital...lol...anways...i had the spinal and i have to admit, im kinda sad i didnt get to have a natural chuld birth...but i felt NO PAIN....just pressure...and the recovering kinda sucks. So to all those that are going for there first time, dont worry:) you will be just fine....just remmeber to take the perks with a gravol....it REALLY helps the pain...but make sure you take a gravol with it or you might feel like really sick

baby-number-4 - 118 days ago.
I just scheduled my fourth csection today due to my pelvis shape. My doctor diagnosed me as having a pubic arch that will not allow the baby to pass into the birth canal. I guess that explains why all my other labor experiences ended in csections. I also wanted to share my doctor (an incredible guy, head of OB/GYN at a huge hospital here in Washington DC) told me he's performed multiple csections for women, as much as 7 and 8 so don't be discouraged. Good luck to you all :)

elizabethf - 119 days ago.
NatashaMC--I too had to have a c-section under general. My epidural didn't take. I was really disappointed at first that I wasn't awake for my baby's birth, but as time went on I came to peace with it. If I have another baby, at least it will be a scheduled c-section, and hopefully I will be awake for it!

NatashaMc - 127 days ago.
I had to have general because the anesthesiologist, after trying for half an hour, said I must have severe arthritis in my back because he couldn't find a space. Who knew! I don't think it happens too often though because by morning all the nurses heard about it!

Bri - 128 days ago.
Most sections Mom is wide awake. The ones that are put out are usually in an emergency or they have a bad response to epi or spinals.

campimama - 128 days ago.
jenna- they shouldn't 'put you under' unless you can't have an epi or spinal for some reason. You will be awake most likely and hearing everything the doctors are doing. After surgery they take you to recovery and then to your room. As Bri said, they layer in the drugs so that you aren't in lots of pain. I was walking that night. I never had to take anything more than a high dose of Motrin (but everyone is different). You could call your doctor and ask them the procedure that they go through. It might help ease your mind some too.

jenakatessa - 128 days ago.
so, im kinda confused....it sounds to me like people are talking about the epidurle, without THE epidurle.....do they still give a anesthetic of some sort...will i be able to walk....am i going to be all drugged up and not know whats going on around me...lol?

YoungMum- - 129 days ago.
oh and VBAC is virginal birth after cesarean.

YoungMum- - 129 days ago.
jenakatessa my story is a little different from Bri's. I had emergency section, I wasn't allowed to walk myself so I was wheeled on a bed, they wheeled me into a room where I had the cannula placed into my arm which is your IV drip, they then take you into the theater where you are ask to hunch over so they can place an epidural in, they numbed my back first and it hurt more than the epidural. now I don't remember a great deal after that because I had a bad reaction to the epi, but I remember them telling me they had already started cutting, remember them showing me my daughters head, remember hearing her cry for the first time, remember seeing her for the first time and it took a while to stitch me back up. I was given water dissolving stitches so they didn't need to be removed. they make you get out of bed 24hrs after the surgery, don't remember much about the recovery in the first 24hrs because of the reaction. The pain can last for about 6 days but they give pain meds so it is not that bad. you can't lift things that weigh more than your infant and just stuff like that but the doctor will tell you those. Good Luck

Bri - 129 days ago.
jenakatessa - I wanted a natural birth with my first too. It didn't happen for other reasons but I'm planning a all natural VBAC. Having a planned section isn't bad at all. How it worked for me is....They set me up in a room. We got prepared, like they shaved me and gave me my IV and such. I had to take out all piercings and such. Anyways, I walked into the OR on my own. I had a spinal done. You hunch over and round your back and they do their thing. Then I laid down on the table. They did a bunch of testing and we all talked the whole time. We were actually laughing about PAC 10 football (it was November). My Anethesiologist is from my schools rival. We also had a Duck in the room too. Anyways, I was awake the whole time and it really wasn't bad. You feel a little pressure when they start pulling the baby out. I will admit it wasn't a pleasent feeling. I got a little nauseous from it but it wasn't long. I walked into the OR at 1pm and Kekoa was born at 1:27pm. I was in my room breastfeeding BY 2pm. The nurses I had were great. I had a quick recovery and I thank them for it. They said the best thing you can do is start moving. As soon as you are wheeled into your room start moving your toes. Get the feeling back in and when you have all your feeling and they let you, try to stand. I was standing by that night and walking the next morning. I left a day later. Oh, and I'm sure not all doctors do it this way but...I got the spinal and several other drugs. They gave them to me so when the spinal was wearing off the next one would start to go up and then once that was wearing off I got pain killers. They do this every day and know how to make the drugs work just right. Don't worry. You'll be fine. Good Luck! Your baby is being born the day before my anniversary. I'll be out celebrating, well eating since I can't have alcohol.

jenakatessa - 129 days ago.
well my baby is in breech, they did a external version today to try to move him and he didnt move at all...he likes where he is just fine.., so i have a c section for august 4th,,,,,and this is my FIRST pregnancy, and i wanted natural birth...HOW MUCH PAIN will i feel....can i still get an epidurle....is not, do they give me something for pain.....can someone try to explain a lil of what to expect...being a first timer:) thanks

trkrchk - 139 days ago.
:) I am pregnant with my 4th, and my 4th C-section. I have two older girls, 10, 8 and a 16 month old.. I wanted one more to kind of 'even things out' so Emily will have someone to play with. This will be my last though.. I am getting my tubes tied while he is in there... :) I am genuinely ready to be done.. My advise is this, if your NOT SURE you don't want any more kids.. wait for permanent sterilization.. that way there are no regrets later...

LillySeed - 142 days ago.
this pregnancy will also make my 3rd c-section. i am undecided as to whether i will want a 4th child or not (but that will be a few years from now if we decide to do so). . . my last c-sec was 5 years ago. my docs will not try to let me have a natural birth, because they say after 1 your uterus cannot handle a natural birth (although i have heard of people doing it before). how many c-secs can you have before you have cut it open too many times ?? would i be able to have a 4th if i wanted to ? or would that be too many ? or will it be safe to have a 4th if i wait a few years to let it heal well ? -please message me with your responses. thank you !

shirls - 147 days ago.
An article about changing the policy in Canada for cesareans due to a breech delivery. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/c-section-not-best-option-for-breech-birth/article1186104/