You won't feel any pain during the C-section, although you may feel sensations like pulling and pressure. Most women are awake and simply numbed from the waist down using regional anesthesia (an epidural and/or a spinal block) during a C-section. That way, they are awake to see and hear their baby being born.
Women who have a Cesarean section usually have a choice of two or three options: A general anesthetic, where they are completely unconscious, and two types of regional anesthetic known as “epidural” and “spinal” anesthesia. Regional anesthetics numb the body from the waist down.
Regional anesthesia is generally preferred because it allows the mother to remain awake during the procedure, enjoy support from staff and her partner, experience the birth, and have immediate contact with the baby. It is usually safer than general anesthesia.
Ultimately, a natural birth may be more painful than a cesarean section. However, the pain after your cesarean section combined with the heightened risks to you and your baby may outweigh the initial pain of childbirth. Make sure you consult with your doctors to get the best possible advice for you.
During a c-section
You can usually stay with your partner during a planned or emergency c-section unless they need a general anaesthetic. The midwife or operating assistant will give you a top, trousers and hat to wear in the operating theatre. This is for hygiene reasons.
A registered nurse accompanies you to the operating room. Expectant mothers may be in the operating room for approximately one hour. The surgical team includes registered nurses, obstetricians, an anesthesiologist and a respiratory therapist.
Although healthcare providers recommend you wait to have penetrative sex after childbirth for at least four to six weeks, oral sex is usually fine sooner. Oral sex and other forms of "outercourse" or external simulation after birth could be safe even a few days after delivery.
How long does a C-section surgery take? The typical C-section takes about 45 minutes from start to finish. After your provider delivers your baby, they'll stitch your uterus and close the incision in your abdomen. Different types of emergencies can arise during a delivery.
C-section vs vaginal delivery: which is more painful? Without the use of some type of anesthesia or pain relief, we'll agree c-section births are a lot more painful than vaginal delivery. It's believed the very first c-sections were done on women who died during childbirth.
Vaginal birth is much safer than a C-section for most women and babies. Sometimes a C-section is the only safe option, like when the baby is positioned side-to-side in the belly (transverse lie) or the placenta is covering the cervix (placenta previa).
The C-section babies can display both irritability and increased likely hood of colic. Planned C-section babies are interestingly the most ratty and cranky babies I see. Scientific research absolutely confirms this showing that C-section deliveries cause a change to the friendly gut bacteria in the baby.
You'll be asked to change into a hospital gown when you arrive at the hospital on the day of the caesarean section. A thin, flexible tube called a catheter will be inserted into your bladder to empty it while you're under the anaesthetic, and a small area of pubic hair will be trimmed if necessary.
With a cesarean or c-section birth, you must wait six weeks to lift your toddler or anything heavier than ten pounds. This is critical to your recovery. While these lifting restrictions may not always be possible, following them as closely as possible (especially for those with incisions) is essential.
For a planned C-section, you may have a choice of anesthetic, although you should be aware that a spinal block or epidural are generally considered the safest options for both you and your baby. In an emergency or when bleeding occurs, general anesthesia may be necessary.
If you have had a general anaesthetic, you will stay in the recovery room until you wake up, usually in about 30 to 60 minutes.
People who undergo a C-section have a few pain management options, including regional anesthesia—a spinal, epidural, or a combination of the two—that blocks pain in the lower body while allowing the mother to stay awake for the birth, and general anesthesia, in which the mother is unconscious during the procedure.
C-section pain typically spikes 18 hours after delivery. "That's when the pain medication you were given with your spinal anesthesia wears off," says San Diego perinatologist Sean Daneshmand, MD.
The most common incision is made horizontally (often called a bikini cut), just above the pubic bone. The muscles in your stomach will not be cut. They will be pulled apart so that the health care provider can gain access to the uterus.
The average hospital stay after a C-section is 2 to 4 days, and keep in mind recovery often takes longer than it would from a vaginal birth. Walking after the C-section is important to speed recovery and pain medication may be supplied too as recovery takes place.
During a caesarean section
The actual operation usually takes between 30 and 60 minutes. It will involve: The doctor will make a cut in your abdomen and your uterus (both about 10 cm long). Your baby will be lifted out through the cut.
In the first 24 hours, it is common to feel pain at the site of the incision. Many women also feel post-birth cramps as the uterus shrinks. These sensations feel similar to menstrual cramps, but may be more intense. A nurse or doctor will carefully monitor the cesarean incision for signs of infection.
Returning to Physical Activities After a C-Section
It's important to get out of bed and walk around within 24 hours after surgery.
Things to Avoid:
Public pools and hot tubs. Lifting anything heavier than your baby. Repeatedly using stairs. Exercise, at least until your health care provider gives you the go-ahead.