The Night Before Your C-section
You will not be allowed to eat, drink or smoke after midnight. This includes candy, gum and water. Try to get a good night's sleep.
Eat Light Leading Up to Your C-Section
To help with gas and bloating, eat lightly prior to your elective C-section. Soup, clear liquids, juices, and smoothies are best choices. Avoid meats and dairy, as these tend to cause bloating and heaviness.
Bring music, books, inspirational photos etc to help you feel calm as you wait. You might even say a few words to baby as you prepare to meet him. If your cesarean is not planned or perhaps it was your greatest fear or worry, ask for a couple of minutes to adjust to this new reality before the birth.
A single dose of midazolam or fentanyl before caesarean delivery can lower the patient's anxiety and have no adverse neonatal effects. Even listening to music before surgery may be helpful for reducing stress-related physiological reactions.
It's important to get out of bed and walk around within 24 hours after surgery. This can help ease gas pains, help you have a bowel movement, and prevent blood clots.
Restrict solid foods for eight hours before the C-section
Patients today can drink clear liquids, including juice and sports drinks, prior to surgery.
At first you may be asked to only eat ice chips or take sips of water, at least until your provider is certain you are not likely to have very heavy bleeding. Most likely, you will be able to eat a light diet 8 hours after your C-section.
Under most circumstances, undergoing a c-section via Spinal Anesthesia or Epidural Anesthesia (rather than General Anesthesia) is preferred since it involves less risk and has the advantage of allowing you to be awake during your baby's birth.
Cesarean deliveries with no trial of labor were much more concentrated during the day, especially around 8 a.m. "This makes sense, as C-sections are usually scheduled during the daytime hours and wouldn't be scheduled overnight or into the early hours of the morning," says Jennifer Wu, MD, obstetrician/gynecologist at ...
No catheter is placed, so we can't give you extra medication to make your anesthesia last longer. You'll remain awake during the C-section and delivery of your baby. Your baby doesn't get sleepy or numb from the medication that we give you in a spinal block.
Shivering occurred frequently during cesarean sections, with the peak incidence occurring after skin disinfection. Anxiety, emergency delivery, and transfer from the delivery room to the operating room increased the risk of shivering development during cesarean sections.
After a c-section, you should sleep on your back or side. This shouldn't put too much strain on your c-section wound. You can also try sleeping on your back with your head elevated. Use pillows to keep your spine aligned and take pressure off your joints.
You may remove your wound dressing and take showers if stitches, staples, or glue were used to close your skin. Do not soak in a bathtub or hot tub, or go swimming, until your provider tells you it is OK. In most cases, this is not until 3 weeks after surgery.
Your stomach must be empty for surgery. We do not want food from your stomach to get into your lungs during surgery. Your surgery will be delayed if you do not or cannot follow these instructions.
Items like carbonated drinks, citrus juices, coffee, tea, and spicy food should be avoided as they increase bloating and gas. Fermented and fried food can cause heartburn and indigestion. Since mothers are breastfeeding, such foods can affect the milk and cause growth problems in the newborn.
The catheter will usually be removed from your bladder around 12 to 18 hours after the operation, once you're able to walk around.
Recovering from surgery
But all c-sections are major surgery. You will need help to lift your baby and get out of bed for at least the first day but possibly for much longer. You will need to stay in bed until the anaesthetic wears off. If you had a spinal or epidural anaesthetic, this usually takes a few hours.
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.
Having a c-section does not increase your risk of having depression. It is natural to feel sad or tearful for a few days after having a baby. This is caused by changes in hormone levels and is called 'baby blues'.
Do not wear makeup, nail polish or jewelry. Remove any body/tongue piercings. If you wear contacts, please wear your glasses and bring your contacts and supplies along. DO NOT eat for eight hours before your C-section.
A natural caesarean is a “slowed-down section” with benefits that might include improved bonding between mother and child, easier breastfeeding and calmer infants.
“They'll massage your uterus to help it contract down,” Bohn says. “And your nurse will press on your belly and massage it every 15 minutes for the first two hours after delivery. This can be very painful, especially if you didn't have an epidural.”