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. You may brush your teeth in the morning.
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.
Try to relax, meditate, and stay positive. It can be hard to control your worries before a C-section. But deep-breathing exercises can help you stay calm and focused. You can learn these and other ways to relax in childbirth classes.
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.
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 ...
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.
"This is upheld by the fact that most births are in the evening or early morning hours," she said. In contrast, "many cesareans are scheduled -- usually in the daytime hours, and so these births cluster during the day," Wu said. However, the time of arrival of most infants is never sure, she stressed.
What is the Golden Hour? After the birth of the baby, both vaginal and c-section birth, the Golden hour consists of uninterrupted and immediate skin to skin contact, limited interventions that are not necessary, if possible and desired having delayed cord clamping, and having the first feeding of baby completed.
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.
buy cotton pants that are high enough to cover your c-section wound, such as full briefs that come up to your waist. buy a few cotton maternity bras – you may find these more comfortable than underwired bras, whether or not you plan to breastfeed. wear comfortable, loose clothes – your maternity clothes are ideal.
A C-section requires anesthesia and you may be given general anesthesia, a spinal block, or an epidural block. General anesthesia will put you to sleep, so you will not be awake during the procedure. The other two methods numb the lower half of the body and you will be conscious during the procedure.
On the day of your C-section
Most women will go into the hospital on the morning of their elective caesarean section, where the doctor or midwife will show you and your birth partner to your bed space/room in the postnatal ward. Once settled, you will be: Given an estimated time for your caesarean delivery.
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.
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. You can try gentle exercises a few days after the C-section: Deep breathing: Take 2 or 3 slow, deep breaths every half-hour.
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.
Elective caesarean section
Your appointment will probably be before the date your baby's due, so you don't go into labour. Around 16 in 100 births are by planned caesarean.
Babies born early (called premature babies) may have more health problems at birth and later in life than babies born on time. This is why it's important to wait until at least 39 weeks for a scheduled c-section.
About 1 in 10 women whose planned caesareans are scheduled for 39 weeks will go into labour first.
With planned C-sections, a spinal block is most commonly used. If you already have an epidural in place, we may inject stronger medication through the tube to fully numb your lower body to prepare you for a C-section.
taking longer to recover from the birth. bleeding that leads to a blood transfusion. needing to have your womb removed (hysterectomy) – this is uncommon and may be more likely if you had problems with the placenta or bleeding during pregnancy. blood clots.
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'.
Eat Light Leading Up to Your C-Section
Soup, clear liquids, juices, and smoothies are best choices. Avoid meats and dairy, as these tend to cause bloating and heaviness.