The bright lights and stark walls of an operating room can be unnerving to an expectant mom, especially if the cesarean section was unplanned. Dad's chief role during the delivery will be to hold your hand and provide comfort. He should use a calm, low voice to reassure you that everything's going well.
Keep her informed – if she asks you a question – reassure her and help her understand what is happening. Hold her hand or rub her shoulders – it sounds daft, but some physical contact for reassurance works wonders for anxiety levels.
Most parents prefer having the partner present in the operating room during emergency caesarean sections under either general or regional anaesthesia.
During the c-section you will help calm the mother, take baby's first photos and/or video, and introduce mom to baby. Every mother who has a c-section needs someone like you there with them.
During the operation
Whoever is in the operating room to support the mom, whether it be a dad, a family member or friend can be the person to cut the baby's umbilical cord when the baby is on the warmer. Also, we are able to delay cord clamping and milk the cord before clamping it.
Whether or not you can have someone with you during a c-section is generally determined by hospital policy. The vast majority of hospitals will allow you to have one person of your choice to attend the birth. This can be your partner, doula, mother, friend, etc.
In fact, many fathers opt to be the one to cut the umbilical cord of their newborn to be as involved as possible in the birthing process.
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.
According to the American Academy of Obstetrics and Gynecology, you should not place anything in the vagina or have sex for a few weeks after a C-section. Dr. Puls says most OBs will give the green light for resuming sexual activity after 6 weeks.
Your birth partner can usually stay with you throughout a planned or emergency c-section. The midwife or operating assistant will give them a top, trousers and hat to wear in the theatre for hygiene reasons.
The mother is given an anesthetic throughout the whole operation. 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.
Partner or Dad's Hospital Bag Checklist
Sleep accessories: your own pillow and blankets from home. Toiletries: toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, and more. Eyewear: glasses, contact lenses, and contact solution, if needed. Healthy snacks: pack things like trail mix, fruits, veggies, and more.
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.
“I feel that cesarean birth is safe for both mother and baby. Blood loss is less than vaginal birth.” “Cesarean birth is faster than vaginal birth.” “Planned cesarean sections are convenient, date and time can be selected, and there is no need to wait for spontaneous labor.
Since mother-to-be will be occupied, it's your job to understand her wishes. Be well-informed of her birth plan, articulate her needs when she is unable to speak for herself. Offer distractions. Labor can be a long, tedious process.
Summary: The bonds that tie a mother to her newborn may be stronger in women who deliver naturally than in those who deliver by cesarean section, according to a study published by Yale School of Medicine researchers in the October issue of Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
The first day after a C-section is often the hardest, and moving around may hurt. Take any prescribed pain medication on schedule, and time your trips to the bathroom or around the room to coincide with when the pain medicine kicks in, suggests Dr. Woeber.
According to Baby Centre, you need to wait because you're losing lochia as your uterus heals, and penetration before the bleeding halts could quickly lead to an infection. So, as a result, the general wait time before penetration, including fingering, is four to six weeks or when your doctor's given you approval.
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.
Things to Avoid:
Sexual intercourse until your health care provider tells you that it is safe. The use of tampons or douche. Taking baths until your incision is healed and you are no longer bleeding. Public pools and hot tubs.
While there's no required waiting period before you can have sex again, many health care providers recommend waiting to have sex until four to six weeks after delivery, regardless of the delivery method. The risk of having a complication after delivery is highest during the first two weeks after delivery.
A lotus birth is the decision to leave your baby's umbilical cord attached after they are born. The umbilical cord remains attached to the placenta until it dries and falls off by itself. What are the risks of lotus birth? There are no research studies available on this topic.
Does my baby have feeling in their umbilical cord? The umbilical cord doesn't have nerves so your baby has no feeling in the cord. Your baby doesn't feel pain when the doctor cuts the cord. The cord doesn't hurt your baby as it dries, shrinks and falls off.
Remember that the mom and baby can't feel the cord being cut. They'll place two clamps on the cord. Hold the section of cord to be cut with a piece of gauze under it. The gauze keeps excess blood from splattering.