How to Know What to Expect with an Elective C-Section

There is a big difference between an emergency c-section and an elective one. Unfortunately, many women are forced into an emergency cesarean and don't remember most of it and how they got to that point of needing one. However, with an elective c-section, you will know exactly what's going on the whole time, and here is what you can expect.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. 
    

   The day before your c-section you will register with the hospital, get blood-work done and a urine sample will be taken.

2. 
    

   The day of the cesarean, you will arrive at the hospital one hour earlier than your scheduled surgery. During this hour before your surgery, you will be asked to take off all your clothes and will put on a hospital gown and a belly-belt. The belly-belt is actually comfortable. It feels like a bra for your heavy stomach. After you are in hospital gear, the nurse will hook you up to a bunch of machines that monitor the baby and you. She/he will ask you a bunch of questions.

3. 
    

   Once the questioning is all over, you are put in a wheel chair and rolled off to the operating room. Unlike an emergency c-section where you don't know what's going on because everything is moving so quick and you're on pain medication, you'll know everything that's going on.

4. 
    

   In the operating room you will sit on the table and prepare for the spinal. A nurse will stand in front of you and tell you to put your chin on your chest and bend way down toward your knees. She/he will hold you down in this position while the anesthesiologist prepares your spine area for the injection. He/she will clean the area and stick your spine with a needle. Soon after you will feel a coolness in your spine and then nurses help you lay down.

5. At this point, a catheter is inserted and sterilizing of the abdomen begins. After three minutes, the surgery begins.

6. 
    

   During the surgery you smell burning flesh and see a lot of heads above the sheet in front of you. The anesthesiologist checks on you several times within the first few minutes to make sure you're not feeling anything. If you ask the doctor, she/he will tell you what's going on during the surgery. You feel a lot of pulling and tugging for a while, and then the grand finale happens. The doctor warns you that you're about to feel a lot of pressure. She/he is about to pull the baby out of the incision. It feels like your insides are getting ripped from you through a small opening. It's a weird feeling. During an emergency c-section, this part hurts the most. However, in an elective c-section, it really is just a whole lot of pressure. Then they hold the baby up in the air! Then it's half over. You need to be put back together.

7. 
    

   This is when you could begin feeling a little nausea. There really isn't too much pain going on during this time, but you can't wait to hold your new baby. Make sure to breast feed!

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that it's all worth it
• You might have heard that you can't breastfeed after a c-section. Don't believe it! Just tell all nurses and doctors that you plan on breastfeeding.

Resources

• Prepare to Breastfeed
• How to Wake Up Newborn for a Feeding
• How to Know You're Pregnant Before a Missed Period
• How to Know if Baby is Getting Enough Breastmilk
• Successfully Breastfeed from the Beginning

[srbd]

on 12/25/2009 Well-written article on c-sections.

[sheavenangel38]

on 12/13/2009 Interesting! I had an emergency C-Section and all I remember is freezing and quick glance of my son. It wasn't a choice it was a decision to keep my son alive.

I wish I had the option to have it done this way because I knew I couldn't deliver my son after 5 spine injection with is illegal.

Thanks for this insightful information.

7 stars