I have had 2 very different birth experiences. The C-Section birth experience is different than a vaginal birth experience. For the mommas out there that want to know all the details, I’m spilling them. Here are all the little details of a C-Section Birth and what you need to know.
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Before C-Section Birth and what you need to know
1.) Doctor’s will still do the internal cervical exams. These suck, but even if you’re having a scheduled C-section most OB’s will still start these around 36-37 weeks or so.
2.) You still have to get the GBS Streptococcus Test done at 37-38 weeks. Yes it’s an anal swab, but you have had your doctor’s entire hand in your vagina by now…so I mean what’s a little q-tip? Even though the baby isn’t coming out of your vagina this is just something the hospital needs…for some reason…
3.) If you have a scheduled C-section then you can’t eat after a certain time the night before delivery…so It is in your best interest to get an EARLY delivery. Also, consider that you cannot eat for at least 8 hours after delivery either.
Delivery Day: C-Section Birth and what you need to know
1.)You get to the hospital and first thing the hospital asks you to do is strip and get in that hideous green gown. That’s right, NAKED. Like huge swollen boobs hanging and no panties kinda naked. I hated that gown. There I am below looking SUPER UNCOMFY, swollen and ready to get this baby out!!!
2.) IV- That’s right they give you the IV in pre-op. My nurse was fishing all around my arm looking for a vein.
3.) Then they wheel you to the OR (operating room). The OR room is bright and cold.
4.)Then you get to wait for your medical staff to all arrive. You’ve got about 7-8 people in the delivery room with you so you don’t start till everyone is there and ready. Tthis was like an hour waiting time because Mr. Anesthesia was running behind.
5.) As soon as everyone is there then you get the epidural. The nurse will ask you to lean forward and round your back as much as you can. She will also tell you not to move, which is damn near impossible when you know they are coming at your back with a needle that you can’t see. But, you must be still. You won’t feel the needle pierce the skin at first (I didn’t) but I felt the epidural line as it was “being placed”. It is not a comfortable feeling, so do not expect it to be. It feels weird, uncomfortable.
6.) A soon as the epidural line is placed they will tape the line to your back so it does not move.
7.)Then you lie down face up (which is not comfortable being so large).
8.)Your OBGYN will then check and see if your are numbed up and the epidural is doing its job. Note*** You will feel the pressure of a pinch, but you should not be able to feel the sharpness or pain. Alot of women get confused about this, but YOU WILL FEEL PRESSURE, but it should not be a painful sensation.
9.)Then they put up the blue curtain so you have no idea what is happening below your chest. They shave you and then place the foley catheter and they get started with getting to the baby. No, you cannot feel the catheter being placed, you already have your epidural numbing you up.
THEN THEY GET STARTED!
10.)You will hear alot of velcro sounding noises. I still have no idea what those were, but I distinctly heard them. The room also smelled like burned hair.
11.) By the time my husband was brought in (in head to toe scrubs) my OBGYN was already almost to the baby. They can get to the baby VERY quickly.
12.)Now when they get close to the baby they will tell husband so he can take a picture of the baby being born, at least my OB did this. My husband has a hard stomach, so this didn’t bother him, but warn your husbands ladies, this can be bloody.
13.)This is something not alot of women will tell you, but another doctor will be assissting your OB with the delivery. I call this doctor, big guy. His job is to “guide the baby to the incision area”. Guide my ass, this big guy is literally pushing on your stomach to help get the baby out. You can feel him pushing ladies, remember you feel pressure. It’s uncomfortable, but doesn’t hurt.
BABY’S OUT, BUT IT’S NOT OVER YET!!!
14.) When the baby is out, you will know. The sudden decrease of pressure on your abdomen is unlike any other feeling. At that point your baby will be out and the pediatric nurse will be tending to her/him.
15.) This is when you listen for your baby’s cry. I loved hearing the first cries. I always busted out in tears.
16.) Your husband might go and see the baby and take pictures on that side of your delivery room. Most of the time he will bring the baby to you unless baby needs some medical attention right away.
17.)Your OB will clean out placenta and will begin sewing you up. This part takes longer. Usually about 45 minutes. To me, this was the worst part because I got sick (blood pressure drop, as you can see how ill I look in the above picture). That is something that can happen during a C-section delivery, nausea and vomiting and some anxiety, if it happens tell the nurses. My nurse anesthesist was constantly giving my phenergin to counteract this during my C-Section delivery. If it happens to you try not to panic, it will pass once you get out of surgery.
18.) Once you’re all sewed up then they wheel you to recovery!
RECOVERY-POST-DELIVERY
C-Section Birth and what you need to know
1.) You will get to recovery and they will bring baby to you for nursing (at least my hospital did this, but they were very pro-nursing). A nurse came to check on me and offer pain medication in my IV(Toradol). I was still feeling pretty sick so I did vomit once a or twice while in recovery, but it passed fairly quickly.
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2.)Also, a lactation consultant came and helped me get my daughter latched on (it was difficult without my nipple shields). My husband was in recovery with me, but visitors weren’t allowed in. Note ladies, pack some nipple shields in your Hospital Bag for after the birth, you may need them for nursing…it is better to have them and not need them THAN need them and not have them
3.) It was about 1.5 hours after delivery until they let me out of recovery and wheeled me to my antepartum room.
Post-Partum Room
C-Section Birth and what you need to know
1.) You will be HANGRY!! Hungry + Angry. You can’t eat after a certain time the night before the birth, so like I said try and get an early surgery time scheduled. You can have water and ice chips right after and that’s it. I was starving after my surgery, but they literally made me wait to eat until I started passing gas….no not kidding it was weird. As soon as I passed gas (about 8 hours after the birth) they let me have apple juice and jello. If I was having no GI issues an hour or so after that then they let me order food.
2.)Our hospital had a cafeteria to order food from and it was included in the cost of the hospital stay with my births, but dad and your guests are not included. Your husband/significant other will need to get food on his own. The cafeteria will NOT let you order extra food, I tried for my sweet hubby. GRUB HUB and Door Dash will be a necessity here so make sure your hubs downloads the app.
3.)Talk to your hospital before and find out if baby can stay in your room with you. My hospital was SO great about this. They’d bring my baby to me to nurse and let me keep them in my room as long as I wanted. They’d take her back to the nursery when I slept or when husband needed a break/sleep. My husband is in pic below, he was so wonderful with the babies while in the hospital.
4.)After the surgery the catheter stays in for 24 hours. The nurses will refuse to take it out before then, so you cannot get up. This was the most annoying thing for me. You feel the catheter there and it’s uncomfortable. Once that catheter is out the nurses will make you walk the halls ladies!! Please check out my Pregnancy Bag List Post for things you need at the hospital to make your life easier.
5.)A nurse will come by about every hour or 2 and “massage” your belly. They told me it was to make sure the uterus is decreasing in size the way it is supposed to…it does not feel like a nice relaxing massage, just FYI. Make sure you either have that hideous gown on or an Belly Bandit offers the top post-pregnancy collection to new moms.“>belly bandit wrap for post-partum recovery. You won’t regret this buy.
8.)When you pee don’t be suprised to see blood. Yes even though baby didn’t come out of your vagina, you will bleed. The nurses give you mesh panties…but these depends are SO much better and comfortable..PLUS you don’t have to wear a gigantic diaper sized pad with these depends.
9.)You will want to shower and it will be heavenly. Go to my post on Pregnancy Hospital bag and I have a list of tolietries and things to pack. The hospital will NOT have toiletries for you like a hotel. You must pack a bag ladies, please read thru this post!!!
10.)There will most likely be NO place for husband to sleep….so there’s that… nice small air mattress with a pillow and blanket will help him alot.
11.) Your entire stay will not be a vacation (I really thought it might be when I had my 2nd kid, just being away from my toddler sounded like a vacation). No, the hospital is loud and bright, even at night you can hear the nurses working and bright lights creep under your door. Not to mention if they are not constantly bringing the baby in to nurse, bath, etc then the nurses are coming in to check on you and vitals. You won’t sleep, so it doesn’t qualify as a vacation lol. Bring sleep mask and ear plugs…but you and husband must take turns. Don’t both plug up your ears and not hear the baby!!
12.)You will have to change your baby’s diaper. This is a bit nerve-wracking the first time…especially if you have a little girl. Little pearl of advice here…slather baby bottom with Aquaphor until she has her first poop. That way the poop slides right off on the wipe…less clean up trust me. The first baby poop is thick, sticky and tar-like. Makes a mess.
13.) After a couple days (usually between 2-4) you will get discharged. This was my favorite part because you get to be pushed in the wheelchair with the baby! It’s the simple things in life lol. Word to the wise, send your husband down ahead of you to pack up the car and drive it over to pick up area.
14.) Now super important, make sure that infant carseat is INSTALLED already. No installed carseat, no baby. The nurse will ask to see the carseat in the car before she releases you and baby. Just saying.
