Cesarean Birth Preparation

Preparing for an informed, empowered, positive belly birth

RESOURCES

This is a play dough walk through of the steps of cesarean delivery.

This podcast is a must with cesarean preparation. It will walk you through the steps of a cesarean, planned or emergent, so you can understand what to expect. Give this a listen during a walk or with a partner.

PREPARATION and PREFERENCES

FAQ to DISCUSS w/ YOUR PROVIDER

Leading up to a planned cesarean birth or if you are interested in doing some concurrent preparation during a planned vaginal birth, here are some great conversation starters for discussion and expectation setting with your provider:

  • In your experience what are some of the most impactful preferences or preparations that can incorporated during cesarean birth?

  • Can my doula be in the OR for support?

  • What medications will I likely be given before, during, and after?

  • How long is the procedure?

  • How long should I expect to be apart from my support partner in the OR before they can join?

  • How long of delayed for clamping can we expect if all is going well?

  • How long does baby need to be at the warmer before we can welcome them skin to skin? How can the nurses and pediatric team communicate to us how baby is doing during the time we are unable to see/touch baby?

  • How long after the procedure will the birther be in bed? When will the birther be able to get up and starting standing /walking on their own?

Common C-BIRTH PREFERENCES

  • No small talk that isn’t related to you or birth (especially post delivery as they are closing)

  • Provider giving reassurance that the procedure is going as expected every 1-2 mins before baby is born and then every 5-10 mins post birth

  • Skin to skin in OR

  • Delaying cord clamping

  • Drop or clear drop

  • Grounding touch on the shoulder for brow by support partner.

  • Vaginal seeding

AFFIRMATIONS

It is okay and perfectly understandable to hold uncertain thoughts during a cesarean birth journey. Try to includes mantras and positive affirmations.

Here are a few I like:

My baby and I are safe
This moment will pass
(Support partner’s Name) is right here with me and I trust my care team
Plans have changed but I am strong enough to adapt
I am prepared for whatever birth my body and my baby need
I choose love, joy, and calm in this moment of birth
My mind, body, and home are ready for my baby
Every moment here brings me closer to meeting my baby
This is my journey to my baby, I will be grounded in joy and love in this moment

Grounding touch and affirmation from the support partner can be key in the moment leading up to birth. Try affirmation and reminders like “you and baby are safe” and “I am right here”.

Directly after birth the baby will be held above the abdominal area during a brief period of delayed cord clamping and then if all is well brought around to be shown to the birther and support person very briefly before going to the warmer for roughly 5-10mins in an uncomplicated delivery.

The birther will go back into the OR first for the team to prepare the sterile field and administer the spinal anesthesia. This time of separation can be between 5-30 mins. Good to prepare affirmation track or for the birther and/or the support partner. Also, if needed the birther can talk to their nurse for connection and reassurance.

VISUALIZING the OR

This is an photo of John Muir’s OR during the bonding period/ abdominal closure of a planned cesarean birth. You can see the anesthesiologist on the birther’s side of the drape, two JOBs performing the surgery, and get a general feel for the scale of the space. You can also see that this client has chosen to cover herself and her baby with a blanket during skin to skin. I loved this preference that kind of just popped up in the moment. Instead of the bright lights of the OR, she was able to find some privacy and calm underneath the blanket together. It is normal to have up to 7 members of the hospital staff in the OR for an uncomplicated belly birth.

DIVING even DEEPER

Other good info to note….

The spinal block stings but only for a minute, just stay calm and still, it will be over quickly.

Its a strange and weird feeling losing feeling of your legs. They will check and double check and triple check that you have no feeling before they begin.

You won’t feel pain but you will feel a weird sense of tugging and hear some weird noises (specifically a suction like machine that sounds similar to the dentist).

The anesthesia often makes you cold and itchy especially when its wearing off particularly. This is normal and it will pass. If you almost feel nauseated let your anesthetist know and they can sometimes give you another medication to help.

As the spinal anesthesia wears off you can feel shaky and/or shake uncontrollably.

From the beginning of the incision to birth is quite short, usually less than 10 mins. The bulk the procedure is the closure post delivery, from 25-40mins.

You will have a catheter inserted and it won’t be removed until you are able to resume walking and going to the bathroom on your own (about 8-12hrs after birth).

Getting up for the first time post delivery can be an event. You will feel like it’s hard to stand straight or walk, but it is an important part of the recovery to get up and move as soon. Each time it will get easier and you will be moving normally again!

You will feel puffy and swollen with lots of IV fluids being pumped into your body. Expect swelling in your feet and legs. Ask your provider and nurse as needed.

It can hurt to laugh, cough or sneeze. If you need to hold a pillow over your incision, do so.

Be open and honest with your nurse about your pain levels and seek medication as needed.

Belly bands, abdominal binders and support garments will be your best friend. Try to use something as quickly as you can to support your core and back. It will also aid in the recovery of abdominal separation and can support your wound.

Post birth you will have a compression machine going through regular inflation/deflation cycles to ward off risks of blood clots.

This photo is specifically of the post op area at Alta Bates. This area has 3-4 beds so there is a chance that you will be in the room with other birther/babies with curtains drawn in between for privacy.

The support partner in the OR can expect to wear a face mask, hair net, and a zip up coverall.

In the case of planned cesarean birth…

TURN THE IDEA OF CONTROL AROUND

Some birthers feel like they have lost control by having to have a cesarean birth but there is another way of looking at it and that is that having a scheduled c-section means you have a set day, time and location for your birth.

You can plan and organise your life around that special day. Of course you never know what may happen and you could end up in labor earlier than expected. But some clients really like that they have a date and time that they are aiming for and can organize around that— instead of just waiting around for this unknown time – a planned cesarean gives them some more sense of control.

The other thing is that because it is a surgical procedure there is a set plan of how things will go, how long it will take and you’ll be surrounded by a team of medical professionals who know exactly what to do because they do this everyday.

PREPARING FOR a PLANNED CESAREAN

Some things to do to before the big day is here to connect with yourself and baby before the big day:

  • Ask lots questions. If you have any fears, anxieties or are unsure about something talk with your doctor to discuss anything that is worrying you or you don’t understand. Your doctor can walk you through the C-section procedure step-by-step and give you info about what to expect post op in hospital and for your recovery.

  • Pack your bags (do this a couple of weeks in advance just in case). Remember that even with a planned cesarean if you go into spontaneous labor beforehand you will receive the c-section usually within a few hrs.

  • Organize a care giver for your other children/ pets– you will be in hospital for on average 3 nights.

  • The night before eat a yummy, nourishing meal. Note, you won’t be able to eat for around 8 hours before your surgery and are sometimes nausea afterwards so not immediately hungry.

  • Make sure you get a wax or shave near the bikini incision line, otherwise they will do it for you at the hospital.

  • If you’re struggling with fear or anxiety make an appointment to see a mental health professional that specializes in perinatal support a few days or week before to help you talk through those feelings.

  • Have a massage a few days before. Go for a short walk as you are able in beautiful place. If possible have your support partner take off time so you can be together leading up to the birth as well.

  • Journal your thoughts and feelings leading up to the day. Any visuals or mantras that feel grounding can be made into affirmation cards to hang around the house or in the recovery area.

  • Use essential oils to calm your self the night before/ during the birth.

  • Talk to and spend some time connecting with your baby in the days leading up.