04/16/2024
This week to celebrate c-section awareness month, we’re going to talk about what other moms said they wished they knew about cesarean births before they had one!
Today we’re focusing on what to expect for the surgery itself. As a disclaimer; this is a general overview and exact events may change based on your medical needs. For more clarity talk to your physician about what a c-section may look like with them. Now, let’s get into it.
One thing all of the women I interviewed said surprised them was how fast the entire procedure takes. Typically between 45 min-1hr total, though once the procedure begins baby can be out very quickly. Most women said baby was born within the first 10 minutes of the surgery.
When you go in to the OR to be prepped, your support person will be just outside in a separate waiting area. Meanwhile you will get onto the table, get a spinal block, and they will begin to prep the drapes and shave the surgical site. Your surgical team will also clean the surgical site and your V canal (censored for social media guideline purposes) with an antiseptic solution prior to the surgery to reduce risk of infection of the uterus and surgical site.
To begin the surgery, a scalpel is used to make the first incision, breaking through the skin through the dermis to expose subcutaneous fats. The doctor then dissects down to the fascia (or connective tissue) to expose the re**us muscle (your 6 pack abs) and extend fascia incisions. Below is muscle that is then stretched to the side to reveal the uterus, which is stretched open to then break the amniotic sack and deliver the baby.
Even though you will have a major abdominal surgery to meet your little ones you still have options to make the experience more comfortable for you. For example here’s some advice directly from moms who have been there before:
“You can play music! Having the songs I wanted made me less anxious because I could focus on that”
“If you’re stable, You can still have skin to skin and do your first breastfeeding session in the OR. The nurses can help position and guard baby”
“If your hospital allows it, ask your anesthesiologist for a TAP block for recovery. I couldn’t feel any pain for like the first two days and I could get up and walk around easier. Though, it did kind of make me have a false sense of security because I felt the pain when I got home. But still totally worth it”
You can also talk to your care team about an abdominal binder directly after surgery. They can aid you in learning how to put it on/off and when to wear it. Though I typically recommend the first 2 weeks after surgery any time you are up or active. You can take it off if you’re resting sitting on the couch or bed with baby or showering etc.
Tomorrow we will go over what to expect from recovery!
If you’re a c-section mom and have anything else you wish you knew about the surgery let us know in the comments!
