Will I feel anything? How does a caesarean section work? How will the anesthesia affect the child's condition? Can my partner accompany me during the caesarean section? When will I hug my baby? How to care for a cesarean scar? These and many other questions are answered by our "guide" to cesarean.

Caesarean section - how to prepare?

If a planned cut awaits you, the day before the procedure is mercilessly prolonged. It is possible that you will spend it already in the hospital. Report to the emergency room with the referral, ID card, valid insurance certificate, pregnancy card and test results. You may have your blood drawn and a urine test performed as some hospitals want the most up-to-date results and the tests are done in their own laboratory (e.g. blood type). Other facilities expect you to do your tests in the area, so make sure you have your tests done during your last visit before the procedure.

Don't forget about the baby layette and things for yourself. Like every mother, after giving birth you will need hygiene products, shirts, large and absorbent pads, a few changes of underwear (preferably airy disposable panties for pregnant women, high enough so that the elastic does not hurt the wound). Take something to read to make it easier to bear the waiting. You must be on an empty stomach for the procedure. The nurse will inform you by what time on the day before the procedure you can eat, and by what time you can drink (usually: easy to digest food until 6.00 p.m., drink until midnight).

Take a razor or you'll be asked to remove any pubic hair in the cut area. If you do not know exactly how much hair to remove and where, ask the nurse. Anyway, before the procedure, it will check the condition of the hair and possibly improve shaving. In some hospitals, they will not expect you until the day of surgery, an hour before your cut. Then you need to remember about your diet at home.

Caesarean section - how long does it take?

Treatments usually take place in the morning, from 9.00 am. However, the midwife or nurse will come to you sooner. He will connect you to a CTG machine to check how your baby is doing, measure your blood pressure and temperature, and insert a cannula into your vein to administer your medications. You will also be given a drip to avoid dehydration.

Depending on the customs in the hospital, you will be dressed in a special "company" shirt, oryou will be able to have your own. Prepared in this way, you will go to the operating theater. Until then, your partner may accompany you. He will not only be needed to move things, but above all he will support you emotionally. However, you will be left alone in the operating room. And good. There's nothing fun about watching a slit belly or daddies pass out. You don't part time for a long time - usually the entire procedure takes about 30 minutes.

Caesarean section - what is it?

Caesarean section - anesthesia

An anesthesiologist will watch over you during the entire operation. He decides which type of anesthesia , and then controls what form you are in and makes sure that nothing hurts. If the procedure is planned, it is most often performed under so-called regional anesthesia. An anaesthesiologist inserts a thin needle between the 3rd and 4th lumbar vertebrae and administers drugs that temporarily inert the body from the waist down.

The puncture itself does not hurt, but is sometimes described by some women as unpleasant. Before it happens, you will have to lie on your side with your legs tucked up and properly bend your spine to facilitate precise pricking. Your doctor will help you get into the correct position. As soon as the anesthesia starts working, usually after 2-3 minutes, the operation begins. You will feel no pain, yet you will stay awake. You may be given an intravenous antibiotic in addition to the anesthetics. It is especially recommended if you have an infection that could be infected by a child.

If the cesarean is emergency, it is likely to be performed under general anesthesia, the so-called anesthesia, consisting in full sleep, because there will be no time to prepare you for regional anesthesia.

According to an expertDr. Marzena Dębska, obstetrician gynecologist

Caesarean section - when is the next baby?

It was once advised not to get pregnant for 2-3 years after a cesarean section. Today, a year is considered a safe period. This is enough time for everything to return to normal. Usually, by Caesarean section without he alth complications, you can give birth to 3-4 babies, although the American record holder Kristine House passed as many as 11 imperials without complications!

As many as 6 out of 10 Polish women whose first child was born as a result of a cesarean section, have the opportunity to give birth naturally the second time. Because today the rule no longer applies: cut once - always cut. If the obstacle that occurred the first time is not present (e.g. misalignment of the fetus, high birth weight, multiple pregnancy), vaginal delivery is possible. However, after two caesarers, it is performedand the third one, because there is a mark on the uterus after each procedure and the effort caused by childbirth could lead to its rupture.

Caesarean section - the course of the procedure

During Caesarean section under regional anesthesia, you stay awake and can talk to your doctor. You do not lose the feeling completely, you perceive the cutting of the skin as a gentle touch. If your well-being suddenly changes - you feel dizzy, weak, or feel a returning feeling - report it to the operating personnel immediately. Medicines can be dosed in such a way that the procedure is more comfortable. There will likely be two gynecologists during the operation. You will not see what they are doing because they will be covered by a green screen, mounted at the height of your breasts. Sometimes you can see something in the lamps above the table (especially when they are of the old type and have a large surface), but this is not a very special view.

After washing the abdominal skin with an antiseptic and applying sterile compresses, the doctors cut the skin in the lower abdomen and the subsequent layers of the abdominal wall and the uterus. The most common is the so-called cross cut, 10-15 cm above the bikini line. You will feel a slight tug when you take your baby out. It all takes just a few minutes.

The gynecologist will show you the toddler for a moment, maybe even let you kiss his foot, and hand him over to the pediatrician. You will see your baby being examined, weighed and measured. During this time, your belly will be sewn up (this can take up to an hour!). The baby will go to the neonatal ward, and you will go to the postoperative department. If the procedure takes place under anesthesia, the last thing you will remember is when the intravenous or inhaled medication is given. After that, you'll sleep soundly, senseless, and the doctors will do their job. You will wake up in the recovery room.

Caesarean section - recovery room

You will be taken to it immediately after the procedure and most likely you will stay there for several hours. However, since it is a place of intensive care (one nurse for two patients, systematic control of blood pressure and possibly other parameters, frequent doctor visits, etc.), the duration of stay may be shorter if you are in good shape, and there are unscheduled procedures on a given day and women who underwent surgery later need constant supervision more.

You will then be transferred to a normal room in the maternity ward, but the nurses and midwives will still look after you carefully. They will wash you, change your foundations, wet your lips if necessary, and make sure you do not feel the pain of the wound. You will be given special painkillers (very strong and at the same time extremely safe) -intramuscularly, intravenously or into an epidural catheter. After about a day, suppositories are enough.

Report all your ailments to the nurse - do not let the pain worsen, because then it may really be a problem to control it. If you feel a bitter cold or trembling of the body (the effect of weakening the body - cesarean, contrary to appearances, is also a lot of effort), ask for a blanket.

When you wake up from anesthesia, you may have a sore throat because during general anesthesia, intubation (a special tube is placed in the larynx) to allow you to breathe. You may have a headache, sometimes you vomit (as with any anesthesia).

Also be prepared for the fact that you may feel very weak. Since there is discharge in your lungs after anesthesia, you may cough. This can make the pain in the abdomen worse, but getting rid of the residual volume is essential to avoid respiratory infections. It is more comfortable to clear your throat on the exhalation.

When you are at risk of infection (prematurely ruptured bladder, vaginal infection, prolonged labor, etc.), you will be given antibiotics. Whenever possible, your doctor will select one that will allow you to breastfeed your baby. And in the recovery room or in its vicinity, one close person may sometimes be present.

Caesarean section - getting back into shape

  • First steps

After anesthesia (if only your he alth allows it), you can get back on your feet a few hours after the procedure. After regional anesthesia - depending on the anesthesiologist's recommendations, but usually after a dozen or so. However, many doctors recommend prophylactically in the latter case lying position, without lifting the head, for the full 24 hours to minimize the risk of severe pain. Such discomfort occurs in a few percent of women after regional anesthesia and may persist (with decreasing intensity) up to two weeks. It is then necessary to take painkillers as the headache hinders normal functioning.

So don't move your head, but as soon as you feel that you regain control of your legs, try to move your feet. Spin the wheels in different directions. This will start the circulation in your legs and help prevent vascular blockages. When the time is right, the midwife looking after you will help you sit down. After waiting a long time, thanks to her support, you will get up. Don't do it yourself, or you might get dizzy and you may fall. The first steps are painful, but the discomforts will pass faster than you think.

  • Shower and toilet

Don't be afraidout of water! As soon as you start walking you can take a shower. Your body begs to be washed thoroughly. You can wash the cut site without fear, but choose mild, hypoallergenic cosmetics that are safe for the baby. When you are close, the intense smell and some ingredients in normal soaps can irritate him.

In many hospitals, an alarm bell is installed in the shower cubicle. Don't hesitate to use it if you feel faint. You can also use a special stool and wash while sitting. If such "luxuries" are lacking, it is better to wash with the bathroom door open.

A shower is also a great opportunity to make your first pee. You should urinate yourself as soon as possible after removing the catheter from the urethra, which emptied your bladder after the procedure (the midwife will do it painlessly and quickly before trying to get up). Some women have a problem with this, but the sound of the water usually fixes it.

There are also problems with defecation. The smaller it is, the faster you try to walk, because the upright position supports the work of the intestines. When you can eat normally (usually on the third day), supplement your diet with prunes or raisins. They contain a lot of fiber and prevent constipation. However, if the problem persists, you will be given a laxative suppository. With pains from accumulated gases and the feeling of "pouring" in the stomach, frequent change of position brings relief.

  • Feces

After a cesarean section, you don't need to care for your perineum in any particular way. Frequent washing and changing the pads are enough, because at the beginning, bloody faeces, as after each birth, are quite abundant. The post-cesarean ones do not differ from the normal ones and resemble menstrual bleeding: first they are red, then pink, brown and finally colorless. Usually, however, they are shorter: for three or four weeks (up to 8 weeks after natural childbirth). If they turn out to be very scarce or there are none, see a doctor just in case. This may mean that they have stopped and that you need uterine decongestants or you need to open the cervical canal.

  • Scar care

Carefully treat the wound on the stomach. It usually heals quickly, but for your own comfort, try not to offend it. It is best to wear cotton, large and loose panties or special disposable postpartum panties (price PLN 2-4 each). They are airy and high enough that the rubber band does not hurt the wound. From time to time let the wound breathe and give up underwear altogether.

The scar may hurt, pull or sting you and then itch througha few weeks. However, the symptoms will gradually decrease. If you feel pain when you cough, sneeze or laugh, press your stomach with a soft pillow - this should be a relief. The wound gradually fades from red to pink, and eventually a bit lighter than your skin, almost invisible under your pubic hair. However, if you notice that it is turning red, swollen, more painful, oozing discharge or pus, consult your doctor as soon as possible. Also when there is a fever in the puerperium. Antibiotic treatment is likely to be required.

If the doctor who operated on you used ordinary sutures to sew the skin (in the "middle", modern, absorbable sutures are used), they will be removed in the treatment room after 6-8 days. Removing them does not hurt, it takes a few seconds, and there are no problems later related to the fact that, for example, you do not tolerate the type of seam or there are problems with dissolving it. After a month, the wound shouldn't be too much of a problem for you, although some very sensitive mums feel that the area around the scar is slightly numb even after a few months.

On the surface of the wound, sometimes harmless but unsightly lumps called keloids form. If they bother you (but you are unlikely to notice them under even the most skimpy bikini), you can talk to your surgeon about how to get rid of them. Smoothing ointments prevent the formation of such lesions. You can use them as soon as the scabs come off the wound.

  • Return to sex

Since your vagina did not suffer any damage during childbirth, you will be able to have intercourse sooner than after vaginal delivery. You may also feel more pleasure because the muscles have not been stretched and there is not much slack in the vagina. You can have sex as early as 6 weeks after giving birth (some doctors suggest that a 4-week continence is enough). However, the enormity of responsibilities with the child and hormonal changes sometimes take away the appetite for pranks. But it eventually wears off.

Usually six months after the procedure, both externally and internally, there is almost no trace of it. The uterus and abdomen will be fully healed and you will be back in good shape. Maybe it's time to think about the next child? One year after the procedure, the next pregnancy is as safe as possible.

  • Return to sex

Since your vagina did not suffer any damage during childbirth, you will be able to have intercourse sooner than after vaginal delivery. You may also feel more pleasure because the muscles have not been stretched and there is not much slack in the vagina. You can have sex as early as 6 weeks after giving birth (some doctors suggest that4 weeks of abstinence is enough). However, the enormity of responsibilities with the child and hormonal changes sometimes take away the appetite for pranks. But it eventually wears off.

Usually six months after the procedure, both externally and internally, there is almost no trace of it. The uterus and abdomen will be fully healed and you will be back in good shape. Maybe it's time to think about the next child? One year after the procedure, the next pregnancy is as safe as possible.

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Childbirth