5 Things You Didn't Know You Could Ask for During a C-section
Whether your C-section is planned or not, the entire process can feel a little out of your hands.
But many pregnant mamas forget that even though your obstetrician is performing the surgery, you are still giving birth.
While some decisions are left up to your surgeon and their team, you still have a say in how it goes. Here are five things you can ask for before and during your C-section birth to make it yours.
1) ASK FOR A PLAY BY PLAY OF YOUR BIRTH:
Remember mama: You are not on the sidelines. You have every right to get a full play-by-play of your baby’s birth.
Ask your doctor to narrate each moment so you can interact with the team and hear special moments like “I can see her head,” “Here he comes,” or “He’s so sweet, he’s going to be right over to meet you.”
This will make it feel less like a procedure and more like a birth.
2) ask for immediate skin to skin time:
As long as your baby doesn’t have any medical concerns that need to be addressed right away, you’re able to hold them.
If holding your baby right away is important to you, let your team know ahead of time so they know to get that baby to your chest as soon as possible. This helps them coordinate who in the room will bring the baby to you and whether equipment needs to be moved.
Multiple studies have shown that skin-to-skin contact benefits both mom and baby after birth. These benefits include increased maternal satisfaction, reduced newborn stress, and decreased time to breastfeeding.
Make sure to specify if you want skin-to-skin contact beforehand so your team can untie your gown and unwrap your baby (they’ll put warm blankets on top of you and your babe instead). They might also move your IV or blood pressure cuff so you don’t get all tangled up.
If you’re comfortable and ready, you can even breastfeed your baby for the first time as the surgeon is closing.
3) consider a clear surgical drape:
Surgical drapes are used in many major (and some minor) surgeries to help maintain a sterile surgical field and prevent infections.
The surgical drapes used during C-sections are typically secured to two poles on either side of your shoulders and have a little cutout so they cover everything except your belly. This setup makes it totally impossible for you to see what’s happening during surgery. For some mamas, that’s ideal. But other mamas want to see what’s going on.
If that sounds like something you want (and can handle), you can ask for a clear drape that allows you to watch the entire surgery and delivery.
If watching the actual surgery itself sounds like too much, you can also use a blue opaque drape and a clear drape. Ask your medical team to keep the blue opaque drape up until the baby is delivered so you can see your newborn baby without watching the entire surgery.
There are also other drapes that have a small cutout that can be used to pass your baby from the surgeon straight to you for immediate skin-to-skin contact.
Ask ahead of time what options are available and let your medical team know what type of drape makes the most sense for you
4) communicate with your support team about your wishes:
It might sound obvious, but you need to be really clear about what you want throughout the entire process. Your C-section will only happen the way you want if you communicate with your team:
Your partner, family member, or friend. Make sure that you and whoever is with you during the delivery are on the same page. They’ll be your best advocate to make sure everything is going to plan. They’ll also be your eyes and ears throughout the delivery.
Your anesthesiologist. They’re usually right at your head. If you start to feel nauseous or sleepy, let them know. They can adjust your medications and make you feel a lot better.
5) ask about your scar’s appearance
There are different techniques that surgeons can use to close after delivering your baby.
Some surgeons will stitch up the muscles they had to cut through, which some researchers believe reduces the risk of diastasis recti and adhesions — but it increases post-operative pain.
There are also different ways to stitch up your skin, like staples, stitches, and even adhesives glues.
Make sure to talk to your surgeon about the techniques they use and whether you have a say in the outcome. If you can’t influence what techniques they use, make sure they know that you’re concerned about the way your scar looks so that they take extra care when closing.
Try saying something like, “Can you take your time when closing this incision? The scar’s appearance is important to me.”
Takeaway
We know it can be intimidating, but make sure you’re clearly communicating your wants and needs before and during your C-section.
These tips can be an amazing starting point for getting these conversations going with your partner and medical team.
And remember: Don’t be afraid to be assertive — you’re the one giving birth, after all.
P.S. Did you know our Postpartum Guide (found in our Expecting and Empowered App) includes information to help you during that initial recovery period plus helps you return to exercise. Find the app here! We also have a C-section Recovery Box full of things designed to help you heal from your C-section birth? Learn more about the box here!
Xo. Krystle
Sources:
Stevens J, Schmied V, Burns E, Dahlen H. Immediate or early skin-to-skin contact after a Caesarean section: a review of the literature. Matern Child Nutr. 2014;10(4):456-473. doi:10.1111/mcn.12128
Sung S, Mahdy H. Cesarean Section. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; December 12, 2021.
Webster J, Alghamdi A. Use of plastic adhesive drapes during surgery for preventing surgical site infection. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;2015(4):CD006353. Published 2015 Apr 22. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD006353.pub4