Timeline, visitors? Please share your experience

[hmommy219]

Hi ladies, so my doc has informed me that I will be having a c section for my twins and I was wondering if you would mind sharing your experience.., mostly, how long before the procedure did you have to show up at the hospital? How soon were you able to cuddle with your baby? When did your family show up? I kind of want alone time with the babies and DH before the circus show up... Lol...

 

[MoBaby]

hey this was how i wanted it too! the c section took 30-40mins from spinal anesthesia to recovery room. i was in recovery for 2 hours or so. i saw baby right away and had skin to skin as soon as in recovery. dh held baby until then. then went to room. the nurse decided to give me all this info when i was about to fall asleep but i had baby in room. my timeline was i arrived at hospital at 730, csection 930, and i told visitors to come after 2pm. another hour or 2 alone would have been great though. i was very sleepy from the pain meds they gave me.

 

[Sqwidge]

With my first it was an emergency section, so can't help on the timing of beforehand. However after, possibly due to a late afternoon section i was in recovery until like 5am!!! Then they moved me to the ward. I didn't have any visitors until the next day in the morning and i cannot tell you what time, it's all gone a bit blurry!

This time i am having a planned section and hopefully if i get into theater in the morning i will be having my son (with sister in law as she is looking after him) come by after he has finished school, then if my mother in law can come after work then she will come in the evening. My mum is then coming over the next day and knowing her will come on her way to my house, will then go and pick Josh up from school and bring him over then as well. Everyone else can come once we are home (hoping to only stay 2-3 days MAX!)

Trouble is, whilst yes they will say they'll try and get you in at the time they say, if an emergency comes up then you will be delayed, and it could be you get bumped to the next day (worst case i would imagine - i'm trying to think of all worst cases for myself so if it happens it's not so much of a shock!) so i would say to people (unless they are coming from very far away) what visiting hours are, and that you will let them know what time to come, once you have HAD the section, that way you can give yourself time if you need it, or if it's late, they can come the next day.

 

[hmommy219]

Awesome! Thank you. Did either of you bother with a 'birth plan'? I feel as though they're more for vaginal labors..??

 

[MMW430]

My baby was born at 2:07pm, and I was able to hold him once I was in recovery. I had bleeding issues and wasn't able to leave recovery until almost 11 at night. It was really annoying. My DH's obnoxious parents showed up while I was in recovery, even though we didn't tell them to come yet, and I refused to let them come back to me. It was a waste of time on their part anyway because all they were allowed to do was look at the baby as they saw my DH walking with him to the nursery. It was a coincidence. My parents came later, again still in recovery but I wanted to see them. I had my DH take them up to see the baby and for whatever reason they let my mom hold him. Probably because it wasn't being done in a hallway.

I was much more up for visitors the next day.

 

[cherrylips100]

An hour waiting
20 minutes signing forms, speaking with anaesthetist
50ish minute operation
Held babies a few minutes old after they'd been cleaned up.
Half an hour in recovery
24 hours in bed before catheter was removed and could get up.
Had visitors a day and a half after csec.

 

[MoBaby]

Oh yes take that into consideration. The nurses check you frequently the day of cs. And you have a catheter in your bladder. Mine was in 12 hrs and then they let me get up and walk and I had to pee on my own. I was a little embarrassed to have a bag with urine hanging down while family was there. I did have to get ppl to step out so the nurse could check me and feed baby. I wish I would have told p to come the following day but my family would have never allowed that lol.

 

[Sqwidge]

I don't think I will be doing a birth plan, as like you I don't really see the point! My hubby wouldn't be able to cope with cutting the cord and the potential of seeing me cut open, he would probably faint! And that would probably be the only thing I would put in there. I guess if you would like skin to skin prior to baby being cleaned/weighed etc that could go in there.

 

[hmommy219]

I agree about the cord cutting! My dh would definitely pass out! Lol

 

[MoBaby]

They wont let DH cut the cord anyways in a c section b/c of the sterile field... What they did do for my DH was left it long and he was able to cut the extra off when the baby was being cleaned by the nurse... Not the same as he didnt cut it from me per say but he still cut it.

Birth plan: Nope. Really no point in it. You don't have much say as to what happens. You go in, get an IV, bloodwork drawn, wait for it to come back, go back to the surgical suite, get your anesthesia, lay down, get your bits exposed to the world, get a catheter put in, get your belly cleaned and prepped and then in a few minutes a baby comes out! You can request the baby to be put on your chest right away but I couldnt really move my left arm because there was a pole in the way holding the drape and my IV lines. Then get stitched up, wheeled into recovery and get baby. There isn't too much modification that can be done so I wouldn't bother.

My hospital doesnt even have a nursery so thats why I didnt tell my parents or family to come earlier and the fact I wanted alone time , etc. My mom was assuming there was a window where you could view the baby while I was finishing up but the hospital doesnt use a nursery anymore and does all of that in the delivery room. And I didnt make it into my room until 12:30 or so and then the nurse is checking me, going over a lot of stuff, etc so really 2:00 was too early for me. I originally had said after 4pm but then I started to worry what if my mom gets upset, etc. She was upset anyways that I didn't tell her the real time of my c-section.

 

[Boothh]

I had to get to hospital for 7am I think it was. There was one woman before me and I was second planned section of the day. Baby was born at 10.39am! He was given to me within a couple of minutes, as soon as he was cleaned up/ weighed etc and he stayed with me all through recovery etc!
Once we got back to the ward I had a rest for a few hours and then had visitors about 4pm, after that I got up and had a shower etc and walked around. I was fine with visitors by that point. Having the first few hours to bond and rest was lovely x

 

[Lizzybee]

I had emcs, but i was in theatre at 12.55, he was born at 13.11 and i was in recovery at 14.10. He was laid at the side of my head til the last 10mins of op, then DH had him until I was in recovery. We had skin to skin, and first feed then which lasted for 30 mins ish. He was under my gown and so we stayed like that for over an hour. Then he was wrapped in a towel and put in a crib. Later the midwife dressed him for me. I didnt have any visitors apart from DH and DS who had been with me whole time. I didnt have any while I was in hospital! My parents were on holiday and in laws didnt feel they should come so as to give us all time together. The beauty of technology is that DH emailed all family with a photo of DS so they all felt they'd seen him anyway.

 

[sethsmummy]

hey hun my timeline

went in on the monday at 3pm for pre-op bloods and to talk with aneasthetist and surgeon. I could have gone home after but because i had to use busses i was asked to stay in as i had to be there at 6am on the day. DO MAKE A BIRTH PLAN! my surgeon looked through mine as i wanted a "natural section" where everything is done slower!

Tuesday - 7:30 am .. midwife brought in my hospital gowns.. and i was talked through the procedure again. making sure i was still happy with everything.
8:45 - main theatre midwife came to get me and we walked down to the theatre once she got the nod that they were ready at 9:05
9:15 - into the theatre (while dh was taken to get gowned up) and they got the spinal in and got me ready. DH was then brought in.. DS2 was born at 9:48 (i think it was lol i always forget the exact minutes). he was a NATURAL section so he was "stepped" out slowly then drapes etc were dropped so i could see him coming out and lifted up to confirm sex, they then waited 3 minutes to cut the cord.. got some photos then took him and DH over to the other area in the room to clean him up and DH cut the cord (well he cut it short anyway). they both then came bk to me and i was offered skin to skin straight away but said no as i was being suffocated by my boobs lol. Taken into recovery at about half 10 and stayed there till 12. during which time i had constant skin to skin and BF straight away.
12 - taken back onto the ward.. i had a cathater in. My mum brought DS1 in at 1:30 and i was more than happy to see them. I had been vomitting profusely straight after being brough tto the ward but they gave me 2 anti sickness injections to sort that out. Mum left around 3 then dh took DS1 into town with him then took him home. My dad came to visit at 6pm then my sister and her friend came at 7 and stayed till around 10pm. I thoroughly enjoyed my visitors. Ill add i had been up and about with the help of a midwife a few times that afternoon to change pads/pants
6am Wednesday - cathater out and into the shower (felt like a new woman!). i was up and about from then on and did everything myself. DH and DS1 arrived at 9am and were with me most of the day. my mum and dad were back in that night together to see my boys.
7am thursday - I was packed and ready to leave... waiting on my discharge notes etc and a quick talk with a phycio about excersising etc.
9:30am - in a taxi on my way home
10:45am - walked down to get DS1 from nursery and surprise him

I think a birth plan is a good idea if you want to do what i did with the natural birth. not everywhere is willing to do it though... i think i was very lucky xx

 

[Kalabear]

7:00 am arrive at hospital, went to room, hooked up to Iv, changed into gown, our dr, the ob. And anesthesiologist all came in at different times to explain everything. Nurses also asking questions.
9:00 or so went to c/s room and got the spinal (I couldn't even really feel it!) drs came in, DH followed.
9:40am baby was born! After DS was weighed my DH brought him to me for skin to skin while I was getting stitched up.
I was in recovery a little longer than usual but I believe I was back in my room about 12:30 of 1:00. And our family was all there waiting. They said they could come back to the recovery room but I said no since I wanted to bond and bf.
I think next time I will have people come later in the day because I was just sooo tired and wanted to bond with baby. The hospital has a nursery but no one uses it...they push for 24/7with baby in room. The only time throughout our 4 day hospital stay he was away from us was for his circumcision. Our dr knew our birth plan before we knew we had to have a c/s. The most important thing to me was skin to skin and I got it within two minutes

Congratulations on your twins!!!

 

[Eternal]

I had twins via section. I was able to hold both babies out of theatre to recovery. They encouraged skin to skin. My husband was able to hold one while the other was being delivered and checked.

No birth plan, I went with the flow.

I didn't have visitors as I was stuck on recovery for 24 hours as no bed, I was allowed visitors the next day on recovery, I'm fairly laid back with regards visitors etc so wouldn't have minded, although depends who I suppose.