Scheduled c section how long

If not, your obstetrician and the anesthesiologist will most likely choose an intrathecal spinal. Both involve an injection in your back, and both numb you from the rib cage down. Next, you'll drink some chalky stuff called Bicitra to neutralize your stomach acids, and you'll be given a catheter and IV. Then it's on to the operating room, where your partner suits up in scrubs and a mask. You're likely to hear a fair amount of activity: a scrub nurse, another nurse or two, the anesthesiologist, and perhaps a hospital pediatrician.

In a teaching hospital, an extra doctor may be observing. A nurse will shave just enough of your pubic hair to clear the way for the incision, which is usually about four to six inches long. But according to Anne Wigglesworth, M. Most doctors do a horizontal cut through your abdomen and uterus, although vertical cuts may be done on rare occasions. Soon you may feel a fair amount of painless prodding, which means the baby is being moved into position. This part is not all that different from a vaginal birth , at least for the doctor.

Because the mother can't push, she says, "I push the top of the uterus and elevate the head out of the pelvis, getting the shoulders and body to follow.

Before you know it, there will be a baby in the room. How long does a C-section take? From the time the incision is made, the baby can be delivered in as little as two minutes or as long as half an hour, depending on the circumstances.

Usually you get to see your baby before he's whisked away for care. Now the spotlight moves off you as all those people across the room clean your baby, administer the APGAR test , and place him in the "warmer," which has radiant heat above it and keeps the baby's body temperature steady. Once the baby has been given a clean bill of health, the obstetrician comes back to close you up—the most complex part of the C-section.

Your provider will stitch up the uterus, realign the outer layers, and close the skin with either dissolving stitches which take longer to put in or staples which require removal a few days later.

Your legs will start coming back to life—sometimes gradually and sometimes in spurts. As the anesthesia wears off, you may feel itchy all over for a while; if it gets bad, you'll be offered an antihistamine. After the birth, ask if your partner can hold the baby while you are being stitched up, if the baby can accompany you to the recovery room, and if you can breastfeed immediately.

Unless the baby or mother needs immediate medical treatment, most hospitals will accommodate parents' expressed wishes for early bonding opportunities , says Dr. On the day of the C-section, you'll likely have a pump to deliver a low dosage of a narcotic, such as morphine, as needed.

Some doctors will let you eat solids, while others will have you wait 24 hours or until you pass gas, a sign that your intestines are functioning normally. Find out more about how a caesarean is carried out.

The average stay in hospital after a caesarean is around 3 or 4 days, compared with an average of 1 or 2 days for a vaginal birth.

You may experience some discomfort in your tummy for the first few days. You'll be offered painkillers to help with this.

When you go home, you'll need to take things easy at first. You may need to avoid some activities, such as driving, until you have had your postnatal check-up with the doctor at 6 weeks.

The wound in your tummy will eventually form a scar. This may be obvious at first, but it should fade with time and will often be hidden in your pubic hair. Find out more about recovering from a caesarean. A caesarean is generally a very safe procedure, but like any type of surgery it carries a certain amount of risk. It's important to be aware of the possible complications, particularly if you're considering having a caesarean for non-medical reasons.

If you have a baby by caesarean, it does not necessarily mean that any babies you have in the future will also have to be delivered this way. Most women who have had a caesarean section can safely have a vaginal delivery for their next baby, known as vaginal birth after caesarean VBAC. An ultrasound can help to narrow it down, but the estimated date of conception could still be off by a couple of weeks.

Babies born late pre-term are generally healthy but may have temporary problems such as jaundice , trouble feeding, problems with breathing, or trouble keeping an even body temperature. You might be impatient to meet your little one, but vaginal delivery usually carries fewer risks than a C-section.

Plus, you can come home sooner and recover quicker with a vaginal delivery. If you're interested in having a C-section instead of a vaginal birth, talk about the risks and benefits of both options with your doctor. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size.