Breastfeeding and contact following Caesarian

[Tobily]

Kaz, in my experience, don't wait for them to tell you what "hospital policy" is - ten different ppl will tell you ten different things. Instead, you tell them what you want, keep repeating it everytime you're there and ask how they can help facilitate it. Write it through your birth plan. On the day, tell people again. In my case (here in the ACT, public hospital, elective CS) I stated directly that I wanted skin to skin contact IN THEATRE and that a midwife was to be made available so I could feed in recovery. Even minutes before the CS they were telling me, no, it's busy today, don't know if we can do it, but in the end the theatre midwife 'made time' and made it happen for us. It was the best thing that could ever have happened and those first few hours passed in a blur of happiness. Good luck!

This is really good advice.

Often women ask for contact in recovery, are promptly told "No" it can't be done, and they feel too intimidated to push it further...which the hospital is acutely aware of

You are the consumer of their service - you tell them what you expect and they can damn well make it happen. You only get to birth this baby once, and those precious first minutes and hours that are vital for bonding and memory making once passed, are gone forever. Don't allow them to treat your baby's birthday as just another day at work for them, and just another birth.

You might have to be loud and repetitive but it's worth it.

[beau_9]

i have to have a c section birth for my first born and for someone who is absolutely petrified of hospitals i would be so much more relaxed at having DH and baby with me after the birth and in the recovery room. i can't believe some hospitals do and others won't even consider it. you would think as long as everything's gone fine they would allow it for the new family.
my sister had her son by c-section and said it was awful how they we're ushered out of the operating room away from her, after a quick photo and we're not allowed in the recovery room for what seemed like ages before she could actually hold her baby and see her husband.
my DH is determined to be by my side the entire time, even though we have yet to find out if they allow this to happen at our hospital. i pray they do but i have some doubts.