Is there anything you wished you had asked before the day

[MumtoA]

I just found out that number 2 is on the way! Yay! I know that it is highly likely that I will be having a csection this time and was wondering as the title states 'wht do you wish you knew before the delivery'? Was there anything that you wished you had asked the ob/midwife??? I had a vaginal delivery with the first bub so have no idea what to expect! Thanks!

[peanutter]

good question ... subbing, as I'm due for a c-section in a few weeks ...

[Bengal]

I have a GF who wrote a birth plan to use with her CS : I will post it when I'm off my iPad later

[Jennifer13]

Some of these are for the hospital and some for the ob.

For the hospital: I wish I had asked about having the baby with me in recovery and skin to skin in theatre. Also under what circumstances that wouldn't be allowed. I wish I had known to schedule the c/s for first thing in the morning, so the theatre wasn't so cold and I could have done skin to skin. It would also have meant the spinal had plenty of time to wear off before night time and baby wouldn't have gone to the nursery. I wish I'd have been able to bf in recovery.

Ask if your partner can stay with you for the night or not. What the policies are on rooming in with your baby after a c/s?

And for the ob: I wished I'd have waited until actually going into labour to give my baby the time to complete its gestation and choose its own birth date. So maybe ask if it's at least possible to wait until 40 weeks or labour starts (as long as it is not critical to have the baby earlier).

What kind of surgery the ob performs (make sure they do double layer stitching, in Australia most do, but this is not always the case in the US for eg). Ask about possible complications from all the procedures (spinal, op, catheter and pain relief) and what would be done if any occurred. I'd have also checked with my ob as to how many of his c/s patients had complications and what they were.

I would do lots of research into c/s and put together a list of qns to take in yourself to the ob, as it's a major operation and can have massive implications on your future health, pgs and birth. As I found out afterwards.

[Aussiegirl777]

Fantastic answer Jennifer! Every question I would have asked you have listed.

[MumtoA]

Thank you so much! Great list of questions and I will be def doing some further research before My initial app. Bengal that would also be great if you could post the plan your friend wrote! Xo

[Lady-bug]

I agree with everything Jennifer wrote. I would absolutely insist on skin to skin in theatre, there would have to be a very good reason as to why this couldnt happen. I wish I knew how important this was when DS1 was born.

I also wished I had read lots of positive c/section birth stories.

[Lady-bug]

I agree with everything Jennifer wrote. I would absolutely insist on skin to skin in theatre, there would have to be a very good reason as to why this couldnt happen. I wish I knew how important this was when DS1 was born.

I also wished I had read lots of positive c/section birth stories.

[Lans]

I would have loved some pics to be taken as my DD was actually been taken out of my tummy. Sounds gross to some, but I find it so amazing. Something I'll definitely be asking for next time!


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[Aussiegirl777]

Lans - I know what you mean. Someone and I think it was a student midwife took pictures as DS was being pulled out and I treasure those photos.

[Lans]

Lans - I know what you mean. Someone and I think it was a student midwife took pictures as DS was being pulled out and I treasure those photos.

I bet you treasure them!!! It's not something I thought about til after she was bought home. Next time!!!


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[Blixie]

i was promised skin to skin with my little one but when we got into theatre they put this thing on me that had hot air blowing in it to keep me warm so skin to skin didn't happen... I was so overwhelmed it didn't even occur to me to ask...

[smallmum]

Keep the staple gun away from me! Some "pushed for time" obs still use them, the stitch is much better.

[RhiChiChi]

Nothing I can think of. I was happy with my experience with my 'emergency' c-sect. I just told my DH to stay with DD at all times & I will be fine in recovery with the midwives. I don't think it would have been a good experience for me to be in recovery trying to fumble my way through bf my DD. I felt much more comfortable in my own room with my DD & my DH

[AnyDream]

I talked about skin on skin and breastfeeding in theatre or recovery. I was pretty relentless about this because I got a different answer every time I asked.

I asked about the surgeon's particular method, whether the muscle would be cut or parted, and what type of suturing would be done.

I asked lots of specific questions about the type of anaesthetic, spinal vs epidural, and which one was better for me.

And I asked about the usual length of stay and what sort of after care would happen.

I thought about all these things and condensed them into a single page birth plan (including what I wanted to happen if a GA was needed or if baby needed to go to special care). I included information about my previous traumatic birth and asked for particular care to be taken. I asked for that document to be placed at the front of my file so that it was the first thing drs, nurses would see.

[Gigi]

when i prepared for labour, i ONLY researched home birthing, then in the event, i ended up being transferred via ambulance, natural delivery wasn't happening, so medical cascade of intervention yada yada, then emerg c. i was SO uninformed about c-sections, i was having to answer crucial questions about what i supposedly wanted, after 37 hours of labour.

so regardless of how you THINK you're going to have your child, if i had my time again, i would school up, on ALL types of delivery, including the jargon.

Type of stitches - dissolvable or ? cannot remember the other type. ANyhow, there is a difference.

Spell out anything that is important to you.

i learnt, that my then dh did not magically read my mind, and photograph what was important to me, i should have spelled out what that was. No guarantee it would have gotten done, but prolly a better chance, than me hoping he would just do what was in my head.

i really wish i had hired a doula, sounds to me, they do so many things a heavily preg. woman FANTACISES that her partner will do, only to find out - not happening anytime soon.

Go thru all delivery options with someone who is knowledgeable and unbiased. You need to make your decisions not based on feeling hurried, or whatever you say, will be judged good or bad. Rare to find people like that, but they do exist.

My hospital notes were LOST, two days before i had my emergency c-section (i was in a group midwifery practice, midwife did home visits), so when i was transferred during an emergency, my midwife had gone interstate by this stage (29 hours in), and there were NO NOTES on me at the hospital anymore, i was up the creek. Medical people i had never seen before, suddenly needed my info, i was exhausted, i remember the midwife on duty being screamed at by the obs and other high up medical people "get me her notes right now" - and there were no notes. So having your own copy of the notes, might be a good idea.

Due to my previous med. history, i had taken the precaution of seeing a head aenathatist (sp???), JIC i needed a cannula/drip. ANd turned out, i did. All the notes from this guy, were lost, just when i really needed them.

my hope is, you take all the precautions, get schooled up in all areas, and THEN - done even need this stuff, cos it's all smooth sailing for you.
i DIDN"T school up, and things went wrong. I wish now i had schooled up.

work out the options
work out your ideal options - ONE EXAMPLE - when baby comes out covered in vermix - do you want the vermix to stay on (nature's moisturiser), do you want the nurses to wash it off before handing baby to you, do you want the baby placed directly on your skin with or without vermix? If baby is delivered not breathing, you don't get a choice, they whisk bubs away to the resus cart, but no harm in stating your choice.

Think it through, ask questions, work out what you would like, then state that in your birth plan. Make sure everyone associated with the delivery, has seen your birth plan. Have your birthing partner have a copy of this in their hot little hand IN the birthing suite.

[Jennifer13]

I thought of one more thing, I should have asked how DD1 would be pulled out. The ob used forceps and it left distinctive marks on her face for a couple of days. I would have preferred her first sensation of the outside world to have not been cold hard metal, plus I have permanent dents in my head from a vaginal forceps delivery. So I don't like them!

[AnyDream]

Good one to remember, Jennifer. My ob was very in favour of using his hands wherever possible, but other PBS routinely go the forceps.