I was strapped down both times. The first was an emergency under General, the second elective with a spinal. For the second they unstrapped one of my arms so I could hold him right after he was born.
I thought being strapped down was the norm, and was part of the reason I was so freaked out the second time. Not that I'd be trying to go anywhere, but the thought of being strapped down just made the process seem all the more barbaric and made me feel that I'd be completely and utterly out of control and at their mercy. Of course this thinking is not very rational, because it is barbaric and you are out of control, arms strapped or not, but when you're in such a situation, these are the things that matter. We need to collectively make a lot more noise to change these practices to be more mother-centered if there's no pressing medical need for them.
Hey you guys, don't forget that many hospitals aren't as forward and up to date on birthing techniques and preferences as many of you are.
Not defending or taking sides just offering a differing POV.
They aren't doing it specifically to be barbaric. They are just stuck in their old ways. Those arm boards are pretty narrow and there is lots of pulling and pushing during the delivery. They just don't want to lose any venous access they may have if something did go wrong. They also don't want your arm to fall off and cause any injury to you.
Wow Ladies, thanks for all your replies! Certainly food for thought. I was actually quite calm throughout the whole process, except for a moment when I felt them drawing on my tummy and thought I would feel the incision, but it turned out they'd already started. There were also plenty of staff there, I think we counted 8 people in the theatre not counting DH and myself. The strapping and not getting to hold my son were things I thought were part of a normal c-section, until I started reading birth stories to educate myself for my VBAC. In 3 weeks I have a special appointment booked with the birthing centre midwives who are my primary carers for my VBAC, to discuss all the hospital policies and my options, including a repeat c-section if I need it.
I didn't have anything strapped down. They just knocked me out once DD left the room I didn't get to touch her at all until I was on the ward.
It is ultimately up the the anesthetist about strapping your arms - and it would depend on their preferences for "best practice" for caring from their perspective. I actually have never come across one who does this and I work with some pretty archaic anesthetists!
Nope I had an emergency CS and you could say I was freakin' out a bit but my arms weren't strapped down, that sounds terrible you poor thing why would they do that? You already feel vulnerable enough being numb from the waist down let alone being strapped down as well!
I asked my midwife about having one arm unstrapped so I can hold bub and breastfeed. She said that over the last couple of years that the Birthing Centre has been trying to educate the theatre staff about breastfeeding and said that I just need to ask them to leave one of my arms free. Apparently all that happened was that I would have had the blood pressure cuff on one arm and the IV in the other, but they can do both on the same arm and if they don't then I should just ask them. She said that DH should also have been allowed to cut the cord and that they could have lifted bub up over the 'curtain' so that I could see him.
All of these things will now be in my birth plan in case we have a repeat Caesarean, and DH knows them too so he can support me if I forget to ask.
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Hey you guys, don't forget that many hospitals aren't as forward and up to date on birthing techniques and preferences as many of you are. 
I didn't get to touch her at all until I was on the ward.
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