Okay, so I've spent 8 months of pregnancy being focused on a natural vaginal birth at a Birth Centre. We've done our reading, signed up a Doula, attended independent birth classes, written the Birth Plan...but it seems Aristotle might have some other ideas about his entrance into this world. He's sitting transverse, still, at 34+ weeks. I'm holding out hope that he'll move, and trying to move him with some positioning, acupuncture, etc, but I also need to prepare myself emotionally for that other possibility - a caesarean.

So...lay it on me. When will the hospital/birth centre start talking about scheduling a c-section? When do they try and deliver a transverse baby - or how long will they give him to move?

What happens in a c-section? I mean, I get the general idea, but can anyone take me through it step-by-step (notwithstanding that everyone's experience is different)? How long does it take? Will they allow him to be handed straight to me/DH and not take him away for weighing, etc unless I say? Will they transfer baby with me to Recovery as a matter of course? Apart from medical reasons, is there any reason why baby will be separated from me?

And afterwards - is it easy enough to have skin-to-skin contact? How long before I can sit up in bed? How long before I'm mobile enough to get myself to the toilet? How much pain relief will I need, and for how long? How long will I need to stay in hospital to recover? What's the bleeding like afterwards?

Oh, and because I've been going through the Birth Centre so far, can anyone say whether co-sleeping will be possible in the hospital maternity ward in the first days after the birth? Will I be comfortable enough to co-sleep? Or too drugged and sore?

Okay, that's probably more than enough questions for now. I'm trying to be optimistic, but my way of preparing for this is to find out now, rather than wait for it to hit me at 38 weeks. If you can answer any of the above questions, even one or two, please post!
What would you like to have known before you had a c-section?

TIA, Seph
Hey mate,

Our little baby had been sitting transverse for pretty much all of my pregnancy (in my opinion). I had my last antenatal appointment at 39w3d and they could see that she was still very very transverse so they gave me 2 options.
To have an ECV - which I said no way to - too sore even when they were poking around to see if she was definitely transverse.
Or a scheduled c-section. I chose the c-section. They kept me in hospital though as they felt that I was at too much of a risk if I went into labour for the cord to come first - I was escorted from the antenatal clinic to the maternity ward where I spent 6 days before getting my c-section. Bubby was born at 40w2d - I had to wait in hospital for 6 days because of the Easter public holidays!!
I found the whole procedure to be fairly straightforward - baby was taken to be weighed etc but DH was there through the whole thing and they gave her to him straight away. We then did skin to skin contact in recovery where she was put onto my breast and we started feeding.
I found it to be quite frustrating not being able to get out of bed to deal with bubby though, it takes a good 6 hours for the spinal to wear off. I went through the public hospital system and DH wasn't allowed to stay so overnight when bubby started crying, I had to buzz for the MW who then took a few minutes to get there (being busy and all).
I made sure that my catheter was out the very next day and my IV fluids too - and got myself out of bed, up and about. It was sore and I was sorer than I thought I'd be but soldiering on was the best thing and I was feeling 100% 3 days after the operation.
I had a reaction to the morphine and was vomiting for a good few hours after I got back to the ward which was awful as I was starting to feel my wound area and legs etc. But that isn't a standard reaction so don't worry about that. Was just awful to be b/f and vomiting. Not pretty.
The hospital I was in (Mater Mothers Brisbane) has a no co-sleeping policy so bubby was in a crib next to my bed where I lay and looked at her all night long.

PM me if you have any questions about transverse stuff babe - it was a scary 6 days for me in hospital because all they kept asking me was if I was getting contractions, whether I was losing fluid etc - they took it very seriously that the cord could come first with me being so far along in the pregnancy.

I'd be asking your ob/ MW questions about the transverse position and risks when you see them next.
All the best
Sue xxx