What to ask your OB

I am visiting my OB next week (25 weeks) and was wondering if I would be jumping the gun to start asking him about my c/s?

I have the following questions. Please help me make it more "Rounded" and add if I am missing something really important

1) Can I book a date NOW ... I want to be the first c/s of the day
2) If my husband does not want to sit with me during the c/s (looooong story), can I ask BOTH my parents?? I can understand if they tell me there is no room (my dad's in a wheelchair), but I would like to know if that is a reasonable request. And if they can't both come, can I ask someone else?
3) Can I hold my baby as soos as he is deliverd? One of my gf said that they don't allow it, because it's a sterile operation ?? Is there anything I can say to debunk that?
4) What is better ... epidural or spinal (ETA: What's the difference)
5) I want to start breastfeeding asap

That's all I have for now... Do you think it's to early to start talking about this now? Seeing that my first came at 34 weeks, I would like SOME form of control.

I asked my ob (as i am having a caesar this time round) if there would be a choice ie:- epidural or spinal, she said to me the only reason i had an epidural for my first was because i WAS in labour that ended in caesar but second time round it was a 'planned' caesar and that is why i was given a spinal block.
This time round will be a spinal block also.
I got to hold both my children after they were checked etc... and they were still working on me.
Personally i say a spinal block is better as when i got back to the ward and had full feeling back in my legs i was up and showering.
Some hospitals won't allow you to BF in recovery, but then they may allow it.. i was allowed to BF bubs both times in recovery which helped alot, i plan on doing the same this time round.

Maybe ask how long does the hospital expect that you will be in hospital after the c section. That was high on my list for some reason. I hate hospitals because I spend a bit too much time in them so I wanted to know from the get go. All your questions look like the same ones i asked (i have had 2 c-sections now) and I know all the answers that my OB told me but they might be different to what yours tells u so good luck anyway.

Katones - Thanks for the info on the spinal/epidural. I'll hear what my ob has to say. I would like to be up and showering asap. I hated that I could not get up and wash myself the first time around ...

Jodie - I know I'm staying 4 days, 3 nights (that's all my medicalaid will pay :rolleyes:) except if something happens and ob needs me there longer. TBH I don't mind the hospital :lol: you can stay in bed and be waited on ;)
Thank you!

Hi,

I was booked in for my elective C/S but ended up having and emergency VB! :lol:

Anyway, I had asked all my questions.... One thing I really wanted to know was how long I had to have a catheter in. I think it depends on hosp protocols but my OB told me that it was going to have to stay in for 24 hrs. I was not impressed but when she gave me the reasons for it I was totally ok with that. So that being the case I would not be up and around or showering for 24hrs after the C/S.

Thanks! I have not thought about that. Adding it to my list ;)

re:- catheter....
I demanded they take it out as soon as i had feeling in my legs & i promised them i would be good & drink LOTS of water and let them know when i had actually peed etc..they said if not it would be put back in....

let us know how you go.. when you ask your DR.

1) Can I book a date NOW ... I want to be the first c/s of the day
usually you can.
2) If my husband does not want to sit with me during the c/s (looooong story), can I ask BOTH my parents?? I can understand if they tell me there is no room (my dad's in a wheelchair), but I would like to know if that is a reasonable request. And if they can't both come, can I ask someone else?
you should be allowed to have at least one support person with you

3) Can I hold my baby as soos as he is deliverd? One of my gf said that they don't allow it, because it's a sterile operation ?? Is there anything I can say to debunk that?
untrue, i even kissed my bubba straight out of the tummy (i was lifter up to see him being born by the anast.) ! then they handed him him to me (around the sterile- not above) and i had skin to skin, as long as i wanted- i also breastfed in theatre (they had to weigh him AFTER i was finished and ready to let him go for a minute..:) )
4) What is better ... epidural or spinal (ETA: What's the difference)
i had a epidural with my 3rd c/s (2 prev. were generals). as far as i know epidural is where the canule stays in so you cna later use it as painrelief and a spinal is a ONE shot
5) I want to start breastfeeding asap

i fed in theatre when they stiched me up!!

epidural... yes the canular does stay in afterwards so you can give yourself pain relief.. and spinal Yep only the one shot..usually morphine and some other drug...

I asked my OB about having the catheter put in after the spinal, which is how is does them anyway. He said it would stay in until the next morning, then I would be allowed out of bed when it was removed and allowed to shower. They put bubs in the nursery for the first night, and then you can choose if you want them to room in with in or the nursery for the following nights.

I asked about staples or stitches. He said I could choose either, and gave us pros and cons of each. I chose staples, and they were all removed on day 5.

Maybe ask about if you need to meet the anaethetist before your c/s. I was suppose to have a meeting with ours, but because we live so far from them, our first consult was the morning of the c/s. Our OB said they did not allow your support person in until after you have your spinal.

How long do they estimate you will spend in recovery. If bub is not allowed with you (as was our case) do you want someone to be with them from when they leave the theatre to go back to the maternity ward.

Cutting of the cord? If your DH is with you, does he want to do that?

Are you allowed to take a camera into the theatre if you want photos of bub.

Nic

have previously had the catheter put in prior to epidural/spinal NOT a nice thing to have done. I have also had it out as soon as i had FULL feeling in my legs as i said i wanted UP & a shower.
It actually depends on the hospital you are going to, their protocals. Bub was with me (my last bub) as soon as i was taken back up into the room and NEVER went to the nursery unless i took him there so i could quickly have a shower etc...
You should initially meet the anaethitist prior to any surgery...
First time round bub was bought into me in recovery for a feed the second time round he just stayed with me and my husband was also there with both bubs when they went to be measured, weighed etc...
MOST (and i do say most) hospitals will allow a camera to be taken in with you (heck first time round we had the anaethitist taking photos for us of bub coming out) the only thing i have been told legally was that they ask for NONE of the perfoming DR's/nurses faces to be photographed.

Oh Great!! Thanks for the info on the catheter ... I'm a bit jittery about that .. ok I'm scared :lol:
I'll make sure he knows that he is NOT suppose to hurt me, or make me uncomfy.

Lila - I'll definatly be trying to persuade him to let me hold bub .. Your 3rd c/s sounded so nice. I hope mine goes as well. I also think I might go for the spinal (heck they both have to do with needles) ... I'm ok with pain, my first c/s were not bad, so I think I will do fine with just some pills for the pain afterwards.

Nic - WOW! Thank you! I have more questions for him now ;) I will also be using the stapels again .. I loved them. He did not give me a choice with my first c/s (there were no time) but I'm glad he used them. It's so pretty .. the scar. I aslo don't need to meet the anaethetist, because my OB does the spinals/epidurals himself. It's only the general that he does not do and I am not opting for that. DH said no to cutting the cord, BUT we had a break through and he will DEFINATLY be joining me in the theater :cheer: Thanks on the tip about asking if camaras/video is allowed.

I''ll let you know what he says :)

Nadine, thats fantastic that your DH will be with you in theatre :)

Nic

I know *gush* isn't it :redface: The darn idiot was actually yanking my chain the whole blooming time!!!! :angry: :lol: And he does this to a pregnant woman .. the bloody moron

I sat him down this morning and told him straight in his face that I NEED him there ect, ect, ect (ok, I had a mini-breakdown) and he just laughed at me :o Told me to not be silly and he will NEVER let me birth one of our kids alone (awwww-sweet) Well Me Feels Like IDIOT!

Ok, so I am totally in love with my OB :redface: ;)

I asked him everything I wanted to know, except the first question on my list, "when do he thinks i have to stop working". I wanted to ask that right at the end, but got so excited about his positive attitude that I totally missed it going thru my list again :rolleyes:

I asked the date: 19 Dec
The time: Early 7am/8am (first c/s for the day)
I'm getting a spinal
Catheter inserted AFTER the spinal and stays in for at least 18 hours. I don't really like the fact that it's going to stay in that long, BUT I'll try and pursuade him later to take it out earlier.
Stapels again, he prefer it that way
I can hold my baby imediatly :) :) and if I wish I can start bfing in the theater
I can't take a video camara into the theater, but I can take a digital camara AND he says that he usually organise with the pead that's on standby for the baby, to take the pictures, because the pead is not emotionally involved and can take better pics than a daddy ... makes sense to me ;)
I won't be watching the c/s - I want it like that. I'm just scared that it's to shocking for me and that I will then have difficutly bonding with ds ... after witnessing the cutting and guts and fluid and ... just my personal feeling
DH don't want to cut the cord, neither does I. He is fine with that, but if we decide otherwise on the day .. no problem.

About the finances ... he (the ob) is going to be chatting with my medical aid to cover ALL bills :hooray: We won't be paying a cent. That is a huge burden off our shoulders. It's something in our medical aid's rules about covering all expenses for a pg after a high-risk pg. So I understand. But he told us not to worry, he will not be billing us more than the medical aid's rate and that we won't have to pay excess or anything. Pheww!! I'm birthing in a private hossie, so that is really a relief

So there you have it. He told me that if anything pops in my head, I can just phone him, or discuss it at our next visit. He is a straight forward, no nonsens guy and I just adore the juice out of him. And DH loves his strict to-the-point bed-side manner. He talks like a guy to DH :lol: Makes me feel he is control and knows what he is doing.

I also told him that IF things go sour ... he knows what I want, and that I wll just leave everything in his hands to do what he thinks is best at that given moment. So IF this bubba comes early, he is in charge of gettting bubba out safe and me healthy again.

I am so confident about this

Nadine
glad you got everything sorted with your OB....
I finally got my caesar date booked yesturday :D bub right now is weighing approximatly 3.4 kgs with another 5 weeks to go :P huge baby...
with my second caesar we filmed bub being born and i just love re-watching it... makes me cry :P
won't be filming this one just taking piccies... only 33 days to go :D woohoo!!

Anyways... just glad all went well in getting the birth you want..

Nadin, that's awesome that you can start b/f in theatre and have cuddles too! Can't wait to hear all about it in December :)

Nic

what a great idea. fliming it..i never thought of that. I had the catheter and i hated it cause i told the nurse i needed to pee but couldnt cause it was in and i was uncomfy so i yelled at her to get it out now lol poor lady.

i am glad to see u have everything in place.

good luck