Talking about it can help. It might be useful to talk to your midwife, health visitor, friends, family or parent groups about how you're feeling. If you had an emergency c-section or if there were complications, it can help to talk to your doctor or midwife about your experience.
Many people who have given birth will experience mild mood changes after having a baby. This is sometimes known as the 'baby blues' and usually only lasts for a few days. Having anxious thoughts and worries now and again are natural, particularly in the early weeks after having a baby.
With planned C-sections, a spinal block is most commonly used. If you already have an epidural in place, we may inject stronger medication through the tube to fully numb your lower body to prepare you for a C-section.
Authors note that the Healthy People goal is to reduce caesarians by 2.3% – and that about women with a prenatal diagnosis of anxiety or depression had a predicted probability of having a cesarean section that was about 3.5% higher than women without anxiety or depression.
Preoperative anxiety in patients under spinal anaesthesia may cause serious complications. We report a case of combined transient convulsion and severe hypotension immediately after spinal anaesthesia for caesarean delivery in a patient who presented with severe preoperative anxiety.
You won't feel any pain during the C-section, although you may feel sensations like pulling and pressure. Most women are awake and simply numbed from the waist down using regional anesthesia (an epidural and/or a spinal block) during a C-section. That way, they are awake to see and hear their baby being born.
For a planned C-section, you may have a choice of anesthetic, although you should be aware that a spinal block or epidural are generally considered the safest options for both you and your baby. In an emergency or when bleeding occurs, general anesthesia may be necessary.
What is the Golden Hour? After the birth of the baby, both vaginal and c-section birth, the Golden hour consists of uninterrupted and immediate skin to skin contact, limited interventions that are not necessary, if possible and desired having delayed cord clamping, and having the first feeding of baby completed.
It is natural to feel sad or tearful for a few days after having a baby. This is caused by changes in hormone levels and is called 'baby blues'. But if you continue to have negative feelings, or if you get new symptoms after the first 2 weeks, talk to your health visitor or GP. They can help make sure you get support.
A natural caesarean is a “slowed-down section” with benefits that might include improved bonding between mother and child, easier breastfeeding and calmer infants.
Hormonal shifts after giving birth — for some moms, those swings in hormone levels can have a greater impact on overall mood and feelings of anxiety than for other women. Sleep deprivation. The stress of caring for a tiny, new, helpless baby. Relationship changes that can naturally occur with the birth of a baby.
The actual operation usually takes between 30 and 60 minutes. It will involve: The doctor will make a cut in your abdomen and your uterus (both about 10 cm long). Your baby will be lifted out through the cut.
The first day after a C-section is often the hardest, and moving around may hurt. Take any prescribed pain medication on schedule, and time your trips to the bathroom or around the room to coincide with when the pain medicine kicks in, suggests Dr. Woeber.
One Day After C-Section
C-section pain typically spikes 18 hours after delivery.
It takes about six weeks to recover from a C-section, but each person's timeline will be different. An incision — typically a horizontal cut made in your lower abdomen — can take weeks to heal. During that time, it's recommended that you avoid lifting anything heavier than your baby.
You can say no to any medical procedure that a doctor or any other medical professional deems you should have. If a doctor advises you to have a c-section, you can say no and not have the procedure if that is your wish.
Regional anesthesia is generally preferred because it allows the mother to remain awake during the procedure, enjoy support from staff and her partner, experience the birth, and have immediate contact with the baby. It is usually safer than general anesthesia.
Do not shave your abdomen, pubic area, or upper thighs for at least 1 week before your c-section. Take off all jewelry.
The Gentle Cesarean
The goal of the family-centered cesarean, or “gentle cesarean,” is to make the delivery as natural as possible. For example, by using both solid and clear drapes, obstetricians could switch the solid drape for the clear one just before delivery and allow a mother to see her baby being born.
The more common side effects include the following: Shortness of breath – Since your chest will be partially numb, you may feel short of breath even though you are still able to breathe fine. Your anesthesia team will monitor your breathing closely and provide assistance with your breathing if necessary.
C-section vs vaginal delivery: which is more painful? Without the use of some type of anesthesia or pain relief, we'll agree c-section births are a lot more painful than vaginal delivery. It's believed the very first c-sections were done on women who died during childbirth.
A C-section requires anesthesia and you may be given general anesthesia, a spinal block, or an epidural block. General anesthesia will put you to sleep, so you will not be awake during the procedure.