During Cesarean Delivery pregnant women are frequently tilted to the left 15 degress to reduce compression of the major blood vessels by the uterus.
The mother is given an anesthetic throughout the whole operation. Women who have a Cesarean section usually have a choice of two or three options: A general anesthetic, where they are completely unconscious, and two types of regional anesthetic known as “epidural” and “spinal” anesthesia.
Occiput posterior and occiput transverse positions are associated with an increase in cesarean delivery and neonatal complications 41 42. Historically, forceps rotation of the fetal occiput from occiput posterior or occiput transverse was common practice.
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.
No catheter is placed, so we can't give you extra medication to make your anesthesia last longer. You'll remain awake during the C-section and delivery of your baby. Your baby doesn't get sleepy or numb from the medication that we give you in a spinal block.
Cesarean Section Preparation and Anesthesia
Sometimes, your arms will be strapped down in a T-position away from your sides. This is done to prevent you from accidentally interfering with the surgery. You may also have a catheter placed.
Squatting is a great way to give birth, as it enlarges the pelvic opening and gives gravity an opportunity to help the process. In order to squat during childbirth, keep your knees wide and feet flat and parallel to each other. Use your partner, care team, doula or a birthing bar to support you as you push.
"Dad can usually be in the operating room during a cesarean section, so he gets to see the baby immediately after birth," explains Siobhan Dolan, MD, MPH, medical advisor to March of Dimes, and author of Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby.
Choose a comfy position lying on your side or sitting with your feet up. Keep moving and changing positions to prevent tiredness and ensure your muscles don't get too sore. You may find yourself standing upright or bent over while rocking and swaying. This is sometimes called the 'dance of labour'.
After a c-section, you should sleep on your back or side. This shouldn't put too much strain on your c-section wound. You can also try sleeping on your back with your head elevated. Use pillows to keep your spine aligned and take pressure off your joints.
“It's recommended that you get up and walk around,” says Dr. Higgins. “We don't want someone lying in bed for two weeks.”
According to the Specialty Surgery Center, the best sleeping position after C-section (and most surgeries in general!) is on your back. In most cases, sleeping on your back may be the best option to relieve any pressure on your incision.
How long does an average C-section take? Usually, a cesarean takes about 30-45 minutes.
Your midwife will help you find a comfortable position for putting your baby to your breast. You will stay in the recovery room for 30–60 minutes. If you and your baby are well, you will then move to the postnatal ward.
A Caesarean birth is considered major abdominal surgery and, as with other operations, there are risks involved. The risk of a woman dying after a Caesarean birth is less than one in 12,000 (the risk of death after a vaginal birth is less than one in 10,000).
A registered nurse accompanies you to the operating room. Expectant mothers may be in the operating room for approximately one hour. The surgical team includes registered nurses, obstetricians, an anesthesiologist and a respiratory therapist.
With a cesarean or c-section birth, you must wait six weeks to lift your toddler or anything heavier than ten pounds. This is critical to your recovery. While these lifting restrictions may not always be possible, following them as closely as possible (especially for those with incisions) is essential.
A catheter will be placed in your bladder to keep it empty and to reduce the chances of injury. An intravenous needle will be inserted into a vein in your hand or arm to allow for the administering of fluids and medications during your surgery.
Between contractions, you can lean backward supported by the bed. If you like, your partner can also sit behind you in bed as you use this position.
Painless, normal delivery is possible by providing the mother with epidural anesthesia during labor. This is regional anesthesia that reduces pain in a certain part of the body.
Certain upright positions such as squatting position and sitting position, may correlate with perineal trauma and greater blood loss. Lithotomy and supine position should be avoided for the possible increased risk of severe perineal trauma, comparatively longer labor, greater pain, and more fetal heart rate patterns.
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.
“They'll massage your uterus to help it contract down,” Bohn says. “And your nurse will press on your belly and massage it every 15 minutes for the first two hours after delivery. This can be very painful, especially if you didn't have an epidural.”
CURRENT recommendations for term women undergoing cesarean delivery include maintenance of left lateral tilt for uterine displacement until delivery, based on the premise that the supine position will result in aortocaval compression (ACC), maternal hypotension, and fetal compromise.