I'll be having my third c-section and wanted to see if any moms with c-section experience had advice. My first went fine, pretty quick and being a ftm at the time I was just excited to meet baby, but my second felt like it took forever. I relied on my H for distraction and he was too nervous to do a great job. I kept asking the dr if she was almost done yet. I thought I'd go crazy. So any coping advice? I think it takes longer for 2+ due to scar tissue so I'm going to try to mentally prepare for that.
Re: C-Section coping advice needed
Example: My first c-section I saw nothing. Baby was taken out, and sent across the room right away, where they weighted, measured, etc....they cleaned her up and handed her to my husband. It felt like it took FOREVER, and my first "glimpse" (if you even want to call it that), was of her on the opposite side of the room, where I could only see the top of her head. I am sure it only took them 5-10min from the time she was out, until they handed her to my husband, but it felt like two hours. I felt really bummed that I will never get to witness a child being born, not even my own, and that is what I struggled with the most after having the c-section.
Family centered: This one will be broken up a little different. Right before baby comes out, they will drop the drape, and I will be able to watch through a clear drape as they pull baby out (you don't see your guts or anything at the angle that you are lying, you are seeing about an inch or two above your belly, and everything above that, so you wont even see the opening for the most part). They will usually bring the baby towards your face, will the assisting doctor will cut the cord. After cord is cut, they will bring baby to the other side of the drape, place baby in your gown, and you will work on skin to skin and breastfeeding (if you want), the solid drape will go back up, and they will finish out the c-section while you and spouse bond with baby. I know that in some of the hospitals, they will even dim the lights in the room a little bit (not above your belly of course), to make the room a little more calming while you are bonding.
Not only will this give me more of a feeling of "witnessing" a baby being born, but I feel like it will also break up all of the time I am waiting. I will be so distracted with baby after the surgery and skin to skin, that I don't think that I will notice how long it takes for them to close me up and everything.
I need to get my H serious about this. He's terrible at conversation in general but especially during something like this but he needs to try harder. We talked last time about him bringing in little prompt cards but we were half joking. He should though lol
I got to do skin to skin right after they did the Apgar tests and got some of the gunk off him but to be honest it was super awkward because he was resting on my neck and I didn't want to drop them. I got all the baby snuggles and starting breastfeeding after I was all stitched up and in recovery. I was really actually excited that DH was the one that got to hang out with him for the first 20 minutes. I had bonded with him for 9 months, it made me super happy that he finally got that time.