After c-section, how long till you got to hold your baby?

Stuckinthemiddle

Just wondering what other women's experiences were.  I had an unplanned (but not an emergency) C-section, and it took almost 4 hours for me to be reunited with my son after the procedure.  Other than his blood sugar being a bit low and needing formula right away (I had GD) there was no other reason why it should have taken so long.  I never did get a straight answer from the hospital while I was recovering from everything, and the issue got lost once I did get to hold my son for obvious reasons.

I've already decided to write a letter to the hospital to express my disappointment with this, but in the meantime I thought I would see what other women have experienced.  Thanks in advance for sharing! 

atc282

With my 1st c/s, it was several hours that I got to be with my DDs--one of them had low blood sugar. I had a converted induction to c/s and I got really sick (vomiting and shaking) after it was over. I had my DH go down to the nursery and come back to give me a report on my DDs.

I felt totally leftout and clueless of my 1st c/s experience. So when I wasn't able to VBAC for DS and had to schedule a RCS, I made sure that my dr. knew I wanted to BF and be with him asap after the surgery--since he was healthy and didn't need any assistance, they respected my request and he was with me as soon as I got wheeled into recovery. 

Looking back with my first pg, I wish I would have had more of a written (or at least verbal) birth plan with my MFM. 

nic5606

I am sorry you experienced that. It does seem like a long time =(

I had a scheduled Csection at 39wks. He was laid next to me in the OR right after they sutured me up and we were wheeled back to my room to recover together.

angelina477

I was able to hold my DD right after in the recovery room. Who will be at the hospital with you? They should be your advocate for finding out where your baby is and why they are not with you.

bmc62884

LO was brought tome in the recovery room, but I am not sure how long it took. I had some complications and thanks to all the meds I was on those first few hours were a blur.

akayf

He was born at 9:25 PM and had to go to the special care nursery.   They held him by my face so I could see him and kiss him before they left with him(DH went with him)   Neither one of us got to hold him until the next afternoon.   That's when I was finally able to get out of bed and into a wheelchair so they could bring me down to see him.    He wasn't able to come down to my room until he was 2 days old and they had to make sure I was able to get out of bed and sit before allowing me in the wheelchair.

SilentSymphony

Well with my c-section they cleaned her off in front of me and instantly placed her little body in my arms. No more than 2 minutes before i could hold her

mrs_kelly1014

DS was in the nursery (perfectly healthy) while I was in recovery and I didn't see him for about 3 hours. This is the most upsetting part to me regarding my entire c-section. All of our family got to 'meet' him pretty much before I did, because I only got a few moments in the OR before he was taken away while I was stitched up. I hate that I missed his first bath and those first few hours.

I'm hoping for a VBAC this time, but if I end up with another c-section, no one besides DH will be allowed to see DD until I have spent a lot of time with her and am out of recovery. In fact, if this ends up being a planned repeat c-section (I switched doctors to a more VBAC friendly OB, and even he's not very positive about it. ), I'm not sure I'll even tell anyone, obviously besides DH, until after DD is born and we are in recovery.

Daisy22

With my 1st c/s, it was 25 minutes from the time they got him out until I was in the recovery room with him. I got to see his first bath and everything. His glusocse was low mainly b/c he was 9lb 12oz but they still kept him right with dh and I.

With my 2nd c/s, it took a little longer to get stitched back up b/c of scar tissue. It was still only 45 minutes from the time he came out until I was in recovery with him. I did miss the bath and stuff but that's not a big deal to me. Dh got video and he was with both of the boys the whole time.

With both of mine, once I got to recovery the nurse made me do skin to skin to bond with the baby. I really think this helped so much.

Daisy22

mrs_kelly1014:

DS was in the nursery (perfectly healthy) while I was in recovery and I didn't see him for about 3 hours. This is the most upsetting part to me regarding my entire c-section. All of our family got to 'meet' him pretty much before I did, because I only got a few moments in the OR before he was taken away while I was stitched up. I hate that I missed his first bath and those first few hours.

That stinks they did this. My hospital is extremely on the mommy and baby always together track. Heck I sent both of my boys to the nursery for a few hours every night we were there and half the time the nurses gave me a hard time about it.

pepomntpat

It was three hours. No reason except policy. We were both totally healthy. It is the only thing I regret about the c/s. 

I wrote a letter and they have since changed their policy. It was very healing really to have them actually respond to my letter (and very quickly) and to find out that they had changed their policies. 

JG362009

Several hours.  I had to wait until I was out of recovery to hold him.  He was completely fine, it was just the hospital's policy. 

lvisser

With Rylee it was within a hour.  I slept during her first bath.  I was exhausted from laboring for 30 some hours.

 

With Kai it was within minutes of them finishing up.  I held him from the operating room into the recovery room. 

Ardmhs83

I got to see and touch my son right away, got to hold him as soon as I was in the recovery room.

rachbenn2007

With my 1st, it was about 2hrs before I got to hold her. She was taken right away to the NICU.

With #2, I got to rub noses with him and touch his chubby little face as soon as he was swaddled and clean. DH got to hold him the rest of the time in the OR and I got to start BFing him in recovery. 

magdalina.h

With Aidan, I didn't get to hold him until he was 7 days old. He was in the NICU and we got to hold him right after we made the decision to take him off the machines the next day.

With Lucas, I held him while they stitched me up in the OR. 

crab82388

Ardmhs83:

I got to see and touch my son right away, got to hold him as soon as I was in the recovery room.

This is how it was for me too. I'd say it was about a half hour or so till I got to hold her. 

Pelusa214

I've been wondering about this myself, as DD#1 was a vaginal birth & this time I have a scheduled c-section in 9 days.  They told me, though, that as soon as DD is weighed and bathed, they will bring her to me in recovery.  Even though DH wants to stay with me to make sure I'm ok, I am sending him with the baby.

And in our hospital, even though DD was a vaginal birth, I still missed her bath.  They weigh her & do apgar, etc., in the delivery room, and I did get to hold her for 5 minutes or so, but then her & DH were off to the nursery for bath, etc., while I got stiched up & cleaned up & they met me in my postpartum room about 30-45 minutes later.

Have you taken a hospital tour?  That would probably be the best place to find out what's going to happen.  Or call the childbirth education office at the hospital.  They should be able to tell you what their protocol normally is.

Jessimurph

It took me 8 hours in recovery alone before I saw ,y husband and daughter. I gave my husband strict orders not to leave her side no matter what and he did. I plan on asking my ob if this is normal for the hospital or it wasa fluke.

caprocornia

It took 4 hours for me to get to hold DD.  It was after I was out of recovery.  She was taken immediately though because I had a fever, so they had to get antibiotics in both of us.  I'm not sure if it was due to the situation or if it is hospital policy for you not to hold your baby until you're out of recovery.

HelloWaldorf

15-20 minutes. They had to "stimulate" him. It was scary. I remember the relief I felt when I heard him start crying.

girllennon

I had waited over 5 hours to hold my son due to my reaction from the spinal. I was shaking badly to the point that my teeth were chattering. My son was perfectly fine, but I was the one who was in no condition to hold him

Under.the.Rose

I was able to hold DS in the recovery room about 20 minutes after he was delivered. 

NJMom050911

I got to see him for a minute after he was cleaned up but not hold him. They stiched me up and had me ALONE in the recovery room for an hour until I was wheeled to my room and got to see him there. EVERYONE that came to visit me saw him before I got a chance to. I will be sure to request that my next child is coming with me or someplace where my family doesn't get to see him before I do.

A2009

We got to spend a little bit of time with DS at birth.  After they took him to check him out more thoroughly,  it was about 30-45 minutes before they brought him back.

beachbum28

I was pretty out of it....but right after my c-section I was able to hold my son...but I remember being so tired....thank god for my husband he was great!!

sam19

With my first it was a couple hours, not sure how long though. I was in recovery for a while and my daughter was taken for x-rays because they believed they had broken her arm. So it was probably longer than what is typical in my situation.