C-sections and NICU

JacobsBride4811

I am 41 weeks today. We attempted a induction last week but the cytotec did nothing so I went home for another week. My induction begins at 8pm tomorrow and there is still no progress as of friday. still "high and tight" as they say. Because of that I am trying to prepare mentally for the induction not to work and ending in a c-section. So my question is about LO. My sister said that when she had her c-section she was told all c-section babies go to NICU no exception. Her son had problems so he was in NICU for a week (and is fine now). She was also majorly high risk (diabetic and seizure disorder prior to preg and pre-e) so I don't know if they just meant in her case. Has this been true for everyone? I was really wanting that first hour for skin-to-skin and breast feeding as long as LO is okay. 

jjhp2018

This didn't happen with me at all. After I seen her they took her (with DH taggin along) to get weighed and wrapped up. After they finished with me DH and DD were waiting in the recovery room and were with me from then on out! I was even high risk having GD too but she only had a slight sugar drop that didn't require anything but some extra needle pokes to make sure it came back up.

jb2rn

My c section was unplanned, and the biggest thing to me is that if my son had to go to the NICU, my husband never left his side.

Luckily, he was healthy, and handed right to dh while I was stitched up.

Your baby does not automatically need to go. Make sure, though, to communicate your wishes to your doctor, and more importantly, the nurses. I also had a sign on ds' crib that said "no bottles or pacis' since BF was very important to us.

After I was closed, I was able to BF him and get skin to skin in recovery.

Best of luck, I went overdue as well, it stinks! I hope you won't need a c section.

CBNJ2012

My csection baby born at 37 weeks didn't go to the NICU. She was treated like any other healthy newborn and was in my room with me shortly after they did the regular tests, etc. 

tawillers

I have never heard that rule.  Neither of my c/s babies went to the NICU.  They were right there waiting for me as soon as I was stitched up and whisked back to recovery.  They didn't go anywhere.

ETA:  Talk to your doctor.  S/he will explain the whole process and will let you know what to expect.

mandapie

My guess is that's a policy at the hospital she gave birth at along with her medical conditions so they wanted to monitor the baby closer. The hospital I gave birth to DS at didn't even have a NICU. He had a problem with urination when he was born (didn't go until almost 36hrs) and they were getting ready to start the process of shipping him to another hospital when he pee'd at like 4am the second day after he was born.

As far as after the birth, it was an emergency c/s and I had complications in the OR so the surgery took about 2hrs. I was wheeled into my room and he was wheeled in within 15min. I immediately held him and started to breast feed and all was ok.

For this delivery we are in an entirely different part of the country and I purposely picked a hospital that is a major trauma center and also has a NICU. We aren't near family (mom is coming in to be w/DS) and if anything does go wrong and baby needs the extra care I don't want to be separated.

nosoup4u

Are you going to be at the same hospital she was at? You need to ask your provider what the protocol is at your hospital.

I had an unplanned c/s with my first. I developed a fever after the surgery, and my DS1 wasn't able to maintain his own temperature, so he was admitted to the NICU to get antibiotics. But our experience was by no means typical, and he was supposed to just room in with me after birth.

magdalina.h

My first went to the NICU because he was a micro-preemie. My second went straight to my room with me.

Kie310

I didn't have a choice even though my son was born perfectly fine and healthy. Since I had GD & pre-e & he was "early" at 37 weeks, he had to be monitored for 2 hours in the NICU. It was what it was.

ETA: I did get to hold him for about 5 minutes before they took him away.

JacobsBride4811

Thanks everyone!! I am delivering at a different hospital than my sister. I plan on asking the doctor but my sister didn't say this until after our last visit so I haven't had a chance yet. 

nealbl

that is a very UN-TRUE statement. If the baby is healthy then there is no need for NICU. Some babies never even go to nursery, depending on the hospital.

For us baby goes to nursery while I am stapled up and moved to recovery room. While in nursery baby is weighed bathed ect...Within 30 minute we were back together.

pinkmoonlight

I have had two c-sections. With DD I was out as it was an emergency. She got all of her newborn checks and was taken right to DH. With DS I was at a different hospital and was told as long as he was ok I would get to hold him while they stitching me up. He had some breathing problems so he did have to go to the NICU for a few hours, but I did get to see him before they took him and DH went with him.

mlf625

No.

runnergirl79

Nope, but we don't have a NICU here.  My first c-section went on without any issues whatsoever @ 39 weeks, my second and third babies did have respitory issues.  My first son (second c-section @ 39w4d) had to be on a breathing machine for about 8 hours, and I wasn't able to hold him for as long.  That was tough.  My second son (third c-section @ 40w1d) got stuck in the septum of my uterus, and they had troubles getting him out, which were where his issue came from.  All three are now healthy, happy kiddos (minus my son's allergies, which have nothing to do with the surgery).

Oh, and we were discharged after 3 days for my first (breastfeeding issues), and 2 full days after my second and third babies.

notkateanymore

My c/s baby who was 7 days early needed no NICU time at all. She's wrong.

aandg

My daughter was born at 36 weeks and she never had to go to the NICU. They examined her in the OR and then she never left my husband and I.

m3l0d1

aandg:

My daughter was born at 36 weeks and she never had to go to the NICU. They examined her in the OR and then she never left my husband and I.

 

This was my case too ... LO never left us. 

imimahoney

My son did not go to the NICU and he was born 2 weeks early. I had HELLP but my son was fine. 

My husband did skin-to-skin in the OR (highly recommended that everyone do this, btw) and then I held him while I was wheeled to recovery. I then spent an hour with him in recovery bfing and doing skin-to-skin. It was a wonderful experience.  

TheBride312

A neonatologist and NICU nurse are present in all c-section deliveries at my hospital. They check the baby out in the OR. I had an emergency, baby was horribly bruised and they let my husband wheel him to recovery with me. Due to other complications later in the night he went to the NICU, but it's not immediate unless really early or complications. 

Mrs. Alice

You should check to see what your hospital policies are but in general I would say that is false.  If your baby is full term, healthy, no pre-existing risks, and is transitioning fine there shouldn't be a reason why he should have to go to the NICU.  Of course my LOs went because they were premature.

betheppert

My DS stayed with my the entire time- the hospital I deliver at doesn't even have a nursery option, but they do have a NICU. Once I delivered him, they held him up so I could see him and then they went to clean him up, measure him, etc and my DH went over to the bed to watch. Then DH brought him to me and they released my arms from the bed so I could hold him and talk to him. Then they rolled me, DH and DS to a recovery room, and then we were taken to our permanent room after about an hour. In the recovery room they let me hold him and attempt breastfeeding. So what you want is totally possible

pepomntpat

Nope. DD went to the nursery with DH because she was not allowed in recovery, but she was not in the NICU and as soon as the nurses got it together I got to hold my baby.

revolution_breeze

DS was an emergency c/s - no NICU.

I got to see him in the OR after he was born but not hold him.  After they cleaned him up and got the apgar scores, the nurses took DH and DS to get him weighed and measured while I was getting put back together.  By the time they were done taking care of me and wheeling me back to the room, DH and DS were already there waiting for me.  I'd ask your dr about the skin-to-skin and breastfeeding immediately.  They might just have to put you back together before you can do that.

ChiTown Bridget

My son did end up in the NICU because he was grunting due to some fluid in his lungs. Had that not happened he would've immediately been given to me. Also, I have never ever heard that it is mandatory for all c/s babies to be put in the Nicu. I also have two friends that are L&D nurses at 2 different hospitals and neither hospital has this policy.

llizzyb

My baby never went to the nursery. They did everything to him in the OR quickly and then handed him to my husband. DH and LO went back to my antepartum room where I was taken as soon as I was stitched up. We were together and BFing very quickly.

meh624

No.   Baby stayed with me the whole time in the OR and came with me to recovery and they did all inital tests..bath etc. in the room.  He only went to the nursery when I asked so I could get some sleep later that night.

ChristinaCT

meh624:

No.   Baby stayed with me the whole time in the OR and came with me to recovery and they did all inital tests..bath etc. in the room.  He only went to the nursery when I asked so I could get some sleep later that night.

Thia was my experience exactly.   

kle0113

My first was born at 37 weeks and went right to the nursery and was in my room with me after recovery. So no NICU stay for her. 

My second was a preemie so no choice but to go to the NICU. 

cottonlily84

All hospitals are different so you need to check with yours.  My DD did go to the NICU but not just bc she was a c/s baby.  C/s babies often have a harder time breathing bc they don't get that squeezing through the birth canal to help clear their lungs.  And a c/s should be done bc there is a complication during the pregnancy or delivery.  That complication could be some type of danger to the baby they would like to monitor more closely in the NICU.  However, my hospital has warmers in the recovery room and babies go with their mamas if there is no medical indication for them to go to the NICU.  Skin to skin is not something every hospital seems to support, and the same goes for breastfeeding, whether you have a vaginal or c/s delivery.