C-section and NICU ???s

amtay825 · July 2014

Hi all, I wasn't sure where to post this, sorry if this isn't the right place. I'm due in November with a very sick baby that will spend a month or so in the NICU. I wil be a scheduled C-section because I had one with my DS. My question is, do any of you have any experience with how you having a section works as far as recovery when your baby is cartered off to the NICU as soon as they're born? I am really sad that I'll probably only get a glimpse of him and it will probably be hours before I'll actually be able to get to the NICU to see him for the first time, for real. I already told my husband that I want him to go with him and leave me; my Mom will join them in the NICU if she's allowed. Then as soon as I'm in recovery I want my Mom to come into recovery to tell me everything that's happening with the baby. It really, really stinks knowing its going to be so long before I can see my baby, touch him, talk to him...etc. But, I know that's what's best for him. Just curious if the hospitals usually make special exceptions or anything? Would love if they could wheel my bed right into the NICU lol but I know that's not going to happen. Wonder how long before they'll allow me to get in a wheelchair and go??? Thanks for any input, and sharing any experience you may have. Yes, I realize every hospital and every situation is different. But I do appreciate anything you can give me!

EDIT: I see there's a Csection board, so I'm going to post there as well. Sorry if this isn't the right place, feel free to let this go on down the board.

jagarner81 · July 2014

I had a C-section at 34 weeks with my twins bc one was growth restricted and they both went to the NICU. Samuel was big enough that they held him up to me for a minute or so after they cleaned him and had him all wrapped up but Henry was so sick they took him right away and I didn't get to see him until much later. My husband stayed with me for the entire C-section and then with me until I was put in my room. They wouldn't let him go to NICU immediately bc of all the stuff they do for the babies initially. I think it was about 1-2 hrs later that my husband and mom got to go back and see/hold the boys. I was able to go to the NICU probably about 5 hours or so later. It would have been sooner but lactation came in and was helping to get me all set up and start pumping and that took a little longer than I thought…..well everything takes a little longer after a C-section

Also I asked the nurse for a wheelchair to keep in my room so when family was visiting they could take me to the NICU instead of waiting for the nurse b/c nurses and hospital transport takes FOREVER.

I know it really stinks that you don't get to hold and spend time with your baby immediately and for me the hardest part was being discharged and leaving the hospital without the boys but soon enough you'll all be at home and life will be good again. Sending lots of prayers and happy thoughts to you and your family!

Pips09 · July 2014

This will depend on your hospital, but this was my experience

I had an emergency c-section, they quickly showed me my baby and then my H went with her to the NICU. He met me back in recovery, where it was hours before I was released. They actually did wheel my bed up to the NICU so I could spend a few minutes looking at her before going to my room. It was middle of the night and it was pretty empty. I was only allowed to hold her for short periods of time the first couple of days. For the rest of my hospital stay, someone would wheel me down to the NICU in a wheel chair to see her.

carrotcake06 · July 2014

As pp said, it will vary. For me, I was put under general anesthesia due to baby a's prolapsed cord. Since my water broke at work, MH didn't make it to the hospital before they put me under. So I wasn't awake and MH was stuck in traffic when they were born. It sucked.

He was there when I woke up and I asked him to go to the NICU and take pictures for me. He wasn't allowed to go for several hours after they were born, but did go, take pictures, and decide who was who (we didn't assign names in utero).

I wasn't allowed to see them until about 14hrs later after I was off morphine and they took out the catheter. I was able to keep a wheelchair in my room for the first couple days and went to see them a few times a day.

I don't know if you plan to bf or not, but if you are, request a hospital grade pump ASAP. It took me the better part of 12 hours to be given a pump and then I pumped every 3 hours for 30min around the clock.

daciadanae · July 2014

I had an emergency c-section at 29 weeks. Unfortunately, I was so sick, I don't remember seeing DS before he was sent to the NICU. I was on magnesium for 24 hours and wasn't able to go see him until that was done and I was able to move a bit better. I did send my DH as soon as possible to the NICU. It's hard for me to remember, but I'm pretty sure it was quite a while before that happened. When I came to, the doctors did bring me a pic of DS and gave me an update on how things were going in the NICU. I wasn't able to hold DS for the first time for a week or so because he had surgery before I was off the magnesium.

So, alot of it will depend on not just hospital policies, but how you and the baby are doing immediately after the delivery. Of course, the restrictions on seeing the baby in the NICU is for everyone's health and safety.

I'm so sorry you have to face this, it's a scary time. But you'll get through it :-)

KTZ17 · July 2014

DD was born at 31 weeks 3 days and she was breathing okay when she first came out so my DH got to hold her and our neonatologist held her by my head for a while before she started having some labored breathing and they took her to the NICU. DH stayed with me while they closed me up and took me to recovery, and I had a really rough afternoon/night after she was born because my BP wasn't stabilizing. DH got to go see her while my parents came into recovery to see me I think and he took pictures to show me. I actually had to stay in the recovery room for several hours due to BP issues and then, like others have mentioned, I had to wait until I was done with the mag sulfate before they would let me get out of bed, so it was about 24 hours until I got up and got cleaned up. Both of my sisters in law had csections under normal circumstances and they got up within like 8 hours and both had easier recoveries than I did. So anyway I didn't get to go to the NICU for like 26 hours after she was born I'd say, but if you are doing well after the birth, I would guess you could go within the first 8 hours or so. Best of luck and my thoughts are with you!

babybean82 · July 2014

I had a C section and because I had severe pre-eclampsia I wasn't allowed to get out of bed for over 24 hours after LO was born. DH went with him to the NICU and took pictures and he was able to take a video on my phone of him crying during a diaper change. Those pictures and videos got me through those very long hours.

ana_k · July 2014

I would ask your OB for clarification closer to delivery and ask to visit the NICU before your C/S to ask questions also. In my case Bub was delivered at 35w by C/S and he initially stayed with me, came to recovery and then was reviewed again in recovery, he went to NICU about an hour after he was born, I guess what I'm saying is it's one of those things that's hard to know .... By the sounds of it your baby is potentially very unwell and might go straight away? Definitely don't be scared to ask loads of questions. Take care xx

amtay825 · July 2014

Thank you all so much! I do realize that it depends on so many factors, but I just wanted other experiences. I have toured the NICU but forgot to ask about that. Yes, my little guy has CDH, Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia so he will be wisked away the moment he's out. Thanks again to everyone sharing your experiences with me! I'm so sorry for those of you who've had rough ones :-(. I'm praying he can be delivered full term, but sometimes they have to take these babies early. My son was a late term preemie (36w). With him, I tried vaginal but his heart rate started to decal with every contraction so we ended up having to do the C-section. I had labored for 12 hours and it was 1am so I was exhausted. I honestly barely remember recovery I think I slept the whole time. Hoping I'll sleep the hours away this time as well so I won't be so focused and frustrated that I can't get to my baby. Thanks again everyone!

ana_k · July 2014

Aw sorry to hear your wee guy has CDH, take care xx

flerlgirl · July 2014

In my case, I had a c-section and wasn't allowed to see DS for 24 hours because I was on the mag for pre-e. So it was my restriction, not his. DH was able to go see him within an hour. This time, DD spent about five hours in the transitional nursery and they wouldn't let me go see her until they had been monitoring me for a few hours (by the time that was done she was back in my room). Best of luck to you! Feel free to ask NICU questions any time!

Mustardseed2007 · July 2014

My experience was that I was put on bedrest for 8 hours after my C Section and so I had to wait that long before being able to get into a wheel chair and go see LO in the NICU. During that time I also got outfitted with meds and had my catheter removed, met with lactation and was given a pump and started pumping.

Apparently 6-8 hours is standard after a C section at my hospital and w/ my MFM. (It was my MFM's order but the L&D nurses told me it was standard). My MFM did not tell me that in advance so I was kind of peeved, but its now just a blip on the radar of the entire experience.

I will say that I would personally not go back to that hospital and I would not use that MFM again. But it's not only based on that...just in general the entire hospital was sort of a step behind what I have now learned are current recommendations about post partum care in general and the 8 hour thing is an example of that. It was just overkill.

takmjs · August 2014

Hi. Sorry I'm a little late with this, but thought I would share my experience.

I had a 30 weeker who weighed 2 lbs, 10 oz. I went into labor at 29w6d, and they had me on magnesium trying to stop labor for almost 48 hours before they sent me in for an emergency c-section. They told me, and I assumed, that since she was so early, I wouldn't get to see her right away--even in the delivery room. They whisked her into the next room right away, which was closer to my feet and didn't pass by my view, and then right into the NICU.

I was told that there was a critical situation in the NICU shortly after my daughter was born (with another baby), so we couldn't get in to see her right away. I wasn't allowed to go see her until about 8-9 hours after she was born, and I was in an incredible amount of pain from the c-section. When I went down in the wheelchair, I was in so much pain, I almost vomited and passed out, so I barely got a look at her before I had to go back up to my room. During my time in the first NICU (where there were several babies all in the same room), I saw several girls/ladies wheeled in on their beds to look at their babies right away. In the middle of my daughter's stay, the hospital's new NICU opened, and every baby had their own room. With those types of NICUs, I assume they wheel you in if both you and baby are doing well.

By day 3, I was walking (my husband called it waddling) to the elevators and down by myself, although the pain was still very intense--even with medication.

Take care of yourself, keep on top of the pain meds, drink a lot and eat, and I hope it goes as smoothly as it possibly can. We're here for you with any other questions/concerns.

takmjs · August 2014

@Usm123, no, we didn't move hospitals. It was just a different unit that was renovated or built on to the current hospital, so we just moved down the hallway.

sarah_beth2005 · August 2014

jennl7 said:

It really depends on your NICU and hospital's policies, but here is what my experience was.

Once they had my little guy ready for transport, they paused while they were near our heads so we could see him. (He was so tiny I didn't really see anything, but my husband who was sitting up saw him ok) After they finished putting me together, I was wheeled to recovery. DH went with me there. After 10-15 min or so, the NICU called recovery to let the nurses know he was settled in his room and my husband could go see him. My SIL was there at that time, so she went with DH. DH stayed with our son most of that day and night.

I was on magnesium for 24 hours after delivery and was unable to go see him until the magnesium was done. Even at that, my first attempt to go see my baby, I nearly passed out from the pain (didn't help that I had been immobile for so long) so I had to wait until later that day. Had I not been on the magnesium I would have been able to go down much sooner. I have seen a mom come through in her transport bed, just for a driveby look. So it is possible...

This was my experience, too. I had a C-section at 34 weeks, 2 days with our twins. I got a brief glimpse of the babies in the operating room. My husband was able to visit them in the NICU and take lots of pictures/videos while I was in recovery. After I left the recovery room several hours later, the nurse wheeled my transport bed through the NICU for another quick peek at the babies (I was so drugged up I could barely keep my eyes open and hardly even remember seeing them then!). I wasn't able to see them again until over 24 hours later, since I was on magnesium for 24 hours and due to an incompetent nurse, wasn't released from the labor and delivery floor for several hours after that. It's definitely hard not being able to hold them right away!

Friskypuppys · August 2014

Mine was an emergency c section and the baby went directly to nicu as we were at 26 weeks gestational. As soon as I woke up, (I had to go out cold) the nurse was ready with how my baby was and where he and my husband was at. The moment the anesthesia wore off and I could maneuver, I was wheeled in to see him.

Once I saw for myself that he was okay and was wheeled back into my room. It was a while before I went back as I was coming down off the magnesium and I took the time to let all those emotions that I kept in check due to the need to stay calm for the baby rip. So that was several hours later. (my hubby was worried that I didn't want to spend time with LO, but it was that i could finally freak out and once calmed, spent big portions of time in NICU.)

Tauristar · August 2014

I had a 29 weeker via C-Section. My husband went to be with our son as soon as he was born. My mother in law went to the NICU with him and his nursing team. As soon as I was out of recovery they wheeled my whole bed up so I could see him. From my memory this was only about 90 mins. We spent about an hour with him, then I was taken to my room. I was on magnesium to stop contractions prior to delivery as well, but was allowed to go to the NICU as often as I liked in a wheel chair. My husband or I went for every feeding the 1st day.
Check with your doctor and let them know your concerns. I'm sure they will accommodate you as much as possible.

sdtchica13 · August 2014

With my daughter, it was an emergency c section at 30 weeks and I was in rough shape (hemorrhaging), so they literally held her up for 2 seconds, I got a glimpse of a foot and then she was whisked off to the NICU. I had to be watched overnight so I didn't get to go to the NICU to see her until the next morning. However, if you are in good shape, I assume they will wheel you up to the NICU to be with your little one as soon as you are feeling up to it!

DivaMom22 · August 2014

sarah_beth2005 said:

jennl7 said:

It really depends on your NICU and hospital's policies, but here is what my experience was.

Once they had my little guy ready for transport, they paused while they were near our heads so we could see him. (He was so tiny I didn't really see anything, but my husband who was sitting up saw him ok) After they finished putting me together, I was wheeled to recovery. DH went with me there. After 10-15 min or so, the NICU called recovery to let the nurses know he was settled in his room and my husband could go see him. My SIL was there at that time, so she went with DH. DH stayed with our son most of that day and night.

I was on magnesium for 24 hours after delivery and was unable to go see him until the magnesium was done. Even at that, my first attempt to go see my baby, I nearly passed out from the pain (didn't help that I had been immobile for so long) so I had to wait until later that day. Had I not been on the magnesium I would have been able to go down much sooner. I have seen a mom come through in her transport bed, just for a driveby look. So it is possible...

This was my experience, too. I had a C-section at 34 weeks, 2 days with our twins. I got a brief glimpse of the babies in the operating room. My husband was able to visit them in the NICU and take lots of pictures/videos while I was in recovery. After I left the recovery room several hours later, the nurse wheeled my transport bed through the NICU for another quick peek at the babies (I was so drugged up I could barely keep my eyes open and hardly even remember seeing them then!). I wasn't able to see them again until over 24 hours later, since I was on magnesium for 24 hours and due to an incompetent nurse, wasn't released from the labor and delivery floor for several hours
after that. It's definitely hard not being able to hold them right away!

This was also my experience. I delivered at 32 weeks as well. The magnesium definitely made it hard to view the babies but I had to get healthy first. As soon as I did, there was no stopping me. Love my baby boys.

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