How to Perform a C-Section

While you would never perform your own C-section, it may be comforting to know what your doctor will be doing during your C-section delivery. From the time you enter the operating room till the time you enter the recovery room, your C-section will follow standard procedural steps that will help ensure a healthy birth for you and your baby. While emergencies do occur, most C-sections are free from complications and result in the birth of a new, beautiful baby.

Instructions

    • 1

      Prepare for surgery. Before your Cesarean section begins, you'll be transferred to an operating room where you'll be "hooked up" to monitors that will measure your heartbeat and other vital signs. Your abdomen will be cleaned and you'll be given an IV with medications. You may also be given an antacid for your stomach.

    • 2

      Get anesthesia. You'll also be given anesthesia prior to your surgery. In a routine C-section, you'll likely receive epidural or a spinal block, which will numb you from approximately the chest area down. Once you are numb, a catheter will be inserted. If your C-section is an emergency, in some cases you may be given general anesthesia that will put you to sleep. This is also the time when a sedative may be given if you are very nervous or anxious.

    • 3

      Start the incisions. Once you are prepared for surgery and the anesthesiologist has tested to be sure your anesthesia is working, the doctor will then make an incision in your lower belly. While there are other types of incisions, such as one which starts under the navel and ends at the pubic area, the bikini cut across the lower belly is most common. Once your doctor cuts through the abdominal wall, he'll make an incision in the uterus.

    • 4

      Birth the baby. Your bag of waters is broken and the baby is removed from your uterus. The umbilical cord is then clamped and cut. The baby will then receive a newborn evaluation.

    • 5

      Remove the placenta. The placenta is then removed and the uterus is repaired. Once this is complete, the skin is sutured, which is usually done with surgical staples (removed within two weeks). The mother is then moved to the hospital's recovery room.

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