Hi All,
New poster here. I'm due in November & already know I have to have a c-section due to a previous uterine surgery. Date is set for 11/17.

I was at a the c-section portion of a birthing class over the weekend at the hospital where I will have my section and didnt like what I heard. They said they strap both your arms down crucifiction-style & that right after the baby is born she will be taken away (if i'm lucky i may get a glimpse) until they finish stitching me up & put me in my post-partum room - an hour later. My dh can go with her, but hat leaves me alone getting stitched. I asked if they would allow me to have her & try to breastfeed while they stitched me up & they said no, the doctors want to focus on stitching me up. When asked why strapping the arms, they said the table was too narrow for your arms & one arm needed to have the IV, etc in it. I get that & i even get that my other arm will have to be on the other arm rest thingy, but does the other arm have to be STRAPPED like i'm a freaking mental patient??? And why cant i hold/feed my baby for a minute or two when she's born while they stitch me up???? At least hold her for a few minutes???

anyone else had to deal w/ this & were you able to convince the doctors/staff to allow you more flexibility?

Sounds like pretty normal c/s procedures to me, I had all those things. One reason they don't want you bf'ing right away is it makes the uterus contract and that's not good while they're repairing it. Honestly, I couldn't have held my baby the first hour even if they'd let me cuz I was so shaky from the meds, plus the recovery room they have you in for an hour is really cold and they don't want the baby in there so it won't get cold. Once my baby was born they unstrapped one arm so I could touch him. I was told they strap the arms down so you don't move too much, which I understand cuz I was shaking so bad I could barely control them.

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When I was pregnant with my dd, we did the whole hospital tour thing and when visiting the operating room, there was the table with straps sitting right in front of us. We were told that if we were to get a c/s, that our arms would NOT be strapped down. Well, guess what?!?! I ended up with a c/s and MY ARMS WERE STRAPPED DOWN!!!! I didn't get to touch my dd right after birth either(only a kiss on the cheek). I am still mad to this day!!!

I don't understand the big deal in letting you touch/hold your baby right after birth, even with a c/s. I do understand the whole breastfeeding thing, but come on....let us hold our VERY newborn babes...even if it's for just a minute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I did not have my arms strapped down when I had my c-section. I would have found that really creepy. One arm had the IV in it and the other hand my husband held the whole time. Honestly, I would refuse to have my arms strapped down. My husband got to hold Isabella once they wiped her down and he showed her to me. I have seen pictures where they lay the baby down by the mom's head but you are flat on your back with a drape at about chest level so you really can't breastfeed or actually hold the baby until you are stitched up. For us, they put us in a recovery room immediately after surgery while we waited for our room to be ready and I was able to breastfeed there. Then I got to hold her while they wheeled us upstairs to the recovery area and I had to leave her in the nursery for her bath and such, which took like 5 hours, which really sucked because my husband and I were just sitting in our room saying where is our baby. Most everything in hospital policy is negotiable. You could bring 2 support people with you, that way if your dh wants to go with the baby to the nursery you would have someone else stay with you.

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Minta

Mama to:
Isabella 10/29/2001
Mateo 4/28/2004
Malia Elizabeth 1/30/2007

That really stinks, but I would definitely talk to your OB. I know that my first time my arms were strapped but the second time around I amde sure to let my OB know what I did and did not want. As for post-section, that seems pretty routine but I know at our hospital, the baby stays in the OR with you and spouse until you are moved to a recovery area for an hour to be assessed before transferring to another floor. I was able to breastfeed in the RR for the first time about hour after the procedure was done. Definitely talk to your OB though.

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Yep my arms were strapped down also. They let me see my son for a few minutes but i couldnt hold him i was still strapped down because they were stiching me up. My dh got to go with them as they brought him up to the nursery. Then they brought me to recovery for about an hour. When i got up to my room i finally got to hold the baby. I did not breastfeed but while they were inducing me they had to put me in the recovery section because there was no room in labor and delivery but there was a women they brought in who had a csection and they let her breastfeed while she was there.

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Melissa

Mine were 3 and 5 years ago. I think I had my arms strapped down, but that time is so magical in my memory, I completely forgot about the arms.

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Barbara
Lily 1/2001
Grace 3/2003

My arms were strapped down but I didn't even know it until I went to touch my baby and I couldn't.

The friend who was beside me during the c-section held my baby-while I was being stitched- until I was wheeled with baby and friend to recovery. (SO didn't make it-the whole thing was a great big early emergency!-I'm lucky I wasn't totally alone!!!) Once there, they handed me my baby and she never left my side. I didn't have a chance to start to BF until we were in a room-but that was within about 30 minutes after delivery.

I would ask to be given the baby ASAP after you are stitched up. I don't see why that would be a problem!!

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Shannon

If you want to go unstrapped-I'd definitely talk to your doctor about it as it does not have to be an absolute inflexible rule to be strapped down like that. It's funny, it was part of my birth plan for my arms to be unstrapped with my DS, but as it happened, I went into a hard, fast labor the night before my scheduled section and TOTALLY forgot about my own wishes when they did strap my arms for the section. Literally as soon as Carter was out, they unstrapped my arms and brought him over for me to hold. The anesthesiologist was kind of "spotting" me to make sure I didn't drop him and I know lots of women do get shaky/faint from anesthesia, but I really felt great and enjoyed that time holding him while they stitched me up. The anesthesiologist used the screen to shield the OR lights from his eyes and was encouraging me to talk to him and really allowed me to be hands-on, which was wonderful.

With Ava, they actually no longer strap your arms down and just had these very loose, ace bandag-ey things at the end of the arm rests to rest your arms in-it was totally different than being strapped down and wasn't constraining in any way. I could slide my arms out if I wanted to but frankly it was comfortable that way and I didn't feel tied down or anything so I just rested them there, and slid them out when Ava was out to touch her and kiss her and all that. I was actually pretty nauseous right after she was born, and got kind of a headache, so I didn't hold her like with Carter but got some very pleasant bonding time. Both times, they did the kids' newborn assessments right in front of me for the most part-though Frank went w/each of them to the nursery and then met me back in recovery the second I was out of surgery so I could hold and breastfeed them. I'm not honestly sure how I would've managed BFing while still in surgery, even though they did have me slightly uphill at my end because I wanted to watch the birth w/a mirror-but if there's a way to do that, I'd talk further with your doctor and see if anything can be arranged.

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With my second c- section they let me hold my dd after wrapping her in towels - I think somebody helped me to hold her, my arms were not strapped at all, I even used the arm with the iv in. The doctors were busy with the stitching while I held her. I remember that I held her very High up, her body was just about on my neck and chest. She was crying but stopped when I had held her after just a couple of seconds- dd knew her mommy was holding her. I only held her for about 3 or so minutes, the I gave her to the nurse and daddy and baby left the operating theatre. we were reunited again about an hour afterwards as the hospital wants c-sections babies also to start bf as soon as possible.

With both of my daughters they did strap my arms down. With my first, she needed oxygen and was taken to the NICU immediately. DH was torn about whether to go with her or stay with me. To be quite honest, I'm not sure what he did now that I think about it!! I was not able to see her until later that night when she was able to leave the NICU. With my second daughter, she stayed in the surgery room with us while they stitched me up. Then when they wheeled me on my bed to my room, she rode in my arms.

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A 10-01-01,K 05-05-03, and Z 6-28-07

That was pretty much my experience. They did bring both of my babies over to me each time they were born and they let me see them and give them a kiss before they wisked them upstairs to get weighed etc. I was BF both of them within and hour though and my Dh stayed with both of them the whole time after they were born so I felt like they were safe with them. When my son came out he was starving and my husband just held him and let him suck on his finger until I got to go upstairs and feed him. I sounds so hard...and it is in a way...but it is over so quickly and then they are there rooming in with you and you are never seperated again! Good luck! Let us know how it goes

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Chandra


MOVE OVER DAN!!!

That was pretty much my experience except they only strapped the arm with the IV in it. A nurse held the other hand and DH sat at my head. Although P did get to come to the PP room about 15 minutes after he was born...DH carried him down the hall to my room and I got to hold him when we got there...DH had to hold my shoulders since I was shaking from the epi.

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JESSICA - 23 ~~ DH - SAM - 23 ~~ DS - PARKER JON - 9.27.06

I'd never even heard of anyone having their arms strapped down til reading posts on this board! I live in Australia, so maybe it's different here?!

I didn't have my arms strapped. I was vomiting a bit before the surgery and after, so I was holding something to be sick into with one hand. Once my daughter was born, I was no longer sick and they lay her on my upper chest after checking her for a couple minutes only. She was there for maybe 5 minutes? It's a bit blurry in my mind now. Don't know if they were stitching me up at the time, but probably were.

I have heard some doctors don't let you breastfeed while they stitch you up because it might make your uterus contract more. Also, sometimes you can't physically do it unless you have lots of help positioning, etc. If I have to have another C-section, I will ask to try if we're all ok, or to have the baby brought into the recovery room and have someone help me feed her there. I had breastfeeding problems with my daughter and I would hope to have a better start the next time if possible.

Well I just had mine a day ago. They didn't strap my arms down. They did strap my legs down, But that didn't bother me. I wasn't able to hold him but DH got to hold our little man after he was cleaned up. When I was being wheeled down to recovery I got to hold him. In the recovery room they bathed him and then DH was able to feed him (I don't bf). Then they took me to my other room. The only way the go to the nursery is if I want him to go at night. I was bad I had him go down there last night. But I need the rest. My c-sections wasn't planned. I when thur 14 hours of labor. 4 of those hours I was pushing. He head was tilted to the side and the doc didn't know that untill she delivered him at c-section. He was at a +1 which if you don't know you CAN see the head coming out. So we both got a little beat up.

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NOW SELLING AVON!!!!
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I've had 3 c/s and you know, I was actually glad to be "strapped down" because I'm not the smallest woman on the planet but those tables are. It's like lying down on a coffee table. We're talking narrrrrooow. Not to mention depending on one's body type and positioning, they may have to tilt and/or lift the table around "just so" to provide the maximum surgical precision or whatever, and trust me, being in the middle of a c/s would be a bad time to fall off a table.

Secondly, I'm one of those who don't care what they have to do to insure the safest possible delivery for mom and babe --- I've seen too many births go bad. Let me tell you, if you've ever had the sad experience of dressing a baby who'd died during delivery to take to his/her grieving parents, you wouldn't care about stupid details like to strap or not to strap. I apologize if this is TMI for folks, but working in post-partum has made me really frustrated by those who think the delivery is the Be All End All. It isn't. Raising the beautiful creation you've been blessed with is.

Seriously, if it came down to duct-taping me like a mummy and cutting the baby out of my ear, I'd be fine with it as long as my baby was okay.

Another reason why you may or may not get access to your baby right away isn't so much stitching or not stitching (because pitocin is administered through IV pronto to get that uterus contracting to help stop extraneous bleeding) but it's most likely because a c/s baby hasn't been squeezed like vaginal babies are; baby's lungs may need to be suctioned from all the extra fluid. Of course, if the room is very warm and baby is hollering like mad immediately after delivery, your doctor may put him/her above your belly to hold (unstrapping the non-IV arm) with assist while s/he stiches you up. In the C/S OR, I've seen several variations on the theme dependent upon the mom's condition and the baby's condition and the doctor.

My own personal experience varies greatly; for my first, I was knocked out due to a bad reaction to the spinal I'd been given. So I basically missed the whole thing. However, that doesn't phase me because I've been here to witness the last will be 10 years in September. With my second, I had an epidural, but I remember being really surprised at how sleepy I was; I kept dozing in and out. Baby girl needed suctioning, but as soon as her breathing was stellar, she was bundled up in blankets and brought for me to see as I was getting sewn back together. The anesthetist unstrapped my blood pressure cuffed arm so I could touch her, and then I felt groggy again - think I fell asleep.

With my third, same thing with the grogginess, and essentially same thing with the introduction. I remember kissing his cheek and dozing off.

This is why it's essential to have your friends/family/spouse/partner in the OR with you taking pictures like a member of the paparazzi. And as long as your c/s is scheduled and/or non-emergent, this usually isn't a problem.

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That's pretty much standard procedure. My arms were strapped down, but honestly because of the spinal I don't know how well I'd have actually been able to hold him when he was born. DH went with DS while I was being stitched up and while I was in recovery my mom was with me. I think within 2 or 3 hours I was nursing him though, and it didn't impact anything he's definitely a nursing pro. But as the other ladies have suggested you might want to mention that you'd like things to go differently and maybe you'll get to make some changes.... Also, good luck!

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They didn't strap me down but did say something to the effect of - We won't strap you down as long as you promise not to "help"..lol I guess some Moms start waiving their arms around or something.

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they strapped my arms down which I expected, but when I was crying so hard after they got her out, the anestheologist got sick of wiping the tears from my eyes, so he undid one of them and gave me a tissue.

I could not have held my daughter in the OR, my arms were weak, but I was so happy just to look at her, I still feel like we were instantly connected, and we nursed within the hour they literally had to latch her on everything, I still felt so groggy.

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I can't remember if my arms were strapped down because everything happened so fast. DH had in the recovery room and I nursed her then DH went up to the nursery with her. Didn't want to leave his little girls side. I was up in my postpartum room in 30 minutes.

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