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Procedures for Caesarean Section On admission to a
general or private ward you will be visited by the anaesthesist who
will evaluate and discuss your medical history. A nurse will then
begin preparing you for theatre by shaving your pubic area and
administering an enema or suppository to help in emptying your
bowels. A catheter will also be
inserted to keep your bladder empty throughout the operation. A
blood sample will be taken and you will be hooked up to a drip that
will supply you with a sugar and salt solution that is needed during
and after the operation.
Once you have been wheeled into theatre your abdomen will be
cleansed with a cold sterilising fluid while the anaesthesist
prepares the anaesthetic.
After it has taken effect, the surgeon will make a cut (usually
horizontally), through the outer layer of the skin. The underlying
muscles are then separated until the uterus wall is finally opened.
 After
your waters have been broken and the amniotic fluid sucked out, a
theatre nurse will push against your lower abdomen while the surgeon
places his fingers underneath the baby and gently guides her out of
your abdomen. Sometimes forceps are used to deliver the baby.
After delivery, the umbilical cord will be cut and clamped and your
baby will be taken away for a thorough check by the paediatrician.
Your partner will have the privilege of holding your newborn, as
soon as a full apgar score has been obtained.
Meanwhile you will be given an oxytocin (hormone) injection to speed
up the delivery of the placenta. It will peel away from your womb
and the surgeon will remove it through the opening. Your uterus will
then be cleaned and any remaining swabs removed before the opening
is carefully stitched closed. Various techniques are used to close
the incision in the abdomen, aimed at achieving a scar which is both
discreet and strong; sometimes clips rather than stitches are used
depending on the surgeon's preferences. This procedure can take up
to anywhere from half an hour to forty-five minutes, which is the
longest part of the operation, considering that the actual birth
takes ten minutes or less. The wound will then be covered with a
suitable dressing and the mother will be wheeled back to the ward or
alternatively to the recovery room if the staff feel it necessary to
monitor your progress for a while.
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