OBGYN Medical Practice
Virginia
If you know you are having a cesarean section, this
can be scheduled at the 31-week appointment.
It is very important that you do not eat or drink
anything after midnight the day of your surgery.
You need to call the labor & delivery unit (261-6030)
three hours before your scheduled time to check
for bed availability. On rare occasions, the unit
is so busy that your procedure may be delayed. Whether
on time or delayed, the nurses will let you know
when to arrive.
When you come to the hospital, go right up to labor & delivery to be admitted. Once in your room, you will sign
consent forms, be shaved in preparation (unless
you have done this at home) and have your IV started.
The anesthesiologist and one of our doctors will be
available to answer any last-minute questions
you have about the procedure. Most women receive
spinal anesthesia and are awake during the birth
of their baby. One person is allowed in the operating
room during the cesarean section – no exceptions.
Be sure to bring a camera as pictures can be taken
when the staff gives the “okay”.
The surgery itself takes about 40 minutes after
which you will be moved to a regular room on the
unit for recovery. Surgical delivery is no reason
to delay breastfeeding and we encourage you to
start as soon as possible after getting to your
room, if that is your chosen method of nourishment.
Your stay after cesarean section is 2-3 days,
during which time you will be educated about pain
management, constipation avoidance, nutrition,
hydration, breastfeeding efforts, and walking,
walking, walking!
We’ll see you in the office about two weeks
after discharge from the hospital. Until that
time:
• Do not drive
• Stay home except for the visit to your
baby’s doctor
• Avoid lifting anything heavier than your
baby (and that’s not the baby in the car
seat!)
• No douching, tampons, or intercourse (Nothing
in the vagina)
• Alternate your prescribed narcotics with
ibuprofen whenever possible to avoid constipation
• You may use a heating pad for additional pain relief
• Advance your activity as tolerated - You
are not confined to bed
• Remove the steri-strips over your incision
after one week, especially if they are peeling
• Drainage or a small amount of bleeding
from the incision is normal. Apply dressing, pressure
and ice as needed to slow bleeding. Use a heating
pad to ease swelling around your incision
• Call us if you experience: a temperature
of 100.4°F or higher, foul discharge from
your incision or vagina, or if you are soaking
two pads/hour with blood (Large blood clots are
normal)
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