Stacie Bingham: Birth Support in Kern, Tulare & Kings Counties
  • home
  • learn
  • birth
  • feed
  • meet stacie
  • blog
  • growing me

8 Ways to Have a Great Cesarean Birth

10/5/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Sometimes a cesarean is necessary and a family knows this before labor begins. This gives them a chance to prepare in ways they may not have thought of during a regular labor-turned-cesarean birth.  ​
1. Bring easy carbs to snack on -- fruit, cheese, crackers -- bring what you and your partner like to eat. Aside from the surgery aspect and the fact that you usually can't eat until you pass gas (to ensure everything is moving as it should), I suggest you just take care of yourself like you do every other day of your life -- pretend you are staying at a hotel; what would you bring food-wise to eat when you weren't able to go out? Like that 2 am snack?

2. ​While none of my local hospitals have mini fridges for patients and family, it is possible to bring a small ice chest for things like yogurt or drinks that you'd like to keep cool.

3. More often than not people bring too many things. Bring your own pillow, pajamas (maybe nursing night gown so no waistband to put pressure on your belly). Bring small comfort items that help you feel better -- again, things you would bring on a trip. Most hospitals provide you with a belly binder after a cesarean birth, but you should call and find out for certain. This would be a wise purchase ahead of time if you don't get one from the hospital.

4. Some families like to dress their babies in the hospital, others keep babies in the hospital shirt/diaper and just do lots of skin-to-skin...that choice is yours. Everything your baby needs during the stay will be provided.
If you want your baby in special diapers, then bring those (if they are cloth, bring the necessary wet bag to store the used diapers in).

5. I suggest packing in levels -- everything you will need before your cesarean birth in one bag, everything you need for your stay in one bag, then everything you need for going home in one bag. This way you don't have to dig through the going-home outfits to find your slippers, etc. 

6. They will not take your baby to give you a break, even if you request it. I had a mom who had twins and had to stay at the hospital alone as she had other children dad needed to stay with. She was exhausted and asked if a nurse would just take one baby for one hour, and the nurse said sorry, babies only leave mom if they are ill and need to be in the NICU. You can have your partner stay the night if you wish. If your partner can't stay the night, some families arrange to have a grandma stay with mom.

7. Although there are TVs in all the hospital rooms, many families do well with a tablet, phone, and/or laptop. This way you can share baby updates and pictures with family and friends, and you can watch movies or listen to music if you have a spare moment.  

8. Advocate for yourself. This is a day you will never forget -- if you are receiving care that isn't up to your standards, address the situation or ask for a new caregiver. You are paying the bill and you deserve cheery, positive, helpful support, even if you choose to do things a little differently or decline traditional procedures. You can decline ANYTHING if you don't want it. Don't feel pressured, and be sure to start a conversation that is centered around shared-decision making. You are the expert of you, while your doctor is the expert regarding the medical issues. You have equal say and power in what is going on.

Women rate their birth experiences on 2 things: How in control they are, and how much support they get. This can happen in ANY kind of birth. I have seen women walk away from what looks like an amazing vaginal birth traumatized with PTSD, and I have seen women walk away from unscheduled cesarean births beaming with pride and happiness. It is mostly about how you are treated and how much say you have in how things go. Even in a cesarean birth you have options -- ask what those might be (things like listening to music during the birth, no outside conversation that doesn't relate to your baby's birth, having the drape lowered as baby is being born, etc.). Often families find they can have greater say in something because of FOMO -- the things they feel they might be missing out on during a vaginal birth. Bring these concerns up ahead of time with your provider and ask what accommodations can be made to shape this into the birth you dreamed about!
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    My Life...

    ♥  four young boys and a boy dog (offspring)
    ♥  partner-in-crime (husband)
    ♥  
    families, mamas, and babies (many of whom are new to earth)

    Categories

    All
    31 Days
    31 Days 2014
    31 Days 2015
    31 Days 2016
    31 Days 2017
    31 Days 2018
    31 Days 2019
    ACOG
    Adoption
    Affordable Care Act
    Anatomy
    Animals
    Anxiety
    Appreciation
    Apprenticeship
    Art
    Babies
    Baby
    Bakersfied Doula
    Bakersfield
    Bakersfield Doulas
    Batman
    Bereavement
    BFHI
    Bias
    Birth
    Birth Center
    Birthplan
    Birth Plan
    Birth Story
    Birth Team
    Blogging
    Bob Marley
    Bonding
    Books
    Breastfeeding
    Breastfeeding Laws
    Breastfeeding Usa
    Breastmilk
    Breastpumps
    Business
    Carry The Future
    Cary York
    Cavities
    CBE DIY
    Certification
    Cesarean
    Chico
    Childbirth Education
    Choice
    Cholestasis
    Chronic Illness
    Cims
    Class
    Clients
    Coach
    Comfort
    Communication
    Competition
    Complications
    Confidence
    Consumer
    Coping
    Costco
    Counseling
    Cows
    Dad
    Dads
    Dancing
    David Bowie
    Death
    Dentist
    Depression
    Dermatologist
    Dilation
    Discovering Doulas
    Distortions
    Distraction
    Doctor
    Domperidone
    Dona
    Doula
    Doulas
    Doula Week
    Dr. Brian Palmer
    Drugs
    Due Date
    Early Labor Plan
    Ecstasy
    Embarrassing
    Empowerment
    Encapsulation
    Enloe
    Epidural
    Espanol
    Evidence
    Experience
    Facetime
    Failure To Thrive
    Failure-to-thrive
    Family
    Faq
    Faqs
    Fear
    Fear Tension Pain
    Fees
    Flu
    Frenectomy
    Frenotomy
    Gratitude
    Greece
    Green Baby Expo
    Handouts
    Hanford
    Healing
    Henci Goer
    High Risk
    HM4HB
    Holy
    Homebirth
    Hormones
    Hospital Birth
    Humor
    Hygeia
    Hyperemesis
    IBCLC
    Induction
    Infant Loss
    Infant Massage
    Insufficient Glandular Tissue
    Insurance
    Interventions
    Interview
    Jaundice
    Journal
    Kids
    Labor
    Labyrinth
    La Leche League
    Lamaze
    Language
    Late Term Preemie
    Laughing
    Leonard Cohen
    Lip Tie
    Liquid Trust
    Lithotomy
    Loss
    Love
    Low Milk
    Mammals
    Masks
    Media Resources
    Meeting
    Memes
    Mentor
    Midwife
    Midwives
    Military
    Milksharing
    Milk Supply
    Mini Cooper
    Miscarriage
    Mizuko Kuyo
    Moms
    Morning Sickness
    Motherhood
    Moving
    Multiples
    Music
    Networking
    New Doulas
    New England Journal Of Medicine
    Notebook
    Notes
    Nurses
    Ny Marathon
    Online Support
    Orgasm
    Origin Story
    Overdue
    Overpowerment
    Oxytocin
    Pain
    Partners
    Passion
    Passion For Birth
    Paula Radcliffe
    Peanut Ball
    Peers
    Photography
    Pitocin
    Placenta
    Placenta Pills
    Poem
    Popsicle Panniculitis
    Postpartum
    Postpartum Support International
    Premature
    Pushing
    Questions
    Rebirthing
    Rebozo
    Reflux
    Refugees
    Reimbursement
    Relaxation
    Resources
    Retained Placenta
    Rights
    Rockabye Baby
    Role
    Root Canal
    Rules
    Safety
    Scale
    Second Stage
    Self Care
    Sexual Trauma
    Shared Decision Making
    Sheep
    Skin Cancer
    Socks
    Solids
    South Africa
    Spiderman
    Sports
    Stages Of Labor
    Stillbirth
    Strong-ties
    Students
    Studies
    Superhero
    Support
    Surrogate
    Teaching
    Teaching Tips
    Teeth
    Temper Tantrums
    Thank You
    The Price Is Right
    Tiara
    Tongue Fu
    Tonguetie
    Tongue Tie
    Tongue-tie
    Touch
    Training
    Trauma
    Trust
    Tulare
    Ultrasound
    Understanding Research
    Vaccines
    Vbac
    Visalia
    Volunteer
    Waterbirth
    Weak-ties
    Weezer
    Weight
    WHO Code
    Writing
    Yoga

    Archives

    July 2020
    June 2020
    September 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    May 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    June 2012
    May 2012
    June 2011
    January 2011
    November 2009
    August 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009
    December 2008
    November 2008
    October 2008

    RSS Feed

Stacie Bingham, LCCE, CD(DONA), CBS(LER)

Calm, comfortable Lamaze education & experienced support for pregnancy, birth, & breastfeeding serving Bakersfield, Delano, Hanford, Porterville, Tehachapi, Tulare, Visalia + the World

​661.446.4532 stacie.bing@gmail.com
Picture
Picture
Picture
Photos used under Creative Commons from Renaud Camus, jmayer1129, jmayer1129, Rob Briscoe, jmayer1129, jmayer1129, jmayer1129, operation_janet, CJS*64 "Man with a camera", symphony of love, Aravindan Ganesan
  • home
  • learn
  • birth
  • feed
  • meet stacie
  • blog
  • growing me