Preparation for Cesarean section

The excitement of the woman, who will have a cesarean section, is understandable and understandable, because this is a serious surgical operation, which can have its own complications and negative consequences. But you should not worry and worry about pregnant women in advance. Proper preparation for the upcoming operational delivery is a guarantee that everything will go well.

In this material we will tell you how to prepare for an operation morally and physically, what to pack with you and when to go to the hospital.

Usually by the 35-36th week of pregnancy it becomes obvious whether a woman needs a cesarean section or she can give birth naturally. The question of the need for surgical intervention is decided by the doctors of the antenatal clinic; if necessary, other medical specialists are involved in the discussion if the woman has concomitant diseases.

By this time, the approximate parameters of the child, its weight and head diameter are found out. If by 34-35 weeks the baby is in pelvic or transverse presentation, then his position in the uterus will most likely not change, and the decision may be precisely in favor of operative delivery.

The Ministry of Health of Russia recommended that all maternity hospitals and perinatal centers carry out planned delivery operations for a period of 39-40 weeks. An operation can be done earlier, but it is not advisable if the pregnancy proceeds safely and the condition of the fetus and mother does not cause concern to the specialists.

The closer the expected date of birth to the date of the operation, the higher the chances that the child will not have distress syndrome, respiratory failure due to insufficient maturity of the lung tissue. Also, the proximity of the date of the operation to the date of the expected birth has a positive effect on the production of breast milk.

If doctors have no reason to prescribe an earlier operation (child’s distress, hypoxia, signs of placental abruption, threatening rupture of the scar, etc.), the woman will receive a referral to the hospital from the obstetrician in the antenatal clinic where she is observed, in 38 weeks of pregnancy. If there is a third or fourth cesarean section, hospitalization may be scheduled for an earlier date, a few days earlier.

It is considered optimal to go to the hospital for 3-5 days before the intended operation. The exact day can be determined in advance when a woman comes to sign an exchange card at the maternity hospital, or she can decide after hospitalization — together with the doctor, the woman can choose the birthday of her baby. On weekends and holidays, planned cesarean sections are not performed.

Considering that there may be emergency circumstances that will require sending to the maternity hospital earlier than planned, it is best to collect the bag in advance.This process not only allows you to foresee everything you need for a woman and a child, but also effectively calms you down, allowing a pregnant woman to tune in to a favorable outcome of the operation.

It is important to check the availability of all necessary for registration in the hospital documents. They do not need much, but each item is very important:

• passport or document replacing it in the absence of a passport;
• exchange card, which contains all the data on the course of pregnancy, test results;
• medical policy;
• birth certificate;
• SNILS;
• a medical card from a clinic or dispensary, where a woman is observed for a chronic disease, if there is one;
• the main analyzes of the partner, the data of his fluorographic examination (according to the list of the maternity hospital), if partnership surgical deliveries are forthcoming.

While preoperative preparation is underway, and it will take several days, the expectant mother in the maternity hospital will need:

• moderately long robe for the weather;
• nightshirt;
• toothpaste and brush;
• soap in the soap dish;
• hard washable slippers;
• cup and spoon.

A new single shaving machine, a disposable diaper, a pair of packages of an elastic bandage or a set of orthopedic compression stockings should be put in the bag.

For the postpartum period, at the request of women, such things will be useful:

• orthopedic postoperative abdominal bandage;
• packaging of dense puerperal pads (they are worn 3-4 days after the intervention).

In the bag intended for sending to the clinic for a planned operation, should be provided and things that a child may need:

• comfortable undershirts with seams out (5 pieces);
• pants or sliders (4-5 pieces);
• Caps (2-4 pieces);
• 1-2 diapers;
• small pack of disposable diapers for the little ones;
• powder;
• latex teat;
• packaging of hypoallergenic wet wipes approved for newborns;
• cotton swabs and wheels;
• Zelenka.

A few days in the hospital before the operation is very important for high-quality preparation for cesarean section. The more doctors know about the woman and her baby, the more successful the operation will be. Therefore, we should not ignore the recommendation of early hospitalization.

Do not think that the hospital will have nothing to do. The days before the planned operation will be full of events. First of all, after entering the maternity hospital, the woman will be weighed, will measure her height, pressure and body temperature. Then the doctor will begin to collect a complete obstetric history. It will be necessary to tell about yourself as much as possible - what was the number of births and abortions, whether there were miscarriages and for what reason, whether the woman was treated for infertility, what gynecological and other diseases she has. This will help specialists plan the operation most safely.

An ultrasound examination is mandatory for a woman; several times during these days she will undergo cardiotocography (CTG). This is necessary in order to exclude violations in the state of the fetus, as well as to determine what its size, weight, heart rate, location, to choose the most effective surgical method of cesarean section.

Despite the fact that there are already many tests and examinations behind, we will have to donate blood for the group and the Rh factor, for HIV status, syphilis, hepatitis B and C. diseases, diseases of the heart and blood vessels, she is required to have a coagulogram — a blood test for clotting factors.

A day before the operation an important meeting with the anesthesiologist is expected. This doctor should talk with the patient and choose with her the type of anesthesia to which she has no contraindications. A woman can express her wishes, for example, refuse epidural anesthesia and choose general or vice versa. If there are no contraindications to the method chosen by her, the doctor will agree and offer to sign appropriate informed consent to the use of one or another type of anesthesia.

At bedtime, a woman will be given premedication drugs - these will be hypnotic drugs that will help her not to worry and have a good rest throughout the night.

In the morning, women who are scheduled to have a caesarean section wake up early, send them to the sanitary room, where the nurse makes a cleansing enema, shaving the pubis to the patient (that's why we recommend taking a disposable machine). A woman is bandaged with elastic material on her legs or compression stockings are fixed on her legs. It is important to prevent the development of thromboembolism after surgery.

After that, she is dressed in a clean sterile shirt, her hair is covered with a sterile scarf or a special cap and sent to the operating room. There, the anesthesiologist and the surgical team are already waiting for her.

To prepare, psychologists advise pregnant women not to focus their attention on the details of the upcoming process. In this case, the statement that “you know less — sleep better” turns out to be very true. Neither at home nor in the maternity hospital walls, before the operation, it is not necessary to study and discuss with other patients negative examples, unsuccessful operations, possible difficulties and complications.

A positive attitude, an understanding that a long-awaited meeting with the baby is very soon, will help to successfully complete the preparation for the operation. Preparing yourself psychologically is especially important for those planning a caesarean operation under spinal or epidural anesthesia. They, unlike peacefully sleeping under general anesthesia, have to see and hear everything that happens in the operating room during 30-40 minutes of the operation. But even here there is a big plus - such women will be able to see the moment of the birth of the crumbs, and this is an unforgettable event, which more than compensates for all the excitement.

More information about preparing for cesarean section can be found in the following video.