Elective c section Holles St

Sleepymissymoo

Hi, anyone got any recent experience of a planned c section in Holles St? I'm booked in for Monday and told to come in for 8am, fasting from midnight. Had planned cs last time too and baby wasn't born til after 5pm and found the fasting really tough, not even allowed a sip of water for so long seems crazy! Felt like my body had totally shut down and was wrecked by the time I was taken, found the whole procedure so uncomfortable as I was so weak and irritable. Asked midwife and consultant about this today and they just said it's policy, can't give any idea of time etc but talk to midwife when I get admitted on Monday. Seems like they get everyone in at 8am but scheduled c sections might not start until the afternoon? I'm semi private so my consultant won't be doing the op, whoever on duty will be doing it so may be different if you're fully private.

Also, last time around I didn't get to do skin to skin right away or didn't get to have baby with me in recovery, that was 2.5yrs ago and seemed to be the policy at the time but I've been told policy has now changed so should get skin to skin in theatre and keep baby with me in recovery. Anyone recent experience of this in Holles st?

lazygal

Not recent experience but both times I asked them to put me on a drip to keep me going until I could get to theatre. My blood pressure is on the low side anyway so if I'm a couple of hours without food or drinks I just can't cope.
I was fully private so my consultant did the sections. However, first time I made himself ask non stop if there was an indicative time for me, I was past caring if they thought we were being ratty. It does depend on emergencies and your own situation. Second time I was in theatre within ten minutes of a decision being made to have a section birth. Emergencies always get priority.

Sleepymissymoo

Thanks for the reply lazygal.
Turns out baby arrived early, a day before the planned section! Ended up another section anyway but I was the first one in to theatre and recovery room on a Sunday morning so was lovely and relaxed and totally different to all the waiting around for planned section!

asking for drip tho before waiting too long is good idea, and if I were doing it again I'd def be hassling them more to find out an indicative time/where on the schedule I was.

Moonbeam

congratulations:)

Ms. Chanandler Bong

Hi there,

Congratulations first of all! I have a question: did you get to do skin to skin? I had a planned section last time and didn't get any S2S, and was in recovery on my own for 2 hours (himself got to do all the 'firsts'). I'm just curious to see if it's changed or if I can hassle my consultant for it lol

73trix

Ms. Chanandler Bong wrote: »

Hi there,

Congratulations first of all! I have a question: did you get to do skin to skin? I had a planned section last time and didn't get any S2S, and was in recovery on my own for 2 hours (himself got to do all the 'firsts'). I'm just curious to see if it's changed or if I can hassle my consultant for it lol

+1 Also curious!

RCK1406

Ms. Chanandler Bong wrote: »

Hi there,

Congratulations first of all! I have a question: did you get to do skin to skin? I had a planned section last time and didn't get any S2S, and was in recovery on my own for 2 hours (himself got to do all the 'firsts'). I'm just curious to see if it's changed or if I can hassle my consultant for it lol

I had an elective section in Holles Street on Tuesday, baby was breach. I hadn't asked for skin to skin nor did I have a plan as such for the section but the nurse asked if I wanted it and got her on my chest for a good 20 minutes while I was being stitched back up. OH then got baby and joined me in recovery for about an hour before we were brought to the ward.

Couldn't fault a thing, although was called to theatre late on Tuesday but emergencies etc happen.

Sleepymissymoo

I got skin to skin right away in theatre but unfortunately we didn't get to bring baby to recovery room as she had to go to the high dependency unit.

Policy in Holles st now is to get skin to skin right away and keep baby with mum etc. I discussed this with consultant at last appt and also with any midwife/doctor in hospital when running through the paperwork/prep prior to section so it was all noted down that this is what I wanted and everyone agreed to this and said it is normal practice unless there is any particular reason why is can't happen (something wrong with mum or baby or if someone already in recovery who has lost a baby etc they'd have to be sensitive)

Ms. Chanandler Bong

Thanks for that ladies. I had in my plan last time around that I wanted delayed cord cutting and skin to skin but then Baba was breech and a section scheduled and my plan went out the window (less than 24 hours after I wrote it! ) I'm hoping to have both this time but I'm not near the birth planning stage yet so I'm just checking out my options.
Thanks again!