What to expect when you're expecting (159 page)

Hang in there during repair of any episiotomy or tears.

Take pride in your accomplishment!

All that’s left to do, then, is for your practitioner to stitch up any tear (if you’re not already numbed, you’ll get a local anesthetic) and clean you up. You’ll likely get an ice pack to put on your perineum to minimize swelling—do ask for one if it’s not offered. The nurse will also help you put on a maxipad or add some thick pads under your bottom (remember, you’ll be bleeding a lot). Once you’re feeling up to it, you’ll be transferred to a postpartum room (unless you’ve delivered in an LDRP—a labor, delivery, recovery, and postpartum—room, in which case you’ll get to stay put).

For the Coach: What You Can Do.
If a doula is present, she can continue to help out, concentrating on the more practical aspects of postdelivery care while you spend some quality time with the two stars of the show.

Offer some well-earned words of praise to the new mom—and congratulate yourself, too, for a job well done.

Begin bonding with your little one—with some holding and cuddling, and by doing soft singing or talking. Remember, your baby has heard your voice a lot during his or her stay in the uterus and is familiar with its sound. Hearing it now will bring comfort in this strange new environment.

Don’t forget to do some cuddling and bonding with the new mom, too.

Ask for an ice pack to soothe her perineal area, if the nurse doesn’t offer one.

Ask for some juice for the new mom; she may be very thirsty. After she’s been rehydrated, and if both of you are in the mood, break out the bubbly—champagne or sparkling cider if you brought some along.

If you’ve brought along the necessary equipment, take baby’s first photos or capture your amazing newborn on video.

You won’t be able to participate actively at a cesarean delivery the way you would at a vaginal one, and some would consider that a definite plus. Instead of huffing, puffing, and pushing your baby into the world, you’ll get to lie back and let everybody else do all the heavy lifting. In fact, your most important contribution to your baby’s cesarean birth will be preparation: The more you know, the more comfortable you’ll feel. Which is why it’s a good idea to look this section over ahead of time, even if you’re not having a planned cesarean.

Thanks to regional anesthesia and the liberalization of hospital regulations, most women (and their coaches) are able to be spectators at their cesarean deliveries. Because they aren’t preoccupied with pushing or pain, they’re often able to relax (at least to some degree) and marvel at the birth. This is what you can expect in a typical cesarean birth:

An IV infusion will be started (if it isn’t already in) to provide speedy access if additional medications or fluids are needed.

Anesthesia will be administered: either an epidural or a spinal block (both of which numb the lower part of your body but don’t knock you out). In rare emergency situations, when a baby must be delivered immediately, a general anesthetic (which does put you to sleep) may be used.

Your abdomen will be washed down with an antiseptic solution. A catheter (a narrow tube) will be inserted into your bladder to keep it empty and out of the surgeon’s way.