What to expect when you're expecting (160 page)

Sterile drapes will be arranged around your exposed abdomen. A screen will be put up at about shoulder level so you won’t have to see the incision being made.

If your coach is going to attend the delivery, he will be suited up in sterile garb. He will sit near your head so that he can give you emotional support and hold your hand; he may have the option of viewing the actual surgery.

If yours is an emergency cesarean, things may move very quickly. Try to stay calm and focused in the face of all that activity, and don’t let it worry you—that’s just the way things work in a hospital sometimes.

Once the physician is certain that the anesthetic has taken effect, an incision (usually a horizontal bikini cut) is made in the lower abdomen, just above the pubic hairline. You may feel a sensation of being “unzipped” but no pain.

A second incision is then made, this time in your uterus. The amniotic sac is opened, and, if it hasn’t already ruptured, the fluid is suctioned out; you may hear a sort of gurgling or swooshing sound.

The baby is then eased out, usually while an assistant presses on the uterus. With an epidural (though not likely with a spinal block), you will probably feel some pulling and tugging sensations, as well as some pressure. If you’re eager to see your baby’s arrival, ask the doctor if the screen can be lowered slightly, which will allow you to see the actual birth but not the more graphic details.

Your baby’s nose and mouth are then suctioned; you’ll hear the first cry, the cord will be quickly clamped and cut, and you’ll be allowed a quick glimpse of your newborn.

While the baby is getting the same routine attention that a vaginally delivered infant receives, the doctor will remove the placenta.

Now the doctor will quickly do a routine check of your reproductive organs and stitch up the incisions that were made. The uterine incision will be repaired with absorbable stitches, which do not have to be removed. The abdominal incision may be closed with either stitches or surgical staples.

An injection of oxytocin may be given intramuscularly or into your IV, to help contract the uterus and control bleeding. IV antibiotics may be given to minimize the chances of infection.

You may have some cuddling time in the delivery room, but a lot will depend on your condition and the baby’s, as well as hospital rules. If you can’t hold your baby, perhaps your spouse can. If he or she has to be whisked away to the NICU nursery, don’t let it get you down. This is standard in many hospitals following a cesarean delivery and is more likely to indicate a precaution than a problem with your baby’s condition. And as far as bonding is concerned, later can be just as good as sooner—so not to worry if the snuggles have to wait a little while.

Congratulations—You’ve done it …

Now relax and enjoy your new baby!

When You’re Expecting Multiples

H
AVE TWO (OR MORE) PASSENGERS
aboard the mother ship? Even if you’d been hoping for multiples, your first response to the news that you’re carrying more than one can be all over the emotional map—ranging from disbelief to joy, from excitement to trepidation (make that fear). And in between all the whoops of delight and buckets of tears will come the questions: Will the babies be healthy? Will I be healthy? Will I be able to stick with my regular practitioner, or will I have to see a specialist? How much food will I have to eat, and how much weight do I have to gain? Will there be enough room inside of me for two babies? Will there be enough room in my house for two babies? Will I be able to carry them to term? Will I have to go on bed rest? Will giving birth be twice as hard?

Seeing Double—Everywhere?

If it looks like multiples are multiplying these days, it’s because they are. In fact, about 3 percent of babies in the United States are now born in sets of two, three, or more, with the majority (about 95 percent) of these multiple births comprised of twins. At least twice as amazing, the number of twin births has jumped more than 50 percent in recent years, and higher-order multiple births (triplets and more) has risen an astonishing 400 percent.