What Happens During Cesarean Section?

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• published: 20 Apr 2015
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Now, let's look at what happens during a cesarean section. After you have received anesthesia, a catheter, which is a plastic tube, will be placed in your bladder to drain your urine during the surgery. Your lower abdomen is then washed with a special disinfectant cleanser and you will be covered with sterile sheets. This helps protect you from infections. Your doctor will then make a 6 to 8-inch incision on your abdomen, directly over your uterus. The incision can be either horizontal, which is side-to-side, or vertical, which is up and down. The direction of the incision will depend on several factors, including your body's shape and size, the position and size of the baby and your uterus, and how quickly the delivery is needed. If you've had a c-section before, your surgeon will usually try to go through the previous scar. Once inside, another incision will be made through the uterus. In most women, the incision is side to side, on the lower part of the uterus. Your baby is then delivered through this opening. The umbilical cord is cut and your baby is handed to a health care provider, who will take the baby to a small, warmly lit plastic crib, called a warmer. Then, your baby is cleaned and dried, and eventually checked by a pediatrician. Your placenta will then be carefully removed from your uterus. At this time, you may also receive Pitocin, which is a drug that causes the uterus to contract, and help prevent serious bleeding. Your doctor will then close the incision on your uterus, and the incisions in your skin will be closed with surgical staples or stitches that will later dissolve on their own.