A caesarean may be recommended as a planned (elective) procedure if a vaginal birth is not thought to be in the best interests of either yourself or your baby. However, you may also elect to have a planned C-section for non-medical reasons. Your midwife or doctor will be able to explain the overall benefits and risks to help you make the decision that is right for you.
Planned caesareans are usually done from the 39th week of pregnancy. Salisbury Maternity Unit has an obstetric theatre which is open 24 hours a day and we do planned elective caesarean births Monday – Friday (excluding bank holidays). Caesareans are booked according to clinical priority of each woman.
We usually have one or two planned caesarean sections booked on each weekday. Occasionally the planned caesareans are delayed by a few hours because of emergency cases needing to use the operating theatre. We endeavour to deliver your baby as early as possible and will keep you informed of timings throughout the day. In very rare circumstances, a planned caesarean may be delayed until the following day if the labour ward is exceptionally busy.
Admission and procedure
You will be asked to come to Beatrice Labour ward for before 8:00am. The midwife will show you to your bed, ask to listen to your baby’s heartbeat and then give you a gown. Your notes will be checked, and you will have a name band for your wrist. You will see the surgeon and the anaesthetist to discuss your plan of care and then when theatres are ready you will walk down with your midwife and partner to the obstetric theatre. You may have one birth partner with you in theatre if you are awake during the procedure. If you need a general anaesthetic, your partner will be asked to wait outside the theatre.
Most women require a spinal anaesthetic which will make you feel numb from your chest down. When your baby is born, you can have skin to skin and feed your baby as soon as you both feel ready. After a short time in the recovery room, you will be transferred back to the Beatrice Labour ward for a few hours, before then being transferred to the Beatrice Postnatal ward. You will have a catheter in place for around 12 hours, but we will encourage you to mobilise before then to reduce your risk of getting DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis).
Discharge home
Most women go home after one night in the hospital following an elective caesarean birth. However, some women require more support and need to stay in for slightly longer. Please read our Patient Information Leaflet - Recovery after a Caesarean birth for more information.
