What to do before a Caesarean Section?
The decision of having a Caesarean section is a joint decision between you and your attending obstetrician. Once the decision has been made to go ahead with a planned Caesarean Section, a date will be organized. This will usually be between 38 and 39 weeks into the pregnancy.
You will be given an appointment to see the anaesthetist and the midwife. The doctor will examine you, explain the operation and ask you to sign a consent form. Blood will be taken for test and cross matching and a record of your baby’s heartbeat performed.
You will either be admitted to the hospital a day before to operation or you may be asked to come into the hospital early on the day of Caesarean section. You are requested to be fasted overnight.
If you are taking any medication such as aspirin, you should report that to the attending obstetrician and the anaesthetist. This is because certain medications can interfere with blood clotting and may pose a problem during and after Caesarean Sections
