If a cesarean is necessary, your healthcare provider or the support staff will discuss the procedure. The indications will also be reviewed with you. Options for anesthesia will be assessed carefully.

The following procedures take place to prepare the mother:

• An antacid, such as Bicitra, will be given to neutralize the acids in the stomach.
• A shave prep will be done around the incision area.
• A foley catheter will be inserted to keep the bladder empty during the surgery and left in until the morning after the procedure.
• The mother is taken to the operating room and positioned on the table.
• The support person changes into surgical scrubs, washes his or her hands, and waits outside the suite while the mother is prepared for surgery.
• Heart and blood pressure monitors are applied to the mother.
• Anesthesia is administered.
• The skin is prepped with an antiseptic and draped to create a sterile field to prevent infection.
• The support person joins mother.
• The incision is made.

The actual delivery of the baby takes from 2 minutes in an emergency, to 10 minutes in a non emergency situation. Delivery of the placenta and suturing of all layers of tissue takes approximately 45 to 60 minutes. The skin is usually closed with staples or occasionally stitches.