C- Section/ Caesarean Birth: What Actually Happens (From a Mum’s Perspective)

“I’m having a C-section… but what actually happens?”

This is a common question we get.

Because let’s be honest:

👉 you’re told what is going to happen
👉 but not always what it actually feels like

So here’s the real version - C Section procedure: step by step! This information is UK based (hence the spelling of Caesarean 😜 rather than cesarean 🇺🇸)

First things first: you’re awake (which surprises some people)

Most Caesarean births in the UK are done with:

👉 a spinal or epidural anaesthetic

Which means:

• you’re awake
• you’re aware
• but you shouldn’t feel pain

👉 You will feel:

• movement
• pressure
• tugging

(Not pain - but definitely odd; like someone is doing the washing up inside your belly!)

Arriving at theatre (it’s calmer than you think)

You’ll go into theatre with:

• a midwife
• anaesthetist
• obstetrician
• theatre team

👉 It can feel busy… but it’s very routine for them. There might be music playing, it can feel a little cool temperature wise and the lights are on bright. 

(TV dramas turn off the lights for dramatic effect!)

Your birth partner is usually brought in:
👉 once everything is set up

They will need to be patient but can use that time to get dressed in scrubs (and blend in with the theatre staff!)

The spinal injection

You’ll:

• have a cannula in your hand/arm attached to a drip
• sit or lie curled forward
• have the injection in your lower back

Most people say:

👉 it’s not as bad as they expected

Please note they use an ice cold spray on your back before giving the injection. Brace yourself!

Very quickly:

• your legs feel warm
• then numb

👉 and no, you won’t be able to move them (completely normal!) At this point they put a catheter in because you won't be jumping up to use the loo any time soon. You'll have sticky pads on your chest and a blood pressure cuff on your arm.

The screen goes up (and no, you don’t see anything)

A screen is placed across your chest.

👉 You don’t see the surgery

(And most people are very happy about that.) 

If your partner is squeamish, don't look up at the lights - they're reflective! If they're intrigued - look up at the lights they're reflective! 😉

The actual caesarean birth (this bit is quicker than you think)

Once everything is ready from knife hitting the skin:

👉 your baby is usually born within 5-10 minutes

What it feels like:

• pressure
• pulling
• a bit of “what on earth is going on?”

Then suddenly:

👉 your baby is here

That moment…

You’ll usually:

• hear your baby first
• then see them

Depending on the situation:

• baby may come straight to you
• or be quickly checked first

What happens next?

While you’re:
👉 meeting your baby

The team is:
👉 finishing the surgery

This part takes longer:

👉 around 30-45 minutes. There are a lot of layers to stitch up. 

You might not even notice.

(You’ll be slightly distracted…)

Skin-to-skin and feeding

In many cases:

👉 skin-to-skin can happen in theatre or recovery

And yes:

👉 you can breastfeed after a C Section

The bit no one really explains

A Caesarean is:

👉 major abdominal surgery

But it’s also:

👉 the birth of your baby

So it can feel like:

👉 a very strange mix of clinical + emotional

The bottom line

A planned Caesarean birth in the UK is:

👉 calm
👉 controlled
👉 and often far less dramatic than imagined

But it’s still:
👉 a big experience - physically and emotionally