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LaborWeeks 34–42

What Happens in a Cesarean Birth? Reasons, the Operation and Recovery

In a cesarean, your baby is born through a cut in your belly and uterus, usually while you are awake. It can be planned or an emergency; recovery takes weeks.

  • MyPregnancy editorial
  • Updated
  • 2 min read
  • 6 sources

Not yet medically reviewed. This article sums up published guidance from the sources at the end. It is not medical advice: follow your own midwife or doctor.

On this page
  1. Why it may be done
  2. What happens
  3. Recovery
A mother leaning over her baby, who lies on a knitted blanket.
Photo by Taylor Gray on Unsplash

In a cesarean birth, your baby is delivered through surgical cuts in your belly and uterus. About 1 in 3 babies in the United States is born this way. Some cesareans are planned, but many are not, so it helps to know what happens.

Why it may be done

  • Labor is not progressing, because contractions are not opening the cervix enough
  • There is concern for the baby, such as a pinched cord or changes in the heart rate on monitoring
  • You are carrying twins or more, and there are problems such as early birth or the babies' positions
  • There is a problem with the placenta
  • The baby is very large, or in a breech position
  • You have a medical condition, such as active genital herpes during labor, that makes vaginal birth risky

Some people ask for a cesarean when a vaginal birth is an option. Weigh this carefully with your ob-gyn, as it carries the risks of surgery.

What happens

  • An IV line gives you fluids and medicine, including medicine to prevent infection, and a catheter drains your bladder
  • An epidural or spinal block numbs the lower half of your body, so you are awake. Medicine that puts you to sleep is usually kept for emergencies
  • The doctor makes a cut in your belly, often low and side to side, then another in the uterus
  • Once your baby is out and the cord is cut, the placenta is taken out. Dissolving stitches close the uterus
  • If you are awake, you may get to hold your baby straight away

Before the day, ask whether a support person can be with you in the operating room, and whether you can hold your baby while the incision is closed.

Recovery

You will usually stay in the hospital for 2 to 4 days. Expect the incision to be sore for the first few days. Your provider can prescribe pain medicine. During recovery you may notice mild cramping and pain or numbness around the incision, and you may bleed or have discharge for about 4 to 6 weeks. Avoid tampons and sex for a few weeks, and strenuous activity until you have healed.

Sources

  1. NHSCaesarean section
  2. NHSCaesarean section: what happens
  3. NHSCaesarean section: recovery
  4. ACOGCesarean Birth
  5. ACOGA Partner's Guide to Pregnancy
  6. Office on Women's HealthLabor and birth

Last checked .

Written by the MyPregnancy editorial team from the sources above.

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