When to stop eating before C-section

Preparing yourself mentally and physically for your scheduled C-section by talking to your doctor and touring the maternity ward can help make your baby’s birth go more smoothly. Discussing the C-section procedure before you deliver can help alleviate many of your concerns and let you know what to expect on delivery day. Since hospital policies differ on the consumption of solid foods and liquids before surgery, it is important to ask your primary care provider for guidance on eating or drinking before your C-section.

Doctors traditionally banned foods and drinks before surgery -- and even during the labor process of women undergoing uncomplicated vaginal births -- due to concerns that food in the digestive tract might be aspirated, or inhaled, into the lungs or trachea during general anesthesia. Women once had to undergo general anesthesia for even planned C-sections, but today you can usually choose to deliver awake using a regional anesthesia, such as an epidural or spinal block that numbs you from the waist down. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, or ACOG, provides reassurance that aspiration occurs very rarely in laboring women today due to improvements in obstetrics anesthesia, but it is important to respect your hospital and care provider’s policies on eating and drinking before labor.

Significance

ACOG recommends that women undergoing a planned C-section not eat solid foods six to eight hours prior to the procedure, but they suggest that most women can drink moderate amounts of clear liquids, including water, fruit juice, clear tea, black coffee, sports drinks and carbonated beverages up to two hours before receiving anesthesia. Not all hospitals or care providers follow these recommendations, so check with yours two to three days beforehand so that you can follow their guidelines.

When choosing foods for the last meal prior to your C-section, avoid feasting on heavy or greasy foods. In an article on the Parenting website, Maureen Connolly, the coauthor of “The Essential C-Section Guide,” urges women to eat lightly in the 12 hours preceding their C-section. Connolly cautions that the intestines will slow down in the days after surgery, which can make it hard for food and liquid to pass through your system. Your body can digest a diet consisting of clear liquids and soups much easier than one full of burgers, fries, pizza and tacos.

ACOG cautions that pregnant women with a higher risk for aspiration, including morbidly obese women and women with diabetes, might need to follow additional restrictions on food and fluid intake before delivery. If you fall into one of these categories, discuss your condition with your care provider so that he can make appropriate eating and drinking recommendations for your situation.

Potential

Knowing your hospital and care provider’s policies on food and beverages before your C-section date can help you avoid unpleasant surprises on delivery day. Some hospitals, like the California Pacific Medical Center, routinely ban all foods and beverages, including hard candies, coffee, water and chewing gum, for eight to 12 hours prior to a scheduled C-section. Eating and drinking without your care provider’s express approval can sometimes lead to a postponement of your C-section. If you do choose to eat or drink something against your care provider’s recommendations, make sure you tell your doctor before the surgery.

A caesarean section (C-section) is an operation to deliver a baby through a cut in your tummy.

Caesarean sections may be planned before the birth. This is known as an elective caesarean. This may happen if there are pregnancy complications that prevent your baby being born by vaginal birth. In some cases, an elective caesarean is requested by the mother.

There are some important things to think about if you plan to or want to have a caesarean.

Why have a planned caesarean?

About 3 out of every 5 caesarean births in Australia are planned (elective).

Sometimes health problems or pregnancy complications mean that a caesarean birth would be safer than a vaginal birth.

Your doctor might recommend a planned, or elective, caesarean section for the following reasons:

• you have already had one or more caesarean sections
• your baby is in an abnormal position (such as bottom or feet first, or lying sideways)
• you are carrying more than one baby (for example, a twin pregnancy)
• your placenta is covering all or part the cervix (the opening to the uterus) - this is called placenta praevia
• you have a health problem, such as a heart problem, high blood pressure or fibroids (growths in the uterus)
• you have an infection that could be passed to your baby during a vaginal birth
• you or your baby have other medical complications

Some women may prefer a caesarean section to a vaginal birth for non-medical reasons. There are some risks and benefits to this decision for both mother and baby. It can also affect future pregnancies.

You have a right to be involved in making decisions about the type of birth you will have. If you are having a planned caesarean section, talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits.

A caesarean section is major surgery. Complications are rare but can be serious. It is important to make an informed decision. So, make sure you ask questions and discuss concerns with your doctor and midwife.

How do I prepare for a planned caesarean?

Your doctor or midwife will arrange any tests and medical reviews that may be needed before your surgery. You will be asked to sign a consent form for the operation.

The timing of your caesarean birth will depend on your health, your baby’s health and the caesarean team’s schedule. Where possible, planned caesarean sections are often done at around 39 weeks. If there are problems or if you are having multiple babies (for example, twins), your caesarean may be done earlier than this.

Remember to take a bag for your stay in hospital, containing the things you and your baby will need. If you would like to take photos of the birth, ask your doctor whether it is OK for your partner or support person to bring a camera.

What will happen before a caesarean?

You will need to stop eating and drinking for about 6 hours before the operation.

Before the surgery, your pubic hair may be shaved and your tummy will need to be cleaned with antiseptic wash. You will be fitted with compression stockings on your legs. These help to reduce the risk of blood clots in your legs.

You will then be prepared for the anaesthetic. Many women having an elective caesarean will have an epidural anaesthetic or spinal block.

You will have intravenous (IV) lines put into your arm to give you fluids and medicines.

A doctor will place a catheter (a thin flexible tube) into your bladder. This will likely be removed once sensation returns to your legs and you can sit out of bed and walk.

What happens during and after a caesarean?

A screen is usually put across your chest so you cannot see what is happening. Some doctors now offer a ‘maternal assisted caesarean section’ so mothers can help deliver their baby. This is under the guidance of the doctor and is not always possible.

Your partner or support person can usually be with you during your planned caesarean birth. You will also usually have a midwife that stays with you. They will look after you and your baby in the operating theatre and recovery area.

If your baby is well, it is a good idea for you or your partner or support person to hold them straight away after the birth. Skin to skin contact keeps the baby warm and helps with bonding.

If you are choosing to breastfeed, your midwife may be able to assist you to do so once in the recovery room.

Remember that you will need time to recover after a caesarean. If possible, plan to have plenty of help at home in the weeks after the surgery.

What happens if I go into labour first?

About 1 in 10 women whose planned caesareans are scheduled for 39 weeks will go into labour first. That means their waters break or their contractions start. If this happens, you will have an emergency rather than a planned caesarean.

Call your hospital's maternity unit or delivery suite immediately if you are booked to have a planned caesarean and you go into labour.