Screen lowered in c-section?

[PassTheCremeEggs]

Looks like I may have to have a CS for DC2 due in a few weeks. I had an emergency section with DC1 which had to be done under gen anaesthetic which was rubbish as I missed everything and felt very detached from it all.

This time round, if I have to have an elective, I was thinking of asking for the screen to be lowered when the baby is delivered and wanted to hear opinions from people who have done this? Is it worth it? (Is it horrifying?!)

[PassTheCremeEggs]

Bump

[IDontBowlOnShabbos]

Congratulations first of all!
I had an emcs with my dd as well but was awake for the procedure.

I had the screen up so can't really help you there, but I did see the amount of bloody tissues and goodness knows what else they had to dispose of afterwards, and it wasn't pretty!

If you're not squeamish then you could ask about keeping the screen down. I have to warn you though the sensation of having the section is really strange and coupled with the visual it might freak you out. How about asking if they can put your baby straight onto your chest afterwards?

DD was taken straight from the operation to be checked over/cleaned ect so the first time I saw her she was fully dressed which was a bit weird!

[noisytoys]

I had the screen lowered and my friend videoed the whole thing. The screen lowering was barely worth it because there were so many people there and it happened so quick I barely saw anything. The video is good though

[LadyPeterWimsey]

Hmm. I really didn't want to see anything and given the horrible red mess I could see reflected in some shiny thing on the ceiling, I'm sure I made the right call. It does feel very odd to have all the pulling going on and I don't think I would have coped with the visual as well. And they brought the DC to me very quickly anyway so I didn't feel like I was missing out.

[PassTheCremeEggs]

Thanks for the replies! Just looking down at my bump, and the fact I can't (and haven't been able to for WEEKS!) see my scar from previous CS, I was wondering actually how much I'd be able to see anyway? I think I like the idea of seeing the baby being lifted from me.
But nothing before that (certainly no scalpels!)

[5madthings]

I have read about this and a way of making the c section a more natural (not sure that's the right word) process for the baby, I can't remember where. But you can only ask, as long as everything goes smoothly etc.

[OddFrog]

I asked for the screen to be lowered to watch DS's birth. It was definitely worthwhile. Once his wrinkly little bottom emerged, I didn't see any gore or blood as I was transfixed. I only saw him and watched as he was lifted right up, I could see he was a boy, cord clamped, wrapped in a towel and straight to MW who sorted the cord, did obs, etc on a table right beside my head - also requested this rather that them taking him through to the next room for this bit. Cuddles with DH then he was handed over to me and snuggled on my chest/shoulder for the rest of the op. It was the best experience I could have hoped for, given that I'd wanted a home waterbirth with no medication... Wouldn't change it in any way.

Do be prepared to be firm and stand your ground. We had to insist that I wanted to watch and wouldn't sneeze or cough over myself :-/ The screen was up until moments before DS emerged and DH had to remind the team to lower it for me. Do think about asking for skin to skin straight away as long as you don't feel queezy and for them to do obs, etc by your side too.

[UriGHOULer]

I think its dependent on how the surgeon/registrar works. We had a few questions for ours, mostly what would happen to some keloiding of my previous csection scar (basically whether he would 'fix' it). He was very helpful but to the question of whether we could have the screen removed for the 'birth' he said a point blank "No".

[Meglet]

They lowered the screen without asking me for my EMCS! TBH I couldn't see much blood. All I saw was DS hollering his head of, and my stomach flapped up at 90 degrees. Was a very odd sensation.

Glad I looked though. And I saw the placenta during my planned cs.

XP nearly keeled over both times. For a big bloke it turned out he wasn't a fan of blood and internal organs.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

You can get someone to hold up a mirror!?

[PassTheCremeEggs]

Odd frog, that sounds amazing; it sounds like you had the perfect experience. I'm definitely going to ask about it, but will be prepared for a flat no! And Meglet - at it being lowered without warning! But lucky you liked seeing it.

Really good to hear some people's experiences of this, thank you.

[MrsHoolie]

I requested it and it was great!we didn't know the sex and the surgeon held DS up and we saw for ourselves. It was amazing and much better than my first DC which was an emcs.

[Hatstuff]

I did for my second. They did the initial incision and pulled her head out, they then lowered the screen so I could see the rest of her coming out - utterly amazing. We have the most amazing photos of just her head out - she was looking very unimpressed! I didn't see any blood or gore. They also gave her to me for skin to skin as soon as the paedatrician had taken a quick look - she was stuffed down the front of my gown and then covered with lots of towels to keep her warm whilst they finished stitching me up. This was at QCCH in London. In my opinion its def worth asking your Drs about it.

[CrispyFB]

I had it lowered for my ELCS too - I'd have asked for my not-very EMCS before that one if I'd known.

Honestly I wasn't really aware of any gore. Perhaps in some ways you're LESS likely to see gore because you're looking at the bump from above lying flat, and not looking at a reflection of the gory bit in a lamp? You also have your attention on the baby and not on anything else too.

As everything was numb down there I didn't feel particularly associated with what was going on in terms of "argh, my body being chopped up" either. Plus it's one of those things that because there are a bunch of professionals around being really quite calm and cheerful, that it feels not very alarming at all. It's all under control, therefore, I am not upset about it. Now if they were yelling and flapping, I might be perturbed!

They let DH take photos (video was only allowed once he was out) and we have some amazing photos of him half in, half out. Turned out he was breech to everyone's surprise (the ELCS was for other medical reasons and he'd been head down only two days earlier.. then I felt him shift!) so it's his bum coming out first!

Honestly if you do it, I don't think you'll regret it. It was one of the first things I asked my consultant this time around and he has no problem with it, yay!

[PassTheCremeEggs]

Thank you so much for your positive stories, I'm definitely going to ask about it now. I would love to be able to fill in a bit more of the gap from last time; being knocked out and waking up to new baby an hour later is not the best!

[gasman]

I often offer. Hardly anyone takes me up on it!

[valiumredhead]

Lady peter-I still get weird flashbacks 12 years on of that when I'm in the dentist chair! Blerk.

[valiumredhead]

I had mine lowered slightly but not enough to see anything gruesome.

[MunchkinJess]

I gave birth 5 days ago via elcs. I asked them to lower the screen enough to see my daughter coming out but no gore. plus I was so in awe of my baby that I didn't focus on anything else

[elliejjtiny]

I didn't ask for the screen to be lowered but DH took some amazing photos which I love looking at.

[Freezingmyarseoff]

I also had a c-section five days ago, and based on this thread (Thank you OP) I decided to ask for them to lower the screen just for DD coming out. It was an amazing experience and I'm so glad I did ask. Even DH, who was very unsure about it beforehand, said he was glad that we managed to see her coming out (didn't know she was a DD until that point). Our anaesthetist took lots of photos which DH wouldn't have been able to take as he was too busy watching.
Good luck whatever you decide.

[PassTheCremeEggs]

Wow that's great freezing - really glad to hear it! I'm definitely going to ask too - fingers crossed! Congratulations on your new baby