When complications occur

Your birth is a special time in your life but sometimes it does not always go exactly to plan. Medical interventions are sometimes needed to help with the birth of your baby.

Inducing your labour

Your doctor or midwife will advise you if your labour needs to be induced. Timeframes for delivery vary after induction. Some women deliver within a few hours and others can take 1-3 days.

Risks of induction

You may experience the following difficulties after being induced into labour:

• require extra pain relief because the contractions are often more painful
• increase chance of caesarean section
• failed induction
• limited movement
• overstimulation of the uterus: this may require medications to reverse the effects of the over-stimulation or an emergency caesarean
• cord prolapse (this is extremely rare). When the waters are broken there is a very small risk of the umbilical cord slipping below the baby’s head with the fluid. This requires an immediate caesarean section.

Caesarean delivery

Your doctor will advise you if you require a booked caesarean section. A letter will be sent to you to confirm the date and time of your surgery.

Before surgery (Pre-admission)

Before your surgery, you will attend a pre-admission appointment to discuss instructions on how to prepare and what to expect. This may include:

• medications to take
• what to bring
• pain relief (anaesthetic) during your caesarean
• fasting instructions
• shaving the top part of the pubic area (where the wound dressing will be applied after surgery)
• removing all jewellery, piercings and nail polish prior to surgery (toe nail polish is acceptable but not fingernails).

On the day of your caesarean

Go to the Admissions Desk on the ground floor of the Ned Hanlon Building. Once your details are confirmed, you and your support person will be directed to the Day Surgery Unit on level 5 Ned Hanlon Building to be prepared for surgery.

Recovery

After your caesarean, if you and your baby are well, you will be offered skin-to-skin cuddles. Your baby will stay with you all the way to the postnatal ward. Your physical recovery is important so you will need to stay in hospital for approximately 48-72 hours. This is also a great time to get to know your new baby with the support of hospital doctors and midwives. Families may contact the day surgery receptionist to find out when you will be transferred to 6B postnatal ward.

Baby born earlier than expected

Newborns may be admitted to the Grantley Stable Neonatal Unit if they are born prematurely (less than 37 weeks gestation) or require further care.