To be fair the c section surgery is very graphic. They have a curtain up around the mom’s chest/neck but after the baby is born they always call you over and you gotta walk behind the curtain. I remember trying to avoid stepping in blood splatter and trying (and failing) to avoid looking at the ongoing surgery.
I think 2/3 times they made me leave the room for the epidural. It must be common for dads passing out seeing it.
In NZ and Australia you can have a support person with you during a c-section. They are scrubbed in and stand next to the mothers head and can keep her company during. They can even cut the umbilical cord still. I don't think there are any hospitals that don't allow it in NZ and Aus, I think it would be really unusual for them not to allow it!
Wife had our child by c-section. I was scrubbed up and sitting right next to her the whole time. Not sure what hospitals would have that policy but that wasn’t my experience.
I got to be there for 3 c sections. One was even in the main OR since the family birth OR was having some issues. That time they did say they normally don’t allow other people but they let me in.
Fwiw I was allowed to put on scrubs and be right next to my wife when our youngest was born via c-section. She had been in labor all day and wasn’t progressing, once they made the decision to C-section a dozen people came out of the woodwork to prep, including one that got me into scrubs and brought me into the OR. They did advise I stay “north of the curtain” , which I did.
They don't let anyone in theatre or in the birthing room? I (somewhat) understand not letting someone into theatre but that still feels quite barbaric. Not letting anyone else into the birthing room is just cruel.
I have no idea about the birth room cuz I have never heard of one. The theatre one kind of makes sense if you are having a c-section as you want the room sterile and don't have want anyone disturbing your surgeon
A birth room is where someone gives birth vaginally, I.e. not a cesarean. Operating theatres aren't sterile, only things that are touching the incision need to be sterile. In the UK and USA it is common for a birth partner to be in the operating theatre for a cesarean. They are given scrubs to wear and sit by the mother's head and a drape is put between them and the surgery site. They don't go near the incision and are there to support the mother and be present at the birth. Going through major surgery alone is horrible, particularly as you are awake during a cesarean.
They give a spinal block, which numbs from the waist down. The person is awake during a cesarean. They will only use general anaesthetic in an emergency.
Disturbing the surgeon? It's delivering a baby not neurosurgery.
Have you ever been in an OR? The only ones that have been "quiet" and not disturbing the doctor are the few mins when the doctor needs to super focus on something hyper critical; typically in neurosurgery or something with microsurgery. Otherwise most have music going and are hanging out and shooting the shit along with treating the patient.
When my son was born we were cracking jokes with the entire staff in the OR (Planned C-Section); hell the nurses were harassing the assisting doctor for his safety glasses and the whole room was just fun and laughing the entire time.
Are you a medical professional stating this? If so, how many C-sections have you been involved with?
Liters huh? Interesting... based on CDC and published US health information only 1-3% of routine c-sections require a transfusion where the blood-loss is greater than 1000ml OR 1 Liter. Seems pretty-uncommon in any statistical analysis I've seen.
If you're measuring blood loss in liters during a routine C-Section then something has gone HORRIBLY wrong!
You do not need to immediately transfuse blood losses of a liter in term women. Measuring this by transfusion is just a stupid metric. Just yesterday I had a 1900mL bleed, no blood needed intra-op.
I don't really give much of a shit what you - a layperson - makes of a cursory Google of LSCS statistics.
If you're measuring blood loss in liters during a routine C-Section then something has gone HORRIBLY wrong!
No, it's gone very normal amounts of wrong. Which is literally my point. Absolutely nobody in an obstetric theatre would think twice about seeing 2+L EBL on the board, it's routine for the setting and surgery. They just go "oh, one of these".
In neurosurgery-land big spine cases can sometimes run up similar loss but it's over like 6x as long a time period and the patient and partner aren't in the room watching the bloodbath.
I have NEVER heard of one where the father/partner WASNT allowed in thr delivery room/OR.
What hospitals/systems as examples please? I have a hard time believing this as I've been involved with healthcare for 20 years and have many family members who have spent entire careers in hospitals treating patients.
Damn, that is insane. I was there to hold my wife’s hand and be with her for support while she had a c-section. I’m not sure how either of us could have managed without being there for each other.
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u/[deleted] Apr 24 '26
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