Emergency Caesarean

Emergency Caesarean

Around 1 in 4 (25%) births are caesarean births. Some of these are planned, however some happen in labour and this is classed an emergency caesarean.

Around 15% of births need to be by an emergency caesarean.

When you would need an emergency caesarean section   

Emergency caesareans can be:   

Category 1: Urgent threat to your life, or your baby’s life.

In this case, surgery would be performed within 30 minutes of the decision being made.   

This the rarest type of emergency caesarean and is usually recommended if there is an immediate concern about the wellbeing of you or your baby.

For example, if your baby is showing signs of distress or is not coping, and birth is not imminent, or if there is heavy bleeding or you suddenly become very unwell.  

Category 2: There are problems affecting your health or your baby’s health but they are not immediately life threatening.

This is the most common type of emergency caesarean section. In this case, surgery would be performed within 75 minutes of the decision being made.   

The most common reason for a category 2 caesarean would be that labour has slowed or stopped, and interventions to encourage progress have been unsuccessful.  

What to expect

The obstetrician will tell you why they are recommending an emergency caesarean section. You should understand the reason it is being recommended, what will happen, and be given information about the risks and side effects of the operation.

We will ask you to consent to the operation. This will usually be a written signature on a consent form. In extreme emergencies we will ask you to verbally consent and sign the consent form afterwards.

It can be a difficult decision to make when you are in labour, so we recommend that you take some time to find out about emergency caesareans when you are thinking about your birth plan.

There are different forms of anaesthesia available for a caesarean section. For the operation, you can either to go to sleep, known as general anaesthetic, or stay awake, known as spinal or epidural anaesthetic. 

At Worcestershire Royal Hospital the preferred method is to use a spinal for most mothers. It is usually safer for you and your baby and enables both you and your partner to experience the birth together. Your recovery is from this will also be easier.

Your midwife will stay with you. If you have not had a general anaesthetic, they will explain the different things that are happening during the operation.   

One birth partner can come into theatre with you. Please note that if you need to have a general anaesthetic your birth partner cannot come into theatre, and they will have to wait for you in recovery.

Once surgery has started, your baby is usually born within 15 minutes.  Your baby will be then with your partner in recovery with you until you wake up from the anaesthetic.  

If you have an epidural or spinal then your partner can be with you in theatre if you wish A neonatal doctor will be there when your baby is born to check them and provide immediate care if it’s needed.

If your baby is well, we will return them to you as soon as possible. We encourage skin to skin for you and your partner in theatre if this is possible and part of your birth plan. 

After your caesarean section you will be moved to the recovery area with your baby and partner.

The information page below details what to expect postnatally after your caesarean:

After Your Caesarean Section