How to prepare

Preparing in advance

Arrange childcare and support at home

You need to arrange childcare for any other children while you are in hospital. You stay in hospital for at least 1 night.

We do not provide childcare. The hospital birth centre is not a suitable environment for children.

You can have 1 birth partner with you in the operating theatre.

Pack an overnight bag for your hospital stay

We recommend that you bring 1 overnight bag with you on the day of your surgery. Any other items, such as a car seat, can be brought the next day for when you leave hospital (are discharged).

Please do not bring:

• valuables
• cooked food that needs reheating
• cigarettes or tobacco

1 week before your caesarean birth

Make sure that we posted your medicine

We post you a medicine called omeprazole. The tablets reduce the amount of acid in your stomach. Do not take omeprazole until the night before your surgery.

If you do not get your omeprazole medicine in the post, please call 07985 126 667.

Take part in an online (virtual) education session

We send you a link to an online (virtual) education session. This session takes place at 5pm on the Friday before your caesarean birth.

Prepare your skin

You need to stop shaving or waxing your pubic area or bikini line at least 1 week before your caesarean birth. This reduces the chance of infection.

1 to 2 days before your caesarean birth: blood test

You need to have a blood test 2 days or 1 day before your planned caesarean. This is to check your iron levels and blood type.

Please go to our blood test centre at St Thomas' Hospital. This is on the ground floor in South Wing.

You can come for the blood test from Monday to Friday between 7.30am and 5.45pm, and book a time that suits you.

The night before your caesarean birth: medicine

Remember to take your omeprazole medicine.

Omeprazole is medicine to reduce the acid in your stomach. We post this medicine to you 1 week before your planned caesarean.

Take 2 omeprazole tablets at 10pm on the night before your surgery.

Eating and drinking before surgery

You need to stop eating and drinking at the times listed in the following guide.

If you are going to hospital at 7.30am

• Before 2am: you can eat and drink as usual up to 2am
• 2am to 7am: you can drink water but do not eat anything
• After 7am: do not drink or eat anything

If you are going to hospital at 12.30pm

• Before 7am: You can have a light breakfast of cereal or toast with tea or coffee before 7am.
• 7am to 11am: you can drink water but do not eat anything
• After 11am: do not drink or eat anything

You can also have non-fizzy energy drinks or clear apple juice to drink instead of water, unless you have diabetes.

The morning of your caesarean birth

You need to:

• take 2 omeprazole tablets at 7am
• follow our eating and drinking rules

Wash your skin

Wash your pubic area (the area above your genitals and below your stomach) and bikini line (the skin around your genitals) with soap and water.

Do not use any lotions, creams or talcum powder on your skin.

Remove jewellery, makeup and false nails

Remove all jewellery and piercings. You can keep on your wedding ring, if you have one.

Do not wear any makeup and remove false nails.