Every birth is unique and for roughly one in three families in Alberta, that birth includes a cesarean. Whether planned in advance or decided during labour, a cesarean birth (also called a C-section) can be a calm, safe, and even beautiful way to welcome your baby into the world.

This guide will walk you through what to expect if you’re having a cesarean, whether it’s scheduled or becomes part of your birth journey unexpectedly. Our goal is to help you feel informed, supported, and confident in navigating every step.

Why Everyone Should Have a Cesarean Plan

Even if you're planning for a vaginal birth, it’s important to know that cesareans are fairly common. In Alberta, around 34% of births happen by cesarean. Some are planned in advance, and others become necessary during labour due to unexpected changes in you or your baby’s wellbeing.

While cesareans are often recommended when something needs medical attention, that doesn't mean the experience has to feel rushed or scary. When you understand what to expect and what your options are, it can help you feel more prepared and supported, no matter how your birth unfolds.

Creating a backup cesarean plan isn’t about expecting things to go wrong, it’s about being ready for all possibilities. Knowing your preferences ahead of time can make the experience feel calmer, more informed, and even empowering if it becomes part of your story.

Planned Cesarean Birth

Preparing for a Planned Cesarean

One of the advantages of a planned cesarean is the ability to prepare emotionally and mentally ahead of time. You’ll have the opportunity during your prenatal appointments to talk with your care team, ask questions, and explore options that can make the experience feel more calm, personal, and supported.

Some families choose to:

Play music in the operating room
Ask for the team to explain each step during the surgery
Request that they or their partner announce the baby’s sex
Plan for immediate or early skin-to-skin contact

Think about what’s meaningful to you and discuss your preferences in advance. While not all requests may be possible in every situation, many healthcare teams are happy to accommodate when it’s safe to do so.

What to Expect on the Day of Surgery

If your cesarean is scheduled in advance, your care team will provide detailed instructions beforehand. In most Calgary hospitals, you’ll be asked to arrive early, sometimes as early as 6:00am to allow time for check-in and preparation.

Even with a scheduled time, it’s common to experience delays. Emergency surgeries take priority, and it’s possible your procedure may be bumped. Try to stay flexible, and consider bringing comfort items to help you pass the time like a good book, a device with downloaded shows or movies, an eye mask to help you nap, or anything that helps you relax and feel calm while you wait.

Once you're admitted and in your pre-op room, you’ll complete some paperwork, meet the surgical and anaesthesia teams, and have your vital signs checked. They will also place your IV at this time.

This preparation window is also a chance for you and your partner to ask any final questions or share any last-minute concerns. Your care team is there to support you and help ensure you feel informed and at ease going into your baby’s birth.

Unplanned Cesarean Birth

If you’re in labour and a cesarean becomes necessary, your care team will explain why and review the benefits and risks. This can be an emotional moment, especially if your birth plan was different. Remember, unplanned doesn’t mean unprepared.

This may not have been the original plan but you still have choices. You can ask questions, request support, and even make small adjustments that help the experience feel more gentle and personal. Your team is there to care for your physical and emotional wellbeing.

Before going into the OR

You are typically allowed one support person with you in the operating room. If you have additional support people, they will need to wait until after the surgery is complete to join you again in the recovery area.

When it’s time to move into the OR, your support person will step away briefly to get ready. A nurse will guide them to change into scrubs including hair cover and shoe covers and they’ll wait just outside the operating room while you're being prepped for surgery. This short separation allows the medical team to get you settled and ensure everything is ready before your support person comes in to sit with you at your side.

This transition happens quickly, and you’ll be reunited with your support person in the OR very soon.

In the Operating Room: What to Expect (Planned or Unplanned)

Once you're in the OR, you'll be helped onto a slightly left-tilted operating table with soft supports on either side to keep you comfortable and stable. This gentle tilt helps take pressure off major blood vessels in your body, which supports healthy blood flow during the surgery. It's a small adjustment that helps keep both you and your baby safe throughout the procedure.

Your anaesthesiologist will then administer your anesthesia, either a spinal or an epidural, depending on your specific situation:

Spinal anesthesia is most commonly used for planned cesareans. It involves a single, strong dose of medication injected into your lower back. It works quickly and provides complete numbness from the mid-chest (approximately at the nipple line) to your toes for the duration of the surgery.
Epidural anesthesia may be used if you already have one in place from labour. In that case, the anesthesiologist will increase the medication to provide the level of numbness needed for surgery.

In both cases, you’ll remain awake and alert during your sugery, as the anesthesia will block all pain. It is important to note that you will still feel pressure sensations, movement, or gentle tugging as the surgery progresses. These feelings can sometimes be surprising, but they shouldn’t be painful.

After the anesthesia is given, your anesthesiologist will take time to carefully check that it’s working fully. They’ll gently test your sensation and confirm that you’re completely numb from the mid chest down before moving forward. This step is taken seriously, they won’t proceed until they’re sure you’re completely comfortable.

Only once the anesthesia has taken full effect a urinary catheter be gently inserted into your bladder. This is a routine part of preparing for surgery, and because it’s done after you’re numb, you won’t feel any discomfort. Your care team will be by your side throughout, monitoring you closely and making sure you feel safe, calm, and supported.

Your arms may be gently secured out to the sides to prevent slipping or sudden movements, and a surgical drape will be placed across your chest to create a sterile field. At this point, your support person will be brought in to sit beside you at your head, where they can stay with you throughout the birth.

If anything you feel is uncomfortable or unsettling, let your care team know right away. Your anesthesiologist will remain by your side for the entire procedure, checking in regularly and adjusting care as needed to keep you as comfortable as possible.

Creating a Family-Centred Cesarean

Cesareans don’t have to feel clinical or cold. Many families are surprised to learn that they can still make requests to help the birth feel more personal and connected. Some options to consider:

Ask your care team to talk you through each step of the procedure or, if you prefer, to keep conversation to just what’s necessary.
Play your own music in the OR (some hospitals can accomadate this).
Ask for the drape to be lowered so you can see your baby being born.
Request that you or your partner announce the baby’s sex.
Ask about immediate skin-to-skin for you or your partner, depending on your and baby’s condition. It is important to note that for the birthing person, that this will be supported skin-to-skin as your team completes your surgery.

Not all hospitals or situations allow for every request, but it’s always worth discussing your preferences. Your care team wants your birth to feel safe, respectful, and as connected as possible.

Immediately After Birth

Once your baby is born your team will do a quick check to ensure your little one is healthy and stable. You may be able to have skin-to-skin in the OR, depending on how you and your baby are doing, or your partner may hold the baby while the surgical team completes your procedure (which takes another 30–45 minutes).

Once the surgery is complete you will be moved to the post-op recovery area, where you’ll be closely monitored for a few hours. This is usually the time when most families enjoy more comfortable and extended skin-to-skin and often begin feeding for the first time, with support from the nursing staff or your doula if applicable.

Even with the excitement and emotion of meeting your baby, you are still beginning to recover from a major surgery. Take it slow and let your care team know if you’re feeling cold, overwhelmed, or need extra support, they’re there to help.

A few hours after your surgery is complete, you will be moved to your postpartum room to recover. Depending on the hospital where you gave birth, this may be a shared or private room. There is a bathroom with a shower in your room, and once you are stable and ready, your nursing staff can assist you with bathing if you would like.

Most people spend two nights in the hospital after a cesarean. During your stay, your care team will support your recovery, help you learn how to care for your incision, and assist you with caring for your baby, including breastfeeding.

Confidence Through Cesarean

Whether your cesarean is something you’ve known about for weeks, or something you learn about during labour, it doesn’t mean you don’t have options. You can still ask questions. You can still make choices. And you can still have a birth that feels calm, supported, and centred on your family.

Cesarean births are not something to fear. With preparation, communication, and a supportive team, they can be powerful, beautiful experiences. We’re here to help you feel confident and cared for, no matter how your baby is born.

Need help creating your cesarean plan?
Our prenatal classes cover everything from vaginal birth to family-centred cesareans. Whether you're planning, preparing, or adjusting to a new plan, our team is here to support you.

We hope this guide will help you feel more confident as you plan for birth, including cesarean. Follow us on Instagram at @welcomebabyco for new blogs and posts on all things pregnancy, birth and babies!

Welcome Baby Co. is a Calgary-based company. We are happy to support all kinds of families through all kinds of birth and postpartum. Our goal is to prepare you for any scenario that may arise so that you can feel confident and empowered as you enter parenthood.

If you have any questions about Calgary birth doulas, Calgary postpartum doulas, breastfeeding support in Calgary or our Prenatal classes in Calgary, please contact us.

Disclaimer: The information provided on this website/blog is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have.

A Guide to: Cesarean Birth