	Having a caesarean section Easy read information
	A caesarean section is an operation to take the baby out of your tummy You might also hear people call the operation a caesarean or a C-section
	What happens during the operation
	Your operation will take place in an operation theatre
	There will be a lot of people in the operation theatre – they all have an important job to do
	You can choose someone to stay with you while you have the operation – it's up to you who you choose
	Before you have the operation, we will give you an injection in your back
	The medication in the injection will make you feel numb from your breasts to your toes Numb means that you do not feel any pain
	You will still have some feeling in your body, but you won't feel any pain
	You will have to lie on your back for the operation – we will help you to do this
	When the medication starts to work and you are numb, the doctor will make a cut at the bottom of your tummy
	Your baby will come out through this cut
	The operation takes 15 minutes before your baby is born
	After your baby is born the doctor will fix the cut they made – this can take up to 1 hour
	After the operation the numb feeling will start to go away – you will slowly get feeling back in your legs and tummy
	After the operation you will have some pain – the midwife will give you medication to help with this
	After the operation there will be a tube in your vagina to help you wee
	We will take this tube out the morning after your operation
	After the operation you will be taken out to hr Postnatal Ward until you are ready to go home
	It will take up to 6 weeks for you to be fully better from the operation