The moment you've been waiting for - your baby's birth! It's been about 5-10 minutes since your surgery started. Your baby will typically be briefly held over the drape to show you the baby and then taken away by a nursery nurse or neonatologist to a nearby warmer depending on the set up of the operating room. With some prior planning, you can request to be skin-to-skin with your baby immediately, while they finish the surgery.

If your baby goes to the warmer, it is usually in the same room as the surgery. Here your baby will be suctioned again to ensure that they have help clearing the amniotic fluid. Your baby may also have some basic care like weighing, measuring, vitamin K, etc.

The repair of the uterus and the layers that were cut during the surgery need to be completed before the end of the surgery. During this portion of the surgery the placenta will also be removed and examined by your doctor. This is the longest part of the cesarean section, which total takes about 45-60 minutes to complete. During this time you can usually have your baby with you to breastfeed or hold. It can also be possible for your support person to hold the baby close to your face if you are unable to hold your baby.