Sometimes a Caesarean birth (C-section) is safer for mother or baby than is a vaginal delivery. Whether your C-section happens unexpectedly or you've planned it months in advance, you may be anxious about the experience. Here's what to expect during the C-section — and how to promote recovery afterward.

Most C-sections take about 30 to 45 minutes.

• Preparation. Before the C-section, your abdomen will be cleansed. A tube (catheter) will be placed in your bladder, and intravenous (IV) lines to provide fluid and medication will be placed in a vein in your hand or arm.

• Anesthesia. Regional anesthesia — which numbs only the lower part of your body — is most common. With epidural anesthesia, pain medication is injected into your lower back just outside the sac that surrounds your spinal cord. With a spinal block, the medication is injected directly into the sac surrounding your spinal cord. You'll be able to hear and see the baby right after delivery.

  In an emergency, general anesthesia may be needed. With this type of anesthesia, you won't be able to see, feel or hear anything during the birth.

• Abdominal incision. The doctor will make an incision through your abdominal wall. It's usually done horizontally near the pubic hairline. If a large incision is needed or the baby must be delivered very quickly, a vertical incision may be made from just below the navel to just above the pubic bone.
• Uterine incision. The uterine incision is usually made horizontally across the lower portion of the uterus (low transverse incision). Other types of uterine incisions may be used depending on the baby's position or other pregnancy complications.
• Delivery. If you have epidural or spinal anesthesia, you'll likely feel some movement as the baby is pulled from your uterus — but you won't feel pain. The doctor will clear your baby's mouth and nose of fluids, and clamp and cut the umbilical cord. The placenta will be removed from your uterus, and the incisions will be closed layer by layer.

Although you won't be able to hold your baby until after surgery, you'll likely be able to see your baby right away.

After a C-section, most mothers and babies stay in the hospital for about three days. To control pain as the anesthesia wears off, you may use a pump that allows you to adjust the dose of intravenous pain medication as needed. Later, oral pain relievers are usually adequate.

Soon after the C-section, you'll be encouraged to walk — with assistance. Getting up and moving around can speed your recovery and help prevent constipation and potentially dangerous blood clots. The catheter and IVs will likely be removed within 12 to 24 hours of the C-section.

While you're in the hospital, your health care team will monitor your incision for signs of infection. They'll also monitor your appetite, fluid intake, and bladder and bowel function.

IVs and discomfort near the incision can make breast-feeding somewhat awkward. With help, however, you'll be able to start breast-feeding soon after the C-section. Ask your nurse or the hospital's lactation consultant to teach you how to position yourself and support your baby so that you're comfortable.

Your health care team will select medications for your post-surgical pain with breast-feeding in mind. Continuing to take the medication shouldn't interfere with breast-feeding. In fact, trying to breast-feed when you're in pain may only make the whole process more difficult. If you're in pain, you can't relax — and your baby needs you to be calm and low-key when he or she is learning to breast-feed.

It usually takes about four to six weeks for a C-section incision to heal. Fatigue and discomfort are likely. While you're recovering:

• Take it easy. Give yourself time to rest. Keep everything that you and your baby might need within reach. Until your six-week checkup, don't lift anything heavier than your baby.
• Support your abdomen. Use good posture when you stand and walk. Hold your abdomen near the incision during sudden movements, such as coughing, sneezing or laughing. Use pillows or rolled up towels for extra support while breast-feeding.
• Limit company. Too many visitors in the first few weeks will keep you from getting the rest you need to recover and care for your baby.
• Drink up. Extra fluids can help replace those lost during delivery and breast-feeding, as well as prevent constipation. Remember to empty your bladder frequently to reduce the risk of urinary tract infections.
• Avoid sex. Many doctors recommend waiting six weeks before resuming intercourse. But don't give up on intimacy. Spend time with your partner, even if it's just a few minutes in the morning or after the baby goes to sleep at night.
• Don't drive. Until you can handle the sudden movements driving might require, let someone else drive. When you think you're ready to drive, practice sudden moves in the driveway to make sure you won't be slowed by discomfort near your incision. Before you drive anywhere with the baby on your own, make sure you can comfortably manage the baby's car seat or infant carrier.
• Take medication as needed. Your doctor may recommend acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) to relieve pain. If you're constipated or bowel movements are painful, your doctor may recommend an over-the-counter stool softener or a mild laxative, such as milk of magnesia.
• Know when to contact your doctor. Promptly report any signs of infection — such as severe pain in your abdomen; redness, swelling and discharge at your incision site; or flu-like symptoms accompanied by pain in one breast — to your doctor. Postpartum depression may be a concern as well. If your mood is consistently low, you find little joy in life or you have trouble summoning the energy to start a new day, seek help promptly.

If you're disappointed that you had a C-section rather than a vaginal birth, remind yourself that your health and your baby's health are more important than the method of delivery. Although it takes longer to recover from a C-section than from a vaginal birth, the end result is the same — and the adventure of caring for your baby is likely to overshadow it all.