Scheduled Cesarean Delivery Patient Instructions

Night before cesarean delivery

  • DO NOT eat, chew gum, or drink anything after midnight the night before your scheduled cesarean.
  • Bathing instructions before your scheduled cesarean delivery
    • A surgical site infection is an infection that occurs in the area where an operation has been performed. There are some things that you can do to decrease your risk of a surgical site infection, such as reducing the bacteria, or “germs,” on your skin.
    • Your clinic may have given you some special disposable cloths moistened with 2% chlorhexidine gluconate, or CHG, antiseptic solution to help prepare your skin for surgery. Please read the following instructions for bathing and skin care the night before your surgery. Thank you for your work to help us prevent surgical site infections!
    • Have clean, freshly laundered bed sheets, towels, and pajamas ready to use the evening prior to surgery.
    • Do not shave your pubic hair the day before or the day of surgery.
    • The night before surgery, shower or bathe with soap and warm water, and wash your hair.
    • Using CHG cloths:
      • Wait at least one hour after showering and be completely dry before applying the cloths. It is OK to wear clean clothing before applying the cloths.
      • If you would like to warm the CHG cloths before using them, place the closed packet in a bowl of warm water at bathwater temperature. Do not microwave.
      • Open the package: Using clean scissors, cut off the end seal of the package and throw away the foam piece.
      • For each package, remove two cloths at a time, and place them on a clean surface.
      • If it is helpful, ask another adult to help with your skin preparation.
      • Wipe your skin as shown in the diagram at the bottom of this page, using one cloth for each area of your skin according to the numbers on the diagram.
      • Avoid contact with eyes, ears, mouth, internal genitalia, and any cuts or open areas of the skin. But DO wipe the superficial skin and groin area, as well as the creases where the legs meet the body.
  • After using CHG cloths:
    • Discard cloths in trash can.
    • Let skin air-dry. Your skin will feel sticky until dry.
    • Do not rinse CHG off the skin prior to surgery.
    • Put on clean pajamas and sleep in clean sheets.
    • Do not shower, bathe, or apply lotions, moisturizers, or other personal care products after using the CHG cloth.

Morning of cesarean delivery

  • When you wake up, you may drink a small glass, no more than 12 ounces or 1½ cups, of a clear liquid such as water; clear, non-cloudy apple juice; or Gatorade or another sports drink that can help replace fluids.
  • Just before leaving for the hospital, you may have another small glass of clear liquid as described above. Call Labor and Delivery at (650) 723-5403 about two hours before arriving at the hospital so we are ready for your arrival.
  • When you arrive at the hospital, park your car in any of these parking lots.
  • Go directly to Labor and Delivery, Unit 280, on the 2nd floor of the West building to check in for your appointment.