The recovery room (known as 'Recovery') is a room attached to the operating theatre where the woman is closely monitored for up to an hour or so after the operation has been completed. Once the surgeon has completed the stitching, the woman is lifted off the operating table and onto a trolley bed to be wheeled into the recovery room.
Some hospitals place the woman directly onto the actual hospital ward bed (that has been wheeled from the postnatal ward into the operating theatre). This has the advantage of not having to move the woman again, once she is taken back to the postnatal ward.
In the recovery room, the nurse or midwife performs and records regular observations of the woman's blood pressure and pulse. He or she will also check for excessive bleeding from the woman's vagina, the firmness of her uterus and any oozing of blood from the suture line. The caregiver may need to give the woman extra pain relieving medications in recovery, such as a narcotic injection, if the woman has had a general anaesthetic or if the spinal anaesthetic is wearing off.
If an epidural anaesthetic was used this is usually left in place for further pain relief to be given, for about 24 to 48 hours after the birth. The epidural is usually 'topped up' with further medication, inserting it down the epidural tube once it starts to wear off (generally 1 to 2 hours after the operation).
The woman will stay in recovery until all of her physical observations are stable (and when she is awake and alert if a General anaesthetic was used). You could request that the partner or support person and the baby accompany the woman to the recovery room, until she is ready to be taken back to the postnatal ward. As a routine not many hospitals allow this, but as there is no medical reason to support this rule, (unless the baby is unwell) it could be discussed with your caregiver or included in your
birth plan.