Iodine Swab

Was your c-section emergency or elective?

They don’t swab your actual vagina but they have to put iodine around the area and your groin to reduce infection as your incision is close to the bikini line. It’s standard procedure for any operation for iodine to be put around the area

Its standard procedure in any operation so it won't be in your notes

Its done to sterilise the entire area. Without it, you face a far higher risk of infection, especially if your waters had already broken or you had been labouring.

@Lucy it was emergency, cat 2, but they still explained everything else that would happen apart from that. Or maybe they don't do it with an emergency one?

@Ames no I understand that, but this is where they specifically insert a swab into your vagina

@Lauren I'm not talking about swabbing the incision site though which is standard for any operation. This is where a swab is inserted specifically into the vagina.

@Kirsty I understand the need for it. I was just surprised I wasn't told it would be done and that it wasn't in my notes.

The external vagina area. It is not inserted into your vagina.

@Rebecca they don’t insert anything into your vagina.

They absolutely do insert into your vagina, as standard, with a c section. It’s done after the procedure and most women don’t even know about it and sign consent for it to be done. You can ask about it and have every right to all the knowledge you can gather. Many women are surprised to learn this. Because they’re numb and it’s after the baby has come, people are distracted

@Kirsty nope, it's inserted in

@Ames they do

@Jennie thank you! This is what I'm referring to! I was surprised to learn of it as they had talked me through everything else but no mention of this. And as you say, obviously as I was numb I wasn't aware of it happening.

@Rebecca they did not talk to me about it either, but my doula told me they would and that I should inform myself. If I remember correctly, it’s to remove and excess tissue/blood and helps prevent infection. I THINK, not every NHS trust performs it as standard. But it is common. And it’s common that women know nothing about it. As a survivor of SA, I thought it was pretty terrifying that it’s so unknown to women.

They 100% didn’t tell me about it before my slightly emergent csection but once I was in there they told me when they were just about to do it. Same thing with the suppositories. I wish they would have talked to me about both before taking me back OR better yet I wish the birth classes I took before hand would have mentioned these things. I knew about the catheter but not these. As a SA survivor both of these things sent my anxiety through the roof (especially because they threw that curtain up as soon as I was on the bed so I couldn’t even see or feel who was touching me), so I get where you are coming from… should I ever have more babies I guess I will know what to expect but further there will be definite conversations with the entire team about my past trauma so that they are aware not to just rush all over me if at all possible so that my anxiety can stay at bay.

@Jennie I find it so bizarre that they talked me through everything else but not that. It's possible they didn't do it, I'm trying to find out. I'm also a survivor and that's why I'm particularly concerned about consent!

@Amanda it's possible they mentioned it to me right before but by that point I was fairly distracted so might not remember. What suppositories? They talked me through the catheter but nothing on the iodine swab or suppositories (that I remember anyway!) I'm a survivor too so consent is of huge importance to me!

I had an emergency c section after labour was causing distress for my baby, I was swabbed before the c section commenced & was advised it was taking place but didn’t sign anything that I am aware of for consent

I had a cat 1 emergency c sec and this “swab” caused me lots of trauma as I had no idea whilst in and out of contractions and consciousness. I had to question it during my birth reflections as I thought I had imagined it. I felt it as I was going to be under GA. I’m speculating that maybe if your spinal has already kicked in you wouldn’t feel it like your catheter ? I felt everything prior to the first incision.

@Amanda I had an all female team so there were no men in the room besides my husband. So this brought me a level of comfort. And they kept the screen down. It’s so bizarre how secret this seems. Look at all the women in this thread who know nothing about it. It’s upsetting.

@Rebecca the suppositories were pain medication that they popped in pretty much at the same time as the catheter.. I wish I was distracted but by that point my anxiety of knowing I was being touched and not only couldn’t see but also couldn’t feel was so high that I was very much aware of everything and just wished my partner or someone was there to hold my hand to calm me down. My heart rate was like 160+ as soon as that curtain went up and didn’t come down until my partner was there.. i would ask the OB who did the section about if if I was in your position!

@Jennie yea I had an all female team too but really it didn’t make a difference for my anxiety … it is upsetting for sure and something I believe should be talked about in birth classes more often so that more women are aware of what to fully expect!

@Victoria I would have been happy even with verbal consent tbh but if it was done it wasn't ever mentioned to me let alone consented to, unless I have completely forgotten.

@Abi yeah if it was done I wouldn't have felt it but they said they would do the catheter and explained I wouldn't feel it so I can't understand why they wouldn't have mentioned the swab. Either they did and I've completely forgotten, they did it without consent or they didn't actually do it.

@Amanda ah I see! As far as I'm aware all my pain relief was given via IV. I'm sorry it was such a stressful experience for you! I'm 18mo pp so don't have any contact with the OB anymore. I've checked my notes and the paperwork I have from the procedure and it isn't even referenced anywhere. I think I'll do a full subject access request and see if there's anything more in those notes.

@Amanda one HUNDRED percent. I never heard about it until my doula told me about a week before my c.

I was given suppositories aswell for pain relief which they did verbally ask consent for. I was aware of the catheter aswell, my midwife even asked consent to shave down below as my incision is quite low. So to not even mention inserting something into your vagina?! Surely not 😵‍💫

@Rhonda this is my concern! I can’t see anything in my notes so I’m hoping it wasn’t done rather than done without my knowledge or consent but then since it’s standard procedure if it wasn’t done I’d like to know why. So many questions!

I’m in the US but this came up and they put it in my vagina too. I was not numb because I was going to be put under so I could feel everything and they talked me through it. Had to leave it up there for several seconds.

@Rebecca you could probably contact the ward in your county. If it’s standard for your local NHS trust, you can sadly probably assume it happened

@Haley thank you for sharing your experience. I hope I can get to the bottom of whether I had it or not.

@Jennie I’ll definitely be contacting them and asking questions!

I wasn’t aware that my vagina was swabbed after my section to check for bleeding and to make sure I was ok to go to recovery. Also had suppository pain medication which again I wasn’t told about 🙃

@Shannon this is so concerning! How did you find out?

@Rebecca through watching a TikTok of a Obs & Gynae Dr who explained the procedure 🙈 its standard apparently 🥴

@Shannon I find it so concerning!