If you’re preparing for a C-section, you’ve probably spent time thinking about your baby, your hospital bag, and your recovery…

But have you thought about the role of your support person?

Having the right person beside you – someone who understands your needs, supports you emotionally, and helps you prepare – can make a huge difference to your birth experience and recovery.

In this article, I’ll walk you through what a support person can do before your C-section, and how to make the most of that support.

Who Is a Support Person?

Your support person is someone you choose to be with you during your birth and recovery.

This could be:

• Your partner
• Your mum
• A close friend
• Another trusted person in your life

In some cases, it may also be possible to have a professional support person present (like a doula), but this will depend on your hospital and usually needs to be discussed in advance. 

Why Your Support Person Matters 

Having a support person isn’t just about having someone there on the day.

They can:

• Help you feel calmer leading up to birth
• Support you emotionally
• Help you understand what to expect
• Advocate for your preferences
• Support your recovery at home

This is especially important if you’re feeling unsure, anxious, or even disappointed about having a C-section. You don’t have to carry those feelings alone.

What Your Support Person Can Do Before Your C-Section

There are so many practical and meaningful ways your support person can support you in the lead-up to birth.

1. Attend Appointments With You

Your support person can:

• Come to appointments (when possible)
• Help you think of questions beforehand
• Take notes or remember information
• Support you emotionally if you’re feeling overwhelmed

Sometimes just having someone else in the room can make everything feel more manageable.

2. Educate Themselves

This is a big one! There is so much emphasis on mothers researching and educating themselves on birth and recovery. It’s equally important that your support person joins you in that journey too. 

Encourage your support person to:

• Learn about c-section birth
• Understand the recovery process
• Know what you can and can’t do after surgery 
• Be aware of any red flags pre and post surgery, to support your health and wellbeing 

This could look like attending a c-section birth class with you, listening to podcasts (like mine), or reading articles or books. It is important that you learn before the birth if possible, as afterwards you will be tired and busy adjusting to life with a new baby.

3. Help You Create a Postpartum Plan

Postpartum planning is about so much more than packing a hospital bag in advance, or even planning for the birth itself.

It’s about thinking through:

• Who will help you at home
• How meals will be managed
• Who will do household tasks
• How you’ll manage the needs of other children (if you have them)
• What professional support services you might need to access

After a c-section, your movement will be limited, so having a plan in place is incredibly important. Your support person can help you to come up with and document this plan, and then follow through with providing support once the baby arrives. 

4. Support Your Birth Plan

Yes—you can absolutely have a birth plan for a c-section. Even though it’s surgery, there are still choices you can make. Your support person can help you to think through your preferences, and advocate for you on the day. It’s about making the experience feel as personal and supported as possible. Discuss your options with your care team, in advance if possible. Things like; music playing in the theatre, skin to skin with baby as soon as possible, and delayed cord clamping may be available.

5. Help Prepare Your Hospital Bag (and Theirs)

You’ve probably thought about your hospital bag (there are so many articles about this), but your support person needs to be prepared too.

Some helpful things for them to bring include:

• A phone (for photos, communication, music)
• A charger (very important!)
• Comfortable clothes
• Toiletries (if staying overnight)

• Enclosed shoes (these are needed in theatre)
• A hair tie (if they have long hair)
• Pants with pockets (to hold the essentials in theatre)

A few other items you could consider:

• A baby beanie that smells like you. You can wear it inside your bra in the lead up to birth so it carries your scent. This can be given to staff to be used on your baby instead of the standard hospital beanies. 
• A cloth with a familiar scent (like perfume or essential oils). This is not for the baby! It is for you to smell during the birth. It can be comforting if you’re sensitive to smells in the hospital environment, plus smell links strongly to memories. 
• Any written material for your support person to read to you during the birth, like affirmations or a special poem.

These are simple but powerful ways to make the experience feel more familiar and calming.

 

6. Support You Practically and Emotionally During Birth

On the day of your C-section, your support person can help with the logistics such as being responsible for your belongings and getting you both to the hospital on time. One of the most important and special things they can do for you though, is to support you emotionally. 

Your support person can help you to stay calm and feel reassured. For this to work best, it’s important to talk about this before the birth – discuss what helps you feel calm, and how best they can support you. Ideas could include talking through happy memories, reading out affirmations, and holding your hand. 

This kind of support can make such a difference when you’re feeling overwhelmed.

A Simple Way to Start Preparing

If you are preparing for a c-section birth, there are two things you can do today with your support person to make the experience more positive: Have a conversation with your support person about expectations and ideas of how they can help you, and make a plan for this support together.