C-section

No experience with a C-section, but here in the Netherlands your baby just lies on your bed in the room, okay? There's actually a new trend now where hospitals practice a 'natural' C-section. This means that after the C-section (so still on the operating table), there's room for skin-to-skin contact and for placing the baby on you.
I would definitely look into this if I had to have a C-section, because it makes the difference between a C-section and a vaginal birth much smaller. You get space for the first stitches, to start breastfeeding, and your little one immediately comes into contact with your bacteria, which is good for their gut flora.

@Irma, I've had two C-sections. Two completely different experiences. The first one really wasn't pleasant. My daughter was born at 35 weeks, so I wasn't allowed to hold her right away. I didn't see her until about eight hours later. I have to say those eight hours were hell for me. It wasn't so much that I couldn't see my daughter, but more because I was in so much pain. Once I had recovered a bit, we went to see our daughter who was on the NICU for observation. From that moment on, she was my daughter and I loved her unconditionally. Looking back, I feel guilty that I didn't have any longing for her in those first hours and was only focused on myself and my intense pain. I still maintain that they didn't sedate me enough because I was already in excruciating pain as soon as they moved me from the operating table to my regular bed. Because I really wanted to breastfeed, I only got Paracetamol for pain relief.

I was really dreading my second C-section because I had experienced the first one as hell. But this one was simply a dream compared to the first. My second daughter was born at almost 38 weeks. When she was born, I held her on my chest for sure over a quarter of an hour. After that, she went with papa to the delivery room. Throughout the time until I was back, she was able to tummy-time with papa. When I was on the ward, I got her back on my chest right away. She lay there naked for hours, and I could give her first bottle right there. This time I had absolutely no pain!!!!!! I think the spinal block was done a thousand times better. Because I had decided to give her the bottle, I got pain relief that was morphine-like for the days after if needed.

My second one also came to my room right away, and after 4 days we went home comfortably. With the first one, I didn't get her to my room until after a week, and we left the hospital together 10 days after her birth. So you see two completely different C-sections. But we mustn't forget that the first one was born too early. If you base it on the second one, which wasn't born too early, everything went beautifully and well.

I can only give you the tip to let things take their course, and who knows, maybe he or she will still turn. Anything is possible, my second one was in breech until 37 weeks, then transverse for another day, and then actually turned head-down a few days before the C-section. Good luck, keep us posted!

@Irma,
I can't tell you whether you have to come in the evening or the morning. I was already in the hospital for over 2 weeks for the C-section. I was immediately very attached to my second daughter! I found it so nice that she lay naked on my chest for hours, so much so that I didn't give a damn that Madam also wet my pants a little bit then! The morning before the C-section I first had to go to the delivery rooms. There I was completely prepared. First they still wrote CTG for over half an hour, I already had an IV, they shaved you and put on a jacket and tied your hair. Then I went to the OR, when I arrived I was laid on the OR table, got my spinal block and only when that worked did I get a bladder catheter. I should add that I don't know if they do that in the NL too when your spinal block is already working. I gave birth to my two girls in Germany. But I do recommend you ask about this to have it done. Because you always get a bladder catheter during a C-section and I know stories from women that inserting this is really not pleasant. The C-section itself is very quickly over, until your baby is born. You don't have any pain!!!! But you do feel them pulling and pressing on your body! After that it takes a while before they are finished with stitching and so on. So I had my daughter on my chest for a long time during that period.
I'm now getting a C-section for my third. I'm not looking forward to it at all anymore because I know it can also go very well. My C-section is already scheduled, I know the date and it's June 6, 2013. I'm curious if this will really work or if our son thinks he has to come earlier.
I hope you found something useful in my story. If you have any more questions, I'd be happy to hear them.

That's indeed an advantage of the C-section being scheduled. Oh yeah, you know there were so many women before, but it's an exciting idea! Tonight I'm off to the VK, feeling excited! And then we'll see how our little miracle is doing.