My story

I had a scheduled c-section b/c of some significant pelvic issues from a car accident I was in as a teen. Since I was 16, I was told I'd need a c-section, so I have always visualized this method of birth and don't feel like I've missed out.
The hospital I was in was nothing less than fantastic. It's a newer unit, with a "family centered approach" that is very different from smaller hospitals in my area. If I had stayed in my home town, this story would be different.
The surgical room was a while suite. They had 2 isolates and a nurse and a respiratory therapist for each baby in the room when I went in. I had my nurse and anesthesiologist. They struggled quite a bit with my spinal/epidural combo b/c I was quite swollen. She had to attempt 4 different times before calling for help and then getting it herself anyway. Apparently it was saline she was injecting into the site, but everytime I got crazy pain down my right leg, I panicked that she was touching my spinal cord. So my sweating and shaking reaction didn't help her.
Anyway, after it was in, they laid me down and my nurse explained again how everything would go.
The doctors came in at this point. What an amazing feeling; to feel touch, to feel like you SHOULD be able to move your legs, but feel no pain and be unable to lift your legs.
My husband sat to the left of my head.
They have a tv on the ceiling so if a baby needs more help (but not NICU help) and goes into the adjacent room, I can watch what is happening still. The tv wasn't on in my room, so instead I could see the reflection of my surgery which was pretty cool!
My anesthesiologist was kind and calm and I really liked her. She talked me through things. But really, I felt very relaxed. When they cut through my uterus she covered my view of the tv though b/c she decided it could get to be "too much".
That little squeaking cry, what a beautiful sound. Then they showed me the baby for a very quick second and took him to the isolate. My husband had a clear path to walk to the isolates and back to me, taking pics with his iPhone to bring back to me. But the crying was so reassuring anyway. Then the second baby adding to the crying sounds. Wow.
Our little guy had a cyst on his cord so they called the neonatologist in to have a look. My husband could stand with them and get the scoop immediately - not a problem. I wonder if this was the problem all along affecting his cord blood flow though.
They cleaned up and weighed the babies and gave them both to my husband who sat beside my head for the sewing up stage of the surgery. I didn't try to watch the surgery anymore, now obsessed with staring at my babies.
As soon as the section was complete, they put the naked babies on my chest and wheeled us into recovery. There we did some breast feeding (wow the body is so amazing that it is already producing colostrum). They did the glucose testing during this time as well so that's where we ran into some problems with our little guy.
It was difficult and I was very sad to have them take him to the NICU. Spending 2 hrs with him naked on your chest, then for them to take him away, was awful. So the little guy and my husband went to the NICU, and my bigger guy and I went to the maternity ward.
I loved the staff. I loved the set up of this hospital. Just a great birth experience.
The ward room we were stuck in the first night is another story but I'm trying to focus on the positives (got our private room on the second day anyway).