BirthWays

This is a new term that is gaining popularity as it provides a very different approach to Ceasarean Surgery.  It offers parents, and their baby, some aspects of a vaginal birth that are not normally associated with ceasarean birth.

During the traditional method of ceasarean surgery, the doctor tries to perform this as quickly as possible. The baby is pulled from the mother uterus as soon as possible after the incision is made and then whisked away to be evaluated, then swaddled and brought to the mother to see for a few moments.

A natural ceasarean follows a more gentle approach. Parents are made more involved by dropping the screen so that the mother can see what is happening. The baby’s head is gently brought out and left this way for a moment. The torso and legs are also delivered in the same way – slowly and gently. This mimics the way in which a baby is delivered vaginally.

The cord is also not immediately cut, but instead it is left until the baby is breathing on his or her own, as the plancenta will still be providing oxygen to the baby. Once it is cut, the baby is passed out of the sterile area and placed skin-to-skin on the mothers chest.

Many studies have shown the importance of immediate and uninterupted skin-to-skin contact following birth, as it helps promote bonding and the facilitation of breastfeeding. It’s generally something which is regarded only in connection to vaginal birth, but now too it can be incorporated into ceasarean birth.

If you need to have an elective ceasarean, or even in some cases where an emergency ceasarean is performed, you can ask for some aspects of the “natural” ceasarean to be incorporated. Make sure to discus your wishes with your care provider, but remember that certain emergency situations may mean they won’t be possible.