what is a gentle cesarean?
April is International Cesarean Awareness Month, so I’ll be adding a few posts about surgical births. Oftentimes, parents who deliver via cesarean feel like they failed, like they let their baby down. Birth parents might mourn the birth they had planned. One way to make a surgical birth feel more like a vaginal birth is a gentle, or family-centered, cesarean delivery.
what is the goal of a gentle cesarean?
a family-centered cesarean aims to shift the mindset of birthing and supporting parents. while it’s still a surgery, this path lets the parents be more involved and feel empowered. another goal is to get the baby onto the birthing parent for skin-to-skin as quickly as possible.
what is a gentle cesarean?
a clear plastic sheet is used, so parents can see the baby emerging
parents can request certain music to be played
if anesthesiologist is comfortable with it, one or both arms can be free
if there are no issues, baby can have immediate skin to skin
the cord clamping is delayed (and the supporting parent can do it)
APGAR tests can be performed on the parent or later
how can you advocate for a gentle cesarean?
even if you don’t anticipate a surgical birth, you can ask your OB/GYN if they will perform a gentle cesarean
if they will not, you can request another doctor
if you do a hospital tour, you can ask if the anesthesiologists are usually comfortable with family-centered cesareans
if possible, bring a doula or advocate to help you explain your rights
remember, all births are real births, and having a surgical birth doesn't mean a parent failed or can’t have a beautiful experience. have you heard about gentle cesarean births? DM me and let me know.
