For years now I've been a part of the VBAC support forum on BabyCenter, and I've read literally hundreds of women's cesarean birth stories. I've read some positive and empowering stories, and I've read some tragic ones that truly fit the term "birthrape." But I have never read one like the one Joanna Moorhead describes in this UK article titled "Every Bit as Magical." Professor Nick Fisk is pioneering a cesarean technique he calls the "skin-to-skin cesarean," a significant improvement over the clinical and reserved deliveries most c-section moms expect.
Picture this: Instead of being literally strapped to the table with her view obscured by a curtain, the mother is propped up so she can see her baby's birth. Instead of the surgery being performed as quickly as possible, the pace is slower, gentler. Instead of the baby being whisked away, he is immediately placed on his mother's chest. The cesarean is recognized and honored as what it is- this baby's birth- instead of being performed like just another surgery. How wonderful would this be for women who have to have cesareans?
Taking it a step further, how wonderful would it be if all mothers could expect to be treated like their births are amazing, magical, worthy of respect and consideration? No matter how our babies enter the world, birth remains one of the most powerful and unforgettable experiences we will ever have.
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Love this. I hope it catches on. I really, really hope so. Thanks for your blog Pam!
ReplyDeleteThis made me cry. I want this not only for myself but for every woman! The day a midwife berated me as a someone who wanted to leave her children motherless after asking about a possible VBA2C is the only time I have felt sad to live in America. Things have to change. If C-section is a must, make it "Every Bit as Magical"
ReplyDeleteThere is a doctor in Rhode Island doing Gentle Cesareans now. :)
ReplyDeleteThe DR in RI going Gentle Sections is probably the nicest, most patient DR you will be. Dr Morton is such a fantastic doctor. He delivered my son, my friends son and her daughter. If I lived in RI now I would have gone back to him for this pregnancy!
ReplyDeleteIt's been a few years since you published this post, nevertheless, I wanted to share that gentle cesareans are happening in the States more and more often. Hurray! I had a gentle cesarean birth with my son in Nov 2011. It was awesome! A pregnant friend of mine asked for tips on including preferences if she needs a c-section in her birth plan. I googled "gentle cesarean" and couldn't believe how many more birth stories I found and that several hospitals are even making it standard for all cesareans. Hurray, soooo good for mom and baby! My baby was early term so I was really worried that he might be extra sleepy and difficult to initiate breastfeeding... nope, skin-to-skin, breast crawl, latch, nursed like a champ, regained birth weight very quickly, low bilirubin levels...hurray!
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