No one originally plans to have a cesarean section, but in some cases, a C-section may become necessary. One example is if you have had previous cesarean sections and decide that VBAC is not for you. Whatever the reason, we will do everything in our power to make your experience the very best it can possibly be.
One of the main ways we do that is called a “gentle" or "natural" C-section. Medically speaking, these procedures take very little extra effort and may make the procedure much easier on the mother.
During a gentle C-section, instead of handing the baby directly to the NICU team, we put a few sterile towels over your chest and (after the umbilical cord is cut) put the baby straight on your chest as well. The NICU team will always have someone at your bedside ready to receive the baby when he/she comes, so we don’t break any sterile protocols nor put you at risk of infection. The difference is simply this: you get to see and touch your baby immediately, before anyone else does.
Of course, if your baby requires medical intervention, we will need to proceed the traditional way, but we always try to allow your baby to go to you as soon as it is medically safe to do so.
Another assurance that I provide to my C-section patients is this: there will be no “whisking away” of the baby from the operating room. In my opinion, there is never a good reason why the baby should be physically separated from the mother at any time. If you have a dedicated support person with you in the operating room, and the baby is healthy, the baby can be wrapped in a blanket and held by your assistant as needed until you are ready to leave the recovery room. Otherwise, the baby can rest in the warmer, but you will still know he/she is right there in the room with you the whole time. As soon as you are on the stretcher and ready to leave the C-section room, your baby can be handed to you so you can hold your little one while we transport you as a mother-baby unit to the recovery room.
There are only rare occasions where this cannot be done, such as if you required general anesthesia, the baby needs immediate medical attention, or another emergency situation arises.
