These days and age the C- Section talk comes and goes leaving controversial traces anywhere it appears. What is best for the baby and the mother? What is less stressful? And if you find yourself pregnant in the middle of the controversial conversation, you just want to run! The decision is still yours. Do your own research and learn the facts before making your decision.
A few weeks ago I had a chance to ask Dr. Jim’s, a co-author of “The Pregnancy Power Workbook” a few Gentle C-Section related questions :
What is the idea of a Gentle C-Section?
It is basically an attempt to make the birthing process as natural as possible and as similar to a vaginal delivery as possible.
“Gentle” is a term that is not used by all the OBGYN Provider’s vernacular, but a “gentle” C-section process is being offered at many hospitals.
The hospital I currently am affiliated with does not call it a “gentle” C-Section but their non-emergent sections incorporate almost everything that the term tends to infer including immediate skin to skin for baby and mom, using a clear drape so mom can witness the birth, dad cut the cord (or trims it with the neonatal team), dad and baby stay with mom in the recovery room as long as the baby is stable, music of choice is played in the operating room.
What should a woman consider before electing a C-Section? ?
It really is a collaborative procedure with labor nurses, OB providers, anesthesia and hospital policies as well as patient requests and making sure that their OBGYN provider is part of a team (and that the team is aware of the patient or notified via scheduling) that all see the benefits of the “gentle” C-section will maximize the experience for the patient. The first thing to do is make sure that the hospital has a team that can offer the gentle C-Section.
In what cases C-Section is not a good idea?
Since “gentle” seems to hit a wide variety of aspects of the C-section there are still some things that hospitals and providers can do such as the vaginal gauze for collection of the natural maternal microbiome, but in an emergency situation anesthesia may require the patient to be put to sleep quickly thus there are components that are just no feasible when a patient is asleep for the delivery.
Are there any benefits of this procedure?
Simulating the natural birthing process benefits both mom and baby. There is a good evidence that babies are forever affected by the maternal micro biome at birth ( the microorganisms that are endemic to the mother and those organisms that are contacted via vaginal birth are different than C-Section and therefore the “gentle” C-Section suggests including gauze placed in the vagina then is the gauze is wiped on the neonate after the C-section to expose the baby to the maternal microbiome)
Through 20 years of refining his skills as an OB/GYN physician, Dr. Jim’s has come to recognize the vulnerability that many women experience during their pregnancies because of their lack of knowledge. Our medical system does not consistently allow adequate time for determining patients’ levels of understanding. As the co-author of The Pregnancy Power Workbook, he feels privileged to help create a meaningful pregnancy guide that changes the way women and their providers approach prenatal care. Rather than being thrown into a system that does not support their needs, women using this workbook will experience the reassuring and motivating power gleaned from real knowledge.
Dr. Jim enjoys his new practice with the University Perinatology Consultants in Colorado Springs where he lives with his wife, three active children, his mother, and his sister. When time allows, they all enjoy theater, dining, and traveling.
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This is interesting information and most people are pretty charged about their opinions on the subject of childbirth. Thanks for sharing info on “gentle c-sections” which I had not heard of before.
I did not have a C section but if I had, I definitely like the idea of a “gentle” one!
I had to have an unplanned cesarean, which was a bit traumatizing … however, I did experience some of these characteristics of a “gentle” c-section, and I was so thankful for that. Some of the others I hadn’t heard of before, and I’m interested in learning more. Thanks for sharing!
When I was pregnant, Cesarean wasn’t really even discussed in my doctor’s office. I think it is a wonderful thing to raise awareness and educate moms on their options.
This is good information for anyone who is or is wanting to get pregnant. It’s good to get this information, so you can make an informed choice when the time comes.
Interesting info. Hasn’t come up for me. I get irritated when I see people critique how our babies came into the world. Thanks for sharing!
How interesting. I’ve never heard of a gentle C-section before, but it definitely sounds like a good thing. I think I’ve heard a little about that maternal microbiome and how they wipe it on the newborn right after birth… It does kind of makes sense, doesn’t it? 🙂
My children were born premature without C-sections, and my birth plans weren’t even looked at by the professionals. If you must have a section, then doing it in the ‘nicest’ way possible is good.