A Natural C-Section?
Posted by Amber Robinson at 11:42 AM on September 8, 2008
One of the criticisms of the growing rate of caesarean births around the world is that the procedure limits bonding time between mother and baby.
But doctors in the UK have pioneered a new form of c-section which more closely mirrors vaginal birth.
At the start of the procedure, surgical drapes block the incision area from the parents’ view until delivery of the infant’s head. The field is then cleaned and the woman’s partner may view the birth at that point.
The obstetrician then slows delivery so uterine contractions can help clear the infant’s lungs, “just as happens at vaginal delivery,” researcher Nicholas M. Fisk noted. The baby’s shoulders are eased out “and the baby then frequently delivers his/her own arms in an expansive gesture.”
The mother can then see the half-delivered baby, and watch the rest of the birth. Once delivered, the baby is placed directly on the mother’s chest for skin-to-skin bonding.
The procedure has been a success with families participating in the trial, with “very few negative reactions” among parents. Hospital staff also favoured the concept.
But don’t expect to be offered one anytime soon, as the safety results and outcomes of the clinical trial have not been released.
I’m sure even the staunchest natural birth advocate would be pleased with efforts to de-medicalise the c-section experience.
[Source]
I know they do this a Chelsea and Westminster hospital but are only available to private patients. Despite all the great maternity pay in the UK having a baby is not covered by health insurance, so this becomes a very expensive way to give birth.