The new trend for gentle or natural c-section has sparked a couple of incredible (if a little graphic) videos lately.
Footage of a baby seeming to emerge totally unaided from an incision in the mother’s abdomen has been viewed over 2 million times since it was posted to Facebook by the mother’s friend, Sophie Messager.
Messager wrote:
“A friend had the most gorgeous gentle cesarean yesterday-it was quite a journey because her local hospital refused to entertain any of her wishes, so she had to move to another hospital where she found the most supportive consultant (Dr. Andy Simm at Nottingham City Hospital), who not only agreed to support all her wishes but filmed the birth to use it to educate other health pros. I especially loved watching the baby walking himself out of the womb. The mum also told me that they waited until the cord had finished pulsating before clamping it. For me, this really shows how it isn’t how the baby is born but how the people present respect wishes and demonstrate support and kindness that makes a beautiful birth. The mother has kindly agreed for me to share the video so other women can have such a beautiful experience too.
The official hospital film should be released in a week or two.
These were the mother’s wishes:
* no drapes
* walking out of the baby to help clear lungs
* delivery to chest if cord allowed
* cord left to stop pulsing before cutting
* no weighing or measuring until family ready
* baby to stay on mum until she was ready to part (it was 6 hours).
* own music
* lights reduced
On top of that, the anesthetist lifted the mother’s shoulders, and someone held a mirror to help view the birth.”
So how does it work? First, doctors make an incision in the mother’s abdomen, easing the baby’s head out. In the following four minutes, the baby is allowed to push its shoulders out, using a similar movement to that experienced by an infant during a natural birth.
Afterwards, doctors lay the baby on its mother’s chest to allow skin-to-skin contact and often, if a mum is choosing to breastfeed she can initiate feeding while doctors complete the surgery.
A clinical trial into the benefits of the ‘Natural Caesarean’ is due to begin this summer in the UK. For more information click here.
Would you consider a natural c-section? Tell us in the comments.
