Obviously, my blog is about natural child birth, but there are those situations where a mother plans for a natural birth and at the last minute, things change. The doctors feel it is best for the mother and baby to have a c-section. This can be a very challenging thing for a mother who REALLY wanted a natural birth. I watch a dear friend and client go through this exact situation. Here is her brief story followed by a very informative video of a “natural c-section.”
A Planned Natural Birth turned to C-section
This was the mother’s 6th and final baby and she was so excited to have it naturally in the hospital. She labored a little at home and then went to the hospital. I met her there. She was having regular contractions and had dilated a little. As each contraction came, the monitor was showing little changing in the babies heart rate. This was concerning to the nurses. They kept watching and then called the doctor. He came in and suggested they do a c-section. It wasn’t a feeling of emergency, but of concern that the baby might not be strong enough to go through the normal birthing process. The fact that her heart rate wasn’t fluctuating very much seemed a little abnormal.
After the couple talked about this option, they decided to do the c-section. They wanted to keep the mom and baby healthy. They prepped the mom and were husband was with her the whole time. After the c-section, I got permission to be with the mom while the dad went with the baby. I was able to listen and talk about the experience. She is a dear friend and I’m so thankful I was able to be a small part in her experience.
Here are a few of the mother’s own words about her experience, “I wanted a natural birth so much!!!!! I didn’t want any medication and I wanted to enjoy the benefits of hypnobirthing. This ideal labor didn’t happen because I had to have a C-Section. My baby was in distress and was experiencing very low vital signs. It was great to have Jen there as my Doula because she continued to offer support, even though there is nothing natural about a C-section. She knew what kind of birth I really wanted, and felt my frustration. She helped my by by being there next to me during the “sewing up” time . This helped alleviate my stress levels. It was like she knew what I was going through because she cared so much.”
The baby had some distress and was in the nursery, so the doctors said that the mother couldn’t see the baby for at least 24 hours. This was so sad to me and all I could think about was how to get this mother with her new little baby! The hospital was not very busy, so the thought was to wheel her bed into the nursery, so she could nurse and have some skin to skin time with her baby. She was given permission! It was such a sweet experience to watch the bonding between this mommy and new little one.
This video is a natural cesarean, OR techniques that are less abrasive then the traditional c-section. It is very gentle and informative!
For anyone planning a natural birth, but wants to be prepared for ALL possibilities, here is a list of 15 tips of preparing for a more gentle c-section.
Evidence Based Birth writes an article on the Evidence for Skin-to-Skin Care after a Cesarean.
Whether a natural childbirth or an unplanned c-section, having information about ALL types of birth will only better prepare you for a great experience!
