A C-section can be a daunting experience, but we strive to make it as comforting as possible.
In this article, we’ll discuss some of the improvements we’ve made to the C-section experience.
A Clear Drape Instead of a Blue Drape
We can use a clear drape so that everyone at the head of the bed can witness the birth. At the time of delivery, the blue drape is lowered and mom can witness her baby being born through a clear drape that is under the blue one. Once the delivery is done, the blue drape is rasied up again, so we can shield everyone from the scary side of major surgery.
Immediate Skin to Skin Contact
Once the baby is born and the cord is clamped, if all is well, the baby is brought directly to mom and placed on mom’s chest, which is called skin-to-skin. This dramatically increases mom’s satisfaction with the delivery. It also increases breastfeeding rates, bonding, and sleep behaviors for both mom and baby. The baby is being warmed and dried while on mom’s chest. Skin-to-skin can go on until mom is taken to the post-anesthesia care unit. This also allows for immediate breast feeding if mom is able.
The bottom line is that we try to have little to no separation between mom and baby.
Anesthesia Modifications
Anesthesia (the people at the head of the bed) can be make subtle changes as well.
Heart-monitoring equipment is positioned more strategically so that it does not interfere with baby going skin-to-skin on the chest or with breast feeding. The epidural or spinal can be tailored so that the upper body is not affected as much as the lower body, so you can move the upper body to hold baby.
Your hands can be released and not strapped down so you can hold your baby. Your head and upper body and be lifted so you can see more.
The goals are simple. Let mom be a part of the birth experience. Let mom, baby, and family stay together as long as they want. Thanks to the women (moms, midwives, who have guided the medical field to make these changes possible so everyone who walks the path of a cesarean section can have the best experience possible.
Contact MetroPartners OBGYN
At MetroPartners OBGYN, we strive to make every C-section as comfortable as possible. If you have any questions about your upcoming C-section, give MetroPartners OBGYN a call and schedule an appointment.