If you have a caesarean – either planned or unplanned, a gentle caesarean may be something you want to explore. The term has become very popular recently, really it just refers to a caesarean birth that has a slower, more mindful approach and adopts more of the procedures we see in vaginal births.
If you're having a planned caesarean it’s a good idea to speak with your care providers about this in advance, if you’re planning for a vaginal birth but are exploring your ‘just in case’ plan, you can still discuss these options and write them down for people to refer to should the situation arise.
So what can you have to make your c-section a more positive, personalised experience?
Sounds
You can play your favourite songs, listen to a hypnobirthing track or whatever else you want during your caesarean – they can play your tracks in theatre. Choose something that will help you feel calm, comfortable and empowered.
Calming Environment
You can ask that your care providers only speak when necessary and as quietly as possible if you find that soothing, or you can encourage chit chat and noise if that’s what you find more comforting. Everyone is different but you can ask them to help create the environment that you feel best in.
Lowered Drapes
As they pull baby out, you can have the drapes lowered so that you can see your baby being born. Again, some might be freaked out by this and know that it’s not for them but others may want to see this moment to feel more involved.
Delayed Cord Clamping
Delaying the cord clamping until between one and three minutes has incredible benefits. We often refer to this as ‘waiting for white’ because once the cord goes white it means all of the blood has flowed from the placenta into baby. Did you know that the cord and placenta hold up to 30% of baby’s blood?! Stabilising blood pressure, aiding neurological development, reducing rates of anaemia, blood transfusions and brain haemorrhages, increasing birth weight – these are just some of the benefits of delaying cord clamping. Doing this is especially helpful for premature babies.
Immediate Skin-To-Skin
This can be done just as easily with a c-section as with a vaginal birth. They can put your hospital gown on back to front before the operation starts so that when the time comes the front ties can be undone and baby can go straight onto your chest. We know that there are immense benefits of skin-to-skin straight after birth, both for the parent and for baby. Not only is it wonderful for bonding, it also helps with breastfeeding and regulates your baby’s vital signs, like their breathing rate, heart rate and temperature. Magical!
These may not seem like ‘big deals’ but they can make a monumental difference to how you feel about your birth as well as having impacts on your breastfeeding journey, your baby and your mental health.
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