WHEN Charlotte Philby gave birth for a third time, she decided to do things differently.
Having felt a sense of detachment at her two C-section births, the 35-year-old author from London decided to play guinea pig for a new type of delivery: the natural Caesarean.
The pioneering surgery involves doctors making an incision on the mum’s stomach before encouraging the baby to make their own way out. The method enables immediate skin-to-skin contact between mum and baby.
More than one in four women now has a caesarean, but natural C-sections are becoming increasingly popular in Britain and the US. Carley Valikoula told last week of the “amazing” moment she delivered her own baby girl.
Here, Charlotte recalls the remarkable moment she watched son Finn emerge into the world…
I had been separated from the first moments of my eldest two children’s lives by a screen. I just lay there, wondering what they looked like and if everything was going as it should.
Lily was born in 2010. I had to have an emergency caesarean after a gruelling four-day labour. Then, in 2013, doctors recommended I have a planned C-section to deliver my son Finn.
Even though I knew I should be grateful just to have two healthy babies – regardless of how they were born – I was wary of having another caesarean for my third child.
I had previously contracted a post-op infection and suffered post-traumatic stress. Besides, I felt a pang of regret knowing that another Caesarean delivery meant another detached birthing experience.
I didn’t want the surgeon to pass my baby straight to the midwife, who would weigh him, check him over, and assist my husband in cutting the umbilical cord, out of my line of sight.
What is a natural Caesarean?
According to the Royal College of Midwives the ‘natural Caesarean‘ is a more “holistic approach to the caesarean surgical procedure”.
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust’s senior midwife Jenny Smith and consultant anaesthetist Felicity Plaat, in a 2010 analysis, told how women were encouraged to bring in music to theatre.
“The surgery starts as normal,” they explained. “As soon as the surgical incision is completed and the surgeon has started to bring the baby’s head out to the surface, the screen is lowered and the head of the theatre table raised so the mother can watch the birth.
“Once the baby begins to cry, the shoulders are freed from the uterus by the surgeon, the baby’s head is gently turned to face his mother and the baby is born, assisted by uterine contractions.
“Frequently the baby releases its arms itself, through a vigorous extensive reflex. The surgeon then supports the baby as it wriggles out.
“Immediately following the birth, the anaesthetist administers oxytocin and antibiotic drugs and, with the rest of the team, promotes mother-baby interaction.”
It’s thought that it takes around four-minutes for a baby to wriggle out, although there are no clear figures.
But then Belinda Green, my consultant midwife at the University of Central London Hospital, suggested a natural caesarean. I was overjoyed.
I had already read about the benefits of skin-to-skin contact immediately after the birth, which has been proven to help bonding between mother and child.
It also meant I could watch my boy take his first breaths as he cleared his own lungs, just as he would have during a natural birth.
When the day arrived for my caesarean, I found myself excited rather than apprehensive, as I had during the last pregnancy.
Having watched (partially through my hands) similar operations on YouTube, I was amazed that I was about to have a ‘natural’ birthing experience.
Because this method is all about creating a woman-centred experience, I was asked to choose which music I wanted in advance – I went for Joan Baez, which felt suitably empowering.
The atmosphere in the theatre was one of quiet excitement as the medical team took their various positions.
The doctor made the incision to my abdomen, just as he would have for the standard method, then the screen in front of my face was dropped so I could watch my baby’s head emerge, his face twisting into various expressions.
Once my baby started crying — meaning he was breathing properly — I was told his shoulders would be eased out by the surgeon’s hands.
What is a caesarean?
Around one in five babies born in Britain are delivered by a C-section.
To carry out the operation, a cut is made across the tummy, allowing surgeons access to the womb.
Caesareans can be life-threatening, so doctors will only recommend it if it’s the safest option for pregnant women and their babies.
The NHS says a C-section is “generally a very safe procedure”.
While some women choose to have a Caesarean for non-medical reasons, the delivery method is often recommended by doctors.
The NHS reveals the reasons why doctors may prescribe a C-section…
- your baby is in the breech position (feet first) and your doctor has been unable to turn them by applying gentle pressure to your tummy, or you would prefer they didn’t try this
- you have a low-lying placenta (placenta praevia)
- you have pregnancy-related high blood pressure (pre-eclampsia)
- you have certain infections, such as a first genital herpes infection occurring late in pregnancy or untreated HIV
- your baby isn’t getting enough oxygen and nutrients – sometimes this may mean the baby needs to be delivered immediately
- your labour isn’t progressing or there’s excessive vaginal bleeding
An epidural anaesthetic is given to pregnant patients to help numb the pain, although they may be able to feel some tugging during the procedure.
Although the women are awake, a screen is placed across their body so they don’t have to watch the surgery.
Doctors cut around 10-20cm along the lower belly and womb, allowing an opening for the baby to be delivered.
Following the 40-50 minute operation, parents are able to hold their baby as soon as they’re delivered.
Mums are often required to remain at the hospital for three to four days to help them recover from the surgery.
A line-shaped scar will be left behind after the procedure and patients are advised to avoid strenuous activity for six weeks or so.
Contrary to popular belief, if you have a Caesarean, it doesn’t mean that babies you have in the future will have to be delivered in the same way.
I then watched in awe as Finn pushed and squeezed the rest of his body out of my womb.
It was, I’m sure, the most content I’ve ever felt and an intense contrast to the unease I’d felt giving birth before. In that moment, there was no-one else in the world.
Finally, he was on my chest for skin-to-skin while the incision was sewn up. I was able to feed and soothe him as he lay on me for several minutes.
I was able to marvel at the perfection of my bloodied, puffy-eyed newborn before anyone else.
All that remained in that moment was the two of us, creating a bond that would last through both our lifetimes.
The procedure is much gentler than a traditional C-section, where the onus has traditionally been on getting the baby out as quickly as possible – a priority which is intended to minimise the risks of surgery, but which critics suggest can lead to unnecessary stress for both mother and child.
Charlotte’s consultant midwife, Belinda Green , who is leading trials of the new procedure, said that many women believe the bond with their baby is “stronger” after a “skin-to-skin caesarean”.
She told the Daily Mail: “The demand for this type of birth continues to increase and I am constantly being contacted by women who want it. There is evidence to suggest it reduces the number of complications after birth.”
Meet the other mum who had a natural c-section
Charlotte’s not the only mum who’s opted to deliver her own baby.
Last week we reported on the case of Carley Valikoula, 36, from Australia who delivered her own baby.
Remarkable pictures show Carley Valikoula, 36, reaching down, putting her arms around her unborn daughter, Leilani, and literally pulling her from her womb herself, instead of leaving it to doctors.
Carley, of Karratha, Australia, who needed emergency caesareans for her other children, Thomas, now eight, and Jacob, now five, said: “I had what’s known as a maternal assisted caesarean section, and I would 100 per cent do it again.
“A caesarean section is definitely not the easy way out. It’s very hard to do, and I’d never judge someone for having one. I’ve had three, but it was always really important to me to try for a vaginal birth.
“I didn’t like the thought of my baby being taken away, patted down and handed around all these medics until eventually, I, the mum, got to hold them. I wanted to be able to pull them up onto my chest right away.”
Meanwhile, Jenny Smith, a senior midwife at the Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, also advocates the natural C-section. She told the Telegraph: “It is about the mother. After the incision is made the mother is able to see her little baby wriggle out. It is a special moment that is missed otherwise.
“The baby remains in the abdomen for up to four minutes and the mother can look at it, see its little face and when it wriggles out it is the parents that first determine the sex.”
Addressing critics – who suggest that natural C-sections could be dangerous and leave a baby chilly immediately post-birth – she added: “Which is why, while baby and mother have skin to skin contact, we use blankets, bubble wrap and a hat to keep the baby warm.
“Obviously, if there were any problems such as bleeding, we would not delay the delivery.
Of course we have to be vigilant and monitor the baby and mother at all times, to ensure all is going as it should.”
MOST READ IN FABULOUS
Love real life stories? We’re always on the lookout for case studies to feature on Fabulous Online. Join our Facebook group and you could make money by telling your story.
Love baby news? Well meet mum Sarah – who gave birth in a forest (and was watched by 1.4 million people).
And this mum gave birth outside a strip club… we bet she didn’t expect that.
Link
https://textbacklinkexchanges.com/i-watched-as-my-son-squirmed-his-way-out-of-my-womb-during-a-natural-c-section/
News Pictures I watched as my son squirmed his way out of my womb during a NATURAL C-section
You don’t have to pack away your bikini just because you’re the wrong side of 20. These body-beautiful stars reveal their secrets to staying in shape and prove you can smoulder in a two-piece, whatever your age. Read on and be bikini inspired!
TEENS
Hayden Panettiere
Size: 8
Age: 18
Height: 5ft 1in
Weight: 8st
To achieve her kick-ass figure, Hayden – who plays cheerleader Claire Bennet in Heroes – follows the ‘quartering’ rule. She eats only a quarter of the food on her plate, then waits 20 minutes before deciding whether she needs to eat again.
Hayden says: “I don’t have a model’s body, but I’m not one of those crazy girls who thinks that they’re fat. I’m OK with what I have.”
Nicollette says: “I don’t like diets – I see it, I eat it! I believe in eating healthily with lots of protein, vegetables and carbs to give you energy.”
kim cattrall
Size: 10-12
Age: 52
Height: 5ft 8in
Weight: 9st 4lb
SATC star Kim swears by gym sessions with Russian kettle bells (traditional cast-iron weights) and the South Beach Diet to give her the body she wants. To avoid overeating, Kim has a radical diet trick – squirting lemon juice on her leftovers – so she won’t carry on picking.
Kim says: “I am no super-thin Hollywood actress. I am built for men who like women to look like women.”
https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/NINTCHDBPICT000438988058.jpg?strip=all&w=460
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий