Mother Baby Friendly Cesarean
*EBEBEK MAGAZINE is a leading magazine for mothers in Turkey.
You may have heard of different practices during c-section lately. Yes it is possible for families to have preferences during c-section, just like in birth. So what is this mother baby friendly cesarean? It is a kind of birth in which the labor starts on its own unless there is a medical reason, active hormones are secreted within the mother and the baby, the family talks with their birth team about their birth preferences during pregnancy, the mother can witness the birth with epidural anesthesia, the whole birth team respects the meeting moment of the mother and the baby like in vaginal birth, as much as possible, the baby meets his/her mother’s naked chest, stays there and has skin to skin contact right after birth and after his/her first examination. So it is a kind of cesarean in which the natural birth is simulated as much as possible.
LET THE LABOR BEGINS ON ITS OWN
The initiation of labor on it is very important for mother baby friendly cesarean because baby’s initiation of his/her own birth is the only proof that shows us the baby is ready to be born. Also the mother gets ready to meet her baby when the labor starts on its own since the hormones start to be secreted then. If it is not possible to wait for the initiation of labor on its own because of medical reasons and if planned cesarean is a must, than, with the other practices, it can still be a mother-baby friendly cesarean.
The family needs to talk with their birth team, in order to have skin to skin contact right after birth, to be able to keep their baby skin to skin during the operation and to be able to go their room together with their baby. Then the birth team has to make some preparations to make these possible as well. Operation rooms are cold for a newborn but the room temperature can be managed. This makes it available for the baby to stay at her mother’s chest which is already 36oC. When a blanket is put on the baby also, it is warmer.
DIFFERENT PRACTICES AROUND THE WORLD
In Turkey and in the world, doctors that embrace the mother-baby friendly cesarean philosophy, have some practices on their own choice. For example a child doctor prevents the direct light reaching to the baby’s eyes with his hand, the doctor births the baby with the mother’s pushing, the doctor delays cord clamping to ease the transition of the baby’s breathing, the doctor gives the baby directly to the mother before cutting the umbilical cord. These are some examples of different practices.
One of the frequently asked question is why do I need a doula if I am going to have a cesarean. This is very normal when we think of the way how the operation is perceived. When we realized that this is not only an operation but it is the birth of a baby and meeting time with his/her mother, and when we consider mother-baby friendly conditions, then we start to realize the importance of a doula support in cesarean. The center of attention for the doula is the mother at first, and then the baby and the father just like in vaginal birth. She sits close to the mother’s head side and reminds her the breathings. At that moment mother may be anxious and excited. The doula helps her to remain calm. The mother doesn’t feel alone because she continues to get continuous support in the operation room. The doula tells the process to the mother since she can not see it. She provides support for skin to skin right after birth. She helps with the process if the baby is able to stay at the mother’s chest in the operation room. She supports the father to support the mother. At that moment, the father can be excited too and he needs some reminders. If the mother is not available for skin to skin contact, for example if she is in general anesthesia, then the baby and the father can wait for the mother at their room and the doula helps the father to have skin to skin contact with his baby. The experience of the doula is very important here.
A father who attend to a birth education and who prefers to be present at birth can be with the mother at the operation room. In that way, the birth preferences are the families common preferences and the father helps the mother and the baby to reach these. He can be a part of birth just like in vaginal birth.
To be able to have the practices above, we are talking about a situation in which all the medical conditions are good and normal. Everything is all right, mother and the baby are healthy. To be able to have mother-baby friendly cesarean in Turkey, the family should organize a birth team that supports this philosophy and they should attend a birth education class that covers this topic in its content. The role of the birth education is very important because it helps the family to have better understanding on the details of the process, prepare to the process and to learn how to reach their preferences.
As a mother, educator and a doula who met her baby with mother-baby friendly cesarean because of medical reasons, I promote and support mother-baby friendly cesarean, especially initiation of labor on its own and skin to skin contact, if the vaginal birth is not an option.
