It was my dream job to be a labor and delivery nurse, and I was lucky enough to work in a progressive, family-centered hospital in the birth center for several years before becoming pregnant with my firstborn. I felt very strongly about giving my little one a gentle start in life. I planned a water birth because I had been really impressed with the ones I had attended.
At our 28 week visit, we learned that baby was breech. Everyone told us there was plenty of time and she would turn. However as the weeks passed and she didn’t budge, we tried exercises, chiropractic adjustments, moxibustion, even handstands in the pool! Finally, I decided that if she was going to turn, she would. And if not, then for some reason her birth was meant to unfold in a different way. During this time I came across the video of the “natural Caesarian” on YouTube.
I was enthralled and brought my ideas to my OB. He agreed to do his best to help us have a gentle Cesarean.
We scheduled a c-section for 41 weeks, hoping to give our baby a chance to choose her own birthday with spontaneous labor. The morning after my due date, I woke up and as I was lying in bed, my water broke with a HUGE gush!
When we arrived to the hospital about 11am, contractions were every 2-3minutes and strong. I don’t think I’ll ever forget my brief hours of labor.
We headed to the OR just before 1 and I was feeling the intensity of active labor. I didn’t feel a thing as they prepped me and did my spinal anesthesia, just a very comforting warmth over my whole lower body. Kyle was at my side and after just a few moments, my doctor had the incision made and then he took down the sterile drape so we could watch our daughter come into the world! It was an amazing, unforgettable moment… Out came our Julia Eden: pink, breathing, crying and waving her little limbs.
She stopped crying as she heard our voices. I held her as we were wheeled out of the OR and she was breastfeeding a couple minutes later. She hardly left her place on my chest for the first few days. I felt great afterward, I was up in a chair rocking Julia just a few hours after surgery. However, when the exhaustion hit me, it hit like a freight train!
Julia’s birth ended up so beautiful in an unexpected way. We were aware of just how much we had to be thankful for! I know that Julia’s birth stands in contrast to many cesarean births, and not everyone will have a doctor as willing to work with them. But the more mothers that push for change toward gentler, more natural cesareans – the more doctors and hospitals will be willing to look at the benefits and start changing procedures.
Most of all, I think that our own sense of peace surrounding our daughter’s birth largely colored our (and her) experience. She came exactly like she was supposed to!
In the above video posted by Venezuelan OB-GYN Dr. Jham Frank Lugo, a woman delivers by gentle cesarian. Below, the same doctor delivers a breech baby via the same method. How cool is that?!
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I love this. I’m 38 weeks and baby’s a footling breech. My OB wanted to do a section this week and I made him wait until 39 at least. This gives me the confidence to push him a little longer!
I love EVERYTHING about this and plan on showing it to my amazing Dr.
Thanks for posting it!
I also had a "gentle" section last year – although I prefer woman centred because gentle it was NOT.
Anyway, totally not going to spam someone else’s story but I’m also happy to share how this sort of thing could look in the UK.
Feel free to email me at [email protected]
Pregnant with my second and have found out I not eligible for a VBAC. Am definitely going to ask for a gentle c-section this time around. Thanks so much for sharing.
Thank you for sharing your story. I had a similar experience and for me, being able to have the skin-skin contact in the first few moments after delivery was amazing. I really hope that in the future this will become a standard in our hospitals…
This is a wonderful story! Thanks for sharing your experience!