Has anyone had a gentle caesarean?

[maryberryslayers]

If so how when did you ask for it? What did it consist of for you?

What was the hospital's response? Did they offer it readily or not know what you we're talking about?

I completely understand where you coming from OP but I think you need to have realistic expectations. Even in a elective sometimes it's more important to just get baby out swiftly so that the surgeon can get straight with deal with bleeding etc, even the most routine straight forward delivery can suddenly change and I think that by delaying getting baby out the obstetrician is potentially not seeing that something is not quite right.

I think it's not unreasonable to ask for baby to be delivered in a calm a way as possible but there has to be a line drawn somewhere. Remember your baby won't be the only one being delivered that morning, they will have several electives to do plus fit them around any emergencies. My first elective was delayed by 4 hours due to emergencies. By that point I just wanted baby out safe and in my arms as soon as possible.

The video you speak if is giving people quite unrealistic expectations tbh. I have had two elective sections, I didn't feel that they weren't "gentle". Babies were out quickly and calmly and placed on my chest for skin to skin within a couple of minutes. It was really lovely

I had an elcs with ds, and although he was a bit stuck (breech and wedged right up) after the delivery we had delayed cord clamping and skin to skin immediately after delivery. They waited until he was nice and pink, don't ask me how long but at least 5 minutes I would say before cutting the cord. He remained in my chest until I went a bit funny from the suppository for pain relief but as soon as I felt OK again brought back to me and unwrapped for skin to skin again, for a good couple of hours in recovery. It was lovely tbh.

Mine was quite slow which I know is good re incision/stitches but I was just like hurry up & let me off the board etc,

I've just googled it and realised my elcs was one. Dd didn't wiggle out by herself (glad about that tbh, doubt she'd have thought about not messing me up like the surgeons did) but all the other features were there. I had mine after a traumatic vaginal birth and it was a brilliant experience. Would highly recommend.

@maryberryslayers

Is that in any way helpful *@coronafiona*? If you don't understand what something is, google it.

Rude. I'm with parknrides consultant, there is little gentle about caesareans (or natural births, ime!)

I had an elcs but it included many of these things anyway and was a lovely calm experience . Ds certainly didn't get himself out, he was huge and breech so needed some assistance.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong at all in requesting a calm/gently section. Just in the same way a mother preparing for a natural labour might write a birth plan or want a water birth etc.

Obviously nobody knows how the birth will go whether it be section or natural, so it’s always best to be open minded and not let yourself be so set on something that may have to change.

But I don’t think it’s anyway unrealistic to ask for one or want one. Nowadays elective sections are being done more and more in the ‘calm’ way.

My consultant wrote for birth plan for my 2nd section. Despite dc2 being delivered at 6am as a semi emcs by a totally different doctor I got the following:
Dh holding me for the spinal
Curtain positioned as far down as possible to ensure plenty of room for baby
Curtain dropped entirely for her arrival so I could watch
Everyone in theatre went quiet just before so the first voice she heard was mine
She was lifted out really slowly, could see her head outside but her legs still moving under my skin
Delayed cord clamping
Skin to skin as soon as the cord was cut...we had loads of room due to position of curtain
All measurements/vit k given in recovery about 3 hours later
Offered the placenta in what looked like an icecream tub

Compared to dc1's horrendous emcs with hallucinations/passing out on the table, it was fabulous

I saw a video of one at my NCT class, I got the impression you're more likely to be able to have it if it's planned and there are no complications. Obviously if baby needs to come out before planned then thats the priority. I guess all you can do is ask, don't let your midwife dismiss your wishes, id like to think surgeons are up for new experiences that can improve mums happiness

Thanks all. I'm not massively fussed over the letting baby wriggle out bit although I'd like her lifted as calmly and slowly as possible. It's mainly the immediate skin to skin I want. It was the only positive thing about my last birth, after hours of pain and fear.

@sweetpotatopie12 mine is because my last birth was extremely traumatic and I'm still in physical pain from it 2.5 years later. Mentally I couldn't do it again. My baby doesn't need to come out quickly and my birth preferences are important to me just as they are in a natural birth. It's still my body and my baby.

OP, my first birth ended in an emergency c section and we still managed quite a lot of the other bits ( not the letting the baby wriggle out bit). My OH brought our speaker in from labour ward, we had skin to skin as soon as he’d been checked over (due to the reason we had the emcs), he started to latch on whilst I was being stitched up and the environment after he was delivered was very calm so I’d say if they can manage that in the situation we were in they should definitely be able to accommodate most of what you’re hoping for in an elective.

I think it’s pretty standard these days that most trusts support delayed cord clamping and early skin to skin at elective c section. So I’m sure that won’t be a problem at all OP😊 most surgeons are happy for the drape to be lowered so you can see the baby, I have the best photo of my daughter being lifted over the drape. The only thing I can’t understand is when people ask for dimmed lights, or low lighting, it’s madness to me personally, you want good lighting so the surgeons can see when your cut open on the table (I’m not saying you’ve asked for this btw, but I’ve seen it discussed before with gentle c sections)

Good luck, I hope it all goes to plan!

Yea I had one 6 weeks ago at Gloucester Royal. It was beautiful.
My c section was elective and I was given a leaflet about "your csection" at my booking appointment at 36 weeks. I was able to choose for baby to bring herself out, whatever music I wanted, dimmed lights, delays clamping and skin to skin.
I went into labour at 37 weeks so my elective became a 'needed on that day' (not quite emergency). All our preferences were adhered to and we had the most beautiful birth.
I'd never heard the term 'gentle csection' but all my choices were accomdated and the experience was magical.

My baby doesn't need to come out quickly and my birth preferences are important to me just as they are in a natural birth. It's still my body and my baby

It is, but there are still many uncontrollables. As pp said you don’t know how minimal your bleeding will be, you don’t know how you’ll react to the spinal, or any other issues.

I actually preferred my elcs in many ways. Apart from the risk to the baby, it was fast, efficient and over with very quickly and I was in recovery.

The ELCS was slow and frustrating. It took them half an hour to (painfully) site the spinal, then my blood pressure tanked in reaction and I felt dizzy, sick, and shaky. It was so bad all I could think about was staying conscious, and I had to have extra drugs and have the table tilted head down.

I didn’t feel better until a good hour after. I couldn’t hold the baby, when they tried to give her to me I had to ask dh to take her away as I needed to focus on consciousness. So he did the dressing, weighing etc until I was coherent.

I hope you get your nice calm delivery, but don’t pin everything on it, especially if you are seeing it as some sort of healing process.

I’ve never heard of this but my elective section was a lovely calming experience.

The day before I listed what I wanted, delayed cord clamping, skin to skin straight away, breast feed ASAP etc.
They did have to use forceps to get her out though, can’t remember why but they said it was necessary, that was not pleasant at all - but clearly the ‘wiggle out’ wouldn’t have worked.

@Moominmiss

I don’t think there’s anything wrong at all in requesting a calm/gently section. Just in the same way a mother preparing for a natural labour might write a birth plan or want a water birth etc.

Obviously nobody knows how the birth will go whether it be section or natural, so it’s always best to be open minded and not let yourself be so set on something that may have to change.

But I don’t think it’s anyway unrealistic to ask for one or want one. Nowadays elective sections are being done more and more in the ‘calm’ way.

Beautifully put. There's nothing wrong with putting this as a birth preference. It's pretty scary to me that trusts seem to react so differently to this request.

Also some of the replies in this thread are just so negative, I think more people need to read 'Give Birth Like a Feminist'. Don't feel like you need to justify yourself OP. I wish you the best of luck!

Tbh I don't see the point. Our 1st 2 children (natural deliveries) had to have their airways sorted out (1 cord round neck, other meconium in waters) so I had to wait to hold them for several minutes. Our 3rd was much simpler so got her much quicker. My elective cesarean with breech twins, they were handed over to us quite quickly too and I wasn't interested in seeing them cut me open, hubby did have a look though.

I had one! The midwife who pioneered the concept in this country attended the delivery and it was so much better than my previous elective sections. She was wonderful and ensured a calm environment, baby was delivered straight onto my chest and wasn't whipped off for weighing. In fact we didn't move him for a good hour and he wasn't weighed until he was about 6 hours old. I would highly recommend it if you have midwives and obstetricians who understand the principles and concept.

I had one 3.5 years ago. I requested everything I wanted in my birth preferences, my first was an emcs and I hoped for vbac but wrote birth preferences for both. I had electrodes on my back, screen lowered, delayed cord clamping, skin to skin immediately in theatre while I was being stitched up and us three left alone as much as possible for the hour after birth in recovery, while feeding was established. It was as lovely as a csection can be, I used hypnobirthing techniques to stay calm and my husband got photos and video of baby having skin to skin with me straight away.

skin to skin immediately in theatre while I was being stitched up and us three left alone as much as possible for the hour after birth in recovery, while feeding was established.

I had an emergency c section and had all these things too, plus music and generally a lovely time! Mind you, I was so ill I was in pink fluffy cloud land anyway.

I was told no 18 months ago. Consultant said no dimmed lights because that much blood would look black and he wouldn’t be able to see, the risk of the muscle contracting and baby being stuck in and me bleeding out was too high. Delayed cord clamping, skin to skin and breast feeding in theatre were all standards anyway. In the end I had the VBAC I wanted.

Immediate skin-to-skin and delayed cord clamping are pretty uncontroversial and are standard policy in many NHS hospitals, but only if baby’s APGAR is good. Because they haven’t been squeezed through the birth canal, c section babies are more likely to need help with their breathing. I would have liked both skin to skin and delayed clamping after my ELCS but my baby was in respiratory distress and I didn’t get to hold him until he was about six hours old, in SCBU.

By all means express a preference and make sure that your birth partner is fully prepared to advocate for your wishes in case you cannot but be aware that they may not be possible.

I don’t really understand the dimmed light thing, though. I want the surgeon cutting in to my abdomen to be able to see exactly what she is doing.

I needed a section because I had a massive baby, he'd still be there now if left to wiggle out, they had to pull so hard I was moved up and down the bed!
It was still a very calm and relaxed experience with lots of happy chat and music. I had skin to skin and fed him in the recovery room, elective sections are very different to emergency procedures.

@maryberryslayers

Thanks all. I'm not massively fussed over the letting baby wriggle out bit although I'd like her lifted as calmly and slowly as possible. It's mainly the immediate skin to skin I want. It was the only positive thing about my last birth, after hours of pain and fear.

@sweetpotatopie12 mine is because my last birth was extremely traumatic and I'm still in physical pain from it 2.5 years later. Mentally I couldn't do it again. My baby doesn't need to come out quickly and my birth preferences are important to me just as they are in a natural birth. It's still my body and my baby.

Go for it. My final section was a world away from the first two traumatic sections. It healed trauma I hadn’t realised I was carrying.

It was an all-woman team, low light, mirror positioned so I could see what was happening, baby delivered and straight away skin to skin. I knew what was happening, I saw my baby, and it wasn’t the experience of having things ‘done to’ me and the baby whisked away for weighing etc.

I hope it helps you as much as it helped me.