Family-Centered Cesareans

Birthing parents who have cesareans often feel a disconnect from their birth experience, and usually have to wait an extended time to bond with their baby. It turns out this does not have to be the case. Dr. Pamela Berens tells us about changes to the Cesarean experience that can make a difference.

What we talked about:

• Flexibility and taking into account the birthing parent’s wishes
• How family-centered cesareans help birthing parents participate and feel more connected with their birth
• Immediate skin-to-skin as a goal
• It’s a team effort!
• Changes that make a difference: the environment, arm freedom, easy access gowns, and more
• You won’t drop the baby: helping the parent hold their baby
• Keeping baby, parent, and the OR warm
• Is delayed cord clamping during a cesarean possible? (Hint: yes!)
• Infection safety: maintaining the sterile field and thoughts on the microbiome
• The ‘Skin-to-Skin C-section drape’, and other creative ideas
• Breast- or chest-feeding is good too!
• Who would you talk to about having a family-centered cesarean?
• Just in case: creating a family-centered cesarean birth plan

More on family-centered cesareans:

• The “Gentle” Cesarean, article by Shannon Rasp, for Health Leader
• Promotion of Family-Centered Birth With Gentle Cesarean Delivery, from Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine
• The Gentle Cesarean: More Like A Birth Than An Operation, from NPR
• Family Centered Cesareans, from Gentle Journeys Birthing
• A Gentle Cesarean, from Pregnant Chicken
• A Family-Centered Cesarean Birth Plan, From Birth Without Fear
• Writing a family-centered cesarean birth plan, from Mother Love

Other resources:

• Microbirth, the film
• Research: Could Birth-Canal Bacteria Help C-Section Babies?, article from Common Health on Dr. Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello’s research

Related Birthful episodes:

• All About Your Baby’s Microbiome

Courtesy of Dr. Pamela Berens

About Dr. Pamela Berens

Dr. Pamela Berens is a generalist OB/GYN working as Professor and Vice-Chair of Clinical Affairs at the McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She’s active in clinical practice as well as both medical student and resident education. Her area of academic and educational focus is surrounding pregnancy and postpartum care, breastfeeding, and breastfeeding complications. She’s active in the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, lectures for the Texas Department of State Health Services on lactation and maternal health, and serves as one of the co-physician leads for the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality / Texas Breastfeeding Learning Collaborative.  She also participates in the ACOG Breastfeeding Expert Work Group, and assists with various endeavors to promote breastfeeding and educate Obstetricians further about the topic. She’s written chapters and published research on various breastfeeding topics, delayed cord clamping, gestational weight gain and postpartum care.