Unprofessional Parenting

In a pretty interesting article this weekend it appears that a doctor and his research teams in London and Australia  have develop a method for cesarean birth that attempts to more closely mimic a natural childbirth.  Working from the assumption that childbirth has changed dramatically in the last few decades to center more on the experience of the parents, the doctor has taken steps to move c-section births in the same direction.

Although the early stages are still the same - a sheet separates the mother’s view from the initial cutting - once the head of the baby is delivered the sheet is lowered so that the mother can see the delivery of the rest of the baby.  The doctor then lets the uterus contractions help push the baby out after which it is rested on the mother’s chest just as in a natural birth.  Procedures for emergency c-sections are not likely to change but for those that are planned, this may become an option after clinical trials are performed.

This is pretty interesting. I had an emergency c-section when I had my son and I was actually asleep (not under anesthesia but actually asleep - it had been a really long day and I couldn’t stay awake) when my son was delivered.  Of course, I really wish I hadn’t been asleep but didn’t have much control over it at that point but what I missed most of all was the opportunity to hold him right after he was born.  That alone would make this an attractive option for me.

Who knows how long it might take to get the method approved but I’m willing to bet it would have big appeal for those who really wanted a more natural childbirth experience but for whatever reason found themselves in the surgery room.