Birth plans and delivery methods have evolved over time, paving the way for a new approach known as the “Gentle C-Section.”

Traditionally, an emergency or planned cesarean section birth was a clinical and cold procedure that differed greatly from the vaginal birth experience. The focus was on safe, hygienic delivery, not the intimate and emotional aspects of initial mother and newborn bonding. Today, however, alternatives to the sterile cesarean section experience exist, such as the “gentle c-section.”

A gentle, natural, or family-centered c-section attempts to come as close as possible to the vaginal birth experience, where the mother experiences the birth of her child more intimately. It is more family-oriented than a mere surgical procedure, including emotional bonding and skin-on-skin contact right after birth. For its advantages, the gentle C-section as a birth choice is growing in popularity among families and healthcare providers, as it eliminates some of the trauma and potential alienation that a mother may feel after having a traditional c-section. It also allows parents to have more participation and control in a birth that may not go as planned or imagined, creating a less frightening experience for everyone involved.

Planning for a Gentle C-Section: What to Expect

If you know you will have a C-section, you can potentially plan a gentle C-section with your healthcare provider. You can create a warmer environment in the operating room with gentle lighting, music, and your loved one beside you. You can also have the heart rate and other monitors set away from your chest to allow for immediate breastfeeding after birth. Additionally, a gentle c-section allows you to see your baby’s birth through a clear draping, cut the cord after a gradual removal of the baby from your uterus, followed by skin-to-skin contact.

If you want a gentle c-section, your healthcare team will attempt to make the c-section experience as natural as possible, honoring your wish to bond with your baby. The aim of this procedure is to give you the benefits of a vaginal birth, where you can be a part of the process, not excluded as busy healthcare workers go about their business of removing the baby from your uterus. A further aim is to give you and your baby the physiological and emotional benefits of immediate connection to the birth process and its aftermath.

Unpacking the Gentle C-Section Process Step-by-Step

Preparing Beforehand

The first step in the gentle c-section procedure is discussing your wishes with your doctor. If a gentle c-section is an option, you want to know how the hospital or birth center performs gentle c-sections, whether you will be awake to see the birth, and who can be there with you. You want to develop a birth plan with your healthcare team so that you get what and who you want at your surgery, including your choice of music, lighting, clothing, and support person. However, not all birth facilities offer gentle c-section options and some may not offer all of the options that you may want. Your surgeon may not feel comfortable with all parts of your birth plan, so you may have to compromise or find a new facility. When you and your team agree on a plan, you will sign a consent form for the procedure.

During the Procedure

During the birth, your anesthesiologist will ensure you are awake to participate in the experience, administering an epidural rather than a general anesthetic. The healthcare team covers the surgical region with drapes or a curtain to keep the area sterile. In a gentle c-section, they will insert a clear drape or clear portion of the drape below the incision area so you can see your baby emerging from the uterus. The incision is performed slowly to simulate the baby coming from the womb in a vaginal birth.

Immediately After Delivery

The team may remove the clear drape to close the incision while you get to experience the baby on your chest in the first minutes of life after birth. They may delay cutting the cord, and you may breastfeed your baby, experiencing those first magical moments when the baby is alert and discovering the world. Studies show that postpartum bonding occurs more rapidly with skin-to-skin contact, which promotes successful breastfeeding and regulates the nervous systems of the mother and her newborn. Both the mother and baby usually experience less stress with a gentle c-section.

The Role of Your Support Person

The gentle C-section allows your partner or support person to be there for you and communicate with the healthcare team so you know what is always going on. If allowed, they may film the birth. Alternatively, you may have a doula present to assist you with aftercare. Family participation in the procedure enables improved bonding and the overall birth experience.

Comparing a Gentle Cesarean to a Traditional Surgical Birth

A gentle C-section differs from a traditional C-section in several ways. You do not get to choose your clothing in the conventional procedure; you wear a hospital gown, and the monitors are not placed on one side away from your chest to accommodate holding the baby and breastfeeding. The healthcare team chooses where the monitors go, uses the standard sterile curtain without a clear window, and delivers the baby quickly. The baby is then sent off to be tested. The gentle c-section promotes slowing down the process.

Understanding the Potential Dangers of a Gentle C-Section

Gentle or not, the procedure is still major surgery, and all surgery has inherent risks, such as infection and blood clots for the mother. C-sections with general anesthesia may result in allergic reactions, surgical cuts to other tissue, and post-surgery heavy bleeding for the mother. The baby can also develop breathing problems and surgical cuts in the process.

Why Not Every Pregnancy is Appropriate for a Gentle Cesarean Delivery

Some pregnancies carry risks and may not be suitable for the gentle c-section approach, or the birth plan must change from gentle to traditional in an emergency. For example, women with preeclampsia, placental abruption, and other high-risk conditions may require an emergency c-section to save the baby and mother. Time is of the essence in high-risk medical condition pregnancies.

Other complications affecting a gentle c-section birth plan may be related to anesthesia and pain management. Allergies to certain anesthesia or pain management difficulties may cause a change of birth plans. An anesthesiologist may determine that you need a general anesthetic rather than a local one to mask the pain of birth and surgery. In that case, a gentle C-section may not be not feasible.

A woman’s medical condition may also risk excessive bleeding during surgery, leading to an increased risk of dangerous blood loss and infection. To protect the health of the mother and baby, a doctor must make a quick delivery in these scenarios. Finally, a surgeon may not be able to deliver the baby slowly due to technical difficulties and obstructed visibility. A surgeon may need to focus on the delivery and cannot communicate what is going on or respect the mother’s wishes to see what is going on. As such, not all pregnancies are suitable for a gentle C-section. Medical emergencies can eliminate birth options, as can factors such as the baby’s position in the womb or fetal distress. To preserve the health of the baby, the surgeon may need to resort to a quick surgical removal.

Doctors Must Prepare, Proceed, and Pivot Cautiously when Your Birth Plan Involves the Gentle C-Section Approach

While all doctors are supposed to respect the patient’s wishes when possible, especially with the high expectations of a cherished childbirth experience, it is not always possible. As such, a doctor’s preparation, experience, attention, and ability to make the right decisions at the right time are critical to a satisfying and safe experience. With such an important moment in a woman’s life and the lives of her loved ones, the necessity for informed, engaged, and experienced healthcare providers to ensure that the correct delivery method is chosen and immediate changes to the birth plan may be made when necessary, cannot be overstated.

Pregnant women need healthcare providers who are informed about the gentle c-section option, especially if they experienced a traumatic c-section in a previous pregnancy. A knowledgeable doctor knows and can recognize those who can enjoy the more natural birth process of a gentle cesarean and those who are at risk for complications, and so cannot. It is also paramount that a physician can spot changes in a mother’s or a baby’s status during the labor and delivery process, such that they can switch to a traditional c-section when necessary to prevent harm. Otherwise, both mothers and infants are at risk for birth-related injuries and complications.

Our Birth Injury Legal Team is Here for You after a Failed Gentle Cesarean in New Jersey

If a healthcare provider negligently agreed to a birth option that was unsuitable for you, did not perform a timely c-section, or caused you or your baby injury while performing a gentle cesarean birth, contact us at (866)-708-8617 to speak to a birth injury lawyer who will review your case and advise you as to your available legal pathways. Our attorneys can offer guidance through the legal process of pursuing a birth injury claim and support along the way as we seek compensation for your financial, physical, and emotional losses.