Iowa Specialty Hospital offers gentle cesareans.
A gentle cesarean (gentle c-section) allows women who require a c-section to have a more meaningful birth experience, allowing for:
a quiet environment, with the exception of mom's music playing in the background.
freedom for mom to move arms around. They are never strapped down.
mom is welcome to watch, as infant's head is delivered through the abdominal incision.
delayed cord clamping, if parents desire.
have immediate skin to skin contact with baby, as long as baby is vigorous at birth.
partner is allowed to cut umbilical cord at warmer.
if a doula is a planned support person, she is welcome to join parents in the OR.
The labor and delivery nurse will monitor the baby closely while on mom's chest. The intention is for the baby to remain skin to skin throughout the completion of the surgery, which is generally under an hour. The family will leave the operating room together and return to their room to recover and celebrate the arrival of their beautiful baby.
