Early last month, at Catharina Hospital, a mom lifted her baby out of her womb during birth.
That was during a special procedure called a ‘mother-assisted caesarean section’. The woman had previously had two unplanned Caesarean births. In this, the third, she was able to play a more active role herself, much to her delight.
“My Caesarean section was extraordinary. I played an active role. And my husband got to but the umbilical cord, which was great,” Mom Kelly Luttjeboer says. The couple named the baby Guus.
Not for everyone
Not all expectant mothers can deliver their babies this way. Women need to be well informed and trained in advance, a hospital spokesperson says. Kelly certainly qualified – she works in the hospital’s obstetrics department.
But Catharina hospital expects this kind of delivery to happen more often. It allows moms to experience this form of childbirth is an even more positive way. Babies are also placed directly on their mothers’ chests.
“Skin-to-skin contact is important for mother/baby bonding. The baby feels the familiar beat of their mother’s heart. That often calms them down,” says Dr Simone Kuppens, a gynaecologist at Catharina Hospital.
This video below shows the baby being brought into the world. It contains graphic images. Viewer discretion is advised.
Source: Studio040
Translator: Bob
Editor: Melinda Walraven