title: The natural caesarean: a woman-centred technique.
abstract: Although much effort has gone into promoting early skin-to-skin contact and parental involvement at vaginal birth, caesarean birth remains entrenched in surgical and resuscitative rituals, which delay parental contact, impair maternal satisfaction and reduce breastfeeding. We describe a 'natural' approach that mimics the situation at vaginal birth by allowing (i) the parents to watch the birth of their child as active participants (ii) slow delivery with physiological autoresuscitation and (iii) the baby to be transferred directly onto the mother's chest for early skin-to-skin. Studies are required into methods of reforming caesarean section, the most common operation worldwide.
authors.affiliation: Division of Maternity, Directorate of Women's and Children's Services, Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Plaat
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Fisk
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009321:Natural Childbirth; D009769:Object Attachment; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D011247:Pregnancy