Born at Woodwinds Hospital in Woodbury, Minnesota | A Preview of a Parent-Assisted Cesarean Birth Story in Photographs
Welcome to the world, little one!
Being invited into any family’s birth space is an incredible honor. Sometimes, we get the additional privilege to witness and document ground-breaking, rare versions of birth that leave us feeling so encouraged and hopeful for the potential to impact the local birthing community and beyond. We’re so grateful this family wants to help spread awareness by sharing their birth story.
This family chose to birth their second child into this world via cesarean birth. But not the typical way we see cesarean birth practiced. They met with a provider, Dr. Fischer, prenatally to discuss if Parent Assisted Cesarean (also referred to as Maternal Assisted Cesarean) was possible. The overall goal was to go into labor spontaneously and attempt a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) but if that didn’t happen, they greatly preferred a PAC/MAC over an induction or a typical repeat C-section.
In a PAC/MAC, the birthing person scrubs in and wears sterile gloves and sleeves. Once an incision is made and the provider gets the baby’s head and shoulders out of the uterus, the birthing person reaches down to their incision and brings baby directly to their chest. The parent can have skin to skin almost immediately, help stimulate baby, and be an active part in the birth of their child. The provider then clamps and cuts the cord and a new drape is placed to finish the surgery while parents continue bonding with their new baby.
“I thought it was such a beautiful way of including parents in the C-section and keeping the focus of the delivery on the meeting of parents and child rather than being separated right away.”
It was so special to see cesarean birth in this way. We hope more and more families ask for it, pushing OB providers to collaborate with those who have done it, like Dr. Fischer, and learn how to make it a more widely accessible option in the Twin Cities.
*Fun fact: this is the second Parent- Assisted Cesarean birth our team has documented, also with Dr. Fischer but at her previous practice.
