How can a cesarean birth be made more "natural"?

[mamazee]

What things can a mom who knows she'll be having a cesarean do to make the birth experience as natural as possible? Did you have the opportunity in your cesarean birth experiences to create a more natural environment?

[tracyamber]

mamazee

i have been looking at your post for several days and really trying to wrap my head around it. i had a c-section and to be honest i am not sure what could be more natural...except if it can be performed at a birth center????? breastfeeding is very important too so maybe try to keep that in the picture of all the meds...staying in the hospital for 3 days... humm... anyone else?

[CoBabyMaker]

I am not sure if this is what you are looking for or not (I feel like natural could mean different things to different people) but here some things that I am hoping for/planning to do.  It's a short list given that it IS a surgery so certain things are just not natural.

Skin to skin if at all possible IN the OR asap.  This is the big one for me.  (Not getting to hold my babies right away was always my biggest issue.) If this isn't possible due to medical reasons for me DH may be able to.

Homeopathics to aid in recovery.  I still need to research this. 

Bring probiotics for me and baby to hospital.  Since antibiotics are routinely given during a c/s and babies gut will not be colonized in the birth canal this one is big for me. 

Like i said, short list but these are my main things that I feel like I can control.

[tracyamber]

 i never thought of the probiotics....duh..great idea

[eabbmom]

Doctors are doing "gentle cesareans" in a few hospitals and include: quiet OR, delayed cord clamping, skim to skin contact. See this link http://www.icanri.org/gentle-cesarean.php

[Escaping]

I had my c-section at a high-risk hospital so they're seasoned pro's at doing c-sections. They have what's called a "natural c-section" which is almost exactly the same as a natural birth, just a different point of exit ;)

However, because of the excitement and possibly the anesthesia, I found it difficult to use my arms to hold my baby for the first few minutes, I was really cold and shaky... so it might be worth talking to whoever will be with you to help you hold your baby at whatever weird angle they have to. My husband just held our baby for 15 minutes while they stitched me up, flipped me into my hospital bed which propped up and then everything was fine :)