Skin-to-Skin after a Cesarean Birth

When I gave birth to my son 5+ years ago, it wasn’t what any first time mom would like to experience. I was having problems with maintaining my blood pressure and when my little boys’ heart rate dropped too low, I was rushed into an emergency c-section. It was an extremely frightening process that didn’t even enter my mind as a possibility. The months that followed were hard. We struggled at finding a proper latch and feeding became such a difficult task, I dreaded it.

It never occurred to me that our difficulties at latching could have been because of the birth experience.

Being an International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) member, over the years I’ve been exposed to research on the benefits of skin-to-skin right after birth and how it contributes to successful breastfeeding outcomes. I had it set in my mind that if my husband and I got pregnant again I would push for a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) and request immediate skin-to-skin contact with my baby.

In early 2012 we received good news, we were expecting! I started doing my best to set everything up for a different birthing experience. I searched out a CDC accredited Baby Friendly Hospital in my area, researched VBAC’s and educated myself on the benefits of skin-to-skin. It wasn’t until closer to my due date that I was informed I couldn’t have a VBAC. No hospital would even consider me as a potential VBAC candidate because of a small heart issue that we had discovered during a previous miscarriage. After fighting and pleading, I had to acknowledge that I had no other option but another C-section.

I might have lost that battle but I was going to do everything in my power to have skin-to-skin with my little girl. I was aware of the evidence-based research on the benefits of skin-to-skin and its success rate with c-section births. There’s a lot of misguided information out there that babies taken during a c-section are too “drugged up” to go through the full 7 steps of skin-to-skin or that the hospital’s OR couldn’t accommodate skin-to-skin. I knew from reading studies and watching videos that this wasn’t true. I talked to my Pediatrician about this and he agreed. I wrote my birth plan with the intentions of doing skin-to-skin immediately after the c-section unless there was a medical reason not to.

Alas, I wasn’t able to make it all the way to my scheduled c-section date. This time I was low on amino fluids and baby’s lack of movement put me into the hospital at 36 weeks. With concern, my OB and the Pediatrician, agreed, that under supervision, they would monitor me and try to get us to the 37th week and do the c-section.

Now, prior to this, we made sure to talk with all the right people about our wishes for skin-to-skin. Everyone was on board, our OB, our regular the hospital’s Labor and Delivery nurses, and staff. In fact, the hospital staff has been championing the change in procedures to allow skin-to-skin in the OR without success.

But the day of the C-section, my regular Pediatrician was out of town and his standing replacement wasn’t comfortable at all (it was then that I found out that it is the Pediatrician who is in charge in the OR!). This is where I put my foot down and had to convenience her that this was in my baby and I’s best interest. The hospitals Head Labor & Delivery nurse helped us get to a compromise. If everything looked good my little girl would be immediately placed on my chest, without any other intrusion. Meaning the vernix would be wiped off her while she was on my chest and she would be weighted and measured later.

This is normal practice for skin-to-skin and its critical that the baby isn’t too distracted or disrupted too much before or while he/she is on the mother’s body. Usually the baby is placed on the upper stomach and is allowed to make his or her own way up to the chest. They’ll root around, open their eyes, look at mom and dad, find the nipple on their own and then eventually latch and nurse on their own. Nursing is one of the main benefits of skin-to-skin but other benefits such as stabilizing body temperature and heart rates between mother and baby and bonding between mom and baby is important too.

When the hour came for us to have the c-section more drama around skin-to-skin unfolded, this time all the way up to the director of the Family Birth Center. The director of the Family Birth Center was completely opposed to it and tried talking my OB out of it. We were lucky we had enough support and commitment from the Labor and Delivery nurses and my OB to move forward. We finally got our wish!

I have to admit, because she was coming 3 weeks early, I wasn’t sure we would even get the option but our little girl emerged perfect! She was screaming and pee’ing everywhere, and quickly confirmed healthy.

Dawn & Beth in the OR

When she was placed on my chest and covered with a warming blanket, I was in awe. This little 6 pound bundle was just perfect. After a little while, she actually scooted and rooted for my breasts and eventually latched and nursed! I just didn’t think I would get that experience since she was early. The remembrance still makes me cry. It was such an amazing experience. I am so happy I had people in my corner and the hospital supported my decision. When I was told I would have to have another cesarean, I felt completely out of control and very disappointed.
Creating a birth plan around my c-section allowed me to take a bit of control back and gave me an option to have the skin-to-skin connection that was deeply important to me.

Dawn & Beth in the Hospital

I hope all moms, no matter if having a vaginal birth, c-section or VBAC, write down all their hopes and expectations of their birth and discuss with their OB and Pediatrician about their plan. And don’t give up! Just because your Pediatrician or OB isn’t on board in the beginning doesn’t mean after discussions you can’t find a compromise.

I’ve attached a PDF of my birth plan, one designed for c-section and skin-to-skin, for anyone who would like to see it. Please feel free to share your experiences and birth plans with us and all of the moms on Expressed Milk.

Download C-Section Birth Plan with Skin-to-Skin PDF
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