The gentle family-centered cesarean

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Cesarean delivery is both a major surgical procedure and a momentous and miraculous event in the life of a family. Historically, the rituals and processes common to major surgical procedures have dominated the cesarean birth process. For vaginal delivery, many obstetrical units have developed mother, baby and family-centered birth processes that emphasize immediate skin-to-skin (STS) contact and the early initiation of breastfeeding. The gentle, or “family centered” cesarean delivery is an approach to operative delivery that reduces the emphasis on surgical rituals and processes and increases the clinical focus on the mother, the baby and the family. Is it possible to transform a surgical procedure such as a cesarean delivery into a mother, baby and family-centered experience? For many cesarean delivery procedures the answer is a resounding “Yes”. Refocusing the clinical processes that surround the cesarean delivery requires the commitment and cooperation of many disciplines. Obstetricians, anesthesiologists, pediatricians, and maternity nurses are the leaders who must work together to facilitate this important practice change.