A first in Quebec | A mother participates in her own cesarean section

After putting on a sterile hospital gown and surgical gloves, Catherine Reid took her baby out of her womb herself during her cesarean section last July. The objective: to be in control of your childbirth, thanks to a new approach called “participatory cesarean”. A first in Quebec.

Since the start of her pregnancy, Catherine Reid knew she would have to give birth by cesarean section, for the fourth time. During the first three, she had the feeling of “enduring” them, waiting for the end of the procedure without being involved in it.

This time, she wanted to experience it differently.

She had heard about “participatory cesarean” through her work as a midwife. This method is spreading in many countries, notably Australia and France.

“The goal of participatory cesarean section is to get as close as possible to a vaginal birth by allowing the family to be involved as much as possible,” says Geneviève Larochelle, unit head of the clinical activities component of the Unit. mother-child at the Sacré-Cœur-de-Montreal Hospital.

Catherine Reid asked the medical team at Sacré-Cœur Hospital if such an approach was possible. “I was a little embarrassed. I didn’t want to be the person who asks for weird or complicated deals,” she confides.

His request was well received by the team. “Quickly, we had a collective enthusiasm. Then we said to ourselves yes, it’s a possibility,” recalls the obstetrician-gynecologist, Dr.^re Catherine Jean.

“It was magnificent”

Lying on her back, Catherine Reid is motionless, her hands placed on her chest. She’s in an operating room. She waits for the doctor’s signal. Until then, she must not touch anything, neither her hair nor the objects around her, so as not to compromise the sterile field.

Unlike a traditional C-section, there is no blue sheet to separate her upper and lower body. She sees the medical team around her, but her stomach prevents her from seeing the medical procedures. Her partner, Martin Caspar, is by her side in the operating room.

“Catherine, are you ready?” “, said the D^re Jeans. The baby’s head is out. It’s his turn to act.

Calmly, the obstetrician guides her hands towards her stomach. She grabs her baby under the arms and takes him on her. Marion is born.

“It was magnificent. It was the most beautiful cesarean section I could have had,” said Catherine Reid, with tears in her eyes, remembering the event, her little daughter in her arms.

This is the first “participatory cesarean” carried out in Quebec, according to information collected by The Press with all CISSS and CIUSSS in the province.

Simulate cesarean section

Participatory C-sections cannot be carried out with ‘anyone and anywhere’, says M^me Larochelle. It is essential to have a prepared patient and medical team. The cesarean section must be planned and the cesarean section must be located within the obstetrics unit.

Three weeks before her due date, Catherine Reid went to the hospital to simulate the cesarean section. “We did a complete scenario with the team. She put on the sterile gown and gloves,” says M.^me Larochelle. Meanwhile, the medical team took notes to ensure they had all the necessary equipment.

The morning of the birth, Catherine Reid was feverish. “It was very exciting. I didn’t sleep all night,” she said. But she couldn’t have too many expectations. Several factors could compromise the smooth running of the intervention. “A patient may feel unwell, there may be complications with the baby or a breakdown in sterility,” lists the D.^re Jean.

In the end, everything went as planned. “It was a beautiful moment. It was a very calm and respectful birth,” says M.^me Reid. “It was a completely different experience. I was right next to her. I saw everything and it was super interesting,” adds her partner, Martin Caspar, who also cut the umbilical cord.

The head of unit, Geneviève Larochelle, is delighted to see how practices have evolved in recent years to meet the needs of families. “It’s very rewarding as healthcare professionals to have patients who are satisfied with the care they receive. » The medical team says it is ready to repeat the experience if families request it. “We have a trained team that would know what to do. »