Ah, babies.
Little bundles of absolute joy that women must go through incredible pain to birth. One of the most crucial parts about having a baby is deciding on a birth plan. There are a ton of existing options from a natural birth, to Caesarean to water births. And while options differ from country to country, for the most part, these options have remained the same.
Until now.
A new method of birthing called the gentle Caesarean has steadily risen in popularity. The method is described as being the happy medium between a Caesarean and a natural birth.
The method begins as a standard Caesarean but instead of the surgeon fully removing the child, the newborn wriggles free from the mother independently.
Childbirth educator Sophie Messenger posted a video of her friend delivering her son by gentle Caesarean.
The video shows the little trooper practically delivering himself, wriggling through the Caesarean incision or “walking” as Sophie puts it.
She writes:
“I especially loved watching the baby walking himself out of the womb. The mum also told me that they waited until the cord had finished pulsating before clamping it. For me, this really shows how it isn’t how the baby is born but how the people present respect wishes and demonstrate support and kindness that makes a beautiful birth. The mother has kindly agreed for me to share the video so other women can have such a beautiful experience too.”
The video has amassed over 2 million views and commenters are in support of the method.
“I had to have my 3 children by caesarean, and it was traumatic. Nowhere near the beautiful experience, this was, they whisked the babies away immediately, I couldn’t move or hold them. They were merely held up and shown to me,” writes one commenter.
“This kind of c section birth is happening more and more in maternity hospitals and birthing clinics. Fathers are also taking part in the actual delivery of their own babies now as well. This is a beautiful way to play an active role alongside the doctor, bringing your child into the world,” writes another.
