The On-line Journal of Mary Esther Malloy
The Mindful Cesarean Birth Plan
We understand that medical concerns may take precedent over our wishes, but we would like you to know what is important to us as parents if we birth by cesarean.
- We would like to know the names of the people providing us care. Please introduce yourselves!
- We would like our midwife and/or doula to be present.
- We would like to play music.
- We would like to announce the baby’s sex.
- We would / would not like to do the microbial vaginal swab. (We will need a sterile gauze pad and a sterile plastic bag).
- We would like to respectfully ask doctors and nurses to limit conversation to what is relevant to the birth.
- Please do / do not tell us what is happening with the surgery.
- Please let us know if you will administer anesthesia that may affect the mother mentally.
- Please delay cord clamping for our baby for one to two minutes.
- Please pass our baby to us under the curtain, if possible.
- If the baby goes directly to the warmer, I would / would not like to see my baby first before the baby is wiped off.
- Please invite my birth partner to the warmer as soon as possible.
- Please return the baby to our side as soon as possible.
- Please assist us with skin to skin contact in the operating room.
- Please assist us with breastfeeding in the operating room / please assist us with breastfeeding in the recovery room.
- Please discuss single vs double layer suturing with the repair.
- Please save the placenta for us to see (or take home).
- Please do all you can to keep mother and baby together after the birth and help us get bonding and breastfeeding off to a good start.
Thank you very much for your care!
-Mary Esther Malloy