DELIVERING a baby by caesarean section isn’t usually a hands-on experience for mothers, but that’s exactly what happened to one young mum in Mornington.
Obstetrician Dr Natalie Elphinstone, who recently moved her private practice to The Bays in Mornington, completed the hospital’s first official maternal-assisted caesarean birth on Tuesday 12 March.
In a maternal-assisted caesarean, the obstetrician partially lifts up the baby, allowing the mother to then lift the baby out of her own womb and onto her chest. “Many mothers feel somewhat removed from their birth experience with traditional caesarean sections. This new procedure enables mothers who want or need a caesarean section to be more engaged in the birth, and experience an immediate bond with their baby,” Dr Elphinstone said.
“Not all women will feel comfortable with a maternal-assisted caesarean, but every woman I have looked after who has chosen one has found it to be an incredibly empowering and emotional experience.” Jaime Wood said she opted for a maternal-assisted caesarean delivery after overcoming infertility and that she felt like the birth was the only thing she had any control over. “I know you can’t control everything, but it felt right for me to be in charge and an active participant in the birth,” she said. “I’m so happy with how the delivery went and would definitely choose another maternal-assisted caesarean again, it was such a fantastic and supportive experience with everyone in the operating theatre guiding me.”
Wood continues a family tradition of making history at The Bays Hospital; her mum Leanne Wood was the first to give birth in the hospital’s upgraded maternity unit in 1994, when it was Mornington Bush Nursing Hospital.
First published in the Mornington News – 19th March 2024
