Rebecca Cook

Rebecca Cook with her newborn son, Wyatt, who was born by gentle cesarean at Brigham and Women鈥檚 Hospital

New procedures developed by anesthesiologists, obstetricians and nurses working together at the Center for Labor and Birth at Brigham and Women鈥檚 Hospital made Rebecca Cook鈥檚 cesarean experience particularly meaningful.

鈥淎s a mom who had delivered by cesarean, I never thought I would have the experience of actually watching my child as he was born,鈥� says Cook, who had her fourth child, Wyatt, at Brigham and Women鈥檚 Hospital. 鈥淭his family-centered approach provided me with that opportunity.鈥�

The goal of the family-centered cesarean, or 鈥済entle cesarean,鈥� is to make the delivery as natural as possible. Procedures such as switching solid drapes to clear ones just before delivery and monitoring anesthesia in a way that allows a woman to have skin-to-skin contact with her baby in the moments after birth have important benefits.

Learn more about the gentle cesarean approach.

Ceceliaann Green

Ceceliaann Green had been firmly set against having an epidural in labor, thinking it might make it difficult for her to deliver naturally. But when a bad hip made her labor even more painful, the anesthesiology team at Brigham and Women鈥檚 Hospital was there to help.

鈥淭hey came in several times and explained my options,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淭hey talked to me before labor became very painful, so I wasn鈥檛 making any decisions under distress.鈥�

She decided to have an epidural and says it was the right decision. She felt sensations but no pain when she delivered her son, Kylahn, and was able to enjoy holding his small body to hers moments after his birth.

鈥淚t was definitely wonderful,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 was so against an epidural because I thought it wouldn鈥檛 work or I wouldn鈥檛 be able to push the baby out. I鈥檓 very thankful I went there (to Brigham鈥檚 Center for Labor and Birth) and had those doctors.鈥�

Karen Machado

When Karen Machado had her first baby, she waited as long as possible before having an epidural, thinking it would prolong her labor. But she delivered her son, David, less than an hour after it was administered. So when she went into labor three years later with her daughter, Daniella, she decided to have an epidural sooner.

鈥淚t was 100 percent pain free,鈥� she says of her labor. 鈥淭he only thing I felt was the pain of the contractions going away. I still had feeling in my legs. Within the next half hour, I felt pressure and the nurse said the baby鈥檚 coming. Three pushes later the baby was born.鈥�

Because she was so comfortable, she felt she could connect with Daniella right away. 鈥淗aving a baby is the most amazing and special thing I could hope for, and being pain free gave me the opportunity to really enjoy the experience,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t was absolutely fantastic.鈥�