{"id":16199,"date":"2018-05-31T10:40:30","date_gmt":"2018-05-31T16:40:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=16199"},"modified":"2021-08-19T09:22:48","modified_gmt":"2021-08-19T15:22:48","slug":"a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\/","title":{"rendered":"A \u2018gentle\u2019 C-section delivery heals a mom\u2019s broken heart"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>
\"mom
Alicia Atchison with her daughter, Fiona. (Photo by Organic Bebe Photography)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With her hands comfortably across her chest and her husband at her side, Alicia Atchison raised her head slightly and witnessed the birth of her second child<\/a>, a beautiful girl named Fiona.<\/p>\n

Honestly, she had hoped to deliver Fiona naturally, not by cesarean section. She\u2019d delivered her first child, Miles, by C-section and had mourned not being able to deliver him vaginally — until the moment she delivered her second.<\/p>\n

In the operating room, through a clear drape, she watched as her precious little girl took one of her first breaths and the umbilical cord that connected them was cut. Then, Fiona was carefully placed on her chest, and not taken away to be cleaned as Miles was.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithin two minutes of her birth, she was on my chest,\u201d Atchison said. \u201cI got to soothe her cries and rub her little purple body into life. I will cherish this moment in my memory forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

A broken heart<\/h3>\n

For the birth of her first child, Atchinson envisioned no drugs, low light, classical music playing and only a few important people surrounding her.<\/p>\n

For Miles\u2019 birth, she had a doula and a three-page \u201cbirth plan,\u201d which included all the details she\u2019d learned from her birthing class<\/a> where she was encouraged to have an all-natural birth.<\/p>\n

What happened, though, was much different. After more than three long days of non-progressive labor, a handful of interventions and labor-inducing drugs, Atchison found herself half-delusional on an operating table, her arms spread and a curtain between her and her baby.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was conscious, but I was not present,\u201d she said. \u201cI felt entirely disconnected from what was happening to me. I was lost in grief. In the end, I had a large, healthy baby boy and an easy recovery, but it was still traumatic. It wasn\u2019t what I had planned. I was devastated.\u201d<\/p>\n

The experience left her depressed and angry, and she carried those feelings with her and feared another traumatic birth experience when she became pregnant with her second child.<\/p>\n

The C-section experience<\/h3>\n

Once a physician decides a child should be born by cesarean delivery, things move quickly, said Dr. J. Bradley Stern, OB-GYN and UCHealth\u2019s medical director and quality chair of Women’s and Pediatric Care in northern Colorado<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not wrong. It\u2019s just the way the process plays out,\u201d he said. \u201cC-sections feel rushed for patients because the patient has been there often for hours, possibly days, and then within 30 minutes they are moved to the operating room to deliver their baby.<\/p>\n

\"Photo
The Atchison family. (Photo by Organic Bebe Photography)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe perception of the patient is different from that of the provider, and we try to be sensitive to that by slowing down and listening. But in the end, when the decision is made to have surgery, it\u2019s going to feel like things are going really fast \u2014 though in actuality we are just being efficient. But it can be hard on the patients.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the past few years, UCHealth has adopted baby-friendly practices for families whose moms have a C-section. This includes: delayed cord clamping, support people by the mom\u2019s side, keeping family members together, allowing for personal touches like music or a clear drape to see the birth, and the first hour dedicated to skin-to-skin time and breastfeeding between mom and baby.<\/p>\n

\u201cC-sections aren\u2019t typically planned, so there is a lot going on quickly, but we want both parents to still feel like they are in control,\u201d said Laura Hall, clinical director for Women\u2019s Care in northern Colorado. \u201cWe do everything we can to normalize that process and keep that family together.\u201d<\/p>\n

VBAC: vaginal birth after C-section<\/h3>\n

When Atchison got pregnant with her second child, she was determined to have a Vaginal Birth after C-section.<\/p>\n

Historically, women were not encouraged to have a natural birth after a cesarean delivery because of the risk of the uterus rupturing along the previous incision. But practices have changed over the years, and for women who qualify, success rates for a VBAC are between 60 and 80 percent, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists\u2019 October 2017 press release.<\/p>\n

Atchison\u2019s doctors said she was a good candidate, and she\u2019d had a very healthy pregnancy. She continued to work out five to six times a week, saw a Webster-certified chiropractor and did acupuncture. She was eating six dates a day and drinking gallons of red raspberry leaf tea. She was pouring money into anything she thought might help.<\/p>\n

\u201cI did more squats than any sane person ever should, and none of it did anything for me,\u201d she said. \u201cMy baby would not move down to engage in my pelvis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Facing another C-section<\/h3>\n

For the health of mom and baby, a doctor advised Atchison to have a C-section. She scheduled it for the last possible day that doctors would allow, just shy of 41 weeks gestation. Looking back, she realizes a lot of her emotional drive was coming from pregnancy hormones, but her desire to be a VBAC success story was fierce. And as the C-section date approached, Atchison became more depressed.<\/p>\n

On Feb. 11, Atchison and her husband arrived at the hospital at 7 a.m. for her 9 a.m. C-section. Just as she had the last time, she brought with her a \u201cbirth plan\u201d \u2014 this time it only contained four lines. She wanted her hands at her chest during the procedure. She wanted a clear drape so she could see her baby. She wanted her husband to cut the cord. And she wanted her baby to be put on her chest as soon as possible.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe morning of the C-section I was numb. There were no tears left,\u201d Atchison said. \u201cI was ready to be done, and there wasn\u2019t anything that was going to make this OK. But I was wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

A different experience: The gentle C-section<\/h3>\n
\"Alicia
Alicia Atchison with her son, Miles, and daughter, Fiona.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital, each member of Atchison\u2019s care team came into her room to discuss what would happen next.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite my horrible attitude, they listened,\u201d Atchison said. \u201cThey were nice and gentle. They held my hand and were so personal. They listened, and they heard me.\u201d<\/p>\n

They went over her list of requests and could meet all of them except for allowing her husband to cut the cord because of the sterile environment demanded of an operating room. But he would be by her side, and soon so would Fiona.<\/p>\n

The prep went quickly, Atchison recalled. They cut through her scar tissue from the previous C-section, and before she knew it, they were working to pull Fiona out.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt turned out she was a big baby, and she was wedged inside of me,\u201d Atchison said. \u201cIt took both doctors and the vacuum to get her out. I was relieved to know that in all likelihood she would have never dropped, and never made it through my pelvis. This surgery had been necessary after all.\u201d<\/p>\n

The highest stress for the patient and family during a C-section occurs when the patient is taken into the operating room, Stern said. But once that baby is delivered healthy, things quiet down.<\/p>\n

C-section 2.0<\/h3>\n

Historically, the baby was removed from the OR after a C-section birth, and a team of nurses would care for the newborn and perform a list of assessments, Hall said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe felt that separating the family was not ideal at all,\u201d she said. \u201cNow we have a baby admit nurse, and as long as the baby is stable, we keep them in the operating room and transfer them with the mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

C-section newborns are now held next to mom\u2019s face \u2014 cheek to cheek \u2014 by the support person, and in many cases, stays there in the operating room. Then the family goes into the post-operating room together, where skin-to-skin time can begin immediately.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat one hour of uninterrupted skin-to-skin helps with bonding, temperature control and breastfeeding,\u201d Hall said. \u201cAll assessments are done while the baby is on mom\u2019s chest and skin-to-skin with mom.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mom is monitored for about an hour, and then the family is transferred to their recovery room.<\/p>\n

Talk it out beforehand<\/h3>\n

To help ensure a positive experience no matter what situation may arise during delivery, nurses go over the patient\u2019s birthing preferences during a hospital preadmissions visit<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Preadmission visits are recommended at least four weeks prior to the baby\u2019s due date. They provide an opportunity for the family to complete necessary paperwork ahead of time, such as insurance forms, and family and medication history. Patients also have the opportunity at the visit to ask questions and share their preferences for their delivery and hospital stay.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost people don\u2019t anticipate a C-section, but preadmission visits would be an excellent time to discuss their preference if it were to happen,\u201d she said. \u201cC-sections can be fast, but we try to accommodate all their wishes. There are things like lights that are not negotiable, but we\u2019ve had people request that their voice is the first one the baby hears, and we try to honor those things as much as we can.\u201d<\/p>\n

That philosophy is what made the difference for Atchison.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Fiona Atchison. Photo by Organic Bebe Photography<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI was breastfeeding (Fiona) at under an hour old \u2014 an experience I never expected to have with a C-section,\u201d Atchison said. \u201cI looked down at this new face \u2026 and I felt overwhelming love, peace and understanding. My daughter would have never made it vaginally. That\u2019s why she wouldn\u2019t move down to engage in my pelvis. She arrived the only way she could, and it wasn\u2019t traumatic, it was gentle.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy heart had been instantly healed by this experience. I felt completely better, happy and totally at peace, not just with this C-section but also with my first, somehow. My heart swelled with gratitude for the incredible team of women who honored my wishes and followed through to make this birth all the happiness that it was meant to be.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the end, this C-section turned out to be what I needed, and more than I ever expected. Every time I look at my daughter, I know that she was sent to me in this way to heal my heart.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With her hands comfortably across her chest and her husband at her side, Alicia Atchison raised her head slightly and witnessed the birth of her second child, a beautiful girl named Fiona. Honestly, she had hoped to deliver Fiona naturally, not by cesarean section. She\u2019d delivered her first child, Miles, by C-section and had mourned […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2164,"featured_media":16203,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[4001,25,351,212],"class_list":["post-16199","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-innovative-care","tag-high-risk-pregnancy","tag-labor-delivery","tag-primary-care","tag-womens-care"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nA gentle C-section delivery heals a mom\u2019s broken heart - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Alicia desperately wanted to deliver her baby vaginally, and she resented her body for requiring a C-section for the second time. But the gentleness she experienced with the birth of her second child, in what she called a gentle C-section, allowed her to heal and forgive.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A \u2018gentle\u2019 C-section delivery heals a mom\u2019s broken heart\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Alicia desperately wanted to deliver her baby vaginally, and she resented her body for requiring a C-section for the second time. But the gentleness she experienced with the birth of her second child, in what she called a gentle C-section, allowed her to heal and forgive.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UCHealth Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-05-31T16:40:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-08-19T15:22:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/05\/31023714\/mom_fiona_horizontal1200.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/2974962d9c19ae1bbcec3250ab830fbc\"},\"headline\":\"A \u2018gentle\u2019 C-section delivery heals a mom\u2019s broken heart\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-05-31T16:40:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-08-19T15:22:48+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1763,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2018\\\/05\\\/31023714\\\/mom_fiona_horizontal1200.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"High risk pregnancy\",\"Labor & Delivery\",\"Primary care\",\"Women's care\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Innovative care\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\\\/\",\"name\":\"A gentle C-section delivery heals a mom\u2019s broken heart - UCHealth Today\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2018\\\/05\\\/31023714\\\/mom_fiona_horizontal1200.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-05-31T16:40:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-08-19T15:22:48+00:00\",\"description\":\"Alicia desperately wanted to deliver her baby vaginally, and she resented her body for requiring a C-section for the second time. But the gentleness she experienced with the birth of her second child, in what she called a gentle C-section, allowed her to heal and forgive.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2018\\\/05\\\/31023714\\\/mom_fiona_horizontal1200.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2018\\\/05\\\/31023714\\\/mom_fiona_horizontal1200.webp\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":880,\"caption\":\"mom holds her swaddled baby girl, who had been delivered via a gentle c-section\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A \u2018gentle\u2019 C-section delivery heals a mom\u2019s broken heart\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/\",\"name\":\"UCHealth Today\",\"description\":\"UCHealth Today\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"UCHealth\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/24135149\\\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/24135149\\\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":1000,\"caption\":\"UCHealth\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/uchealthorg\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/uchealth\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/uchealth\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/school\\\/14839\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/uchealthorg\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/channel\\\/UC41SJI79yjZIe96OajzN22g\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/2974962d9c19ae1bbcec3250ab830fbc\",\"name\":\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kati Blocker, UCHealth\"},\"description\":\"Kati Blocker has always been driven to learn and explore the world around her. And every day, as a writer for UCHealth, Kati meets inspiring people, learns about life-saving technology, and gets to know the amazing people who are saving lives each day. Even better, she gets to share their stories with the world. As a journalism major at the University of Wyoming, Kati wrote for her college newspaper. She also studied abroad in Swansea, Wales, while simultaneously writing for a Colorado metaphysical newspaper. After college, Kati was a reporter for the Montrose Daily Press and the Telluride Watch, covering education and health care in rural Colorado, as well as city news and business. When she's not writing, Kati is creating her own stories with her husband Joel and their two children.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/author\\\/katieblocker\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A gentle C-section delivery heals a mom\u2019s broken heart - UCHealth Today","description":"Alicia desperately wanted to deliver her baby vaginally, and she resented her body for requiring a C-section for the second time. But the gentleness she experienced with the birth of her second child, in what she called a gentle C-section, allowed her to heal and forgive.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A \u2018gentle\u2019 C-section delivery heals a mom\u2019s broken heart","og_description":"Alicia desperately wanted to deliver her baby vaginally, and she resented her body for requiring a C-section for the second time. But the gentleness she experienced with the birth of her second child, in what she called a gentle C-section, allowed her to heal and forgive.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\/","og_site_name":"UCHealth Today","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/","article_published_time":"2018-05-31T16:40:30+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-08-19T15:22:48+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/05\/31023714\/mom_fiona_horizontal1200.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Kati Blocker, UCHealth","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@uchealth","twitter_site":"@uchealth","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kati Blocker, UCHealth","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\/"},"author":{"name":"Kati Blocker, UCHealth","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/2974962d9c19ae1bbcec3250ab830fbc"},"headline":"A \u2018gentle\u2019 C-section delivery heals a mom\u2019s broken heart","datePublished":"2018-05-31T16:40:30+00:00","dateModified":"2021-08-19T15:22:48+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\/"},"wordCount":1763,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/05\/31023714\/mom_fiona_horizontal1200.webp","keywords":["High risk pregnancy","Labor & Delivery","Primary care","Women's care"],"articleSection":["Innovative care"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\/","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\/","name":"A gentle C-section delivery heals a mom\u2019s broken heart - UCHealth Today","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/05\/31023714\/mom_fiona_horizontal1200.webp","datePublished":"2018-05-31T16:40:30+00:00","dateModified":"2021-08-19T15:22:48+00:00","description":"Alicia desperately wanted to deliver her baby vaginally, and she resented her body for requiring a C-section for the second time. But the gentleness she experienced with the birth of her second child, in what she called a gentle C-section, allowed her to heal and forgive.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/05\/31023714\/mom_fiona_horizontal1200.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/05\/31023714\/mom_fiona_horizontal1200.webp","width":1200,"height":880,"caption":"mom holds her swaddled baby girl, who had been delivered via a gentle c-section"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/a-gentle-c-section-delivery-heals-a-moms-broken-heart\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A \u2018gentle\u2019 C-section delivery heals a mom\u2019s broken heart"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/","name":"UCHealth Today","description":"UCHealth Today","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#organization","name":"UCHealth","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/24135149\/UCHealth-square-logo-1000x1000-1.jpg","width":1000,"height":1000,"caption":"UCHealth"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/","https:\/\/x.com\/uchealth","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/uchealth\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/school\/14839\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/uchealthorg\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC41SJI79yjZIe96OajzN22g"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/#\/schema\/person\/2974962d9c19ae1bbcec3250ab830fbc","name":"Kati Blocker, UCHealth","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/62cfc49002cce7d835ff120702e1e8cd4b871b3468a4fed7137fbfa60674c6b3?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Kati Blocker, UCHealth"},"description":"Kati Blocker has always been driven to learn and explore the world around her. And every day, as a writer for UCHealth, Kati meets inspiring people, learns about life-saving technology, and gets to know the amazing people who are saving lives each day. Even better, she gets to share their stories with the world. As a journalism major at the University of Wyoming, Kati wrote for her college newspaper. She also studied abroad in Swansea, Wales, while simultaneously writing for a Colorado metaphysical newspaper. After college, Kati was a reporter for the Montrose Daily Press and the Telluride Watch, covering education and health care in rural Colorado, as well as city news and business. When she's not writing, Kati is creating her own stories with her husband Joel and their two children.","url":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/katieblocker\/"}]}},"coauthors":[{"id":2164,"name":"Kati Blocker","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/author\/katieblocker\/"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16199","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2164"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16199"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16199\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21846,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16199\/revisions\/21846"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16199"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16199"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16199"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}