Curriculum Topic: Educator Demonstration, Practice
Activity Type: Healthy Birth Practice 4, Cesarean Birth, Medical Interventions
Instructions:
Here is a possible way to share information about cesarean birth in a way that does not overemphasize the complications and overwhelm parents:
Class 1 – In the course overview, mention possibility of cesarean with statistics of occurrence. It should be noted that it is becoming accepted by a few physicians to offer cesarean birth as a choice and that you will be covering the risks of that choice in a later class. Relate the medical indications when you discuss anatomy.
Class 2 – Prevention of unnecessary cesareans integrated with variations of labor patterns; things to try if labor stalls.
Class 3 – Slides or tour to show delivery (operating) room, in addition to LDRs; slides, graphics, or video to show procedure. Discuss what parents might see, hear, feel, smell.
Class 4 – Anesthesia for cesarean integrated with medications discussion; possibility of cesarean in relation to inductions and other interventions. Discuss risks vs. benefits of choosing a cesarean without medical cause.
Class 5 – Cesarean recovery integrated with postpartum discussion. Breastfeeding should be encouraged for cesarean moms.
Class 6 – Reunion couples may discuss their cesarean delivery and options they had for surgery. VBAC introduced.
Talking Points:
Spirals or Blocks: Information may be taught either in a spiraling or block format. There are advantages and disadvantages to each approach. The advantages of the spiral are that “tune-out” is more likely avoided if some of the cesarean information is integrated with other subjects in each class. Students who tend to deny that they may undergo surgery with birth are more likely to hear the information if it is integrated with other topics, rather than being presented as a unit by itself. The disadvantage to the spiral is that it may interfere with some educators’ plans to present only the entire picture of a natural birth before complications and interventions are introduced.
Reference: Adapted from the Lamaze Toolkit
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