Caesarean section now what?

Clear! A natural, uncomplicated birth is the ideal. But what if a caesarean section is medically necessary? Often mother and child suffer then. Caesarean section bonding, craniosacral therapy and intestinal bacteria can compensate for this. Every information is here.

Natural birth is on the decline. Around 30 percent of all babies in Austria are born with a cut in the stomach. Some of these operations are planned. But a significant number of them are emergency caesarean sections because of complications during delivery. "The diagnostics have become better and the doctors naturally want to take as little risk as possible," says pediatrician Dr. Monika Resch one reason for the increased number of interventions. Affected women are often left with a very frustrating birth experience. And the newborn can also suffer from adverse health effects. Fortunately, however, these are not irreversible. WOMAN Mom worked with pediatrician Dr. Monika Resch and craniosacral therapist Linda Steinbauer from the Schumanngasse pediatric practice talked about the consequences of a cesarean section and what their advice to mothers is.

Bonding in the operating room

So what exactly are the biggest differences between natural delivery and caesarean section? First of all, of course, the circumstances of the birth. Here you have to differentiate between planned and emergency surgery. With the former, the day, time and team are fixed, you can prepare well, and most pregnant women are okay with this decision. If there are problems and cuts are made, this is a potentially threatening situation, and the mood in the delivery room is accordingly. Because of the relatively low temperatures in the operating room and for the medical examination, the child is often quickly taken away from the mother. As a result, the bonding, the first contact, in which large amounts of the bonding hormone oxytocin are released, is neglected. However, this hormone is responsible for the euphoria and satisfaction after the birth. "If there is too little of this first contact, it can be very frustrating for both of you. Thank goodness the trend towards caesarean section bonding is gaining ground," explains Dr. Resch. That means: "If the child is obviously out of danger, it is wrapped in preheated blankets and placed on the mother's chest. There it stays as long as she wants it. The midwife is there all the time, while the doctors sew it up Wound." This development also creates space for another trend, cord milking. "The umbilical cord is not cut until the placenta is pulsed. This means that all of the blood that is still in the placenta passes into the baby."

This is how it works with digestion

An unavoidable problem with caesarean section is the disturbed structure of the intestinal flora. Because on the way through the birth canal, the baby is practically rubbed with the mother's bacteria. "Caesarean section babies have abdominal pain and flatulence much more often because their intestines do not process the milk so well. There are now special probiotics for newborns that supply the intestines with the appropriate bacteria. This improves quickly," says the doctor. For the same reason, the immune system can weaken because it is closely related to the microbiome in the gut. Studies suggest that this increases the risk of diabetes and allergies. Researchers at New York University are working on a solution to this problem. In a pilot study, they rubbed babies with bacteria from the mother's vagina immediately after they were born. As a result, their skin and intestinal microbiome were actually better than that of children who did not receive this treatment. Larger studies are still pending here. Breastfeeding also improves the problem, after all, there are intestinal and immune cells in breast milk. "With a caesarean section it takes four to five days for the milk to come in. If the child loses too much weight, you should therefore briefly reach for bottle-fed food, which takes a lot of pressure out of the situation," emphasizes Resch. But the constant application has a double effect: it promotes the flow of milk and strengthens the bond between mother and child.

Promote energy flow

Another topic: tension. During a caesarean section, the little ones are pulled out of the stomach in the head and neck area. "That's why many of them are tense," says craniosacral therapist Linda Steinbauer. "You notice this when the child only looks to one side and the head may even flatten slightly when it is difficult to calm down, and often startle. Any tension, however, takes away the babies' strength and energy because the blood circulation is not so good there and with it the supply of nutrients. If you take that out of the children, they become much calmer, they often take the next development step very quickly and can turn around overnight, for example. " The craniosacral therapy is also so well suited for the little ones because it is a very gentle method to get energy flowing again and to relieve tension.

Support the mother

Finally, there are still the mothers who have to recover from the traumatic, unplanned event. "Some mothers have the feeling that they have failed in childbirth. That creates stress, which means that the milk flow often does not work so well. This then creates additional pressure, the mother-child bond can suffer. Many also have the feeling that something in the body has been severed, they do not dare to look at the scar or to touch it. You have to give these women every support, "emphasizes Steinbauer and recommends scar treatment. "This promotes blood circulation and improves wound healing. And women then have the feeling of being 'whole' again!"