It’s all about me sections! New ‘Empowering’ Trend: Mothers Lift Their Newborn Babies From Their Own OUTSIDE During C-section

A new birth trend in which women deliver their babies from their own womb during a cesarean section is making new mothers feel more empowered.

Maternal-assisted C-section (MAC), a growing practice mainly in Australia, is a technique in which the mother, with the help of medical experts, reaches down wearing sterile gloves and lifts her baby from her womb onto her chest.

Proponents of the practice say it helps mothers bond with their babies and feel a sense of control during C-sections, which can help women feel disconnected from their birth.

It was first offered in some Australian clinics way back in 2017, when doctors realized that many women crave a deeper connection with their newborns. However, it is slowly gaining ground in some US states.

Elizabeth Andreyevskiy of Lakeville, Minnesota, chose MAC last year for the birth of her fourth child, a daughter named Nellie. “Knowing this was my last baby, I really wanted to have a different experience,” she told local news channel Fox 9.

Elizabeth Andreyevskiy of Lakeville, Minnesota, wanted an experience different from the birth of her first three children. She chose MAC, which she called “so unique and special.”

A cesarean section, or C-section, involves delivering a baby via surgery by making incisions in the abdomen and uterus.

Usually this is done when a vaginal birth is not possible or safe, such as if the baby is in a dangerous position, the mother is expecting more than one baby, or the baby or mother has other health complications.

In some cases, the mother has to go under general anesthesia, which could cause her to miss the process.

MAC offers a more practical approach.

“C-sections have such a bad stigma. We don’t want women saying, “I had to have this.” We want them to say, “I had an empowering experience,” Australian doula Vanessa Salerno told the New York Post.

“It turns out to be a huge difference, even women I’ve offered maternal help to who didn’t know about it, or were ambivalent, after saying they were so glad they did it,” says Dr. Joseph Sgroi, an obstetrician in Melbourne, Australia, told the New York Post.

“Most (mothers) are absolutely in awe of the whole process and of themselves.”

In most cesarean deliveries, the mother goes under a local anesthetic, which numbs the abdominal area and blocks pain, giving the mother full control of her hands to pull the baby out if she goes MAC.

While MAC is becoming more widespread in Australia, it has yet to take off in the US. Mothers who choose this procedure should plan ahead with their doctor.

Mother Rachel Sharpless Willis from Florida gave birth to her son Emerson via MAC. “I pulled it out and put it on my chest, and they’re cleaning it, and it’s just a weird feeling,” she said

Ms Andreyevskiy’s first child was born by unplanned cesarean section after her vaginal delivery failed.

“It ended up on me in general anesthesia and I missed the whole experience of hearing the baby cry for the first time,” she said.

She then had home births for her next two children, but she experienced complications. When it came time to plan Nellie’s birth, her sister-in-law sent Instagram videos of moms in other countries, like Australia, performing MACs.

“It was so unique and special, and I think it created an extra bond,” she said.

In addition, Florida mom Rachel Sharpless Willis gave birth to her son Emerson through MAC.

“The very first thing I touched was his head, so it’s a hard surface,” she told 7 news Miami.

She was afraid she was pulling too hard and the newborn would suffocate, but the doctors assured her she was doing everything right.

“I took it out and put it on my chest, and they’re cleaning it, and it’s just a weird feeling,” she said.

Grateful to be a part of the experience, still can’t believe I did it, and now he’s here. To be able to experience that birth the way I did? Very, very grateful.’