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Success story
On Oct. 1, 2014, Kristen’s son Connor was
born. e birth went exactly as planned.
“When Dr. Penn pulled Connor’s
head out, it was so amazing,” Kristen
remembers. “He had dark hair!”
After delivery, the baby was passed
straight to Kristen. Matt was at her side.
“It was magical,” she says.
And Connor stayed there, on Kristen’s
chest, for the rest of surgery.
“ ey were sewing me up and there
were all those people there, and yet it
was the most peaceful
experience I’ve ever
had. It was just me
and my baby and my
husband. at is all
that mattered.”
Betsey Snow, RN,
the senior director
of Women’s and
Children’s Services for AAMC, says the
birth represents the rst big change to
cesarean procedures in years. e last
big change, she says, “was in the ’80s,
The Caminiti
family at home
in Cro on. From
le : Matt, Connor,
Ryan, Kristen, and
Zachary. Photo taken
Jan. ,
.
“It was super-positive,” Kristen says.
“Everybody was on board.”
Still, there were
concerns. Anesthes-
iologist John
McAllister, MD, says
he fully supported the
e ort but wanted to be
sure caregivers could
still do their jobs and
that the mother was
aware plans might have
to change. “Our primary goal is always
patient safety,” he says.
“A signi cant amount of planning
went into this,” says Henry Sobel, MD,
chair of Women’s and Children’s Services
at AAMC. “It truly
was a team e ort
that involved every
care provider.” e
nursing sta worked
hard to prepare and
were very willing to try
something outside of
their comfort zone.
when dads were nally allowed in the
operating room.”
Besides the advantages of early
skin-to-skin contact, Betsey says a
family-centered C-section may be
particularly helpful to women who’d
hoped for a vaginal delivery but couldn’t
have one.
“A lot of women feel like they failed
because they couldn’t have a vaginal
delivery,” says Betsey. “ is is a way to
give them another option.”
Of course, AAMC still recommends
vaginal deliveries when possible. And in
emergency situations, these techniques
might not be appropriate. But Betsey
believes family-centered C-sections may
one day be the norm. Kristen, for one,
says she’d love that.
“It’s something I hope for,” she says.
“I want other moms to have the same
amazing experience I had.”
Get ready for your big day with
birth and parenting classes at
AAMCevents.org
.
Betsey
Snow, RN
Henry
Sobel, MD
John
McAllister, MD