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A AMC MAGA Z I N E | S P R I NG
“I knew it would be
di erent than the norm,
but I didn’t think it
would be that hard to
do,” says Dr. Penn. “So
I met with the hospital’s
clinical team, and we
started setting it up.”
Kristen was an ideal
test case. Since she was having a scheduled
cesarean, there was plenty of time to plan.
Also, she’d done her research. If all went
well, Kristen had this wish list:
›
She wanted her head lifted and the
drape lowered so she could see the birth.
›
She wanted the baby placed immediately
on her chest.
›
She hoped her husband might be able
to cut the umbilical cord.
at was it. Of course, this list meant
changes to cesarean routines that hospitals
and doctors have honed to perfection over
the decades. EKG leads would have to
be on Kristen’s side instead of her chest
and the pulse oximeter on a toe instead
of a nger. She’d need the IV in her
non-dominant hand so she could hold her
baby, and everyone needed to be careful
not to break the sterile operating eld.
Because it would be a rst for all
involved, the Caminitis and hospital sta
crafted a written birth plan together.
Better Together
Kristen, Matt and Connor Caminiti,
moments a er Connor was born. “It
was so great to be able to share the
experience of meeting our baby together
rather than me going with the baby to a
separate room,” says Matt.
AAMC’s patient-focused
care helped Kristen
DeBoy Caminiti have her
dream birth experience
Kristen DeBoy Caminiti has a photo
she loves. Actually it’s more than that.
“It’s my favorite picture, ever,” she insists.
In the photo, taken by her husband,
Matt Caminiti, Kristen cradles her son
just seconds after his birth. She has her
cheek against his, their eyes are closed and
Kristen looks wrapped in grace.
It’s a beautiful photo. Yet for many
mothers it might not seem that unusual.
at’s because when a healthy baby is
delivered vaginally, he or she is usually
put right on the mother’s chest. Early
skin-to-skin contact is good for both
mom and baby, and, as an added bene t,
it makes for a great picture.
But for generations now, immediate
skin-to-skin contact hasn’t been an option
for women giving birth by cesarean
section. In a traditional C-section, after
the baby arrives, he or she is brie y held
up for mom to see, then whisked o by
the neonatal team while the obstetrician
nishes surgery. It can take close to
Special
delivery
half an hour before mother and child
are reunited.
Kristen and Matt know the routine
well. eir rst two boys arrived this
way. While they still remember the births
fondly, Kristen says she never got the
birth experience she’d dreamed about.
“You know, I’d always imagined that
moment of my baby being born and
being put on my chest and getting to
hold and kiss and love him,” Kristen says.
en, a couple of weeks into her third
pregnancy, a friend posted a video that
caught Kristen’s attention. It was about
family-centered cesarean techniques
catching on in Britain. e techniques
were relatively easy, and the goals simple—
including letting mom see the birth and
getting the baby onto mom’s chest as
soon as possible. After viewing the video,
Kristen was elated. “I thought, ‘Wow,
this is cool.’ I decided I’d do everything I
could to make it happen for me.”
AAMC adapts
AAMC is committed to patient- and
family-centered care. So when Kristen
asked her OB-GYN, Marcus Penn, MD,
whether he’d be open to a family-centered
cesarean, the answer was yes. While the
techniques had never been tried before at
the hospital, that didn’t bother Dr. Penn.
Learn more about AAMC’s family birthing center at
SafeSmartPlace.com
.
Marcus
Penn, MD