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Chapter 4: Your C-Section Baby
When pregnancy reaches its natural conclusion, a series of steps take place that trigger labor. The onset of labor is a delicate dance and the most important step is initiated by the baby. When a fetus has neared the end of its development, it sends a signal to the placenta—in the form of chemicals called catecholamines, also known as "stress" or "fight or flight" hormones—that it is ready for … birth day. Even though catecholamines are generally referred to as stress hormones, in birthing it might be better to consider them "excitement" hormones. Essentially, the fetus is excited because he's ready to be born, and the presence of these hormones helps him adapt to life outside the womb.
Catecholamines perform other functions as well. At the onset of labor, the hormones send blood away from "non-essential" organs, such as the skin, in order to keep the essential ones, e.g., the brain and heart, well-supplied with blood and oxygen.
Babies who are delivered vaginally experience another surge in catecholamines that, among other things, helps them deal with potential oxygen deprivation during birth. Babies who are delivered via Cesarean, without experiencing any labor, have much lower levels of these hormones present at birth. The presence of catecholamines before and during labor leads some health-care providers to believe that Cesareans shouldn't be scheduled prior to the natural onset of labor.
Catecholamines also help absorb amniotic fluid from the lungs, and they stimulate the production of surfactant in the lungs. Surfactant is a slippery substance that keeps the lungs surfaces from sticking together and prevents them from collapsing once the baby is outside the womb and breathing air. Some physicians speculate that because this cascade of events doesn't take place in Cesarean-born babies, it is one reason that some have difficulty breathing at first. Plus, even with all the technology we have—from sonograms that measure the baby's height and weight to amniocentesis that can be used to check lung development—babies still occasionally get delivered by Cesarean too soon. When that happens, the baby can face a host of problems associated with incomplete lung development and prematurity.
Other information that's included in this chapter:
- The risks and benefits of the surgery for your baby
- Bonding after birth
- How to cope if your baby is in the NICU
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