by Michael Woodhead  

Midwives have hit out at obstetricians for coining the term “natural caesareans” saying the term is an oxymoron and will be used by private hospitals to promote an already overused procedure.  

They say the notion of a ‘natural’ caesarean refers to efforts to make the surgical procedure mimic vaginal childbirth as much as possible by encouraging immediate mother-baby skin to skin contact after a slow removal from the incision, as well as breastfeeding soon after birth.  

Writing in the journal Birth (36: 168-70) this week, midwives from Flinders University of South Australia and the Maternity Coalition say that while they welcome efforts to make childbirth more woman-centred, it was inaccurate and unethical to describe what amounts to major abdominal surgery as ‘natural’.  

They say it is impossible for a caesarean procedure to mimic the physiological aspects of vaginal labour, and it glosses over the fact that caesareans carry risk of adverse events to both mother and baby.  

“We are concerned that some hospitals (particularly in the private sector) might see a practice termed ‘natural caesarean’ as a useful marketing gimmick to attract more customers and raise profits, in the same way that hotel-based postnatal care has been used in some parts of Australia,” they write.  

They add that by using the term ‘natural’ with caesareans may  build on existing misconceptions that the procedure is safer than vaginal labour.