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We’ve all heard of Gen Y, Gen X, and Gen Z. Have you ever heard of Gen C-sec (aka Cesarean section)? No right! Well, that’s because I just came up with this term and quite a few millennial babies now days belong to Gen C-sec generation. Well! Click on my birth story (was neither a VBAC nor one of the ideal normal deliveries story) to read the most shocking and disturbing experience about how labor was induced during my delivery and why was C-Sec performed on me. For now, I would like to share very pleasant news about my recent visit to Delhi’s world-class facility.
Recently I visited Sitaram Bhartia, a nonprofit Hospital and Medical Research Centre. They have the amazing infrastructure, high standards of cleanliness, and very helpful & friendly staff. The fact that it’s amongst the only reputed facilities to encourage normal childbirth, made it stand out. They boast of only a 12 percent cesarean-section rate (for first birth low-risk mothers) in 2016, and this is on par with renowned international hospitals.
Surprised? Shocked? Well, don’t be!
Even though vaginal birth is thought to be a painful and risky procedure (compared to a C-section), that’s why many doctors may tend to promote it as well. However little, do these moms know that with a c-sec there are risks not only to the new mother but also to the newborn baby.
It is well known that Sitaram Bhartia encourages VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean) and is among the first to do so in India. Here in fact, 4 out of 5 women trying for a VBAC are successful. VBAC, which is not very popular in India is becoming popular, thanks to hospitals like Sitaram Bhartia! I had the opportunity to meet two mothers during my visit. One of them had VBAC and the other gave birth to her first child, and they were kind enough to share their stories with me.
Story of forced cesarean delivery:
Neha Mahajan, whose firstborn was a c-sec baby wanted to have a normal delivery the second time. She told me how the first time she was forced into having a cesarean delivery by her doctor. She decided to find a hospital that would help her with normal delivery, and after a lot of research, she decided on Sitaram Bhartia. Dr. Rinku Sengupta at Sitaram Bhartia, according to Neha was very motivating and positive throughout her pregnancy. Neha also attended workshops which in her opinion were very informative and interactive. They even taught her a few exercises which she could do during her pregnancy. She told me that the entire staff was patient, caring, and motivating.
Difficult Pregnancy:
Ishita Kumar had her firstborn in Sitaram Bhartia. She told me that during the first month of her pregnancy she started experiencing spotting and the doctor’s she consulted before coming to Sitaram Bhartia told her that there were chances of miscarriage. She then heard about Sitaram and decided to give it a try. At Sitaram Bhartia, Dr. Swati Sinha was her doctor. Ishita said that Dr. Swati’s positivity helped her get through this difficult time. As per Dr. Swati’s orders, after two weeks of complete bed rest and effective medication, her spotting stopped. She also mentioned that the staff and the doctors here were extremely helpful. She delivered naturally and today is a happy mother to a healthy baby. Had it been any other hospital, I am sure, Kumar would have undergone a cesarean!
At Sitaram Bhartia, they give a lot of attention to pregnant mothers. Prenatal and postnatal classes are a part of their maternity program. Prenatal exercises help a pregnant mother by improving her sleep; reducing stress and anxiety; decrease lower back pain, nausea, etc. Through their maternity program, they keep women more informed about the entire journey of pregnancy.
They also emphasize on postnatal care which is more than often either ignored or not paid so much attention to by many nursing homes. Postpartum care, in fact, helps a new mother in many ways such as faster recovery after delivery; feeling less tired or fatigue; being able to get back to the pre-pregnancy body; better milk supply; and greater energy levels.
Why attend prenatal workshops?:
I happened to attend one of their prenatal workshops to see how different were they from the ones I attended during my pregnancy. When I met Dr. Rinku Sengupta Dhar, consultant Obstetrician- gynecologist at Sitaram Bhartia, I was prompted to ask her about their facility’s ongoing commitment towards taking care of a new mom, post-delivery. And this is what she said:-
“We definitely discuss postnatal changes at Sitaram Bhartia. In one of our classes, ‘Journey to Motherhood’, we educate women about the antenatal period as well as postpartum. We educate them about the changes that take place in their body after normal delivery and caesarean, how to take care of themselves and be alert to any problem and complication, and a little about contraception. A physiotherapist teaches them exercises on a one to one basis during IPD (in patient hours after they have delivered), and nutritionists counsel them on how to lose weight. Our ‘Preparing for the New Arrival’ class teaches expectant mothers about breastfeeding and lactation, as do our lactation counsellors”.
Keeping in mind all these factors plus the top of line service and the genuine effort put in by the staff and doctors in Sitaram Bhartia, to make the patients comfortable is what makes this hospital stand out.
