Patient-Centered C-section

Dr. Noa Gonen | Racheli Turgeman | Dr. Noa Ben Shoshan | Dr. Ilya Kleiner

Wolfson Medical Center

Project goal:

To promote principals of patient-centered cesarean delivery and expanding the model to additional hospitals.

Project description:

About a fifth of women in Israel give birth by C-section, but for many of them the experience is far from positive. In some cases, the medical procedure creates a feeling of disconnect, loss of control, and disappointment. Following extensive research on hundreds of women who had C-sections, and based on the understanding that the birth experience has a significant impact on the physical and mental recovery of the mother and newborn, we created the "Golden C-section" model. This model has been in effect at Wolfson Hospital for the past few years.

The project offers a C-section experience that addresses the needs of the mother-to-be: Continuous presence of a companion of her choice, emotional support before the C-section, the option to chose a surgeon, skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth, zero separation between mother and baby, and accelerated recovery under adapted conditions. The model was formulated based on dozens of therapeutic steps that aim to restore the mother's connection and control, even in surgery.

So far, about 700 women were treated by this model, and their feedback indicates a much improved experience: Women report a sense of repair, a deep connection with the newborn, and success in breastfeeding. The model improves the experience not only of the mothers and couples but also of the medical teams that care for them.

The goal of this project is to expand the model to additional hospitals and to formulate a nationwide protocol that will outline uniform treatment principles, with the aim of ensuring every woman has a safe, sensitive, and meaningful birth experience, including surgical deliveries.

Our vision is to implement this change throughout the country. We firmly believe that a patient centered birth is not a privilege, but a basic right of every woman.