Mother left ‘sobbing with joy’ after assisting in own Caesarean

A West Lothian woman has described how she was left “sobbing with joy” after giving birth to her daughter by maternal-assisted Caesarean – thought to be the first time the procedure has been used in Scotland.

Leila El Alti, 39, who is originally from Lebanon, said she requested the innovative procedure for her third child after being left “traumatised” by the experience of giving birth to her first two children.

The novel process involves the mother donning scrubs and effectively becoming part of the operating theatre team carrying out the C-section.

It was carried out last year at University Hospital Wishaw in North Lanarkshire, which is part of the NHS Lanarkshire health board.

Speaking at a meeting of the board on Thursday, Ms El Alti described the moment she pulled her daughter from her womb and onto her chest as “the most magical experience of my life”.

“I’d recommend it to any woman who feels they would benefit from having such an active and empowering role in giving birth by C-section,” she said.

“I felt euphoric for weeks after Aurora was born in March, and my joy was not just for myself; my having done this successfully has hopefully opened the door for other women to also have this wonderful experience as a valid birth option.”

Ms El Alti, a lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University, explained that she had given birth to her first child, a girl, while living in Sweden, where she said she was “coerced to have a very traumatic induction.”

She went on: “When that didn’t work the clinicians relented and I had a Caesarean but what happened before and after it was horrendous – there was no proper attempt to explain what they were doing to my body or to genuinely get my consent for anything, including intimate examinations and very painful procedures.”

She said the experience had left her with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and that she waited five years before having her next child, a boy, by which time she had moved to the UK.

Ms El Alti said giving birth for a second time only added to her trauma, as she faced “resistance” to elements of a birth plan intended to take account of her PTSD, with key parts of the plan being “breached or not implemented”.

When she became pregnant for a third time she said she knew she wanted a maternal-assisted C-section, and discussed the option with staff at NHS Lanarkshire.

She continued: “I was delighted when the NHS Lanarkshire team agreed to the maternal-assisted option and my other needs and wishes, and we had multiple discussions and a full simulation session using a doll – a first for the clinicians.

“When she was being born, the lead obstetrician brought Aurora’s head and shoulders out and I then completed the birth by grasping her under her arms and lifting her on to me.

“The team was also marvellous in accommodating a list of my requests, which included no announcement of the baby’s gender, lights dimmed after I lifted her, and a quiet moment to speak to Aurora so that my voice was the first one she heard.

“But I ended up uncontrollably sobbing with joy.”

She added: “My recovery was very easy compared to the previous C-sections. Aurora and I had no complications and we were able to go home the very next day.

“Aurora is a healthy and happy 10-month-old who is the light of our world.”

Trudi Marshall, NHS Lanarkshire executive nurse director, said: “We’re immensely proud of our maternity and obstetrics colleagues for the way they stepped out of their comfort zone to offer Leila the opportunity to give birth in the way she wanted and needed.

“It’s a fantastic example of what we strive to provide – care that’s person-centred and trauma-informed and reflects Scotland’s health and social care policy of getting it right for everyone.”