There are two ways pregnant women can give birth: vaginal delivery or a Caesarean section (C-section). Medical complications can lead women to choose the latter delivery method to ensure a healthy baby. Recently, a team of doctors in Venezuela captured on video a unique, but safe, birth delivery — a "gentle C-section."

This method was performed at the Centro de Fertilidad Clinica Lugo in Maracay, Venezuela, where doctors guided the baby naturally out of the mother's abdomen after making a cut. The "gentle C-section" is described as a natural approach that is more "mom-centered" than a regular c-section, because it allows women to incorporate natural elements of birthing, such as witnessing the delivery; holding the infant immediately; breastfeeding; and having the mom and baby together for as long as possible. A 2008 study suggests this method promotes early skin-to-skin contact and the parental involvement that is witnessed in vaginal births.

Read More: C-Section Has Improved With Modern Medicine, But Women And Children Still Face Risks

Moreover, gentle C-sections also help prevent respiratory complications that can occur in regular C-sections. Babies born to mothers who did not labor, are more likely to have difficulty breathing on their own. They're also more likely to be born preterm before the lungs have become fully developed.

A 2012 study found babies delivered by C-section were 30 percent more likely to develop respiratory distress syndrome, which is a breathing disorder that can lead to organ damage. This is more common in premature infants. Women who can't deliver vaginally should discuss with their doctor the possibility of a gentle C-section if it's not associated with more serious medical complications.

Gentle C-sections can take up to four minutes for the baby to naturally come out of the mother's abdomen before it's placed on her chest.

Currently, in the U.S., 32 percent of all deliveries are done by C-section.

A gentle C-section could help eliminate some of the risks associated with a regular C-section, while also including aspects of vaginal births, like mother-baby bonding.

See Also:

More Than One Cesarean Section Poses Little Risk To Children's Health

Natural Birth Vs. C-Section: Delivery Method Pros And Cons