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The tiny hand and forearm slipped out too early. Babies are not delivered shoulder first.听, an obstetrician in the Boston area who specializes in high-risk deliveries, tucked it back inside the boy鈥檚 mother.

鈥淗e was trying to shake my hand and I was like, 鈥業鈥檓 not having this 鈥� put your hand back in there,鈥欌�� Marino would say later, after all 5 pounds, 1 ounce of the baby lay wailing under a heating lamp.

This is the story of how that baby, Bryce McDougall, tested the best efforts of more than a dozen medical staffers at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, Mass., that day last summer.

Bryce鈥檚 birth also put to the test a new method of reducing cesarean sections developed at Dr. Atul Gawande鈥檚听, a 鈥渏oint center for health systems innovation鈥� at Brigham and Women鈥檚 Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.

The story starts before Bryce鈥檚 birth, on the last day of August at about 9:30 in the morning.

Melisa McDougall has just checked into South Shore, after a routine ultrasound. She鈥檚 in her 36th week, pregnant with twin boys. The doctors have warned Melisa that her placenta won鈥檛 hold out much longer. She鈥檚 propped up in bed, blond hair pulled into a neat bun, makeup still fresh, ordering a sandwich, when her regular obstetrician arrives.

鈥淗ow are you?鈥� asks Dr. Ruth Levesque, sweeping into the room and clapping her hands. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to have some babies today! Are you excited?鈥�

The first of the twins 鈥� Brady 鈥� is head-down, ready for a normal vaginal delivery. But brother Bryce is horizontal at the top of Melisa鈥檚 uterus.

That鈥檚 one reason Melisa is a candidate for a C-section. Babies do not come out sideways. And there鈥檚 another reason most doctors would not consider a vaginal delivery in Melisa鈥檚 case, Levesque says. Four years ago, she delivered the twins鈥� sister by cesarean.

鈥淸Melisa] has a scar on her uterus,鈥� Levesque explains, 鈥渟o there鈥檚 a risk of uterine rupture 鈥� very rare, but there鈥檚 always a possibility.鈥�

And that possibility may be greater for Melisa听because she鈥檚 37 and having twins. But the McDougalls hope to have vaginal deliveries for both boys.

鈥淚 just feel like it鈥檚 better for the kids 鈥� better for the babies,鈥� Melisa says.

Melisa McDougall hears comforting words from her nurse at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, Mass. Part of the focus of the Team Birth Project is on facilitating communication among parents, nurses and doctors.(Jesse Costa/WBUR)

How The 鈥楾eam Birth Project鈥� Came To Be

Avoiding C-sections is also better for many moms. With cesareans, there鈥檚 a longer recovery period, a greater risk of infection and an association with injury and death. And most C-sections are not medically necessary, said听, who directs the Delivery Decisions Initiative at Ariadne Labs.

鈥淲e鈥檙e fairly confident that, when you look nationally, the plurality 鈥� if not the majority 鈥� of C-sections are probably avoidable,鈥� said Shah.

Those avoidable C-sections are the focus of the Team Birth Project, designed by Shah with input from roughly 50 doctors, nurses, midwives, doulas, public health specialists and consumer advocates who focus on childbirth. South Shore Hospital is one of the pilot sites for the project.

In describing the collaboration, Shah begins with an acknowledgment: Childbirth is complicated. You鈥檝e got two patients 鈥� the mother and the baby 鈥� and an ad hoc, often shifting team that at a minimum includes the mom, a nurse and a doctor.

鈥淪o you鈥檝e got three people who have to come together and become a very high-performing team in a really short period of time, for one of the most important moments in a person鈥檚 life,鈥� Shah said.

And this team has to perform at its best during an unpredictable event: labor.

Shah says doctors and nurses generally agree about three things: when a mom is in active labor; when a mom can definitely try for a vaginal delivery; and when she must have a C-section.

鈥淎nd then there鈥檚 this huge gray zone,鈥� Shah said. 鈥淎nd actually, everything about the Team Birth Project is about solving for the gray.鈥�

To avoid unnecessary C-sections when what to do isn鈥檛 clear, this hospital, in conjunction with Ariadne, has changed the way labor and delivery is handled from start to finish.

First, women aren鈥檛 admitted until they are in active labor. Secondly, the mom鈥檚 preferences 鈥� such as whether she鈥檇 like an epidural or not, whether she wants to have 鈥渟kin-to-skin contact鈥� with the baby immediately after birth 鈥� help guide the members of the labor team. The team members map the delivery plan 鈥� including mom鈥檚 preferences and the medical team鈥檚 guidance 鈥� on a whiteboard, like the one in Melisa鈥檚 room.

For the births of Bryce and Brady McDougall, the white erasable planning board gets a lot of use.

Under 鈥淭eam,鈥� Levesque and registered nurse Patty Newbitt write their names. Melisa and Shaun McDougall are also listed as equal partners. The names of other family members or nurses may be added and erased as labor progresses. Shah鈥檚 idea is that this team will 鈥渉uddle鈥� regularly throughout the labor to discuss the evolving birth plan.

The birth plan itself is divided into three separate elements on the board: Maternal (the mom), Fetal (the baby) and Progress (in terms of how the labor is progressing). A mom with high blood pressure, for instance, may need special attention 鈥� and that would be noted on the board 鈥� but she could still have a normal labor and vaginal delivery.

The whiteboard in Melisa McDougall鈥檚 hospital room details the birth plan, including her preferences and the medical team鈥檚 guidance.(Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Good Communication Throughout Labor And Delivery Is Key

, who chairs the OB-GYN department at South Shore, highlights a section of the whiteboard called 鈥淣ext Assessment.鈥�

That category is included on the board, Dever said, 鈥渂ecause one of the things I often heard from patients is that they didn鈥檛 know what was going to happen next. Now they know.鈥�

Asking the mom 鈥� and the couple 鈥� about their preferences for the delivery is crucial, too, Levesque said.

鈥淚t forces us to stop and to think about everything with the patient,鈥� she explained. 鈥淚t makes us verbalize our thought process, which I think is good.鈥�

Shaun McDougall walks across the room to get a closer look at the whiteboard.

鈥淗onestly, it seems like common sense,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 would always think the nurses would have something like this, but to have it out where mom and dad can see it 鈥� I think it鈥檚 pretty cool.鈥�

With Melisa McDougall鈥檚 plan in place, everyone settles in, to wait. About four hours later, Melisa isn鈥檛 yet feeling contractions. Levesque breaks the water sac around Brady.

鈥淟ooks nice and clear,鈥� Levesque reports. 鈥淗ey bud, come on and hang out with us,鈥� she says to the baby.

鈥淪o, you鈥檙e going to keep leaking fluid until you leak babies,鈥� the doctor explains to Melisa. 鈥淲henever you start getting uncomfortable, we鈥檒l get you an epidural at that point.鈥�

Levesque moves to the board and adds updates: Melisa is 4 centimeters dilated; her waters broke at 13:26; the next assessment will be after she gets an epidural.

The medical team insisted ahead of time that听Melisa agree to be numbed from the waist down if she wants to deliver Bryce 鈥� the second twin 鈥� vaginally. Melisa agreed. The obstetricians may need to rotate the baby in her uterus, find a foot and pull Bryce out, causing pain most women would not tolerate.

One of those doctors 鈥� Marino 鈥� peeks into the room and waves.

鈥淛ust came to say hi,鈥� says Marino, who has more experience than most obstetricians in delivering babies positioned like Bryce. Along with Levesque, Marino has been seeing Melisa regularly through office visits.

Shaun McDougall asks the physicians if they鈥檒l pose for a picture with his wife.

鈥淐an we make funny faces?鈥� asks Levesque.

鈥淚 want you to,鈥� says Shaun. 鈥淵ou guys are like her favorite people on the planet.鈥�

As the hours tick by, there鈥檚 a shift change, and registered nurse Barbara Fatemi joins the McDougall team. She checks Melisa鈥檚 pain level regularly to determine when she鈥檚 ready for the epidural.

Melisa says she isn鈥檛 feeling much, but adds that she has a high tolerance for pain. Shaun tells Fatemi he sees the strain on his wife鈥檚 face. Fatemi acts on Shaun鈥檚 assessment, and calls an anesthesiologist to prepare the epidural, something Shaun later says reinforces his feeling that they鈥檙e a team.

Levesque soon arrives for the promised 鈥渘ext assessment.鈥� Melisa is now 10 centimeters dilated and ready to deliver 鈥� but she must hold on until nurses can get her into an operating room.

The OR will be the right place if the second baby, Bryce, doesn鈥檛 shift his position, and the doctor needs to do a last-minute cesarean.

鈥淚鈥檒l see you in a few minutes. No pushing without me, OK?鈥� Levesque says over her shoulder as she heads to the OR to prep.

鈥淚鈥檒l try,鈥� Melisa says, weakly. In a minute, nurses are rolling her down the hall, following Levesque.

Almost five years ago, two women who were wheeled into this hospital鈥檚 operating rooms during childbirth died after undergoing C-sections. Though state investigators听听of substandard care, Dever, the head of obstetrics, said the hospital scrutinized everything.

鈥淲hen you have something like that happen, that expedites your efforts,鈥� she said. 鈥淓xponentially.鈥�

Now, Dever said, she sees an opportunity, through the Team Birth Project, to model changes that could help women far and wide.

鈥淚 would love women everywhere to be able to come in and have a safe birth and healthy baby,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I鈥檓 doing it.鈥�

鈥楾hey Did Not Flinch鈥�

Dever is about to see her pilot study of the Team Birth Project pushed to new limits by little Bryce McDougall. First, though, Melisa must deliver Bryce鈥檚 twin brother, Brady. Even his birth, the one that was expected to be easier, is more difficult than anticipated.

Bent nearly in half, her face beet red, Melisa strains for five pushes. She throws up, then gets back to laboring. And suddenly, there he is.

鈥淥h my goodness Brady, oh Brady,鈥� wails Shaun. He follows a nurse holding his son over to a warmer.

Marino takes Shaun鈥檚 place next to Levesque, who has reached inside Melisa to get the next twin. Levesque鈥檚 mission is to grab Bryce鈥檚 feet and guide him out. But everything feels like fingers, not toes.

鈥�That鈥檚 a hand,鈥� she murmurs. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a hand, too.鈥�

Marino rolls an ultrasound across Melisa鈥檚 belly, hoping the scan will show a foot. But Bryce鈥檚 feet are out of sight and out of reach.

Marino has had more experience than most obstetricians with transverse babies and this procedure, known as a breech extraction; she asks to try. She reaches into Melisa鈥檚 uterus while Levesque moves to Melisa鈥檚 right side and uses her forearm to shift Bryce and push him down. Dever has come into the room, and takes over the ultrasound. At least six doctors and nurses encircle Melisa, whose face is taut. Shaun frowns.

鈥淏abe, you OK?鈥� he asks.

Melisa nods. Bryce鈥檚 heart rate is steady. But there鈥檚 still no sign of a foot. One little hand slips out and Marino nudges it back in.

鈥淥pen the table,鈥� says Marino, her voice strained.

It鈥檚 open and ready, her colleagues say, referring to the array of sterile surgical instruments that Marino may soon need, to begin a C-section.

For 36 seconds, this room with more than a dozen adults grows oddly quiet. Everyone is watching Marino twist her arm this way and that, determined to find Bryce鈥檚 feet. Levesque leans hard into Melisa鈥檚 belly. Shaun bites his lip. Then Marino yanks at something 鈥� and her gloved hand emerges, clenching baby Bryce by his two teeny legs.

鈥淥h babe, here he comes, here he comes 鈥� Woo!鈥� squeals Shaun.

Shaun is overcome with emotion again. Melisa manages an exhausted giggle. Baby Bryce keeps everyone waiting a few more seconds and then howls.

Levesque tends to Melisa, and Marino comes around to congratulate the new mom.

鈥淗e was fighting you, huh?鈥� Melisa says, and laughs.

鈥淚 think I found at least five hands,鈥� says Levesque.

Outside the OR, Levesque and Marino look relieved and elated. Both agree that most doctors would have delivered Bryce by C-section. But at South Shore, the McDougalls found a hospital that has challenged itself to perform fewer C-sections, and a doctor with experience in these unusual deliveries 鈥� one who knew and respected the parents鈥� preference.

鈥淭hey specifically wanted to have a vaginal delivery of both babies,鈥� Marino says 鈥� and that was on her mind during the difficult moments.

Bryce was fine, says Marino, so the deciding factor for her was that Shaun and Melisa did not panic.

鈥淭hey did not flinch 鈥� they were like, 鈥楰eep going,鈥欌�� Marino recalls. 鈥淪ometimes the patient will say 鈥榮top,鈥� and then you have to stop.鈥�

The babies鈥� father says he came close to requesting that, in the very last minute before Bryce was born.

鈥淭hat part with the arm 鈥� it was pretty aggressive,鈥� Shaun says.

But in that moment, he adds, the feeling that he and Melisa were part of the team made a difference.

鈥淚t made us more comfortable,鈥� Shaun says, and that comfort translated to trust. 鈥淲e trusted the decisions they were making.鈥�

Melisa says she鈥檚 grateful for the vaginal delivery.

鈥淚 did not want to have a natural birth听and听a C-section,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hat would be a brutal recovery.鈥�

Instead, 30 minutes after Bryce鈥檚 birth, Melisa is nursing Brady and talking with family members on FaceTime.

Next Assessment For The Team Birth Project

South Shore began using the Team Birth approach in April. Three other hospitals are also pilot sites: Saint Francis in Tulsa, Okla.; EvergreenHealth in Kirkland, Wash.; and Overlake in Redmond, Wash. The test period runs for two years. In the first four months at South Shore, the hospital鈥檚 primary, low-risk C-section rate dropped from 31 percent to 27 percent 鈥� about four fewer C-sections each month.

Experts who contributed to the development of the Team Birth Project are eager to see whether other hospitals can lower their rates of C-section and keep them down.

鈥淥nce you get past the early adopters, how do you demonstrate the benefits for others that aren鈥檛 willing to change?鈥� asked听, a professor of community health sciences at Boston University School of Public Health.

Declercq noted that a听听are beginning to force that question, refusing to include in their networks hospitals that have high C-section rates, or high rates of other unnecessary, if not harmful, care.

The federal government has set a target rate for hospitals: No more than 23.9 percent of first-time, low-risk mothers should be delivered by C-section. The U.S. average听听was 25.7 percent.

The target was put in place because听听has shown that if a woman鈥檚 first delivery is a C-section, her subsequent deliveries are highly likely to be C-sections, too 鈥斕齢er (and her baby鈥檚) risk for complications and even death.

Declercq said the project鈥檚 focus on communication in the labor and delivery room makes sense because many physicians decide when to perform a cesarean based on clinical habit or the culture of their hospital.

鈥淚f you can impact that decision-making process, you can perhaps change the culture that might lead to unnecessary cesareans,鈥� said Declercq.

This story is part of a reporting partnership with , and听.

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