Earlier in the week friends of mine had the amazing experience of having their first child pop out at home with little warning, after being told by the hospital that bubs was ages away.
Mum’s water had broken, so mum and dad hopped in a cab and headed to the hospital. On arrival they were told to go home, as delivery was considered to be a long way off. Mum was reluctant but the doctor was insistent. Go home, take some panadol, and come back when your contractions are closer together.
So go home they did. Panadol were taken, and mum hopped in the bath to relax and ease the pain.
Shortly after hopping in the bath however, bubs decided he wanted out. The ambulance was called, but didn’t come quick enough… Dad, who reportedly looked a little green around the gills, had to stand in as Doc, and delivered the little guy on his own, on the bathroom floor.
Quite a mean feat, (I suspect that coming from good South Island farming stock, he’s helped a few labouring cattle before) but what a superb job done. Mum, dad and baby are all well, and the ambulance crew arrived 3 minutes after the show was over. They no doubt found mum and especially dad with a slight look of shock on their faces, but baby was content and wrapped in a towel, and no doubt much back-slapping and ‘well done mate’ ensued before the ambos snipped the umbilical cord and whisked the trio off to hospital for observation.
Home births are certainly not rare, with around 2% of births in the UK each year occurring at home. The emergency home birth is however not so common. In less than 1% of births does a woman who has had no labour symptoms or only intermittent contractions suddenly feel an overwhelming urge to push, which may signal the imminent arrival of her baby. And in many of these cases, the woman will manage to make it to the hospital in time.
But albeit a rare occurrence, you never know when you might encounter a lady in labour. So after extensive research I’ve compiled ‘baby delivery 101’ which I urge you all to read and commit to memory just in case you should ever need it…
Baby delivery 101 – What to do if baby arrives unexpectedly…
- Try to stay calm and reassure the mother. Wash your hands well with soap and water and wear sterile rubber gloves, if possible.
- Select a large, flat surface, such as a bed or table, as a birthing area. Cover the area with a clean sheet or towels.
- Support the mother’s head and back with pillows, and have her lie on her side. At the time of delivery, she should lie on her back with her knees bent and spread apart. If possible, place a folded towel or blanket under the mother’s right hip to keep her from lying flat on her back.
- Have the mother take deep, slow breaths, particularly during contractions.
- When the baby’s head shows during each contraction, tell the mother to push. Have her take a deep breath, hold it, and push for a count of 10. Then she should exhale and repeat this breathing for the duration of each contraction. The mother should NOT push between contractions.
- Place your hand against the area below the vaginal opening and apply gentle pressure during each contraction. This pressure will prevent the baby from coming too fast and tearing vaginal tissue. Your other hand, placed gently against the vaginal opening over the baby’s head, will help control how quickly the baby’s head comes out of the vaginal opening.
- As the baby’s head is delivered, support it with your hands. The baby will naturally turn to one side. As soon as the head is out, have the mother stop pushing so that the baby’s mouth and nose can be cleaned. Use a suction bulb if you have one otherwise a clean towel.
- If the umbilical cord is around the baby’s neck, either ease it over their head slowly or loosen it enough to form a loop so that the rest of their body can slip through.
- Once the head is out, the rest of the body generally comes quickly. Hold the baby gently on both sides of its head and gently guide them out. Be careful as newborns are very slippery, so hold the baby with a towel!
- When the baby is fully out, don’t pull the cord. And stay where you are until you deliver the placenta, which should arrive shortly Don’t try to tie off or cut the cord. Leave it attached to the baby and the placenta until help arrives.
- Hold the baby with its head down and feet higher than it’s head so that fluids in its body can drain.
- Dry the baby immediately. Then rest them on the mother’s tummy, skin-to-skin, so they will be warmed by the mother’s body heat. It is important to keep the newborn warm as hypothermia can set in quickly. Cover the mother and baby with a dry blanket.
- Ease any mucus or amniotic fluid from the baby’s nostrils by gently running your fingers down the sides of their nose.
- If the baby doesn’t cry spontaneously at birth, stimulate them by rubbing their back or flicking the heels of their feet. In the rare event that baby is still not breathing or crying give two quick gentle puffs of air into their nose and mouth.
- While you’re waiting for medical help, try to get the baby to nurse — but only if you can keep the umbilical cord slack, not taut (sometimes, if the placenta is still inside the mother, the cord won’t be long enough to allow the baby to reach the mother’s breast). Besides offering the baby comfort and security, their suckling will prompt the mother’s body to release more oxytocin, the hormone that stimulates contractions, which will help the placenta separate and be delivered. After the placenta is out, the mother should keep nursing, as this will help the uterus continue to contract, which will control bleeding. If the baby won’t nurse right away, the mother can manually stimulate her nipples to release the hormone.
- After the placenta is delivered, the uterus should be firmly massaged by vigorously rubbing the mother’s belly right below her navel for two hours after the birth. This will also help the uterus contract and remain contracted.
Congratulations you have just delivered a baby!!
Emergency home delivery no-no’s:
- DO NOT try to delay the delivery in any way. Crossing or holding the mother’s legs, or pushing the baby’s head back into the vagina, can seriously injure the baby.
- DO NOT allow the mother to go to the toilet. Reassure her that the sensation of needing to have a bowel movement means the baby is coming.
- DO NOT allow the mother to push vigorously until you see the mother’s vagina bulging with the baby’s head. Pushing too early, before the cervix is completely dilated, can tear the cervix.
- DO NOT pull the baby from the vagina.
- DO NOT pull on the umbilical cord.
- DO NOT cut the umbilical cord unless told to do so by a health care professional, or if medical help is unavailable.