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Giving birth in an unexpected place
What happens when the baby is born at home, by accident as it
were - or in any place other than the hospital? Well , giving birth
anywhere other than the intended place is likely to be distressing
for you, to say the least. Fortunately though, this rarely happens,
however it is still a possibility, so take time out to print the
following page, and give it to your husband, or put it in a place
accessible to those who may need advice should this happen.
In such circumstances it is a priority to ensure that the room or
place is heated, in some way or another, to as near 21°C as possible
- babies lose heat quickly and this can lead to a host of other
problems. In the case of the very unfortunate happening and your
baby is born whilst you are out shopping, try to get to a private
room within the centre, and get someone to summon medical
assistance. If the shop cannot provide towels or garments of some
nature suitable in which to wrap your baby, then the next best
option and warmest place for your baby would be snuggled against
your skin, until medical help arrives.
The following pointers gives guidelines on what to do if you are
with someone who is about to give birth in a unexpected place .....
- Stay calm!
- If you are at home, encourage the women to adopt whatever
position is most comfortable for her, and phone an
ambulance/midwife. If you are elsewhere, ask a bystander to phone
the emergency services so that you can stay with the mother.
- Collect clean towels or items of clothing in which to wrap the
baby.
- Try to ensure as much privacy as possible.
- Wash your hands.
- Do not interfere with the course of
nature - it is dangerous to get the mother to cross her legs or to
attempt to push the baby back in!
- As the head emerges, support it gently with cupped hands. Do
not pull on the baby's head!
- If the cord is around the baby's neck, gently slip it over his
head.
- Once the baby has fully emerged from the birth canal, place
him on his mother's chest or stomach, and cover both baby and
mother with clean towels or clothing.
- Do not attempt to cut the cord - wait
for the emergency services.
- Wipe any mucus from the baby's mouth with a clean cloth.
- If the baby does not start to breathe immediately, stimulate
breathing by holding him with his head a little lower than his
body. Do not slap the baby on the the back.
- The placenta or afterbirth should come out by itself within
about 15 minutes.
- Do not pull on the cord to deliver the
placenta. If it does not come out, and the mother appears
to be losing a substantial amount of blood (approx. 2 cups, or
more), put the baby to the breast.
- Once the placenta has emerged, place it in a clean plastic bag
for inspection by a doctor or midwife.
- Do not give the woman anything to eat or
drink, before the emergency team arrives.
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