Imagine going into full-blown labor at home or in another location. You can’t get to the hospital because you are afraid that the baby will arrive at any moment. If there is someone there with you, please follow these step-by-step instructions to ensure the delivery of a healthy baby. These instructions are only to be used in an emergency situation, this is not intended for a planned at home delivery.
The first thing you will need to do is to instruct the mother-to-be to stay calm during this ordeal. This maybe hard to do since she is in a serious emergency situation. You need to stay calm too. Even if you do not have a single clue on how to deliver a baby, things will work out God willing, so stay calm and try to keep the mother calm too.
Next call 911; let an emergency crew know that there is a woman in labor and that she needs assistance immediately. Hopefully they will respond to your call spontaneously and you won’t have to deliver the baby after all. Regardless of the situation, call them and let them know what is going on and ask if you can be connected to a doctor, nurse or midwife. Once connected you can also get step-by-step instructions from them to help you deliver the baby successfully.
The mother should start panting in order to keep herself from bearing down.
Keep the mother reassured and comforted during the process. Let her know that you have called 911 and that everything is going to be ok. Try to keep her calm.
If you have enough time, start to wash the vaginal area with detergent, soap and water. You will need to wash your own hands thoroughly too.
If you have some time to spare, get the mother to a bed, desk, or table. Have her lie down so that her buttock hangs a little over the edge. Have her push her hands under her thighs to keep them elevated. You should try to get a couple of chairs to support her feet and a couple pillows or cushions to rest under her shoulders and her head. This will help to raise the mother-to-be to a semi-sitting position allowing her to push better during delivery. If you are waiting for the ambulance to arrive, and you do not see the head, have the mother lie flat to help slow down the delivery.
If you can not get the woman to the bed or a table, have her lie down on the floor and place a clean cloth towels, newspaper or clean paper towel under her buttocks. This will help provide some height while she is delivering the baby.
If you are able, protect the delivery surface as much as possible. If you can grab a plastic tablecloth, paper towels, newspaper, towels or any other protecting objects and lay them down where you plan on delivering the baby. You should also have a bucket or bowel of soap and water with a towel to help clean off any blood or amniotic fluid coming out.
When the top of the baby’s head begins to appear, do not instruct the mother to push. Instead tell her to pant or blow, and apply gentle pressure to the baby’s head so that it does not pop out all of a sudden. You want the head to come out in a gradual process. Do not pull the baby’s head out because if the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby’s neck this could cause immediate suffocation. If the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby’s neck, hook a finger under it and gently work it over the baby’s head.
Once the head is out, gently stroke the sides of the baby’s nose downward, the neck and under the chin upward. This will help to get rid of any mucus and amniotic fluid from the nose and mouth.
Gently take the head in both hands and press it slightly downward, once again do not pull the head out. Now ask the mother to push at the same time in order to deliver the shoulders. When the upper arm appears, lift the head carefully and watch for the rear shoulder to deliver. When the baby’s shoulders are free the rest of the baby’s body should slip out easily.
Now make sure that the baby is crying. You might have to give the baby a little smack on the bottom if it does not cry at first.
Now tightly wrap the baby into warm blankets or towels or anything that can quickly secure the infant. Hand the baby to the mother and let the baby rest on her abdomen or if the umbilical cord is long enough to the mother’s breasts.
Never try to pull the placenta out, if it comes out on its’ own before the emergency crew gets there, wrap it in a towel and keep it elevated above the baby. You will not need to cut the cord.
You should now try to keep both the mother and baby comfortable and as warm as possible until help arrives.
I hope that God willing this article will be of some benefit to you.
Reference:
- What to Expect When You’re Expecting by Arlene Eisenburg, Heidi e. Murkoff, adn Sandee E. Hathaway B.S.N.
