Childbirth normally lasts several hours. In most cases, there will be plenty of time for an expectant mother to get to the hospital or, if pre-arranged, for a midwife or a doctor to get to her home. However, in some cases, labor can happen very quickly. Also, in the case of premature labor, delivery might occur unexpectedly, without any sign or symptom. In these cases, there may not be enough time to get to the hospital and you may have to deliver the baby, or at least help out until emergency medical service arrives.
Instructions
1. You have to perform an emergency delivery if the mother's water bag has broken and contractions are less than two minutes apart and last 45 to 60 seconds. The mother may feel a strong movement in her bowels and want to push. In some cases, the head of the baby is already visible.
2. Call 911. Talk to the mother and calm her down. The delivery is easier if she is not panicked.
3. Clean your hands. Put on sterile latex gloves. Find an area with sufficient lightning with a large, flat, sturdy surface. This could be either a bed, a table, or a clean area on the floor. Cover the surface with newspaper then clean sheets. If you do not have time to sterilize scissors or other items, clean them in soapy water.
4. Position the mother on her back. Have her knees bent and legs spread. Elevate her hips. You can switch her to other positions, for instance, lying on her left side, or kneeling, if she feels uncomfortable on her back.
5. Remove the mother’s clothes, including underpants. Ask her to take short, rapid breaths during contractions. During labor, she may vomit. Keep a container nearby. Keep her legs spread.
6. In a normal birth, the head will come out first. If the feet, buttocks or the umbilical cord appears first, position the mother with her head down and buttocks up.
7. When you see the head, support it with one hand. Avoid pushing on the two soft spots near the brow at the front of the head and near the back of the head.
8. Use one string to tie tightly around the cord, about four inches away from the baby’s navel. Tie another other string tightly around the cord two to four inches away from the first tie. Use the scissors or knife to cut the cord between the two ties. Dry the newborn with a clean cloth. Wipe fluid from the baby’s mouth and nose.
Tags: around cord, away from, cases there, four inches, four inches away, from baby