Delivering a baby

[Nemesis]

So I searched and I think I may be the first to ask

My lovely lady is 8 months pregnant and it's set me to thinking. Obviously when she goes into labour I'll drive us to hospital.
But , as it's winter and in recent years we've had snow enough to completely stop vehicles, including ambulances from getting through I would like, just for my own peace of mind to know the drill to deliver a child myself if (and I apologise in advance for the pun) push comes to shove.

I've tracked down some things to read online and found some vids on youtube but wondered if those with more medical/ first aid knowledge than I could give advice or point me in the right direction for the best info.

Obviously it's unlikely to be needed and indeed to be avoided but I'd rather have the knowledge and not need it than vice versa

Thanks

 

[kiltedpict]

Long time since I did my midwifery placement, but my best advice would be to phone 999 as the call handler will be able to talk you through what to do. If possible get it on speaker or have another person to hold the phone and relay their instructions.

The fact you have done some research, combined with their talking you through it means you will both do just fine I think (should the worst happen anyway).

Plenty of warm towels- when the baby is delivered dry it down with a warm towel and then change it for another dry warm towel an get a hat on it as they lose heat so fast- in an emergency they do that before rescusitating the baby- well, that was the advice of the neonatal staff to us ICU staff when there was a risk of one of our patient needing an emergency c-section in the ICU recently.

As a side note, do you know what all the hot water is for in the movies? It to keep the man busy!


Best of luck for when the baby arrives though

Keep us updated

KP

 

[widu13]

I've now been present at the birth of 3 and the longest took 1.5 hrs and the shortest took 20 mins. Seemed a doodle to me. I reckon all of the stories are all part of millennia old conspiracy and scam on men folk. Shame on you girls

 

[The Cumbrian]

I almost had to with our youngest. Jules decided to have Nathan, quite suddenly, in the bathroom. I was wearing the catcher's mitts, calm and confident that I could deliver our baby with a background of GCSE Biology and having seen it done on telly a few times.

I was quite disappointed when the paramedics arrived about two minutes before the birth.

 

[Toddy]

Widu....response to

Oh now there's a brave man, with a sore ear and a cold bed tonight

M

 

[JohnC]

Ive helped at a few births during nurse training, when we had our kids, i read up on first aid, emergency births and made sure i had coins for the phone ( no mobiles)....
Iirc the ante natal classes had a session on what to do if it all happens suddenly... My sister gave birth to her last child herself, all very sucessfuly, the midwife being enroute, and arriving in time to help tidy up..
i believe the hot water and towels did serve a purpose, i think as a compress to encourage blood flow and relaxing muscles..
Good luck with the birth, make sure youve got the list of family members to call.....

 

[widu13]

Widu....response to

Oh now there's a brave man, with a sore ear and a cold bed tonight

M

Mary, you're not impartial you're part of the New World Order! I did rip a nail once...now that really hurt.

 

[santaman2000]

This should put it in perspective http://youtu.be/UEwPy31vWZ8

 

[Tat2trev]

I came very close too as our second child Maycie was born in 7mins that was a close call and our third child Eadie with midwife present I delivered her myself with the help,of my wife of course .

 

[sandbender]

"...I've tracked down some things to read online and found some vids on youtube but wondered if those with more medical/ first aid knowledge than I could give advice or point me in the right direction for the best info..."

Do you live out in the country, no neighbours? If you are in a city there must be a 'wise woman' nearby who will know what to do if for whatever reason you cannot make it to the hospital.

I was a third child and was born in the front room of my parents house with only my grandmother and older sister to assist my mum. Both of my kids were delivered in hospital and the process was reasonably quick (from my perspective anyway ).

Home deliveries are essentially illegal in Hungary, it is argued that this is all about 'the best interests of mother and child' but most know that it is all down to how much money is made during the hospital birthing process.

 

[Toddy]

Mary, you're not impartial you're part of the New World Order! I did rip a nail once...now that really hurt.

If men had babies they'd fit zips

Queen Victoria on having her ear nipped by a churchman declaiming that the bible said that women should bring forth children in sorrow, replied that, "We are having the baby, we will have chloroform!"
HMQV might not have been brain of Britain, but she was an industrious and hard working little lady, with her priorities straight

From a female point of view Nemesis........keep it calm. Let her be calm, comfortable as can be. Let her hormones work for her, with her and ease the birth.
Understand the process and maybe have a stash of things put near to hand just in case. If nothing else it'll ease both of your minds.

Any decent first aid book has clear guidelines on what to do in the case of childbirth. The ones in 'Where there is no doctor' are very good.
If there are any concerns about her health then the doctors will have her in hospital before her due date anyway.

I hope it all goes very gently for all three of you


Mary

 

[wingstoo]

I've now been present at the birth of 3 and the longest took 1.5 hrs and the shortest took 20 mins. Seemed a doodle to me. I reckon all of the stories are all part of millennia old conspiracy and scam on men folk. Shame on you girls

My first was a "sun roof" birth after she got in distress and an emergency C section was needed

My second, well she had already departed this earth by the time she was born

My third took a while, but a little snip with the scissors and she came out a lot quicker... (Episiotomy)

But I am told it isn't always this easy... Good luck, and at the fist sign "Call the mid-wife"

 

[EddieP]

I'm only a medical student who has seen a few births so can't add more than the above people have said. Except:

There will be what appears to be a lot of blood, anything under 500ml is normal. Now go get a pint of tomato juice and poor it over the kitchen flood (assuming it isn't carpet). This amount is not to be worried about. Don't panic.

Your wife will probably open her bowels, this is also normal, wipe front to back, have plenty of clean towels to hand so if there is a mess from blood etc you can put a new one down under her. Have a bin to hand to subtly chuck stuff in, she'll thank you later.

If I were you I'd watch lots of YouTube, you will possible see bad practice in some, but you will also get a feeling of what happens. Good luck and fingers crossed you aren't alone.

If you do get to hospital make sure your phone / camera is in your pocket, then you don't have to mess around after the baby is born to take pics. If it ends us as a C/S you will probably be allowed to take it into theater, but won't have too much time to mess about.

 

[Nemesis]

Thanks all for the bevy of responses.

To cover a few of the points. Yes dialling 999 would be my first port of call and my small first aid kit has a hands free kit for my phone but this is more about preparing for being unreachable and with no signal (I'm a great believer in mitigating against Murphy's Law)

We do live within reasonable distance of a hospital but we could be elsewhere at the time.

Finally, lovely Mary, calming I can definitely do. I'll be chief calmer-downer and provider of happy words wherever the little one is delivered


Thanks for all the well wishes!

 

[xylaria]

Read up on knowing how to clear the airway in a new born You are are highly unlikely to need it, but if you do you would be greatful you read up on it, the 999 operator will talk you through it anyway. I worked with a lady that was born in a car stuck in snow in 1963, they were in the car so long the story got in the local paper. She survived by been wrapped up with her mum, sharing body heat. It was the worst winter in living memory, so that sort of weather isnt likely either. Quick labours happen, so do really slow ones. Going hospital too early can lead to things been hurried by the medical profession. There are ways of knowing if labour will happen soon. The bottom of the tummy drops until it is near the pubic bone, and the cervix goes from a nose to soft flat thing, but it is when it goes to 8cm open thing you should panic. Google what I am going on about, it is the differance between twinges and twenty mintues until the screaming starts.

 

[wingstoo]

If you are really concerned that you may need to have a home birth then these are available...

http://www.spservices.co.uk/item/Fe...yPackHeatSealedinGreenPolyBag_101_3_18_1.html

 

[Laurentius]

Fortunately I have never had to do this, but I came close once, when my upstairs neighbours waters broke and she was in on her own. That was around twenty years ago and her daughter is fully grown up now. Thank goodness the ambulance got there on time.

 

[EddieP]

The worst lift journey in my life was only 1 floor, but it was in a hospital and the lady that got in the lift with me was in labor on her way to the delivery suite. I was really hoping that it wasn't going to be the time the lift broke down.

 

[xylaria]

The worst lift journey in my life was only 1 floor, but it was in a hospital and the lady that got in the lift with me was in labor on her way to the delivery suite. I was really hoping that it wasn't going to be the time the lift broke down.

I was born in the lift in the hospital.
The NCT book has very good advice for every that happens. it goes though in clear language what should happen and what goes wrong.

 

[John Fenna]

All the info is in the back of the St John's Ambulance first Aid manual....
I very nearly had to "attend" as the only 1st Aider in the village when we were snowed in once ... luckily she was air lifted out, sharing the ride with a girl who needed dialysis (the lecktricker was on the blink in the village too).
These are some of the reasons I am a "prepper" - you never know what is going to occur!