Having a kit ready when expecting a birth is a great thing, but it won’t get the baby out for you. And as we go into winter the chances of roads being too dangerous to travel is increasing, raising the probability of an emergency home birth. If you are expecting a baby soon you need to have a plan to deliver it if you are unable to get to the hospital or birthing center. Here are some tips to keep in mind if the need arises.
Don’t Panic
Giving birth is not in and of itself a medical emergency, it’s perfectly natural, and while painful there is no reason to think that there will be dangerous complications unless you are in a high-risk category. Staying as calm as you can will me the birth go smoother, reduce pain, and avoid the chemical transfer of stress from mother to child.
Stay Clean
If you are unable to travel, then you might be in the same environment of the birth for some time. Births can be messy, lay down some plastic, or some blankets if you don’t have any plastic available. You don’t want the mother and child to be sitting in that mess after the birth.
Don’t get Ahead of Yourself
Everything that is about to happen is natural, and has its own timing. Don’t rush things like cutting the umbilical cord which may still be providing the child with blood and oxygen. And don’t rush the placenta out of the mother, pulling it out is highly dangerous. Instead, massage her abdomen while she pushes just like she did for the birth.
Baby Massage
As natural as the birth is, it is also traumatic, on the mother and on the baby. It is not uncommon for the baby to have gotten biological waste in its nose or mouth during the birth which could make breathing difficult. Lay the baby on the mother’s chest, face down and massage the baby’s back. If absolutely necessary suck on the baby’s nose or mouth to clear obstructions, but be careful.
I am not a doctor, or a midwife, this is not meant to be directions for delivering your children without the help of those with training and experience coupled with medical instruments if necessary. It is just meant to help if those are not available. And remember to call your doctor or midwife, there is a lot they can help with just over the phone. And good luck.
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