What Do I Do If I Go Into Labor at Home?
If there isn’t a midwife, doctor, or trained specialist to help you if you go into labor at home, there are certain guidelines you can follow to protect both yourself and your baby.
Step 1. Labor at home isn’t fiction, it’s real life
The birth of a baby is far from what you see on TV or in the movies. The mother and those with her shouldn’t behave that way. On TV, everything is more dramatic than normal. They even show contradictions.
It’s best to start to evaluate the environment. What tools are there? What necessary things are at hand?
Step 2. Keep calm at all times
The mother may wonder how to remain calm if she’s about to give birth to a baby without any help. The answer is that births that happen quickly tend not to have complications.
In addition, childbirth is a natural process. The mother’s body has been preparing for it. You just need to breathe and let nature do its job. This doesn’t mean, however, that you shouldn’t take the necessary precautions.
Step 3. Decide whether to leave or stay
You might not have had contractions and suddenly start to go into labor at home. If the mother feels like going to the bathroom, that may indicate that she’s in labor.
This happens with an unusual vagina lift when the time has come. At that point, it’s not a good idea to leave the house. Rather, you should prepare to have a home birth.
Step 4. Call emergency services
It’s a good idea to call a relative, friend or neighbor to be with the mother in this process. Make this call first, then call emergency services.
Therefore, a pregnant woman needs to know the number for emergency services where she is. Keep a list of phone numbers on the refrigerator or in a visible place. Ideally, you should contact a doctor who can accompany you during childbirth.
Step 5. Leave the door open
Help may arrive when the mother can’t get up to open the door. Therefore, the best thing is to make it easy for doctors and relatives to come in and assist by leaving the door open.
Step 6. Find towels or sheets
Use clean towels to cover and clean the baby. It’s a good idea to have more than one. This is important because newborns can’t regulate temperature.
Step 7. Find the correct position
When labor starts, the mother needs to listen to her body. She needs to put herself in the position she feels most comfortable in. In most cases, the most comfortable position is crouching. This way, gravity helps the baby move down the birth canal.
The mother should try to be as comfortable as possible. This includes removing clothing that bothers her. This isn’t a time to be worried about how you look. The most important thing is to facilitate the process so the body can work naturally.
Step 8. Check that the cord isn’t wrapped around the baby’s head
The mother’s body will know what to do in every moment. When the baby comes out, one thing your relative should do is make sure the cord isn’t wrapped around his neck. If it happens, you’ll have to gently untangle it.
Step 9. Don’t cut the cord until help arrives
It’s not a good idea to cut the umbilical cord or tie it with anything during a home birth. It’s best to wait for medical staff to arrive to do this. In addition, when the cord is left for a while, it keeps giving the baby oxygen and nutrients.
Step 10. Put the baby on his mother’s chest
Once the baby is born, it should be placed on the mother’s bare breast, skin to skin. This way, he will receive direct heat from your body. Then, after carefully cleaning the newborn’s nose and mouth, the mother should try to breastfeed.
Step 11. Cover the baby and the mother
The mother might be exhausted and somewhat frightened after going into labor at home. The baby needs to keep warm, so cover both the mother and baby while waiting for help.