What is it about ?
Sometimes the end of pregnancy can come unexpectedly. It happens that the job
starts quite suddenly and the delivery progresses so quickly that there is no time to go to the hospital. If the baby is born at home (or elsewhere) and there was previously no sign of an unsafe pregnancy, the birth will most often proceed without complications. There is then no need for specialized assistance. If childbirth begins within 37 weeks of pregnancy, the risk is greater. It is then very important to call the doctor, gynecologist or midwife immediately, even at night or on weekends.
Otherwise, there is usually enough time to call a caregiver to help the mother give birth. So this is not a well-planned home birth, but an unexpected event.
What will the doctor or midwife do?
The doctor or midwife always needs a minimum of information. Is this a first childbirth ? How many weeks pregnant is the mother? Has everything gone normally so far? Does the mother suffer from any illnesses that could be of importance?
The caregiver will then determine the baby’s position (does the baby come head first or seat forward?), And watch for heart sounds. The mother’s blood pressure, body temperature and heart rate are also monitored.
The doctor (or midwife) will monitor the smooth progress of the birth. He will make sure the mother is in a comfortable position and on clean laundry. He will use sterile gloves. To avoid tearing the vagina or anus, the baby should not be expelled too quickly. This is why often, to slow down the exit of the baby, the doctor holds back his head a little. In this way, the baby’s head is also a little supported. After birth, he wipes the baby with a soft cloth, and places it on the mother’s stomach under a warm blanket. The doctor will always check breathing and, if necessary, clear the airways of mucus, especially in the nose and throat. The baby’s general condition is assessed using the Apgar score. To do this, 5 parameters are checked:
- the pulse ;
- breathing;
- Skin color ;
- response to stimulation;
- muscle tone.
For each of these parameters, the score can be equal to 2 (maximum), 1 (moderate reaction) or 0 (no reaction). Signs of good general health are a child who responds immediately to stimulation, spontaneously begins to breathe or cry within 1 minute of birth, has red skin, and bends his arms and legs well. The total score will determine whether an intervention is necessary or not. This can range from administering oxygen to resuscitation.
Next, the caregiver clamps the umbilical cord with pliers and cuts it, then disinfects the end of the cord. If collection tubes are available, the doctor will collect a sample of umbilical cord blood. Expulsion of the placenta is usually not urgent if the mother is not bleeding. There is usually enough time to get to the hospital for the delivery of the placenta. Usually, the doctor will also give a medicine (oxytocin) to stimulate contractions of the uterus and limit blood loss.
Want to know more?
Source