We have all heard and read, because news is given almost every month, in which a woman gives birth in the middle of the street, in her car or at home when her intention was to give birth in a hospital.
In those cases there are usually no health professionals on hand and those around them have to help, who usually do what they can, and that's it.
Fortunately childbirth is a physiological process that usually ends well in most cases and even better if people intervene little. However, there are some things that can be done and others that better not to do in a childbirth and that is why it might be useful to have some notions in case one day you go down the street and you find a woman in labor or if you are the one give birth, or if you're the dad, or ... that's why we bring you today a basic instruction manual for an emergency delivery.
The manual has been created by the people of childbirth is ours and we found it so interesting that we have compiled the points that they have dealt with.
- Forget everything you've seen on film and on TV: this is a true birth and most of what you've seen on TV is not true.
- Relax and enjoy what nature is giving you: if a birth comes like this, so fast, it is usually because the mother dilates with hardly any problems and the delivery usually goes just as well.
- Scatter the "crowd": a birth in the street is equivalent to a lot of people wanting to see, wanting to help and telling everyone theirs. As in hospital deliveries, it advocates leave the pregnant woman as calm as possible, we should try to make the same happen here.
- Do not make the parturient lie on her back: it is one of the things that are seen in the movies, the pregnant woman lying down and everyone waiting for the baby to peek with clean towels, however having her lying down only helps complicate the birth. The ideal is take advantage of the force of gravity by letting the pregnant woman adopt the position that suits her (That almost certainly won't be lying down).
- Limit yourself to observe: when the one who attends does not know what to do, the best thing is to do nothing. In fact, when the attendant knows what to do, if everything goes well, it is also best not to do anything.
- Take the newborn and put it on the mother's bare chest as soon as she leaves: the mother opens her shirt and then she can lie down if she wishes, with her baby on her chest.
- Cover them with blankets or warm clothes if necessary: depending on the season of the year in which we are, it may be necessary to cover the mother (and thus also cover the baby). Fortunately, the mother's breast changes temperature depending on what the baby needs and that's why you don't have to try to cover him individually.
- Do not cut the umbilical cord or tie it: this is also done a lot in the films and is also done at lightning speed. It is not necessary to do it and in fact it is better not to do it because that way the cord continues to carry blood to the baby and continues to provide oxygen and nutrients while the baby begins to breathe on its own. After a while the cord stops beating and that's when it can be cut quietly.
- Congratulate the mother: a little breath never hurts, so if it doesn't come out of you because you're nervous, remember this advice: congratulates the mother for the precious baby she has just given birth in unusual circumstances and for the good he has done.
- It prevents health professionals from separating the mother and the child: if all is well and the baby is calm in the mother's chest or even breastfeeding, should not be separated from his mother's chest. This does not mean that they cannot approach to look / observe / ask or that they cannot attend to the baby in case there is any complication.
- Give prominence to the mother: when people ask you and when the press wants to show you as a hero / heroine who helped save the life of a baby, be honest and explain that you really did nothing, because it was the mother who He did everything. Normally, the value of what happened is assigned to the police who were passing by, to the emergency team or to the neighbor who had the hands of a midwife and the reality is that in most cases women do not need anyone by their side to give to light.
I remember my times working in the outpatient emergency service and I always had the concern of what to do if I met a woman about to give birth. Luckily I never saw myself in those lides, because I probably would have tried to do something. Now, if I find something like that I know that the ideal is to do nothing that is not necessary (and almost nothing is necessary beyond giving support to the woman who will give birth).
