Most births are spontaneous and normal. The baby is crafted for survival. Relax and do the following after contacting the midwife or doctor who is on her way:
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Move her to a comfortable place away from the toilet. Call for help.
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Make sure the room is warm and draft free. Remember that baby needs a warm environment. A clean, dry towel and a hat should be ready for the baby.
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Prepare a bowl of warm water with provolone iodine solution and a clean cloth in it. Place a clean under pad under the mother with the paper side next to her skin. Place another empty bowl (to catch the placenta later on) in close proximity together with scissors, gauze, bulb syringe and cord clamp. Put all items gathered on a clean towel.
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Wash your hands thoroughly. Tear open several packs of 4 x 4’s sterile gauze. Put gloves on if available.
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As the head starts emerging, put gentle counter pressure against the bulging perineum. Don’t touch anything except the mother and baby so as not to contaminate. As the baby’s head starts emerging, remind the mother that she will feel the “ring of fire” which is normal.
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Place a gauze 4 x 4 over the mother’s anus, to prevent contamination. wipe the feces away, if necessary, and place a clean 4 x 4 over the anus. Make sure you don’t contaminate the gloves or your hands.
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Ask the mother to pant as the head crowns and is born. Support the mother’s perineum with both hands.
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When head is out, slide your fingers in along the baby’s neck to feel for the umbilical cord. If you feel the cord, try slipping it over the baby’s head. If you can’t, it’s usually not a problem to leave it, unless it is too tight and keeps the baby from coming out.
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If the cord is very tight: with your fingers placed between the baby’s neck and cord, clamp with two hemostats or two cord clamps in two spots an inch apart.
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Make sure you put both clamps on next to each other on the same piece of cord. Carefully cut between the two clamps and unwind the cord from baby’s neck. Keep both clamps on and be sure they are clamped tightly.
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If the bag of waters is still around the baby’s face, as it is born, tear the bag by pinching it apart with your fingers.
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Wipe the baby’s face with a gauze 4 x 4. Use the syringe to suction the baby, if needed. While keeping the bulb syringe squeezed, gently place the tip (sweeping from the side) in baby’s mouth and release the bulb syringe. Spray contents onto a gauze 4 x 4. Do the same for both nostrils.
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Ask the mother to push as the baby rotates to face one of the mother’s leg. With one hand under baby’s head and the other on top of it, exert gentle pressure downward pressure on the baby’s head to facilitate the delivery of the top shoulder.
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When the top shoulder is out about two or three inches, lift upward on the baby’s head to help the bottom shoulder come out. The baby’s body will follow. Hold the baby (with her/his face down) with your two hands since the baby is slippery.
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Place the baby on mother’s belly with mom lying on her back and both in tummy to tummy position. Cover the baby and put her/his hat on. Make sure you don’t pull the umbilical cord.
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As soon as the cord stops pulsating, you can cut the cord. Attach cord clamp securely 1/2 inch from baby’s belly button. Place gauze under the cord. Cut cord 1/2 inch away from the clamp on the other side (away from the baby).
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Baby should be pink. If baby is bluish, white or limp and not crying, do the following: Run your fingers up the baby’s spine, massaging vigorously. Flick baby’s feet with your fingers. Having mother talk to baby, continue the above. Keep baby warm and dry.
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If baby is still not responding and it has been one minute since birth, begin mouth to mouth resuscitation with gentle puffs from your cheeks. Keep baby warm and dry and have someone call the emergency personnel.
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Watch for signs that the placenta is detaching such as a gush of blood, the cord gets longer and mother feels more contractions.
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When the above happens: wrap gauze around section of the cord, so it’s not so slick. Place opposite hand against mother’s pubic bone and press gently inward and upward. Ask mother to give little push with the next contraction. using gentle cord traction, guide the cord downward as you see the placenta start to emerge, lift upward with the cord to help placenta out.
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Wipe and warm the baby by wrapping the baby well and putting the baby on mother’s breast, apply CPR if necessary, wait for the midwife or doctor to cut the cord, let the mother massage her uterus and stay with the mother.