THE BABY IS COMING!

The baby is coming. Now. And you are nowhere near a delivery room or doctor! Here is what to do to deliver a baby on your own.

- CAMILLA RANKIN

It doesn’t only happen on TV. Although giving birth unassisted is highly unlikely, it does occur. Most labours last between eight to 24 hours – more than enough time to get you to a hospital or get an ambulance or midwife to you. However, there are those few women who do defy the statistics and whose labours are extremely quick – mainly for second or subsequent deliveries, so here is a step-by-step guide to help you cope if you really are going to deliver on your own.

IS THIS REALLY IT?

First you need to establish if you are in true labour. If you are further than 35 weeks and have experienced any of the following, the chances are that this is really it:

• loss of mucous plug

• your waters have broken

• regular lower back pain that becomes more intense

• tightening of your abdomen, hardening and then softening of your belly – contractions.

If you are experiencing contractions –time them. If the time from the beginning to end of one contraction is between 30 and 75 seconds and there are five minutes between contractions, then you may indeed be in real labour. Moving around, emptying your bladder or drinking fluids often makes false labour pains go away – so try these before you step up action in preparation for a birth. Phone your midwife, doctor or a doula, and describe the pains to them, so they can confirm real labour. If you experience these symptoms, and you are not yet 35 weeks pregnant, you may be going into pre-term labour – get to a hospital as you will need emergency medical assistance to deliver and care for your baby.

MAKE THAT CALL