Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 5-21. Sling carry.
Emergency Childbirth
This section provides some of the most basic instructions for dealing with emergency child-
birth. See Elizabeth Davis' excellent
Heart and Hands: A Midwife's Guide to Pregnancy and
Birth
or
Where There Is No Doctor
by David Werner et al. for more detailed instruction and ad-
vice. When my wife was pregnant with our daughter, we read several topics on the subject and
found some very interesting statistics. The United States has the highest percentage of hospital
births and caesarean sections in the entire world. We also have one of the highest infant mortal-
ity rates among the developed countries. Apparently, in most cases, low-risk births happen
faster and with fewer complications at home under the care of a qualified doctor, nurse, or mid-
wife, than in the harsh environment of a hospital. Many hospitals have taken this into consider-
ation and now offer “birthing centers” with a more relaxed, homey atmosphere. Whenever pos-
sible, enlist the assistance of qualified medical personnel, and have the backup insurance of a
medical facility available in case of complications.
Signs of Impending Delivery
• Regular contractions, at intervals of two minutes or less between the start of each
contraction.
• Strong urge to have a bowel movement.
• Rupture of the amniotic sac (“breaking of the water”) may happen while the mother
is attempting to go to the bathroom. Usually the baby comes shortly after the sac rup-
tures, but sometimes may not come for a few days. In this case, it may be best to
have the labor induced in a hospital to avoid infection.
• Strong urge to push. Often the mother yells that the baby is coming.
Stages of Labor
The first stage lasts from the beginning of strong contractions until the baby has dropped into
the birth canal (launch position). The mother should drink a lot of fluids and try to keep the
bowels evacuated. An enema may be helpful to evacuate the bowels. The mother should wash
her buttocks and genital area with soap and water. Birthing supplies should be readied if the
birth will be at home. The first stage typically lasts from ten to twenty hours (but it may last
several days) for a woman's first birth and five to ten hours for subsequent births.
Caution
: Births can happen very quickly, like my daughter's, which took less than two
hours from the start of labor.
