1 Summon help
2Make woman comfortable
3Prepare equipment
40 FIRST AID
Emergency childbirth
Childbirth is rarely an emergency, since the very nature of labor means that it usually lasts for hours, therefore there is generally plenty of time to summon medical help. In the event that you do have to care for a woman who is about to give birth, however, your aims should be to call for medical help, to support the woman and keep her calm, and to care for the baby when he or she is born.
TREATING EMERGENCY CHILDBIRTH
1 Summon help
• Dial 911 or call EMS, telling the dispatcher the name of the hospital where the woman is due to give birth, her expected delivery date, and any other relevant information.
2Make woman comfortable
• Try to make the woman reasonably comfortable as she copes with the contractions. She may want to sit propped up, with her knees drawn up, or she may prefer to kneel, with her upper body leaning on some pillows or folded blankets. It is best to take the lead from her as to what is comfortable.
• Encourage her to breathe slowly during and after the contractions. Regular breathing should calm her and help with the pain; it also gives her something to concentrate on.
3Prepare equipment
• Assemble as many of the following items as possible: disposable gloves; face mask or piece of cotton material; sanitary napkins; plastic bags; warm water; plastic sheeting or newspapers; clean towels; pillows; blankets.
• Wash your hands and nails thoroughly, even if you will be wearing disposable gloves.
• Put on a face mask or improvise one out of clean cotton material.
• Cover whatever surface the mother is laying on with plastic sheeting or newspapers. Add a layer of towels on top for comfort and absorbency.
Leaning forwards from a kneeling position can help to reduce back ache
Support her with pillows