I leave without assistance
A recent rampant trend in some countries is that women give birth alone, without any assistance from health professionals, a real solo and unassisted birth. It is absolutely true that we as mammals have the ability to give birth written in our DNA but I personally believe that it is a very dangerous practice, which exposes mothers and babies to risks not recognizable by women because they are not trained in this regard.
There are only very rare cases (and they are extreme cases) in which labor can start unexpectedly and it is not possible to arrive at the hospital or to wait for the arrival of the midwife for the home birth. In these cases it is always good to know what to do and how to behave, here are some simple rules to respect.
Read also: The story of a home birth with lotus birth- The first thing to do is call for help
Whether you are in your home or in your car, call the health emergency number so they know what's going on and can reach you quickly. If you can't speak because the pains of labor are too severe, find someone to do it for you. It is important that on the phone you say exactly where you are, what you are feeling and what you are doing. If you have a reference midwife, notify her too and follow the advice to the letter.
- Look for a warm place and stay there
The heat will help both the labor and the birth of the baby by ensuring that once it is born it does not have excessive heat loss which could cause hypothermia with serious consequences for his health.
- Choose a position that is comfortable for you
At this point, choose a position that is comfortable for you, does not necessarily have to be the classic birth position, try to listen to your body and if you feel the need to move and change position, indulge this need. Often the body tells us what to do to help the baby.
- Pay attention to the baby's head
If labor should be so fast as not to allow the arrival of help and the baby decides to be born, pay attention to these phases: once the head comes out, do not pull, do not try to let it out, simply support the head and accompany with the subsequent contractions. (usually one or two is enough) the birth of the rest of the body.
- Place the baby on your chest, skin to skin
Once the baby is born, the first thing to do is to place it on your bare chest, skin to skin and with no clothes in between (this method will also allow you not to disperse excessively heat). At this point, cover yourself and your child trying to keep warm as much as possible.
- Do not tie or cut the cord
Do not tie or cut the cord until help arrives. Keeping the cord connected to the placenta allows you to maintain the supply of oxygen and nutrition to the baby in case he has any respiratory problems.
While admitting that help fails to arrive before birth, at this point they will have arrived, and they will ascertain two things: the well-being of the newborn and the well-being of the mother by checking for any blood loss. They will then arrange for a transfer to the hospital if necessary, or, if both of you are well, they will advise you on when and how to go to the hospital for follow-up visits.
I want to reiterate the concept why this type of birth is not a safe way to bring your own child into the world, what I have described it is only in case of emergencies. I say it is not sure because there are infinite indicators in labor thanks to which one can understand if the baby and the mother are well. They are indicators that only professionals know and know how to manage properly.
Birth professionals and midwives in particular they know when it is safe to stay at home and when it is necessary to go to the hospital. They monitor the baby's heartbeat, recognize abnormal contractions and positions that are dangerous for the baby's birth, know how to assess whether the baby will be too big to pass smoothly into the mother's pelvis and know what to do after birth if the baby is unwell or mom is losing too much blood.
For all these reasons and for many many others, even if your desire is to give birth at home, always contact a midwife that he can accompany and guide you, so that he can also manage your fear and doubts, allowing your child to come into the world in the safest and most peaceful way possible.
