Home birth: features, preparation for childbirth, safety. Pregnancy is a difficult time for a woman, associated with both physical and moral problems. The expectant mother is overcome by all sorts of doubts, including the question - where to resolve the burden? Which medical institution to choose so that the birth is guaranteed to end successfully.

In recent years, more and more women have come to the conclusion that staying in a maternity hospital will be a difficult test for them. That is why they choose home birth - a technique with a thousand-year history.

Indeed, women gave birth to children both a thousand and ten thousand years ago. In those days, there were simply no hospitals, and women in labor were relieved of their burden at home. The process was sometimes controlled by midwives, but this was far from always the case. Of course, the lack of proper hygiene, the general savagery of the population often led to sad consequences. In our time, everything has changed and childbirth at home is a fairly safe process, of course, subject to all the requirements and recommendations.

The advantage of giving birth at home is obvious - the woman is in the usual, comfortable conditions for her. Calmness, confidence, the feeling that “walls help” are very important for pregnant women. Pregnancy requires both moral and physical strength from a woman - of course, it will be much easier for a woman in labor if she is in a familiar environment.

However, with the obvious advantage of home birth, the risks are huge, and can lead to a catastrophic outcome. This must be taken into account. Before deciding on a home birth, the spouses need to carefully understand the issue, take into account all the little things.

Preparing for home birth

Why did home birth become popular?

The popularity of home births is associated with a global trend of growing distrust of medical intervention as such. The process of releasing a burden is natural for the female body, and several thousand years ago it took place in natural conditions. Many women want to return to this naturalness and believe that medical intervention will only harm the body of the woman in labor and the baby. The relative "pluses" of home birth include the following circumstances:

• only close people gather around a woman, those whom she wants to see at this moment;
• a woman in labor, being the mistress of the house, in a psychological sense is also the mistress of the situation, it seems to her that she controls her body;
• during childbirth, medications and methods are not used: painkillers, forceps, stimulation and episiotomy;
• choosing a position for childbirth on an intuitive level;
• the use of the “water birth” technique (by the way, it is the most popular for home births;
• the absence of extraneous effects on the uterus, artificial contraction;
• favorable psycho-emotional background;
• mother immediately sees the baby, contacts with him;
• isolation from the hospital environment, in which the microflora may well be present, causing allergies, infections in mother and child;
• lack of psychological pressure, requirements to vaccinate the newborn;

It is these factors that become decisive for expectant mothers in terms of refusing hospital births. Of course, they need to understand that, relying on the strength of their own body and the help of mother nature, they are at serious risk. To minimize the risks, serious prenatal preparation is necessary.

Celebrities who gave birth at home

Increasingly, women from the spheres of show business, cinema, and television are choosing home births. In the US, it has become a celebrity craze. The popularity of the technique is growing due to the fact that the "stars" talk about their experience in the press, on TV, in social networks. Having a baby in your own apartment or house seems to women a very pleasant and successful outcome of pregnancy. Moreover, the experience of celebrities in most cases is positive.

Film stars M. Streep, D. Connelly, P. Anderson, D. Moore, top models S. Crawford, M. Bialik, J. Bundchen and other famous and successful women gave birth at home. At the same time, both women in labor and children are completely healthy.

Among Russian celebrities, the technique is not so common. Domestic "stars" prefer to give birth in a medical clinic in Europe or the USA.

One example of home birth is the singer Masha Makarova, who performed in the Masha and the Bears group in the 1990s. Now Masha is a mother of many children. Singers Sasha Zvereva and E. Selikhova gave birth at home. The ladies speak only positively about the experience gained.

In 2005, M. Makarova, being in her house in the Moscow region, was relieved from the burden of twin girls. In 2010, she gave birth to a healthy son in the same way. Sasha Zvereva, with the support of her relatives, gave birth in a bathtub filled with water, filming the birth process on video. The birth went well. Elena Selikhova gave birth with the help of her husband, who went through special obstetric courses in advance and learned how to give birth at home.

Note! In the West, childbirth at home is legitimized, that is, an experienced obstetrician-gynecologist is required to take part in the process. In our country, home birth is not provided for by law. Accordingly, the entire responsibility for this procedure and its outcome lies with the parents.

Preparing for home birth

The second step is the selection of a school that teaches parents who decide to go through the birth process at home. There are more and more schools like this every year. During the classes, a man and a woman will have the opportunity to strengthen (or, on the contrary, be disappointed) in their decision. The couple will get acquainted with experienced obstetricians, get a visual representation of the childbirth procedure.

Note! A medical institution should be notified about a woman giving birth at home, a maternity hospital that will accept a woman in the event of a complication should be chosen in advance. Another important point is transport. A car ready to take a woman in labor to the hospital should be on duty at the entrance.

What is needed for home birth?

Strong contractions can come on suddenly, so parents need to prepare for them in advance. Here's what you'll need for a home birth:

• Bath or pool for childbirth. If a regular bath is used, it must be thoroughly washed using neutral disinfectants. You can use an inflatable pool: in order to avoid unforeseen situations, the pump and hose must be kept at hand.
• Big oilcloth.
• Diapers, clean sheets.
• Enema.
• A container made of clay or crystal: the placenta will be sent into it.
• Small rubber bulb: with this device, it is necessary to free the mouth and nose of the baby from mucus.
• An ice-filled heating pad that can be used to stimulate uterine contractions. Keep the heating pad in the freezer of the refrigerator.
• Strong scissors (with their help, the obstetrician will cut the umbilical cord).
• Silk thread.
• Hydrogen peroxide for skin treatment.
• A bucket of cold water, which may be needed to resuscitate an infant.
• Ice cubes of antiseptic decoctions. Decoctions are made from nettle, chamomile, calendula and water pepper, then frozen in the refrigerator. After the placenta is removed from the vagina, bleeding may occur - in this case, cubes are used.
• If a woman in labor has lost a lot of blood and strength, decoctions of galangal root, nettle or water pepper are used. A decoction of a woman needs to be consumed inside. Also, to restore strength, a rosehip decoction is needed.
• For washing after childbirth, decoctions of chamomile, oak bark and yarrow are used.

How to physically prepare the body for childbirth at home?

Childbirth is a huge physical burden on the body. Naturally, it is necessary to prepare for this event in advance. In order for a woman to be confident during contractions, you need to use prenatal time effectively. It is highly desirable that the future mother and the fetus come up to the birth themselves stronger.

To do this, there are several sets of physical exercises, conventionally called "fitness for pregnant women." It is very important that the exercises are not local, but permanent, daily. This means that a woman needs to exercise at least three times a week. Pilates and fitball are considered optimal fitness complexes for pregnant women. An aqua-variant of Pilates will also be extremely useful.

Pilates has the following benefits:

• training in chest breathing, which helps with contractions;
• getting rid of inflammatory processes in the legs and arms associated with stagnation of muscles and joints;
• general strengthening and relaxation effect;
• beneficial effect on the hip region, which bears the main load during labor;
• strengthening effect on the spine.

Aqua Pilates is a unique set of exercises that combines the benefits of Pilates and water treatments. By engaging in this type of fitness, a woman in labor will achieve many benefits:

• relaxation of the muscular frame, getting rid of excessive tension;
• increased blood flow in the uterus and a general improvement in the circulatory system of the body;
• unlike outdoor fitness, in the water a woman is in a more comfortable environment, which avoids overheating;
• water eliminates fatigue, relieves stress and depression, leads to internal balance;
• aqua pilates is also learning to dive, hold your breath, which is extremely important during childbirth;
• the exercises used in aqua-pilates are aimed, among other things, at giving the fetus the correct position in the uterus, which will facilitate its exit to the outside.

Note! Women with a gestational age of at least 12 weeks of various levels of physical fitness are allowed to take aqua-pilates classes.

Unlike aqua pilates, fitball is suitable for all expectant mothers, regardless of the gestational age. Does not play any role and the level of physical training. Fitball is a large diameter ball made of durable material. The fitball is unstable, it is quite difficult to keep balance on it, which allows:

• increase coordination;
• stimulate muscles, effectively distributing the load on the entire muscle frame;
• improve metabolism in the body;
• increase blood flow, blood circulation;
• activate metabolic processes in the body, the removal of toxins;
• vertical position training.

In addition, fitball is an excellent means of changing the position of the fetus in the uterus. If the child is not positioned well, classes on a large ball will help him to take a comfortable position.

Note! The fitball should be chosen taking into account the growth of a pregnant woman. You can not inflate the fitball "all the way" - it must bend under the weight of the body.

Features of psychological preparation for childbirth

In psychological preparation, proper morale and attention from relatives and friends play a key role. It should be borne in mind that psychology in preparing for childbirth at home is no less important than physical training. How strong the psyche of a woman is - so successful will be the resolution of the burden. It is extremely important that the woman in labor feels confident, calm and relaxed. Relatives should also prepare, because nervous people nearby will disturb the pregnant woman.

Important point! Future mom and dad need to simulate the process in advance, understand what will happen during childbirth. It is necessary to find out in advance what unforeseen situations and complications can occur, which can scare future parents. This will help training videos, specialized courses, conversations with professionals - gynecologists, obstetricians, physicians.

Self-hypnosis is very useful in psychological preparation. The more often a woman will repeat to herself “the birth will go well”, “everything will be fine”, “my body will cope, nature needs to be trusted”, “my baby and I are completely safe”, “my baby is in perfect order”, “I am completely healthy and ready for a home birth”, “everything will go well”, “my baby will be born in his own home, not in a hospital.”

All these phrases, with their external insignificance, will set the woman right, relieve her of anxiety.

Note! A great way to overcome psychological insecurities and decide on childbirth at home is to communicate with couples who have already gone through this process. Like-minded people will talk about all the pitfalls, share their feelings, pluses and minuses. Communication with a woman who has given birth at home will help you tune in to the upcoming event.

The right attitude of relatives is also very important. The support of loved ones is the most important thing for any person. Relatives must understand that home birth is your choice. Obstructing the chosen technique can only hurt. The closest relatives who plan to take part in home births should undergo special training.

Features of choosing a doula (midwife for childbirth)

For women who decide to give birth at home, it is necessary to choose a doula in advance - this is the name of a professional midwife, whose duties include supervision and guidance. When a person with extensive experience in childbirth is nearby, this has a beneficial effect on the psychological state of the woman in labor.

Choosing a doula is a rather complicated matter, in which several factors must be taken into account:

• mandatory availability of specialized education, confirmed by documents: diplomas, licenses, certificates;
• a woman should have not only the experience of a doula midwife, but also her own experience of giving birth to a child at home;
• a competent midwife will call on a pregnant woman to attend a antenatal clinic without fail, will focus on medical tests, study the medical record, finding out the general state of the woman’s health;
• a good doula will certainly tell the expectant mother about the possible risks;
• with the participation of the pregnant woman and her husband, the midwife will draw up a detailed plan for childbirth, answering questions that future parents have with great interest.

Note! The main criterion for choosing a doula midwife is trust. It is very important that a woman fully trusts the maternity assistant. Trust is the key to success and the way to avoid trouble.

Specialized centers are engaged in the preparation of midwives. You can also find a doula in courses for expectant mothers, or using the advice of friends. In this case, there is no need to hurry: you need to look through as many applicants as possible, getting to know them, talking, finding common ground.

How is home birth going?

Any childbirth, home or under the roof of a medical institution, begins at the moment when a woman feels the first contractions. At this point, you need to do an enema and inform the midwife by phone about the start of the process. At first, the contractions are quite tolerable - they allow you to calmly prepare for childbirth.

The doula, having received a signal, should quickly arrive at the house of her ward. The woman in labor tells the midwife about the dynamics of contractions, first of all, about their dynamism and strength. With strong contractions, a woman should take the optimal position - the one in which the contractions are the least sensitive. It can be sitting, standing, lying down. It is likely that the woman in labor will feel better taking a bath or moving around the house with leisurely steps. During contractions, you can moan, but not turning to screaming.

If the duration of contractions is atypical, the midwife may suggest pharmacological or homeopathic remedies to the woman in labor. It is very important that the doula monitors the fetal heart rate and keeps the cervical dilatation under control.

After contractions, the second stage of labor begins - attempts. The place of this process must be determined in advance - it can be a bed or a bathroom. The midwife carefully monitors the process, and the spouse at this time should massage the shoulders and lumbar region of the woman in labor.

The most important stage of childbirth is the appearance of the baby's head. The baby advances with the help of a doula, after the appearance of the head, the entire body of the child comes out of the vagina in about 7-10 seconds.

It is very good if a born child first finds himself in an aquatic environment: in this way, the transition from one “world” to another is much easier for him. A doula pulls a child out of the water. Immediately after this, the assistant clears the baby's nose and mouth of mucus and hands it over to the mother.

The next stage of labor is the delivery of the placenta. You should not immediately cut the umbilical cord - the blood from the connecting tubule must enter the baby's body. The midwife cuts the umbilical cord. After that, the baby is transferred to the care of the father, and the doula helps the woman in labor to leave the bath, put on a bathrobe and go to the room with her family.

How to understand that childbirth is going according to a negative scenario?

Everyone who has decided to give birth at home needs to be optimistic, but it is impossible to completely exclude the onset of some problems. Not a single woman is immune from a negative scenario during childbirth. But when does the moment come when the doula midwife is powerless and you need to call an ambulance? There are several such cases:

• Prolongation of labor activity: the waters broke more than 10 hours ago, but the baby never came out. The danger of this situation lies in the possible infection of the fetus. In this case, artificial stimulation of the uterus may well be required, and possibly a caesarean section.
• The narrow passage in the pelvic region of the woman in labor prevents the baby from quickly exiting. If the child is “stuck”, the midwife will not help: you need to urgently go to a medical facility for a caesarean section.
• When trying, the following occurred: a) rupture of the umbilical vein; b) placental abruption; c) placental rupture. All these situations are extremely dangerous for the baby: saving the baby is possible only with an emergency blood transfusion within a 15-minute period after the discovery of a complication. Every second counts here. If resuscitation is not started urgently, the child may die or become disabled.
• The placenta departs with a delay. The “bag” in which the child was located may be too tightly attached to the walls of the uterus. In this case, we are talking about saving the life of a woman: an emergency surgical operation is needed.

Note! Comparative statistics on the mortality of women and infants as a result of home and "medical" childbirth are often published on the Internet. This statistics is unscrupulous, you should not trust it, because after complications during home birth, women are often taken to the hospital in a state where medicine is already powerless.

Video: Truth about pregnancy and childbirth Isabella Voskresenskaya

Isabella Voskresenskaya talks about home birth. Watch the video! Isabella Voskresenskaya, the authors of the project “Children are the main thing. Country Strategy. Many people know her from the film "Woman's Affair". A lot of useful information for those who decide to give birth at home.

Svetlana, 27 years old:

Home birth is like preparing an astronaut. If the whole family is not preparing for this event, hoping for a lucky break, it is better to forget. Nothing good will come of this idea: an unprepared woman in labor, hysteria among relatives ... Almost guaranteed complications. I believe that if a woman is not confident in herself, then only a hospital.

Gulchekhra, 25 years old:

It is extremely important that there is complete trust between the spouses, so that they consciously and jointly make a decision. Also, all those present should mentally prepare for the fact that the child will appear at home. The human body obeys the laws of nature, and the unexpected can happen. The readiness of relatives, their calmness can save the life of the mother and child.

Alexandra Yakovlevna, 46 years old:

I have a huge experience of having children at home. I am the mother of six children. All healthy, smart, physically active. There were no complications during childbirth. She gave birth quickly and without problems. I am convinced that giving birth should be at home, surrounded by family and friends. As they say, houses and walls help.

Marina, 31 years old:

For me, home birth is taboo. I don't believe they can get through safely. This complex appeared after my friend lost her baby as a result of such childbirth. Experts admitted that if the birth took place in a hospital, her baby would be alive. Now my friend has fallen into depression, blames herself for the death of the child. Without the necessary medical equipment, it is impossible to save a baby's life in case of complications. By the way, the midwife did not suffer the slightest punishment. She only said that the parents were unprepared for home births.

Alina, 37 years old:

Throughout my pregnancy, I was determined to give birth at home. But then I panicked, and ended up going to the hospital. A special maternity hospital, in which the family is allocated a special ward in which they can create "home comfort". Of course, such a service costs a lot. The doctor was on duty at the door, but did not go inside. As a result, my husband and a doula midwife took care of my birth. Everything went amazing.

Tanzilya, 29 years old:

For me, home birth is something outdated, medieval. I'm afraid to risk two lives at once - a child and my own. Of course, someone can say that in the 19th century, peasant women gave birth in the field, but we should not forget about the infant mortality rate, which, I specifically asked, reached 50%.

Olga, 28 years old:

I have noticed that home births are often chosen by women who did not like giving birth in a hospital setting. I think this needs to be weighed carefully. It is far from a fact that the negative received in the clinic will again fall on the woman in labor. Now there are enough clinics that offer very good, close to home conditions for women in labor.

Childbirth is a process that a woman cannot influence. The expectant mother carefully prepares for a special event. She plans and collects everything in advance. But the birth process is unpredictable. The baby appears at the moment when the mother least expects it. Childbirth can catch her anywhere, under different circumstances. In most cases, before the expected date of birth, the mother is at home. Often, labor activity acquires a rapid character that a woman does not even have time to pack up and get to a medical facility. Home birth is the only option in a fast-paced process. How to properly prepare for it and not be afraid of surprises?

Emergency birth at home - what is it and how not to get confused?

Often stories are told about how a pregnant woman did not have time to get to the maternity hospital, having given birth in a car, on a bus, on the subway or somewhere else. They seem to be fiction, but such situations are far from uncommon. It happens that childbirth develops so rapidly that the expectant mother does not have time to get to a specialized institution. In this case, they talk about emergency childbirth.

If the birth started at home, you need to do the following:

1. Immediately call the emergency team, they will give recommendations on how to behave before they arrive.
2. Prepare a place to deliver at home in an emergency.
3. Call relatives for help so that someone is nearby at least until the doctors arrive.
4. Prepare the necessary things for the woman in labor and the newborn.

When an emergency delivery finds a woman at home, panic sets in. This makes it difficult to focus on the process. Therefore, it is important that someone help the woman in labor and soothe her.

Determine the start of labor

The birth process is different for every woman. Usually, sharply begun pains of a pulling nature in the lower abdomen become a harbinger of the imminent onset of labor. Pain is concentrated in the lumbar region and in the uterus. Cramping attacks are regular and recur at regular intervals. Pain will gradually increase, and the time between contractions will decrease. Thanks to such contractions of the uterus, the child moves through the birth canal. The process of contractions during normal childbirth takes from 8 to 20 hours, but in emergency childbirth everything happens in 3-4 hours.

The appearance of minor bloody discharge from the vagina along with mucus is also a sign of incipient labor. The outpouring of amniotic fluid indicates a very early onset of labor.

What to do if the birth started at home unexpectedly?

When labor activity acquires a rapid character, it becomes clear that a woman will not have time to get anywhere. It is better to stay at home than to give birth in the car. What to do if childbirth began at home suddenly?

The first thing to do for the woman in labor and those around her is to calm down and breathe deeply. Be sure to call a qualified medical team. Someone close should be nearby.

Until the ambulance workers arrive, the birth will have to be controlled by the one who is next to the woman at the moment.

Actions should be as follows:

1. Disinfect hands with alcohol.
2. Prepare the necessary supplies for childbirth: sterile towels, diapers, bandages, scissors.
3. Keep a bowl of boiled water nearby, after adding a weak solution of potassium permanganate to it. They treat the genitals of a woman.

Important!A woman should go to the maternity hospital in the process of contractions, if the straining period has already begun, it is impossible to move from a place, you can harm the child, since the head has completely entered the small pelvis. A woman should not sit down, it is better to take a supine position.

The one who is present at childbirth provides invaluable support to the woman during the appearance of the newborn. He will help her push, reminding her how to breathe properly.

Until the process of attempts has begun, labor activity goes on by itself, and there is no point in interfering with it, it remains to wait patiently.

Preparing for childbirth

In the last weeks of pregnancy, a woman carefully prepares for the upcoming birth, collects the necessary things. It is impossible to predict an emergency birth. However, all possible situations should be considered. Try not to be alone a few days before the expected birth.

When it becomes clear that you won’t have to go anywhere, it is necessary to provide the woman in labor with a specially prepared place where she will take a comfortable position. Everything should be at hand so as not to run around the house looking for the necessary supplies. The assistant needs to be calm and help balance the emotions of the woman in labor. With the right preparation, everything will go smoothly.

How to take birth yourself?

If childbirth has begun at home, then the partner should do the following:

1. Lay the woman in a pre-prepared place, spreading sterile diapers.
2. Massage the lumbar region to relieve a woman from pain during contractions.
3. Watch when the fetal head appears in the vagina.
4. Help hands release the head from the tissues of the genital organs. This reduces the likelihood of perineal rupture.
5. Gently hold the baby's head and shoulders, the rest of the baby's body appears very rapidly. If necessary, carefully deploy the second shoulder to prevent rupture of the tissues of the female genital organs and injury to the baby.

Attention!In no case should you pull the baby by the shoulders in order to get it faster.

1. If the child is wrapped in the umbilical cord, you should carefully release the neck area from it.
2. Cut the baby's umbilical cord. This should be done after the cessation of its pulsation at a distance of at least 10 cm from the navel of the newborn. If the partner is afraid to manipulate the umbilical cord, you can wait for the doctors.
3. Wait for the placenta to come out and check its integrity.

On a note!You can not pull on the umbilical cord to speed up the exit of the placenta. The placenta should be delivered on its own after a contraction.

The right approach to pushing

Even before the onset of labor, you should learn how to breathe and push properly.

The process of attempts is the most crucial moment in the birth of a baby. When the pushing period begins, the woman needs to push to help push the baby out. Pushing should be in a fight, after gaining full lungs of air. The forces of the attempts should be directed to the perineum and vagina, and not to the facial muscles.

If there is not enough air taken in for one attempt, you should exhale and quickly gain strength again in order to complete it.

When giving birth at home, a woman takes any comfortable position for attempts: lying down, squatting, kneeling or leaning forward.

The birth of a baby

With each subsequent attempt, the child moves more and more towards the exit. In the process of moving the baby through the birth canal, blood may ooze from the genital tract. The partner, who is next to the woman in labor, should have their hands and all the required accessories ready to receive the child.

As soon as the fetal head appears in the vagina, the assistant should substitute his hands to hold the head and shoulders of the newborn that have appeared. If necessary, you can slightly straighten the shoulders so that the child can easily pass through the vagina. It is necessary to prepare dry sterile diapers to wrap the newborn.

Delivery of the placenta and cutting of the umbilical cord

Attaching the baby to the mother's breast will help to stimulate the release of the placenta. After the baby is born, another contraction will follow, during which the woman will push to deliver the placenta. It will come out completely in 1-2 attempts.

The umbilical cord of the newborn should be cut when the pulsation in it has stopped. This happens about 20 minutes after the child leaves. Before cutting the umbilical cord, it is tied with sterile threads in 2 places: 1 - at a distance of 2 cm from the child's navel, 2 - about 20 cm from the first dressing. The umbilical cord should be cut between two tied threads. Next, you need to disinfect the baby's navel.

What to do after the appearance of the baby - proper care?

After the adoption of the child, it must be carefully processed and helped to adapt to new living conditions. When the child is all outside, he wraps himself in a warm towel. Then, using a small syringe pear, clear the nasal passages and oral cavity of mucus.

If suddenly the baby is in the bubble, you should immediately break through its shell. If the newborn immediately screamed, then that's great. His skin should turn pink sharply. If the baby has a bluish color and does not scream, you need to slightly lower the baby with the head down, gently rub the back and chest area. You should also gently tap on the heels of the baby, and rub his limbs. If the baby screamed, then breathing returned to normal. In the case when the newborn does not scream, resuscitation is already required. It includes artificial respiration and cardiac massage.

After the successful birth of the baby and its processing, it is necessary to lay the newborn on the mother's breast and try to suckle milk.

Childbirth at home will end safely if there is a reliable assistant next to the woman in labor.

What to do next after the end of childbirth?

Laying the baby on the mother's stomach is the logical conclusion of childbirth

Even if the birth ended safely, a medical examination will be required for both the mother and the newborn. After the end of childbirth, you should wait for the medical team, which will take the mother and child to the hospital.

Before the arrival of doctors, after the birth of a child, a woman is placed an ice heating pad on the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe uterus in order to avoid large blood loss. To avoid complications, you can not touch the baby's umbilical cord, but wait for the doctors. It is also necessary to pack the born placenta in a plastic bag and take it with you to the hospital, where it will be checked for integrity.

After the end of all labor manipulations, the woman's genitals are disinfected, cleansed of blood. If a woman in labor has profuse bleeding, it is necessary to raise her legs above her head and repeat the ambulance call.

Conclusion

Of course, experienced professionals do not recommend giving birth at home. This is fraught with serious complications and even life-threatening in case of unforeseen situations. But when it comes to emergency care, home birth is the only right option, since going to the hospital is already dangerous.

When starting emergency labor at home, the first thing to do is to immediately call a team of qualified doctors (ambulance). Keeping calm, a woman will cope with a difficult situation and give birth to a healthy baby. If a reliable assistant is still nearby, then a positive result is almost guaranteed.

It may happen that the birth is in full swing, and the baby will be born in the near future, and you do not have time to get to the hospital. In this case, the main thing is not to panic and gather strength.

Hurry or not?

First you need to determine at what stage of childbirth you are. If the uterus periodically tenses and then relaxes and this happens at regular intervals, then these are contractions. In the event that the maternity hospital is 2-3 hours away, you need to urgently go. There is a chance that you will have time to get to the medical facility before the end of the birth.

If you feel that the uterus is contracting after 1-2 minutes and at the same time there are sensations, as if you really want to go to the toilet "in a big way", then these are attempts. Then it is better to stay where you are and not to try to be in time for the hospital.

First steps

On the way
You need to decide if someone can help you. For example, if you are traveling on a train, bus, etc., immediately notify the driver or conductor that you are giving birth. Ask people around if there is a doctor among them, and if not, then ask one of the passengers to help you.

Houses
If you are at home alone, try to find an assistant among the neighbors. And, of course, call 03 and call an ambulance. The dispatcher or the ambulance doctor, when receiving a call, will be able to advise you by phone until the doctors arrive. You can also call the maternity hospital (the phone number of the maternity hospital is sometimes indicated on the exchange card). His staff will be able to tell you what and how to do. If there is no assistant, the main thing is not to panic, focus, as only you can help the baby be born.

Preparing everything you need

During childbirth, you may need the following things:

• iodine or any other disinfectant solution (brilliant green, potassium permanganate, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, vodka, cologne);
• clean diapers, sheets or shirts, T-shirts, any cotton fabric;
• threads, a piece of bandage or strips of clean cloth;
• scissors or knife, blade;
• clean water (ideally boiled);
• rubber pear or any thin elastic tube.

If possible, the knife and thread must be boiled or immersed in an alcohol solution.

Actions during childbirth with an assistant: what to do for a woman in labor

1. Remove all clothing below the waist.
2. Take a half-sitting position, leaning your back on something hard, or lying down.
3. Try to relax and focus on the birth process.
4. At the beginning of an attempt, you need to take a deep breath, hold your breath, press your chin to your chest and push hard, directing the force to the perineum. Then you need to exhale smoothly, take a deep breath again and continue to push. In one contraction, you should push 3 times.

Actions during childbirth with an assistant: what to do for an assistant

1. Wash your hands with soap and then wipe with alcohol, iodine or another disinfectant solution.
2. Lay a clean sheet or diaper under the woman in labor.
3. Treat the vulva, perineum and inner thighs of a woman with a disinfectant solution (this should be done from the crotch to the thighs), after wetting a piece of cotton wool or a bandage in it.
4. Put your hand on the perineum as soon as the head begins to appear, and move its tissues from the fetal head (this will help to avoid tears).
5. Manage the attempts of a woman in labor: as soon as the baby’s head is born halfway, the woman should be asked not to push, but to breathe often and superficially, inhaling air through her nose and exhaling through her mouth.

After full birth of the fetal head

1. After the full birth of the fetal head, ask the woman in labor to start pushing again, substituting her left hand from below under the baby's head.
2. After the fetal head turns to face the right or left thigh of the woman, you need to lift it up a little - this will enable the lower shoulder to be born, and then gently take it down - the upper shoulder will appear, and then the whole fetus.
3. The newborn should be placed below the woman's crotch - on the floor if the woman in labor is lying there, or on a stool, if she is located on an armchair or sofa.
4. Suck out mucus and amniotic fluid from the baby's nose and mouth with a rubber pear or tube.

Treatment of the umbilical cord and the first care of the newborn

1. Tie the umbilical cord to the newborn with a thread or bandage in two places - 10 cm above the navel and step back from the first knot by another 10 cm. Then cut the umbilical cord with scissors or a knife, lubricate the cut with iodine, alcohol or vodka and make a bandage from the bandage.
2. Wipe the baby's skin with wet movements from amniotic fluid and lubricant with a diaper or any clean cloth, and then wrap the newborn in a clean diaper or sheet.
3. Attach the newborn to the mother's breast.

How to help a woman in labor come out of labor

1. Ask the woman to push after separation of the placenta (signs of separation of the placenta are bleeding and elongation of the umbilical cord) and gently tug on the umbilical cord to remove it.
2. Place the placenta in a plastic bag or wrap in a clean cloth.
3. Place an ice pack, cold water bottle, or any freezer pack on the woman's lower abdomen, wrapped in a clean cloth.
4. Wash or wipe the woman's perineum with a clean cloth, and if there are tears, treat them with iodine or another disinfectant solution, and then cover the woman in labor with a sheet or blanket.

Actions during childbirth without an assistant

Until full birth of the fetal head

1. Find a comfortable spot and remove clothing from your lower body.
2. Lie half-sitting, if possible, lean your back on something hard, and bend your knees.
3. Spread something clean under yourself and, for the convenience of monitoring the birth of a child, put a mirror opposite the perineum.
4. It is necessary to push as described above.
5. As soon as the baby's head is born, you need to place your hands from below under the buttocks and support it.

After the full birth of the fetus

1. After the birth of the baby, it must be gradually, slowly, pulled out along the pubis and put on your stomach.
2. Wipe the newborn's nose and mouth with a clean cloth.
3. Attach the baby to the breast.
4. When a contraction appears, push in order for the afterbirth to be born.
5. Bandage and cut the umbilical cord as described above.
6. Wrap the child in something warm, and if there is nothing, then place it on your chest and cover it with your clothes.

After childbirth - to the hospital

After the end of childbirth, the woman and the newborn must be taken to the hospital as soon as possible. An obstetrician-gynecologist will examine the birth canal and, if tears are found, will suture them. And the pediatrician will examine the newborn and properly process the umbilical cord. After these procedures, the mother and baby will be transferred to the postpartum ward and will be observed for several days.

It is permissible to give birth outside the maternity hospital, only if there is no access to it
no possibility. Deliberately giving birth at home is strongly discouraged.
Only in the maternity hospital will both the woman and the baby be provided with qualified medical care.
assistance and all measures taken to avoid serious complications.

Each woman carefully prepares for childbirth: she chooses a maternity hospital, a doctor, collects all the necessary things for herself and the baby. Many future mothers, especially those giving birth for the first time, being afraid to miss the beginning of the birth process, go to the hospital first. And, to tell the truth, often such foresight is far from superfluous. There are many cases when childbirth began at home, and the woman simply did not have time to get to the hospital or wait for medical help. Stories about how a pregnant woman gave birth in a taxi, train, in an elevator, in the end, just at home, are far from uncommon. There can be many reasons for such situations:

• natural disasters;
• traffic jams;
• long distance to the hospital;
• or just fast or .

In the literature, and even in preparatory courses, they reassure, especially primiparous women, that the moment of the onset of childbirth cannot be missed and in any case you can have time, because normally the period from the onset of contractions to the birth of a baby during the first pregnancy lasts about 12 hours. The question in itself begs the question: where do the cases when births take place at home come from?

There are many such examples, when the first pregnancy ends with only six to eight hours of labor. This is the time from the very beginning of contractions until the birth of the child. And, if it’s not 15 minutes to go to the maternity hospital (and what exactly is “it” is sometimes not immediately clear), circumstances may turn out so that you will have to take birth at home with your husband.

What to do if the birth started at home?

If the birth started at home, and you know for sure that you won’t be able to get to the nearest maternity hospital, then the actions should be as follows: you need to calm down and try to concentrate on how to take birth at home without medical help.

As the cervix opens, the contractions become stronger and more intense. The main thing is not to panic, try to find a more suitable position to ease the pain. Do not forget about proper breathing, remember that your baby suffers along with you. You need to take care of his safety to the maximum. Proper breathing will help the baby cope with oxygen starvation. At full disclosure, attempts begin. This is where the help of loved ones is needed.

The algorithm of actions, if the birth began at home, is as follows:

This is a brief instruction on how to take birth at home in the ideal version of the flow of the birth process. In this case, all that is needed for home birth is a first aid kit containing a sterile diaper, bandages, alcohol, iodine and threads. And also the presence of someone close to provide first aid to the woman in labor and the baby.

Unfortunately, according to statistics, childbirth rarely proceeds without various nuances that a person who is not specially trained cannot cope with. Therefore, cases of unsuccessful home births are not uncommon. It is much safer to give birth in a maternity hospital, where there are qualified personnel and equipment for various emergency situations.

Home birth is when a woman chooses to give birth at her home rather than in a hospital. Some women prefer home births for a variety of reasons, for example, it can give mothers more freedom during childbirth to move around freely and bathe. It is also an opportunity to feel comfortable during childbirth in a familiar place, surrounded by loving people. However, home birth comes with its own set of challenges and risks, so if you're considering home birth, it's important to understand exactly what this process entails before you give birth. Check out the following steps to get started.

Steps

Part 1

Prepare a birthing pool. Within the first 15 minutes after delivery, your doctor/midwife or friend should fill the small pool with water. Special pools designed specifically for water births are available for rent or purchase. Some forms of health insurance cover these costs. Remove your clothes from the waist down (you can undress completely if you want) and enter the pool.

A partner or obstetrician should enter the water with you. Some mothers prefer to have their partner (spouse, etc.) in the pool for emotional support and intimacy. Others prefer a doctor or midwife. If you plan on having a partner by your side, you can experiment by leaning back against your partner's body for support as you push.

Try giving birth. Your doctor or midwife will help you with the birth, tell you how to breathe, push, and rest when appropriate. When you begin to feel the baby coming, ask your doctor/midwife or partner to put your hands between your legs so that you can catch the baby as soon as it comes out. If you want to keep your hands free, hold on tight as you push.

• Have competent friends or a nurse nearby.
• Never give birth alone without instructions from a doctor or nurse nearby. Many events can go wrong.
• If you can, flush the vulva with a vaginal canal douche before the baby comes out. This will help make sure that the vagina is as clean as possible, and there is no harm to health.

Warnings

• Nurses, friends, and even doctors can get a little nervous at home. Many may feel out of place. However, try to understand if they are acting reluctantly or distracted. Don't lash out at them unnecessarily.
• When twins are born and the first baby comes out head down, complications are possible for the second (one leg can be out and the other will remain inside the uterus, and specially trained midwives, nurses or doctors are needed in this situation to avoid fractures).
• If the umbilical cord is tangled around the baby's neck, etc., or the umbilical cords of the twins are tangled, or the babies are connected at any part of the body (Siamese twins), a caesarean section is usually performed. So do not give birth without qualified help.