How Do You Care For A Baby That Was Delivered At Home Or In The Car?
February 15, 2010 by Guest Author
Filed under Baby Care
Lets say you are on your way to the hospital or laying in bed and your baby decides he wants to be born right then and there. Im not asking how do you go though labor, i just need to know how to care for the newborn. I know to wrap him up and keep him warm, but do you cut the cord? If so, where do you cut it?
Serious answers.. please?
Are you wanting to have a homebirth?
Believe it or not some people do choose to have their babies at home and its not an emergency situation. Having a baby at home for a low risk woman has benefits and can result in a better birth experience.
Encourage the woman to birth in a position that her body wants to[squatting, bath tub, hands and knees etc] laying on your back to give birth is often the hardest position for both mama and baby.
Rubbing Olive Oil around a womans vagina/vulva during the pushing phase can help the baby slide out easier.
If you are at home its wise to turn the heater on to make the new environment warm. Warm some blankets/towels in the dryer too.
Place some towels under the women or a shower curtain. Once the woman births the baby have her place the baby on her chest so the baby can nurse and be warmed by mama’s own body heat.[called kangaroo care]
Do not tug on the cord the placenta will birth its self usually around twenty minutes. If the women is bleeding excessively after the placenta is birthed.. Cut a piece of the placenta about the size of a pencil eraser and have her suck on it and then eat it. The placenta has hormones that help stop the blood flow[you can have your placenta encapsulated after the birth to help with post partum healing!]. Nursing can cause the uterus to contract and restrict the blood flow.
Let the baby stay attached to the placenta until it dries and the cord falls apart on its own or eventually clamp it about 3/4 inch from the baby and use a sterile tool. Leaving the baby attached to the placenta is called a lotus birth and it is common in some countries. You also have to remember a hospital is one of the most germ ridden places you can be so how sterile are the tools there really? Boil the scissors and use alcohol on them to steralize them. You can buy birth kits online if intrested I can give you site where I bought mine, it comes with a cord clamp and a lot of other usefull things.
Next let the baby and mama cuddle in bed together and enjoy their babymoon. If mom and baby are doing okay there is no need to go to the hospital. There is an awesome home birth forum and Unassited Childbirth forum on the forums at mothering.com/discussions. I’m always up to talking about birth if you have any questions.
There is no reason to cut the cord, especially if you do not have a sterile instrument or cord clamp. Place the baby right on your bare chest or stomach, covered by blankets or inside your shirt. Try to keep his head warm. If there is mucous around the baby’s nose and mouth, wipe it away. If baby is not breathing right away, rub the baby with a towel or blanket while talking to the baby to stimulate it. Breastfeed the baby as soon as you can; if the cord is long enough, do it before the placenta is delivered, but if not then as soon as the placenta comes out just wrap the placenta up with the baby and try to get the baby to nurse. This will help the uterus contract and prevent excess bleeding. Most importantly, DON’T PANIC. Chances are, everything will be fine.
Don’t cut the cord, its unlikely that you have a sterile cutting implement. As long as there is no major bleeding there is no need to clamp or tie off the cord, just wrap the baby to keep it warm, even better have the mother hold the baby with skin to skin contact and bundle both. If you can call 911 then do it, the paramedics will be able to care for the mother and baby faster and safer than if you attempted to get to the hospital your self.
DO NOT CUT THE CORD !! if you have to deliver in the car or at home while waiting for emergency personnel to arrive just guide baby out and place him/her on moms stomach or chest and cover both of them with a blanket – the skin to skin will help regulate the baby’s body temp.
There is an entire chapter on emergency birth in “what to expect when your expecting”
“Birth for Dummies”
Cut the cord about an inch from the belly
Spank baby on butt to get him to cry to make sure he is breathing
Clean blood off baby.
Wrap baby for warmth
Begin feeding regularly until baby can give you the finger and tell you…
TAKE ME TO A ****ING DOCTOR.
Well you just get towels and blankets. Make sure his head is covered. Also for the cord you should wait till it stop pulsing. This will give the baby more nutrients. Then you cut it about 1/2 inch from his belly button. And cut it from your wife’s vagina. The rest of the cord will come out in the after birth of the placenta.
I wouldnt cut if the person went into labour get on the phone to the ambulance straight away and they could talk you through it.
My aunty had her baby in the kitchen… My uncle called emergency and they stayed on the phone with him telling him what to do until the ambulance came.