Understanding what a true emergency circumstance is can help you prepare, prevent and prevail through the sometimes dramatic medical events of labor and birth, especially in a homebirth setting or unassisted situation.
Most everyone choosing a homebirth, is low risk, but pregnancy and birth in general comes with the risk of common emergency circumstances that could unfold for anyone, understanding what a true emergency is, how to prevent and how to prevail is crucial information for all birthing families; assuming the provider or person assisting you has this wisdom, training and confidence to perform competent emergency asistance is simply not enough, you deserve to be fully educated and prepared to know when and how to recognize and handle whatever comes your way, to prevent lasting trauma or demise.
True Emergency is dramatic; but does not have to outright mean traumatic, even under the event of necassary assistance for either mother or baby, both can be treated gently and competently with empowering respect by acting accordingly based on full spectrum education.
Full spectrum education includes the varying potential circumstances of true emergency that require competent full spectrum care, to prevent trauma or demise.
This guide was compiled to help birthing families, mothers, educators, midwives & birth keepers/doulas understand how to prevail through all circumstances.
As a Mother, it is an injustice to our baby and our body, to know that anything is a possibility, but to not prepare for any and all circumstances, this resource has been compiled so that you and your family are fully prepared, know what measures to take to prevent emergency, recognize true emergency and how treat the emergency in the most competent and Holy manner.
3 keys to safe birth against the possibility true emergency:
Prevention of
Preparation for
Prevailing through
PRENATAL SUPPLEMENTS
You can Take these supplements through out your pregnancy to prepare your body for labor and postpartum
Coq10: Do not take if you have low blood pressure
Probiotic
Pregnancy complications to prevent with the above supplements:
Constipation
Cholestasis
Gestational diabetes/Pre-eclampsia
HELLP syndrome
Yeast imbalance/infection
GBS
Order your HomeBirth kit and supplies below:
I suggest you also grab:
Uri-check test strips
A medical grade waterproof fetal doppler which is a great tool for checking on babe through
A stethoscope to listen to babies heart postpartum
A Blood pressure cuff/Pulse ox finger monitor
Thermometer
As a home birthing Family you need to check into getting an Ambu bag incase baby needs oxygen support and Neonatal resuscitation is needed via a true circumstance that calls for assistance:
Examples of true emergency circumstances that can potentially lead to trauma/demise if not properly handled with competent care
Fetal Malpositioning
Fetal Distress & Shock (Resuscitation)
Shoulder Dystocia
Breech birth
Cord compression
Cord prolapse
Placenta Abruption
Uterine Rupture
Hemorrhaging
Meconium Aspiration
Retained Placenta
Nuchal Cord
Severe Cervical or Vaginal Tear
Homebirth kit & supplies can be purchased here
Uri-check test strips:
Ambu Bag:
Glucose testing
Blood glucose Monitor:
The Fresh Test:
Learn what true emergency circumstances are in labor and postpartum, how to detect and handle them here
Guidebook on true childbirth emergency:
Shoulder Dystocia
Cord Compression
Cord prolapse
Placenta Abruption
Uterine rupture
Nuchal Cord
Generally a nuchal cord is not an immediate emergency circumstance, gently and swifting unwrapping the cord is often all that is needed- In some cases the cord may be compressing the carotid artery and lead to emergency scenario
Breech
Breech 101 Course
Strongly encourage you take this course
Understanding Breech and your Options
Neonatal resuscitation
As far as resuscitation goes, Karen strange gives my favorite response. A breath from you will only make the baby FEEL better, and won’t hurt. So when in doubt, if baby seems to be struggling or uncomfortable, go ahead and give a breath.
Please take 20 minutes to learn to resuscitate a baby, and then act it out, to make sure you know how. Grab your partner and make sure you're both clear on what to do
A few notes about this video:
Some adjustments can be made for a home birth setting:
1. You won't have a warming station. Use a heating pad to keep your towels warm. Keeping the baby warm and dry is important.
2. Cutting the cord will not be necessary, unless the cord is very short, and/or you are in the water. Keep it attached, if possible. It's also not necessary to keep baby at or below the level of the placenta.
3. You do need a solid surface for resuscitation. Most of the time, the mother's chest works well, her breasts serving as the shoulder roll. If it's difficult to open baby's airway on the mother's chest, move baby go a flat, solid surface.
4. If you choose to give breaths mouth to mouth, rather than with a bag and mask, seal your mouth over the baby's nose and mouth, and blow until you feel resistance. For inflation breaths, gently blow a little past the point of resistance, to press fluid out of the lungs as air goes in.
5. It is a common misconception that neonatal resuscitation is the same thing as infant CPR. They are not the same. The goal of neonatal resuscitation is to inflate the lungs for the first time, and help the baby begin breathing. Notice that chest compressions are very rarely needed. Inflation breaths are commonly needed.
Basic neonatal resus guide
Neonatal Resus flow chart
Free Resus videos by Karen Strange:
Full 4 part webinar series here:
Resus Course Training:
Strongly encourage you take this course
Wombsister giving inflation breaths
Hemorrhaging
Hemorrhage Guide
Anti hemorrhage tincture
10% off coupon: Wombsister
Functional Physiological Birth:
Optimal Maternal Positioning:
Balancing & Preparing- Very important
Immediate Postpartum tips
Feel cord for pulse, pulse should be over 100bpm
Keep baby attached to cord and on moms chest, watch infant for muscle tone, chest retractions and skin color coming to red/pink, listen to infant heart tones with stethoscope
Monitor Mamas Blood loss & Placenta birth - Act accordingly
Keep mama and baby warm with fresh towels
Replenish Mama with laboraid & water
Act on giving inflation breaths to baby as needed if baby is in shock or having a tough time coming around - Have ambubag prepped and set aside just incase: Follow neonatal resuscitation training as needed
Welcome baby into the world with a gentle voice and thank the Lord
Take Postpartum Bath with baby or rest in bed and Shower later
Replenish and rest with warm nourishing digestible whole foods
Enjoy your new baby & learning your new flow together through breastfeeding, rest and healing over the next 2 months
Retained Placenta
Holy Homebirth Videos:
Books:
Home Birth On Your Own Terms: A How To Guide For Birthing Unassisted https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PZ286YQ/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_2R93GM5XE5SAFHR44FTR
Supernatural Childbirth
Heart & Hands Midwife guide to birth
Registering Out of hospital birth legal guide
His love does not fail, it does not waver, His strength is constant and you can trust in His Holy Spirit to guide you through every circumstance.