What’s it like for partners during birth?
As the birth support for a woman in labour, your biggest role is to provide support and encouragement during the entire childbirth process. The best way to do that is to know what to expect, so before it's 'go time', make sure you understand the different stages of labour, you know how to time contractions and when to head to the hospital (and how to get there!), and you've discussed the birth plan or wishes with your partner. In the delivery room, you're her advocate and her main source of comfort. Stay calm, confident, and supportive.
Yes or No? Informed Consent.
Informed consent gives us control and responsibility for ourselves and our children. Informed consent is particularly relevant to maternity care because pregnancy, labour and birth etc are normal physical functions, not illnesses, so healthy people could, in theory, manage without any treatment at all. Most, however, appreciate the monitoring, support and advice that they receive from their LMC's and/or specialists and some need the treatments/procedures that are available.
What is Vernix Caseosa?
During your pregnancy, vernix plays an essential role, acting as a waterproof barrier to protect your baby’s skin against the amniotic fluid that surrounds them until they are born. Vernix begins to form on your baby at about 20 weeks gestation, partially to prevent your baby’s skin from getting too waterlogged
Signs of Labour?
Having your baby on their due date is rare: only about 1 in 20 people manage this. Usually, labour starts somewhere between 1 week before your due date and 2 weeks after it. If this is your first baby, the start of labour is normally gradual. It can last hours and stop and start over multiple days.
Stages of Labour.
There comes a time in every pregnancy after the books have been read, the nursery decorated, the car seat installed and antenatal classes attended and now all that's left to do is wait and oh my goodness, the wait, unfortunately, can feel like such a long time. But even though most women go into labour between 37 and 42 weeks, there's no way to pinpoint exactly when labour will begin, and it's often this not knowing that makes some people very anxious.
Let’s have a look at how labour works.
