Preparing for the birth

The first hour of a baby's life is a profound experience for fathers

With the long wait almost over you’re bound to have a little trepidation about what to expect on the big arrival day. Once the little one arrives it’s all over mate. No more trips to the local for a couple of months, expect a strain in your relationship as parental responsibilities take over and forget about getting a decent night’s sleep.

With the birth approaching you can enjoy your last few weeks of a relatively free routine, but there are also some important preparations to take care of. If you’re attending ante-natal classes with your partner, the instructor will cover all the necessary requirements for a smooth birth and getting your home ready for bringing a baby into. If you’ve chosen not to attend, we’ve got most of the important points covered here.

From 37 weeks onwards the baby can arrive at any time. Very few births occur exactly on the due date, many are premature and some even as much as two weeks overdue. By now the missus will be huge, having difficulty moving, sleeping comfortably or holding her bladder for any length of time, so go easy on the old girl. She’s also likely to be stressed and anxious about the procedure, especially if it’s your first, as the birth is no doubt one of the most challenging physical events she’ll ever encounter. There is also a risk of still-birth if the process is complicated.

Plan of action

By now you would’ve met with the doctor who will be handling the birth, visited the maternity unit of the hospital and hopefully discussed a number of important decisions together which include:

• Where do you want to give birth? At home? In a hospital?
• Do you plan to watch the birth?
• Do you want drugs to induce labour? To reduce pain? Any specific type?
• The possibility of having a Caesarean (C-section)?

The baby could arrive at any moment so you should have an action plan for getting to the hospital. Be available or nearby at all times and ensure your mobile phone is reliable and car all ready to go. If you don’t own one, make an arrangement with a taxi company to have someone ready at short notice. Drive the route before hand and again in congested traffic so you can find the quickest route.

Your partner will have packed for the hospital, with an appropriate maternity dress and accessories, plus some baby clothes. You may also want to prepare an announcement list (by internet) to get the news out quickly afterwards. Have your camera ready and batteries charged so you don’t miss the moment on film.

Since you’ll be pre-occupied immediately after the birth, do some grocery shopping before hand, stock up on nappies and milk formula (don’t assume the baby will automatically take to breast feeding), as well as cleaning items and enough clothes and baby sheets to cope with half a dozen changes a day. Your partner will be very delicate and sore when she arrives home, not to mention sleepless and pre-occupied, so she certainly won’t be able to go shopping for baby items. A cot and a car seat are also essential before you leave the hospital.

Last but not least, make sure you’ve made suitable arrangements to cover the bill at the hospital.

Knowing when it’s time

Many mothers will tell you how swelling feet is a sure sign of imminent arrival (within a week). The labour process usually starts with the ‘breaking of the water’ (amniotic fluid) which dribbles down the pregnant woman’s legs as a sure sign the birth is on its way.

Newborn babies are very delicate

This will be followed by contractions, regular muscle movements around the womb which increase in intensity and frequency over a period of up-to 24 hours. By timing the distance they are apart, you can get an idea of how urgently you need to get to the hospital. Anything under 10 minutes suggests a birth is only an hour or two away, perhaps even less. The labour can be quite drawn out and will be a difficult time for your partner so try to comfort her and make everything as stress-free as possible.

If the baby is overdue, labour can be induced by rupturing the amniotic sack, administering drugs such as oxytocin or prostaglandins to stimulate contractions, or using a suppository.

Premature births are common and often require a cesarean section as burst amniotic sacs bring on contractions when the baby may not yet have turned into an ideal position. This is known as a breach, and unless the baby is positioned for a head first birth through the vagina a cesarean will have to be applied. Some doctors will actually suggest a cesarean in advance if the baby is too large proportionate to the size of the mother. Some mothers opt for them anyway to avoid the pain of a natural birth.

Complications

Statistics show that 12 per cent of babies are born prior to the 37th week of pregnancy, and in most cases there is no apparent reason for the early delivery date. Depending on how prematurely your baby is born, there are certain health risks that he or she may be prone to. Babies who are born prematurely have a higher than average risk of experiencing complications such as respiratory distress, infection and bleeding in the brain.

The most serious complication in premature infants is respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), which can lead to pneumonia, lung collapse, circulation problems and intraventricular haemorrhage. Because RDS can cause permanent physical damage to a baby and sometime be fatal, most doctors will have some treatments ready if they know that a baby is at risk of RDS.

If forceps or other tools need to be applied to assist in getting the baby out of the vaginal tract there is a small chance that negligence by the doctor can result in disfigurement or physical and mental damage to the baby, in which case they would be liable for compensation. This is very rare, as are still births, but they do occur so you should be aware and prepared for this devastating outcome.