There are certain breathing and self-hypnosis techniques which many women find beneficial when experiencing labour. The techniques must be learnt and practised, and are taught by a qualified practitioner. You can ask your midwife about this, or simply search online for local services/practitioners.
The early labour (or latent) phase is usually spent at home, and there are plenty of things you can try to ease any discomfort you have whilst also encouraging labour to progress well.
These simple techniques can also help throughout labour:
As labour progresses, there are plenty of options available to help you manage the sensation of the contractions as they get stronger and more intense.
Babies born before 34 weeks are likely to need extra help with breathing, feeding and keeping warm, and would therefore be transferred to the neonatal unit for care. This care is provided by a highly skilled neonatal team. Your baby may need to be in an incubator, however once they are stable you should be able to hold them and have skin-to-skin contact.
A delay in clamping the umbilical cord for up to one minute after birth is recommended for most preterm babies, unless there is urgent need to pass the baby to the care of the baby doctor (paediatrician).
There are other reasons that might mean delayed cord clamping is not possible. These are:
If you think you are showing signs of premature labour you should contact your nearest maternity unit as soon as possible. You will be seen by a midwife or doctor who will ask you questions about your general health, the symptoms you are having, including any pain or bleeding, and if you think your waters have broken.
Your assessment will include:
A baby may be born prematurely as a result of preterm labour or because an earlier birth is recommended, due to complications that may have arisen during the pregnancy (affecting the mother or the baby).
In many cases, it is not clear why labour starts early, however factors known to increase the risk of preterm labour include the following;
During pregnancy you will have an appointment to discuss your options for the birth of your twins. More than 40% of twins are born vaginally with the remainder being born by either planned or emergency caesarean.
The most common way for twins to lie is both with their heads down. It is common for one or both babies to be feet or bottom down (breech). Some babies lie across your womb (transverse lie) and if this is the case with the first twin to be born, you’ll need a caesarean section. If you’ve had a vaginal birth for the first twin but the second is lying across your womb, they may need help to turn so they can be born.
In some cases a planned caesarean will be recommended, for example, if your babies share one placenta, or the first baby is in the breech (bottom first) position.
During labour, it is recommended that your babies have continuous electronic fetal monitoring, as the risk of complications during labour is higher for twins. It may also be recommended that you have an epidural, in case you require an emergency caesarean birth quickly. There will be more people at the birth of twins, often two midwives, two obstetricians and two neonatal doctors.
If you have triplets or more, planned caesarean birth would be recommended for you as the safest way to deliver your babies.
Just over one in ten women will have a planned caesarean birth. This is due to a variety of factors, and the decision will be made together with your obstetric and midwifery team.
Some people start labour or break their waters before the planned caesarean date. If this happens, you should contact your maternity unit straight away.
The day before your caesarean you will be asked to take some medications. These should be taken the night before and also on the morning of your operation, as directed. You should not eat any food after midnight but may drink water until 6am on the morning of your operation.
On the day of your caesarean you will normally arrive at your maternity unit early in the morning. Sometimes if the labour ward is busy, you may have to wait for a period of time before your operation can start. In the operating theatre, your chosen birth partner can normally accompany you and can stay by your side throughout the surgery, unless, for medical reasons, you require a general anaesthetic.
The majority of women have a spinal anaesthetic or combined spinal epidural which causes the body to go numb from the abdomen to the feet. A catheter will be inserted into your bladder, and this will normally be removed the following day. Once the operation starts, the baby is normally born within 10 minutes, and all being well you can have skin-to-skin contact with your baby in the operating theatre while the operation is completed. If your waters have broken, a gentle vaginal cleansing solution will be used to reduce the risk of infection.
After the surgery you will spend a few hours in a recovery area, and a nurse or midwife will check your observations regularly. You can start bonding with and feeding your baby during this time. Your anaesthetic will wear off after a few hours.
You will normally stay on a postnatal ward for one to three nights, depending on your recovery. You will be given regular painkillers. You will be helped to become mobile once the anaesthetic wears off. Early
mobilisation and pressure stockings are recommended for all women to reduce the risk of developing blood clots after surgery. Some women are offered blood thinning injections.
During labour, it is good to stay as active as possible, and to try different positions. By doing this you will encourage your baby through the birth canal in the best position for birth, whilst also helping your own comfort and coping ability. Staying active and upright is also known to shorten the length of labour.
You can try:
During labour, your midwife will listen to your baby’s heartbeat to check his/her wellbeing, and to ensure he/she is coping well with labour.
There are three different ways your midwife can check this, by using either:
