 |
Not to be sent home. |
|
To be shown to the room you are likely to give birth in. |
|
Offered a gown to wear. (These are still used in some hospitals or used if you prefer this to wearing your own clothes). |
|
An abdominal examination (called 'palpating') to feel the position of the baby, how far down in the pelvis the baby is, or if their head is engaged. |
|
The baby's heart rate is checked on arrival and then every half hour (if it is not being continuously monitored). |
|
Some hospitals will routinely perform an initial external monitoring (CTG) of the baby's heart rate for a period of 20 minutes on arrival. This may not be necessary, unless the caregiver is concerned about the baby. |
|
Your blood pressure, pulse and temperature are checked on arrival, and then every 2 hours. |
|
Sometimes the caregiver will ask you to provide a specimen of urine to test. |
|
In rare cases, the woman may be offered shaving of her pubic hair and an enema. This will depend on who your caregiver is and your chosen place of birth. These procedures are rarely carried out these days, as studies have clearly shown that shaving is unnecessary, and does not improve infection rates. |
|
Your caregiver will observe you having some contractions, timing them and possibly staying for a while. This will depend on how busy the delivery suite is, and how you appear to be coping. |
|
Your caregiver will usually perform an internal vaginal examination, to check your progress (this is accepted as routine in a many delivery suites, however the woman is within her rights to decline this). |
|
Your caregiver may offer to break the waters if they are still intact. |
|
Your caregiver may seek consent from you to allow a student midwife to observe and carry out some of your care. |
|
Your caregiver may offer you medical forms of pain relief. |
|
If your primary caregiver is a private obstetrician, the delivery suite midwife will notify them of your arrival and your progress (if it is during the day). If you arrive after about 10pm, or before about 6 am, then staff will not necessarily contact your obstetrician, unless the obstetrician requests it, or there is a complication, or you are pushing and the birth appears imminent. If you are in established labour during the day, your obstetrician may drop in to see you (if they are in the hospital). Otherwise, you will not see them until you have moved into the 2nd stage of labour (if this is your second, or subsequent baby) or when your baby's head is on view (meaning that it can be seen), if it is your first baby. |
|
If this is your 2nd or subsequent birth, your caregiver will usually prepare for the baby's arrival towards the end of 1st stage, as the pushing phase may be quicker (usually about 15 to 30 minutes), than with your first birth. |