Medic 1 respond to 1387 Riverside Court. Report of a twenty eight year old female in labor. Time out 1853. On arrival we found a young woman who appeared to be in active labor. Her face was red, she was sweating and contractions were less than two minutes apart. I asked if her water had broke and she responded yes. She also had an urge to push.
The next step is to determine if she is crowning. This is done by checking to see if the baby’s head can be seen in the birth canal. If it is visible we will deliver the baby now and not transport. Sure enough she is crowning.
Being my first delivery, I was a little more than nervous. We obtained an O.B. Kit from the medic unit. This kit has all the material we will need during delivery.
As the baby continues to move out of the birth canal, gentle pressure is applied to the top of the babies head with the backside of my fingers. This prevents an explosive birth that can lacerate the mother and create needless bleeding.
The head is now delivered and the nose is suctioned. (Babies are primarily nose breathers for several months. Suctioning prevents the baby from taking a breath and sucking fluid into the lungs.) Since the shoulders are wider than the head, the birth is slightly delayed. Gentle downward pressure on the shoulder followed by lifting upward on the other shoulder will allow the baby to deliver easily.
As the body of the baby is delivered a warm towel is wrapped around the baby to prevent loss of body heat. Baby’s go from an environment of 98 degrees to 70 degrees in a matter of seconds. A warm towel wrapped around the baby as it is delivered, makes for a more enjoyable entry into the world.
Once the baby is completely delivered, the umbilical cord must be cut after no pulse is felt in the cord. This is done by clamping the cord about six inches from the baby’s belly. A second clamp is placed about an inch further down the cord. It is then cut between the clamps.
Now the baby is dried and wrapped in additional towels. The head is covered. Baby’s lose much of their body heat from their head. Then the baby is given to mom so they can begin bonding.
Next we clean mom up and keep her warm for the trip to the hospital. An IV is established as a precaution for mom. If the trip is more than twenty minutes to the hospital it is possible that the placenta will deliver.
We then notify the hospital that we are in route. They are informed that mother, baby and paramedic are all doing well.
Birth is a natural process and it should be noted that the mother does most of the work. This being said, delivery of a baby is both exciting and nerve racking. In the case above, I was asked to sign the birth certificate. What a wonderful honor.
Since this first delivery, I now have a total of ten babies that I have delivered in the pre-hospital setting. Each one seemed like a miracle from God and I got to play a small part in bringing a new life into the world.
“Children are a gift from God, they are His reward.”
Psalm 127:3
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