Labour And Birth
We suggest that clients pre-register at the Rouge Valley Hospital site that is closest to them regardless of the planned place of birth. Your midwife can advise you about this process. In the event of a transfer to hospital from a home birth, things can go much more smoothly if you are registered. For both home and hospital births, your midwife can give you a list of supplies to have with you. If the supplies required are not affordable for you, please speak with your midwife as we may have extras available.
During early labour, your midwife will be in contact with you over the phone and will attend you at home once active labour is established. Your midwife will monitor the labour and provide emotional support and guidance as needed. For those choosing hospital birth, the goal is to stay at home until the labour is well-established, this minimizes the time that women spend in hospital. Also, most of our clients will leave the hospital 3-4 hours after an uncomplicated birth. Your midwife provides all of the care that a healthy mom and baby needs at home. Most women and their partners rest and eat better at home, this can help enormously with recovery from the birth. If there is a medical reason for either mother or baby to remain in hospital, your midwife will be available to visit you there as needed. Please feel free to discuss this issue with your midwife if you have questions or concerns.
The second midwife or second birth attendant will be called near the end of the labour to assist at the birth. In the event that your primary midwife has been working without sleep for 24 hours, your second midwife will be called in to take over care while your primary midwife sleeps. This is important in order to provide the best and safest care for you and your baby.
After the birth, your midwife will monitor your recovery, help establish breastfeeding and do a physical examination of the baby. She will also provide oral and written information about what to expect from the baby and answer any questions you have about caring for your baby. The midwife usually stays for about three hours after the birth and either your primary or secondary midwife will always be available by pager for any concerns or questions. One of your midwives will return within the first 24 hours or so to monitor your recovery, assess the baby's well-being and continue to support breastfeeding.