Chapter 12: Pushing – Stage 2 of labor
Delivering a frank or complete breech
Do not let the mother push until you are sure
that her cervix is completely open. Even after she
has a strong urge to push, she should wait through
a few more contractions to be sure.
When the cervix is open, encourage the mother
to push in a way that feels right to her. Encourage
her to give good, strong pushes. The baby’s bottom
and belly will usually be born without any help.
The legs usually come out by
themselves. If they are not coming,
put your fingers inside the mother
and gently pull down the legs. Do not
pull on the baby.
Loosen the cord a little by gently
pulling a bit of it out of the vagina.
In general, do not touch the cord much.
Wrap the baby in a clean blanket or
cloth to keep her warm. If the baby
gets cold, she may try to take a breath
inside the mother, and her lungs will
fill with fluid. Keep the blanket on the
baby for the rest of the delivery. (The
rest of the drawings in this section do
not show the blanket so you can see
the baby's position better.)
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A Book for Midwives (2010)