Chapter 8: Prenatal checkups.................................................................................... 108
Talk with the mother . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Check the baby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Check the mother’s body . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Measure the mother’s womb . . . . . . . . 130
Check for signs of anemia . . . . . . . . . . 116 Find the position of the baby . . . . . . 135
Weigh the mother . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Listening to the baby’s heartbeat . . . . 139
Check the mother’s temperature . . . . . 119
Check the mother’s pulse . . . . . . . . . . 120
Check the mother’s blood pressure . . 122
Check for signs of pre-eclampsia . . . . 125
What to do if you find
warning signs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
After the checkup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Record of prenatal care . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Signs of bladder or kidney infection . . 128
LABOR AND BIRTH
Introduction................................................................................................................... 146
Chapter 9: Getting ready for labor and birth.......................................................... 148
Signs that labor will start soon . . . . . . 149 What to bring to a birth . . . . . . . . . . . 151
When to go to the birth . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Sterilize your tools and wash up . . . . . 153
Chapter 10: Giving good care during labor and birth........................................... 154
What happens during labor
and birth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Care for the mother during labor . . . . 157
Be ready for emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Keep a record of what happens
during labor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Chapter 11: Opening: stage 1 of labor..................................................................... 166
What happens during stage 1 . . . . . . . 167 The mother’s pulse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
When you first arrive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 The mother’s temperature . . . . . . . . . . 178
Helping the mother relax in stage 1 . . 169 The mother’s blood pressure . . . . . . . . 180
Signs for the midwife to check
in stage 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
The baby’s position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
The baby’s heartbeat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
The bag of waters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Bleeding during labor . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Pain in the womb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Watch for signs of progress . . . . . . . . . 185
Safe ways to encourage labor . . . . . . . 191
Chapter 12: Pushing: stage 2 of labor...................................................................... 194
Watch for signs that stage 2 is near
or starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
What happens during stage 2 . . . . . . 197
Help the mother have a safe birth . . . 199
Watch for warning signs . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Help the mother give birth . . . . . . . . . 206
Baby is breech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Delivering twins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Baby is very small or more than
5 weeks early . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
A Book for Midwives (2010)