262 Where There Is No Doctor 2011
THE THIRD STAGE OF LABOR begins when the baby has been born and lasts until the
placenta (afterbirth) comes out. Usually, the placenta comes out by itself 5 minutes to
an hour after the baby. In the meantime, care for the baby. If there is a lot of bleeding
(see p. 265) or if the placenta does not come out within 1 hour, seek medical help.
CARE OF THE BABY AT BIRTH
Immediately after the baby comes out:
♦ Put the baby’s head down so that the mucus
comes out of his mouth and throat. Keep it
this way until he begins to breathe.
♦ Keep the baby below the level of the mother
until the cord is tied. (This way, the baby gets
more blood and will be stronger.)
♦ Dry the baby and if he does not begin to breathe
right away, rub his back with a towel or a cloth.
♦ If he still does not breathe, clean the mucus out of his nose and
mouth with a clean cloth wrapped around your finger.
♦ If the baby has not begun to breathe within one minute after birth,
start MOUTH-TO-MOUTH BREATHING at once (see p. 80).
♦ Wrap the baby in a clean cloth. It is very important not to let him get cold,
especially if he is premature (born too early).
How to Cut the Cord
When the child is born, the cord pulses and is fat and blue. WAIT.
After a while, the cord becomes thin and white. It stops pulsing. Now tie it in
2 places with very clean, dry strips of cloth, string, or ribbon. These should have been
recently ironed or heated in an oven. Cut between the ties, like this:
IMPORTANT: Cut the cord with a clean, unused razor blade. Before unwrapping it,
wash your hands very well. Or wear clean rubber or plastic gloves. If you do not have a
new razor blade, use freshly boiled scissors.
Always cut the cord close to the body of the newborn baby. Leave only about
2 centimeters attached to the baby. These precautions help prevent tetanus (see p. 182).