268 Where There Is No Doctor 2011
2. BREECH DELIVERY (the buttocks come
out first). Sometimes the midwife can tell if
the baby is in the breech position by feeling
the mother’s belly (p. 257) and listening to the
baby’s heartbeat (p. 252).
A breech birth may be easier in this position:
If the baby’s legs come out, but not the arms, wash your hands very well, rub them
with alcohol (or wear sterile gloves), and then. . .
slip your fingers inside and push the baby’s
shoulders toward the back, like this:
or press his arms against his
body, like this:
If the baby gets stuck, have the mother
lie face up. Put your finger in the baby’s
mouth and push his head towards his
chest. At the same time have someone
push the baby’s head down by pressing
on the mother’s belly like this:
Have the mother push hard. But
never pull on the body of the baby.
3. PRESENTATION OF AN ARM (hand
first). If the baby’s hand comes out first, get
medical help right away. An operation may
be needed to get the baby out.
4. Sometimes the CORD IS WRAPPED
AROUND THE BABY’S NECK so tightly he
cannot come out all the way. Try to slip the loop
of cord from around the baby’s neck. If you cannot do this, you may have to clamp or
tie and cut the cord. Use boiled blunt tipped scissors.
5. FECES IN THE BABY’S MOUTH AND NOSE. When the waters break, if you see
they contain a dark green (almost black) liquid, this is probably the baby’s first stools
(meconium). The baby may be in danger. If he breathes any of the feces into his lungs,
he may die. As soon as his head is out, tell the mother not to push, but to take short,
rapid breaths. Before the baby starts breathing, take time to suck the feces out of
his nose and mouth with a suction bulb. Even if he starts breathing right away, keep
sucking until you get all the feces out.