DELIVERY

At last, the delivery day has arrived. Its time to have your baby now. The 9 months of patient (and sometimes impatient) waiting are coming to a conclusion. You are soon going to be the proud mother of a wonderful baby.

Leaving home
You should report to your Doctor / Healthcare Provider when in labour.

Are you ready to move out?

By now you would have done the packing up to leave for the Hospital / Maternity Home.      

Inside the hospital / maternity:

“LABOUR in the Hospital” – What do you expect?

Before admission, you might be examined to confirm that you are in “True labour”. This may be done either by the on duty nurse or the resident, who may then inform your Obstetrician regarding your condition.
In some hospital, the Obstetrician may be called down to do the first examination.

Once it has been established that you are in labour and need admission,you may be asked to fill a consent form for admission and for any minor /major procedures, if required. On admission, the following procedures may be done on you.

(a) Hospital clothes: You may be asked to change in to hospital clothes or a gown and hand over your valuables to your relatives / accompanying members.

(b) Enema:You may be given a. simple warm/ soap enema.

An enema serves two purposes:
Empties your bowels and prevents soiling your clothes during labour.
May enhance labour contractions (though not scientifically proven).

If you have passed stools just before coming to the hospital, you can inform the nurse regarding the same so that the enema may be avoided / postponed.

(c) Shaving: Shaving off the pubic hair is one thing that many a women are ignorant and embarrassed about. You need not be embarrassed at all because it is absolutely normal and routine. 

The shaving protocols differ in different hospitals.

• Some believe in routine shaving for better hygiene and ease while delivering  the baby and taking the episiotomy sutures.

• Some people believe that the nicks / cuts sustained during shaving may increase the incidence of infection. To avoid this they either clip the pubic hair or do nothing about the pubic hair.

The only other problem shaving the pubic hair has is the extreme discomfort felt during the regrowth.
There are women who shave the pubic hair on a regular basis and others who don’t shave / clip the pubic hair. It is individual preference and there is no hard and fast rule regarding the same. So whatever the hospital protocol! You needn’t be embarrassed at all!!

(d) I.V.line (intravenous access): Though not done by all Obstetricians, some do routinely put an I.V. line in all women in labour. Others put an I.V.line only if necessary. As for most normal deliveries it is not  necessary.
The I.V.line is put either to give I.V.fluids (for nutrition and to counter dehydration) or to give any medications, and is usually required if you are not taking anything by mouth.
The I.V.line, if connected to a drip restricts your mobility. But can be disconnected if you want for sometime. Except if some medicines are given through an I.V. drip where you will be confirmed to your bed.

(e)“Labour room” or “Ward”
Usually, the woman in labour is kept in her room / ward for most part of labour. She is shifted to the labour ward only when she is nearing her delivery or intermittently for examination.
Some doctors prefer to place all women in labour in the “labour ward” till post-delivery rather than shift her later.
This will be decided by the doctor / Hospital protocols
Being in the ward is comfortable for you because you can be with your near and dear ones. As against this, in the labour ward only one person (usually a female) is generally allowed to be present with the labouring woman.If it is a large common labour room, a female companion is preferred. If not, your partner  can accompany you. This has to be discussed with your doctor in advance. 

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