Emergency Situations

Available as a Microsoft Word Document for easy printing: Emergency Situations

Bleeding During Labour

This sort of bleeding can be due to separation of the placenta from the uterine wall (placenta abruption), or a placenta that is too close to the cervix or covering it (placenta previa).

• Repeated, profuse bleeding on and off.
• Fainting or passing out
• Dizziness or nausea
• Shock (pale, sweaty, weak, faint, dizziness, nausea breathing hard or thirsty)
• Strange pains that are not a part of birthing

Witch Hazel Bark Tincture (10-20 drops) repeatedly under the tongue can assist in controlling the bleeding until the placenta is birthed.

Repeated doses of Bach Flower Rescue Remedy, reassurance and visualising positive results can help the mother to remain calm.

Placentas can handle a loss of function and still be able to support their babies through birth but if you feel assistance is warranted, do not hesitate to seek it out.

Shock

If the mother is in shock, Homeopathic Arnica 30x (3-4 pellets) every 5 minutes can stabilise and reverse shock. Lobelia Tincture (3-5 drops) under the tongue every 5 minutes also is specific for shock. Keep the mother warm, awake, talking and in a position where her legs are kept elevated.

To forestall clinical shock, 1 teaspoon table salt, ½ teaspoon sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) dissolved in 4 cups warm water can be given.

Bleeding after Birth / Haemorrhage

Haemorrhage is defined as more than 2 cups of blood (500ml) lost either by a slow seeping or a sudden gush. The slower haemorrhage is the most dangerous one as it is easy to overlook where the sudden massive haemorrhage is more obvious.

• More than 2 cups (500ml) of blood lost
• Fainting or passing out
• Dizziness or nausea
• Shortness of breath
• The fundus may seem to be expanding (a sign of hidden bleeding)

For bleeding before the placenta is out

DO NOT PULL ON THE CORD OR PRESS ON THE UTERUS UNTIL YOU ARE POSITIVE THE PLACENTA HAS DETATCHED FROM THE UTERINE WALL FULLY.

Witch Hazel Bark Tincture (10-20 drops) repeatedly under the tongue can assist in controlling the bleeding until the placenta is birthed.

Breastfeeding, kneeling, squatting, standing up, having a pee, and walking around can encourage the placenta out.

Ground Ivy Tincture (1 teaspoon) single dose to help bring down the placenta. It can also be taken as an infusion – 1 cup of ground ivy, catnip or basil tea immediately after the birth.

Angelicia Tincture (30-50 drops) single dose under the tongue can work within 5 minutes to encourage contractions and to bring the placenta out. If contractions do not resume in 15 minutes, repeat the dose once.

For bleeding after the placenta is out

Check the placenta. If pieces appear to be missing, try taking steps to aid expulsion of the placenta (pieces) as well as the following steps for haemorrhage.

Uterine massage after the placenta is out is beneficial to helping the uterus clamp down and shrink.

Breastfeeding for oxytocin release.

Eat your placenta. Either blend some up with some red fruits to drink as a smoothie or swallow a piece chased down with juice or water.  If you have strong aversions to eating your placenta, you can hold a piece inside your cheek – this also assists in stopping haemorrhage. 

Slice pieces off the maternal side of the placenta with a sharp knife.  Consuming the placenta is a sure-fire way to stop haemorrhage dead in its tracks because it lets your body know that the birth is over and to stop bleeding. Placentas are full of essential nutrients for the post-partum mother. Read Benefits of Consuming the Placenta

Lady’s Mantle Tincture (20-30 drops) under the tongue and repeated when necessary.

Cinnamon Tincture (20-30 drops) under the tongue and repeated when necessary.

Shepherd’s Purse Tincture (20-40 drops, but if using tincture from dried plants, use 150 drops/1 teaspoon) under the tongue. This can stop a post-partum haemorrhage in 5 seconds flat. The longest a midwife has reported this tincture taking is 30 seconds. Repeat as needed or every couple minutes.

Caution for Shepherds Purse Tincture – take as last resort. Shepherds Purse is reported to cause large blood clots which may be painful to pass and could prevent the uterus from clamping down.

Cord Prolapse

This is when the cord or part of it comes out by itself or with a hand or foot. 

In some cases, it is possible to push the cord back in quickly. If this is not possible, wrap the cord in a warm, wet and clean towel to avoid air exposure triggering the cord vessels from constricting.

If birth is imminent and the woman is feeling strong desires to bear down & birth, she should be allowed to do so (except in the case of a hand presenting) as time is of the utmost importance. 

If there is no urge to push and birth is too far off, get the mother’s head, chest and shoulders flat down on the ground with her butt up in the air until medical assistance can be provided to her.

Seizures

Sometimes pre-eclampsia can progress into severe eclampsia or toxemia with seizures, and the mother may have convulsions during late pregnancy or childbirth.

If this occurs, keep the mother quiet and calm.

It is important to transport with the utmost gentleness even though time may be sacrificed in doing this.

Shield the mother from strong lights.

If transporting in car, the driver must concentrate on giving the smoothest possible ride. Make sure the paramedics are aware of this if they are the ones driving.

Hand First / Transverse Lie Babies

Rarely, there will be the baby who is in a transverse lie and stays that way in labour. If a hand presents at the vagina with no sign of the head, vaginal birth is impossible.

In some cases, medical assistance can turn the baby to either breech or vertex presentation so that vaginal birth can continue. If this is not possible, the only other option is a caesarean operation.

Baby Not Breathing

It is normal for babies to take time to begin breathing after they are born, particularly with water births.

DO NOT CUT OR CLAMP THE CORD UNTIL THE BABY’S BREATHING HAS BEEN PROPERLY ESTABLISHED & THE PLACENTA HAS BEEN BIRTHED.

If the baby is purple, red, pink, holding arms and legs stiff, making faces, or just has pale blue/white arms/legs, just wait. He/she will breathe.

You can assist by keeping the baby warm, skin to skin, talking to the baby, rubbing the baby’s back, laying the baby face down over your thigh with their bum higher than their head to faciliate mucus drainage.

 However if a baby is;

• pale blue or white
• limp
• looks almost dead

Start mucus clearing and resusication efforts while an ambulance is called.

To clear mucus, suck it out of their mouth and nose gently, and/or have them laying on their belly, upside down on your leg while you rub their back talking to them.

Flick at the soles of the baby’s feet with your fingertips to encourage a gasp reflx.

Rub Bach Flower Rescue Remedy on the newborn’s wrists, temples and lips.

To start artificial breathing (only after airways are clear), gently blow into their mouths with the air inside your mouth. NEVER use air expelled from your lungs as the force will be too strong on a baby. It is recommended that you take an infant CPR course.

Don’t give up.

Some women have reported that diluting one drop of cayenne tincture in a tablespoon of warm water or breastmilk and putting a few drops of that mixture on the baby’s lips and tongues has stimulated breathing.

Uterine Rupture

If you are UBAC’ing (unassisted birth after caesarean), be aware of those following signs of uterine rupture. All or none of those symptoms may be present.

• Bleeding
• Hypotension (low blood pressure causing dizziness & lethargy)
• Cessation of labour
• Loss of intra-uterine pressure (where the contractions diminish in intensity (or stop).
• Abdominal or uterine pain
• Fetal distress (loss of fetal heart rate, a prolonged deceleration - down to 90 beats per minute for more than one minute or persistent late decelerations)
• The fundus may seem to be expanding
• The woman is aware of something
• When examining the abdomen the baby can be felt very clearly
• The woman goes into shock
• Maternal tachycardia (fast heart rate - usually above 120 beats per minute in an adult)

References

‘Emergency Childbirth: A manual’ – Dr Gregory J. White, M.D.
‘Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year’ – Susan Weed

Tinctures/Herbs/Aids

Tinctures made from the fresh plant should always be used where possible.

Witch Hazel Bark Tincture
Angelicia Tincture
Ground Ivy Tincture / Ground Ivy Herbal Infusion with Basil or Catnip
Lady’s Mantle Tincture
Cinnamon Tincture
Shepherds Purse Tincture
Cayenne Tincture
Bach Flower Rescue Remedy
Homeopathic Arnica 30x
Placenta
Breastmilk / Breastfeeding