Labour and Birth Care

If your midwife is self-employed, they will attend your labour and birth. In the event that they are away or busy, they will have arranged a back-up midwife to be available instead. Make sure you know who the back-up is and how to contact them.

If your midwife is a hospital-based community midwife, your labour and birth care will be provided by a hospital-based midwife. Please ensure you know the correct number to call for both your community midwife and the hospital birthing suite directly.

Make sure you understand the signs of labour and when to call your midwife. Every labour and birth is different and not all go according to plan. Make sure you understand what can happen and be prepared to change your birth plan. Your midwife will talk to you about what may happen and also about what strategies you can use to manage labour pain.

Some midwives provide care for women who have been given an epidural by an anaesthetist, have an oxytocin drip and abnormal fetal heart trace, others do not. Please check to see if the midwife you choose offers these services.

Pain Management

There are no two pregnancies or labours exactly alike. Every woman's experience is unique and individual to her.

Labour and birth are normal physiological processes and there are 3 stages to labour. 

The first stage occurs from the time regular contractions are established until your cervix is completely open and the baby can pass out of the uterus and through the cervix.

The second stage is when the woman has a strong, natural urge to bear down with the contractions and push her baby out. Your baby is born!

The third stage is the delivery of your placenta. Your placenta detaches from the uterine wall and is expelled through the vagina.

Labour is painful but it is important to keep this experience as positive as possible. Pain is a very personal and subjective experience. Regardless of your tolerance for pain, you can learn constructive ways of coping.

The pain of labour is definable - it comes with a contraction and then goes away. 

It is important for you to discuss your options of pain relief with your midwife before you go into labour. Please share any concerns you may have about the possible effects on you, or your baby. Keep an open mind and know your options ahead of time so that you can make an informed choice in managing your labour.    

 Possible Medical Intervention During Labour

This is discussed in antenatal classes and may also be covered by your midwife or LMC around 36 weeks when your birth plan will be talked about.

The reasons why you may require any medical intervention would be in consultation with you and would usually only occur if you or your baby were considered to be needing assistance.