Ella Garland-Levett Ella Garland-Levett

Labour and Birth

Information Handouts

Discuss where you plan to birth

Staying active and upright

Options for pain relief

Pain relief in labour

Birth of the placenta

Preparing for the hospital

When to call in labour
If your waters break and the colour of the fluid is green/brown or bright red, please call urgently day or night.

If fluid loss is clear and your baby is moving normally and it happens late at night, call us first thing in the morning.

If you aren’t sure if it’s your waters please call and we will help you determine if it is.

When your labour is establishing:
You are experiencing 3-4 strong/intense, regular contractions every ten minutes and this has been happening for at least an hour and they are lasting 60-90 seconds long. You will feel this right up your abdomen, not just low down.

Another reason to call may be if you have a sense of urgency, especially if this is not your first birth and you think your labour is progressing quickly.

If you have any vaginal bleeding:
A show is ok – this is a bloody/mucousy discharge that is often passed vaginally towards the end of pregnancy or during the start of labour.

In labour, if you have vaginal bleeding, liquid blood dripping down your legs, that is bright red and more than just spotting, this may be concerning, please call straightaway.

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