Express delivery
The Queen’s granddaughter Zara Tindall didn’t make it to hospital to have her third child. KATIE WRIGHT asks experts for advice on unexpected home births
FORMBY rugby player Mike Tindall has spoken about the dramatic arrival of baby son Lucas on March 21, revealing that wife Zara (granddaughter of the Queen) gave birth to their third child Lucas on their bathroom floor.
“[He] Arrived very quickly. Didn’t make it to hospital. On the bathroom floor,” he said on The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast.
“So yeah, it was running to the gym, get a mat, get into the bathroom, get the mat on the floor, towels down, brace, brace, brace.”
A rapid labour is not uncommon in mothers who’ve given birth before, says midwife and founder of hypnobirthing and pregnancy yoga company GlowMummy Sharon Salvage: “When it’s your second or third baby, particularly when you’ve had a long labour the first time, your body has done it all before, and it can happen really quickly.”
So, what do you need to know if you’re a mum or partner expecting a baby – or you happen to be on hand when someone goes into labour? Here, midwives explain what you should do in the event of an unexpected arrival.
CALL AN AMBULANCE
“To be honest, most babies are born in really good condition if they’re born that quickly, but you just don’t know,” Sharon says.
“The first thing to do is, if you feel you can’t make it to hospital, you need to make sure you’ve phoned an ambulance and that someone’s on their way to you, with a midwife as well.”
KEEP CALM AND LISTEN
“It’s very important for women to listen to what their body needs when giving birth. I find that instinct kicks in quickly and they often automatically kneel or get on all fours,” says Lesley Gilchrist, a midwife and cofounder of My Expert Midwife.
“A lot of women will naturally put their head a little bit lower than their bottoms, they’re literally working against gravity, and it just slows down that process,” Sharon says.
She recommends “breathing your baby out” slowly: “You don’t need to start doing massive big pushes or anything like that, it’s less likely that way that you’ll get tears.”
GET READY TO CATCH BABY
“This can be anyone with a reliable pair of hands,” says Lesley.
Sharon adds that bathroom births are common, as mothers naturally seek out an enclosed space to feel safer: “Your partner might need to make sure they are able to support baby’s head and body so they don’t literally flop on the floor.”
SKIN-TO-SKIN CONTACT
“Skin-to-skin contact with mum is the best place for babies to be as soon as they are born. This will help to regulate their breathing and keep them warm,” Lesley says.
“If your baby isn’t breathing, while you wait for assistance, I would recommend rubbing your baby with a cloth or towel to stimulate them. Most babies will breathe spontaneously within one minute of birth, however, it is always best to be prepared, just in case.”
Then you should keep mum and baby warm by covering them with a warm towel, blanket or anything else you’ve got to hand.
DON’T CUT THE CORD
Never cut or tie the cord until a medical professional arrives
Midwife Lesley Gilchrist
This is one part of labour that should definitely be left to the professionals.
Lesley says: “As long as the umbilical cord is left, the baby will receive oxygen into their blood to help them transition into the world. Never cut or tie the cord until a medical professional arrives.”