We raced down the motorway in the dead of the night, zooming along to our destination. A sense of urgency filled the car – this was it, it was finally happening! Labour was underway and baby would be here soon! We screeched to a halt and galloped into the hospital. Quick, monitor baby, quick do an examination… but hang on, not much is happening. Any contractions? No! They seem to have gone away…

Heard this one before? A normally progressing labour is a delicate dance of hormones for both mother and baby. And one hormone that can potentially slow down or stop labour in the early stages is adrenalin. Imagine if you will an animal in the wild. She is soon to have young and her body begins the process of early labour. But suddenly she is threatened, whether by a predator or a natural disaster. Her body generates a ‘fight or flight’ response and the adrenalin shuts her labour down so she can move away somewhere safe. Humans are just like this too. So for women planning on birthing in hospital, you need to ensure that any shift in early labour from home to hospital is done as smoothly and gently as possible to keep yourself calm and feeling safe and secure.

Before you go into labour, think about the things that may cause anxiety during a shift to hospital and how you can minimise that effect. Things like bright lights, noise, hospital smell, lots of people, being dressed in a hospital gown, and being examined or monitored can product adrenalin in a labouring women.

Plan some strategies to overcome this to create as homely an environment as possible.

Here are some ideas:

• Talk to your Lead Maternity Carer in advance about what will happen when you arrive at hospital. Knowing and understanding what will happen can alleviate some anxiety. Negotiate around admission procedures such as vaginal exams or monitoring to find out if they are strictly necessary in your individual case.
  
• Take part in a tour of the hospital you are planning to birth at. Knowing where things are, where to park, where the different facilities are can alleviate stress in both labouring women and their support people. Ask as many questions as you can so you are familiar with where things are and how the delivery unit runs.
  
• Wear your own clothes to travel in, and to labour in. Hospital gowns can make you feel like an disempowered patient sometimes.
  
• Assign a support person to be the ‘gate keeper’ – their role is to ensure that people don’t just come in and out of your room without knocking, waiting, and also only when necessary. There should be no need for hospital staff to come and go from your room without reason.
  
• Bring familiar items with you, like your own clothes, pillow, bed cover, toiletries to help create a homely environment.
  
• Try burning some essential oils like lavender or neroli in an electrical diffuser (use of candles in hospitals is not permitted for safety reasons).
  
• Dim the lights if possible. Otherwise, turn the main light off and put on some smaller lights, bedside lamps or the bathroom light. You may like to close some curtains if the daylight is too bright.
  
• Bring your own music or a labour coping CD and something to play it on.
  
• Keep the room a comfortable temperature as cold can make you feel anxious and tense.
  
• Set up a comfortable space to labour in on the floor. Stay off the bed in order to remain as active as possible. Consider pushing the bed to one side if the room is small, or use it as a screen between you and the door.
  
• If you need peace and quiet from the room itself, try spending some time in the toilet or shower to regain composure. People tend to respect these areas as more private, even if they have been crowding your labour room.
  
• Stay at home as long as possible to ensure that any adrenalin response doesn’t impact on the flow of your labour. You may feel freer to move around, make noises, and do what makes you comfortable at home.

It is always important to remember too that wherever you birth your baby, this is your body, your baby, and your birth experience.  Be empowered to make the decisions about your labour and birth. Your caregivers are there to provide with all their support and expertise, but they are not there to make your decisions for you! The Code of Health and Disability Services has more information on this, particularly with regard to the right to be informed and the right to give consent.  

Share with us what your ‘birth haven’ would have in it to make it feel just like home.