On this page you can find information and links to additional resources you might find helpful during or in preparation for labour and birth.
Creating a birth plan
As part of your antenatal care, your midwife will support you to create a birth plan. While you can’t anticipate exactly how your birth will unfold, having a written record of your preferences will assist your birth team in supporting you and ensure that your wishes are honoured in the instance of a transfer or change of primary care provider during labour.
Please see below files available for download
You can edit these documents to accommodate your personal preferences.
Preparing your birth space
You can support your plans for a normal physiological birth by ensuring that the birth space is quiet and calming, dimly lit, warm, and somewhere you feel safe. These conditions allow the optimal flow of hormones and will help the birthing person to remain calm and relaxed during labour.
Some ideas for your birth space include; fairy lighting or lamps instead of bright overhead lighting, essential oils/aromatherapy, printed or drawn birthing affirmations, or an alter of special objects you might find comforting or draw on during labour.
The birth partner
Your birth partner may be your husband, wife or partner, your mum, sister, doula, a trusted friend or anyone else that you choose to be your primary support person during labour. Your birth partner may be one of a large birth team, or they may be your only support person besides your midwives.
It’s important that your birth partner does their own preparation so that they are equipped to provide practical and emotional support as you navigate labour, birth and postpartum. Their support could look like performing acupressure or massage, preparing snacks and drinks, filling the birth pool, making sure the birth space is set up, advocating for your wishes when you are unable to, or holding space for whatever emotions and fears may arise.
We have prepared the following checklist to assist birth partners in preparing for labour and birth. You can download, customise and print this checklist with your birth partner.
STAGES OF LABOUR
In current midwifery practice, labour is divided into three stages, with first stage beginning with the onset of labour, the second from when the cervix becomes fully dilated, and the third from the birth of the baby to the delivery of the placenta and management of any blood loss. In the following articles you can find out more about what to expect during each stage of labour, as well as the limitations of the current methodology for defining progress during labour and birth.
The Stages of Labour - An Informative Guide
The placenta, umbilical cord & belly button
Third Stage Management – Delivering your Placenta
When to call your midwife
Please call your midwife, day or night, if you are having strong and regular contractions;
FIRST BABY: 3-2-1 Rule = consistent contractions every 3 minutes for over 2 hours that are over 1 minute long
SECOND or more BABY: 5-1-1 Rule = contractions every 5 minutes for 1 hour that are 1 minute long
You should also call your midwife immediately if you think you are in labour AND;
You have not reached 37 weeks gestation
Your waters have broken and the water has a strong odor OR is any color other than clear OR baby isn’t moving normally
Experiencing constant abdominal pain that does not go away
Large amount of bleeding or a more than mucousy “show”
Persistent and severe mid-back pain
A fever > 38oC (if you feel hot or shivery, take your temperature)
Blurry vision, double vision or spots before your eyes
Concerns about fetal movement (less than 10 movements in 2 hours)
DAY (between 9 am and 9 pm): If you suspect you may be in labor and/or your water has broken, call your midwife to let them know. A heads-up call can help us to arrange our day so that we will be available when you need us later.
NIGHT (between 9 pm and 9 am): If you do not need a midwife immediately, please wait until morning. We appreciate being able to sleep through the night, and you will have a well rested midwife when you do need our assistance. But if you know you are in active labor and need a midwife now, please call us!
When to call an ambulance
If your water has broken and you feel something hanging in your vagina (then get in a knees & chest position on the floor)
If the birth is suddenly imminent and your midwife is not going to make it in time
It is important that you have a trained care provider attending your birth, so if you have called your midwife and they are not going to make it in time, you should call an ambulance. This does not automatically mean that you will go to hospital, but you will have someone available if any complications arise.
Working with the intensity of Surges
In moving away from the common social conditioning to fear pain during labour and birth, we try to reframe the idea of pain and focus on the variation, purposefulness and intensity of sensations during birth. The way that you experience labour and how painful you find it will be different to others and likely different from one birth to another. You can prepare yourself to manage what ever sensations arise in your body by practising techniques for remaining calm and relaxed so that they are second nature to you. Remaining calm and relaxed is likely to reduce the amount of pain you experience during labour and birth as well as allow for the optimal flow of hormones and progression of labour.
The following articles go into more depth about what sort of sensations you may experience and some techniques to manage pain and intensity.
What do surges actually feel like?
Complementary therapies for labour and birth study
Waterbirth study proves it’s safe for mum and baby
Reducing perineal tearing
The following article explains in detail the risk factors for perineal tearing and what the research indicates about various methods of ‘preparation’ to avoid perineal tearing.
Perineal Protectors? - Dr Rachel Reed
The Golden Hour
The Golden Hour is the first hour after your baby is born. During this beautiful time you will meet your little baby and discover their sex, and most likely deliver your placenta, initiate breastfeeding, have something to eat and drink, and snuggle down somewhere comfortable with your new family. Ideally you will have uninterrupted skin to skin contact with your new baby to create a strong bond and encourage successful breastfeeding. If you have had a normal physiological birth, oxytocin levels will be high. You might feel exhausted, euphoric, energised, teary, or a myriad of other emotions and sensations.
The following articles explore the benefits of delayed cord clamping and skin to skin after birth.
Effect and timing of cord clamping
Pronurturance at birth (Skin to skin & Breastfeed & PPH)
Establishing breastfeeding
Immediate and uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact between mother or birth parent and baby will help to ensure a smoother and longer breastfeeding relationship. Your baby is born with the instinctive ability to search for the breast and latch on to feed and allowing this to take place undisturbed is called the breast crawl. Beyond this you will be gently supported to continue breastfeeding and shown how to put into practice techniques learnt during your antenatal appointments.
While natural and instinctive, breastfeeding is a learnt skill for both mother and baby and will likely involve some trial and error in the beginning. Breastfeeding through a poor latch can cause pain and trauma to the nipple and areola so it is important to perfect your latch as soon as possible.
Your midwife will provide lactation support as needed throughout your 6 weeks of postnatal care.
Below you can find some helpful links to support your preparation for breastfeeding. You can refer back to these after birth as needed.
What your baby knows about breastfeeding - La Leche League
Australian Breastfeeding Association
Other ways to feed your baby
There are many reasons why a parent may be unable or choose not to feed their baby from the breast. Breastfeeding may not be the right choice for your family, or you may find that you are unable to breastfeed or unable to continue breastfeeding for as long as you hoped. There are a variety of other ways that you can feed your baby such as using your own expressed breastmilk (EBM) with a bottle, formula, a combination of formula and EBM, human donor milk, or wet nursing. If you do not intend to breastfeed at all, this is something you should discuss with your midwife during antenatal appointments so that you can come up with a feeding plan well ahead of your baby’s birth.
The Placenta
Our midwives routinely practice delayed cord clamping or optimal cord clamping, where the cord is left intact to allow all of babies blood from the cord and placenta to pass to baby. Once this has happened the cord will be white and drained and the parents can choose how they would like to separate the cord (if at all).
CORD TYING
A beautifully soft and natural alternative to a plastic cord clamp is a cotton tie. Blissful Herbs is a local business who makes a range of cord ties as well as teas, bath herbs and balms and salves specific for pregnancy and birth.
CORD BURNING
Cord burning involves severing the umbilical cord using candles. It is a longer process and some parents feel that the time allows longer for processing the separation of baby and placenta.
PLACENTA CONSUMPTION
There are a variety of ways you can consume part or all of your placenta if you choose, including frozen in smoothies, cooked in meals, and dehydrated and encapsulated. There is no clear evidence that indicates that there are positive effects of consuming your placenta, however some women report an increase or decrease in milk production, more balanced moods and hormones, and increased energy or iron supplies.
Evidence on placenta encapsulation
LOTUS BIRTH
Lotus birth refers to the practice of keeping the umbilical cord intact until it naturally dries and separates from baby.
Lotus Birth - A ritual for our times
PLACENTA BURIAL
Placenta burial is a common ritual in many cultures across the world. Some parents choose to plant their babies placenta under a special tree or a particularly meaningful site, such as their place of birth.
Some ideas for planting your placenta
Vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC)
Mimosa Midwifery support women choosing to homebirth after caesarean with evidence based care in line with ACM guidelines.
Newborn screening, Immunisation and Vitamin K
NEWBORN SCREENING TEST (NST)
VITAMIN K (PHYTOMENADIONE - NOT AN IMMUNISATION)
PAEDIATRIC HEPATITIS B VACCINE AT BIRTH