Please note the following important guidance for women in labour:
- Early labour is best spent at home, relaxing, eating, and drinking normally. Don’t come to the hospital too early unless we have advised you to. If your waters have broken, please phone Maternity Assessment. Research shows staying at home during this time allows for more adequate rest periods, reduces your stress levels, and improves mobility.
- Use this time to relax by watching television, walking, doing light housework, or taking a warm bath. This helps pass the time before labour is established.
- Phone the Maternity Assessment Unit for advice if you’re unsure whether or not to come in. You may be advised to come in for further assessment or it may be safe to stay home. Your midwife will always check you are happy with the outcome of the call and when she would like you to call back. She will also check with you where you are planning to have your baby.
- Being mobile during labour has been shown to reduce the need for pain relief, helps your baby get into the best position for birth, and is linked to a shorter labour. If you feel tired, lie down and rest for a while.
- It is important that you drink as required during labour to avoid becoming dehydrated. Isotonic drinks are ideal and you can drink these whether you are home or in the hospital.
- In early labour, we also encourage you to eat to keep your energy up. In later labour, many women do not want food.
- It is important that you try to pass urine regularly during labour. This gives space for your baby to come down the pelvis and reduces the risk of injury to your bladder.
What to bring to hospital
For information about what to bring into hospital please see your ‘Ready, Steady Baby’ book. Space is very limited, so please do not bring into hospital more than you need. Remember to bring in a pen to help you complete your baby’s feeding charts.
Please bring all current medicines (excluding simple painkillers) with you if being admitted to hospital. We will return these to you when you are discharged.
Giving birth at home
Ayrshire and Arran have a dedicated and passionate home birth team to support women’s choices of birthing their baby at home.
If you feel this is an option you would like to explore you can request this when calling to arrange your first booking appointment, or at any stage throughout your pregnancy by asking your community midwife to refer you to the team.
If you prefer you can also email the team directly at clinical_homebirth_team@aapct.scot.nhs.uk.
The Homebirth team aims to provide continuity of care where the majority of your care will be with your named midwife where possible or buddy midwife throughout the pregnancy and postnatal period, and with the majority of your appointments carried out at home. This has shown to improve pregnancy and birth experiences.
Your named midwife is part of an on-call rota with the rest of the homebirth team to ensure a member of the team is available to attend when you go into labour. The homebirth team midwife will call the wider community team when required for a second midwife to be in attendance for your labour and birth.
The team offers hypnobirthing classes, aromatherapy, and acupuncture and are experienced in biomechanics for birth.
These all to help minimize intervention and requirement for strong pain relief. There are regular online sessions so you can talk to other parents that have birthed their baby at home recently and also get to know all the midwives in the team and ask any questions. Home birth has become more popular in the last few years in Ayrshire with women now realizing this is a viable and supported option.
Although it is rarely necessary, you may be advised to transfer to hospital prior to or during labour. The midwives will monitor you and your baby and will discuss any concerns they may have with you. Birthing at home has proved to be a safe option for women with no problems during pregnancy. If you require extra care in pregnancy but still wish to explore this option, you will have the opportunity to discuss this further with your midwife and obstetrician.
Admission in labour
When you attend the Maternity Assessment Unit, you will be seen by a doctor or midwife.
If you are confirmed to be in established labour, they will carry out a full risk assessment and discuss your preferences with you. They will take into consideration:
- the wellbeing of both you and your baby
- your birth preferences
- if you wish any type of pain relief
This will determine whether the Labour Ward or Midwifery Suite would best suit your needs at this time. These units are located at the rear of the hospital, side by side on the ground floor.
Your birth partner can attend Maternity Assessment with you. If you wish, you can have an additional support person with you in the Labour Ward/Midwifery Suite. It should be noted that one of your support partners may be asked to leave for a while during examinations or procedures such as setting up an epidural to provide more available space in the room.
Midwifery-led care
The midwifery suite is designed to care for women in low-risk labour, with a midwife being the lead care provider. It aims to provide a more homely, quiet, and relaxing space to birth your baby.
We can offer a variety of seating options or resting aids to allow you to feel more comfortable throughout your labour and birth. These can help to maintain mobility and aid upright positions that are shown to reduce time in labour and the need for strong pain relief.
We provide some minimally invasive and natural ways to reduce pain and discomfort throughout labour and birth, such as:
- Birthing pool: A large static pool that allows free movement and a feeling of weightlessness. Please be advised that if you wish to use the pool, you should be free of nail polish or fake tan products.
- Dimmed lighting: Allows for relaxation and aids the production of your own hormones called endorphins that reduce pain.
- Aromatherapy: A number of our midwives can provide essential oils for massage or inhalation. These can aid relaxation and even reduce pain.
- TENS machines: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation is the use of a small electric current produced by a device to stimulate the nerves to reduce pain.
- Hypnotherapy: We have Bluetooth speakers available for those who have learned how to use hypnosis during pregnancy.
- Certain drugs: Such as Entonox (‘gas and air’) and morphine are available as required.
If you require specialist care due to labour complications or certain forms of pain relief, you would then be transferred to the labour suite.
Consultant-led labour suite
Some women and their babies require the specialist care of an obstetrician, anesthetist, or pediatrician due to pre-existing medical conditions or complications of pregnancy.
Care will be provided within this unit. We recommend that you discuss your needs and wishes with your midwife and consultant before the birth.
You can drink isotonic drinks in the consultant-led labour suite, unless you are having a cesarean section shortly. However, we advise some women not to eat during labour.
We recommend labouring using upright positions and avoiding long periods lying down. However, women having an epidural, induced labour, or if continuous heart rate monitoring for your baby has been recommended may find mobility significantly reduced. Ask your midwife if it is possible for you to spend some time out of bed given your own individual circumstances.
If you have to be cared for in bed, please try to be as active as possible and avoid semi-sitting for long periods: being on your side or kneeling over the back of the bed are better labour and birth positions.
We aim to make the environment as relaxing as possible and can incorporate many of the pain relief methods used in Midwifery Suite care to help you be more comfortable during your stay.
Induction of labour
Some women may need to have labour started (induced). There are a number of ways that this can be carried out, including:
- vaginal pessaries
- breaking of the waters
- an intravenous drip
All of these methods are intended to bring on contractions and a combination of these may be required.
Further information will be provided by your midwife or obstetrician in addition to being given a patient information leaflet.
Elective caesarean and theatre
Women having their baby by elective (planned) caesarean section will be given the opportunity to attend a pre-operative preparation appointment.
This is known as the Enhanced Recovery Class. It provides information about your proposed surgery and helpful suggestions to aid a quicker recovery. You will receive an email with this appointment inviting you to join this online class.
Your doctor and midwife will ensure you have a pre-operative assessment and a plan for your bloods to be taken prior to your admission.
Some women may require a caesarean section as an emergency (unplanned) due to health, pregnancy, or labour complications. We have a specialist team available should this need arise at any stage. You will receive individual advice on care and recovery at the time.
Transfer to another unit for delivery
If your baby is very preterm or needs specialist neonatal care, you may be transferred to another hospital before delivery. This is in line with Scottish Government policy and we will discuss this with you at the time.
If it is not possible to transfer you before delivery, your baby may need to be transferred after he/she is born. Again, we will discuss this with you and we would aim to transfer you to the same hospital as soon as possible so that you can be near your baby.
Bereaved parents
A rare but sad situation can arise as the outcome of a pregnancy. Within the labour suite, a family room is available for bereaved parents. This room provides facilities for parents and other members of the family to be together at this time. The Paediatric Supportive Care Team may also be involved in your care.