30 birth guides
Labour and birth
Signs of labour, pain relief, induction, caesarean and assisted birth — what actually happens, sourced to NICE, RCOG and the NHS.
BirthAssisted Birth: Forceps and VentouseAround 1 in 8 UK births are assisted, and 1 in 3 first births. What happens in the room, how the…BirthBirth Centre vs Labour WardBirth centres cut intervention rates, and a third of first-timers transfer out. The NICE numbers…BirthThe Birth Partner's RoleContinuous support in labour is one of the few things shown to change outcomes. What a birth…BirthBirth Plan: What to IncludeA birth plan is a record of preferences, not a script. The NHS checklist, the decisions worth…BirthBreech Birth and ECVECV works about half the time and has a 1 in 200 chance of needing an emergency caesarean. The…BirthDelayed Cord ClampingNICE sets a floor of one minute and a ceiling of five for active management. ACOG says at least 30…BirthDelivering the PlacentaThe third stage is a real choice with published numbers behind it. What active and physiological…BirthEmergency Caesarean: What HappensNot every unplanned caesarean is an emergency. NICE grades urgency from 1 to 4, and the…BirthEpidural in LabourHow an epidural is placed, how well it works, the side effects and rare risks with real numbers,…BirthEpisiotomyEpisiotomies are not routine in England. When NICE says one is indicated, the exact angle the cut…BirthFetal Monitoring and CTG in LabourIntermittent listening or continuous CTG is a real choice with a downside either way. What triggers…BirthGas and Air (Entonox)How to time the breaths so it actually works, what the side effects are, the 24-hour vitamin B12…BirthGroup B Strep in LabourAntibiotics in labour cut the risk to your baby from around 1 in 400 to 1 in 4000. Who is offered…BirthHome BirthWhat the NHS and NICE publish about home birth outcomes, how the figures differ for first and later…BirthHypnobirthing and Breathing TechniquesBreathing is recommended by NICE for early labour. Hypnosis is not offered but is supported if you…BirthInduction of LabourWhy induction is offered, the methods in order, how it changes your birth options, and the numbers…BirthThe Latent Phase of LabourEarly labour is the longest, least structured stage and the one spent at home. What guidance says…BirthMembrane SweepWhat a sweep physically involves, why it is offered after 39 weeks, what national guidance will and…BirthPethidine and RemifentanilHow the injection and the pump differ, how long each lasts, the effect on the baby's breathing and…BirthPlanned Caesarean: What HappensFrom the pre-op appointment to the recovery room. The anaesthetic, the screen, the catheter, the…BirthPositions for Labour and PushingLying flat on your back is the one position NICE advises against. What the guideline says about…BirthSigns of LabourThe five signs national guidance actually lists, what each one tells you about how close labour is,…BirthSkin-to-Skin and the Golden HourNICE says avoid separating you and your baby in the first hour for routine care. What skin-to-skin…BirthThe Stages of Labour and BirthFirst, second and third stage: what defines each, how long guidance says they take, what monitoring…BirthTENS and Water for Pain ReliefTwo drug-free options with very different evidence behind them. When TENS actually helps, why it…BirthThe Pushing Stage of LabourPassive and active second stage are different things, and only one of them is timed. The NICE…BirthTiming ContractionsMeasure from the start of one contraction to the start of the next, not the end. What length and…BirthWater BirthNICE now says consider birth in water and lists what the evidence shows. ACOG says birth should…BirthWaters BreakingHow to tell amniotic fluid from urine, the colours that mean call now, and what national guidance…BirthWhen to Go to Hospital in LabourThe thresholds the NHS, HSE and ACOG publish, why going in early often means being sent home, and…