Less than a percent of women who had no labor symptoms or only intermittent contractions suddenly have the urge to push. This may indicate the imminent arrival of the baby.

If you’ve experience a fast labor and delivery, it could be that subsequent labors can even go faster. It is therefore important to stay attuned to the signs of labor and be prepared to go to the hospital or birth center at any given time.

However if you feel you cannot make it to the hospital or birth center and have an overwhelming urge to push, you can follow the following guidelines until the emergency team arrives.

What to do first

• Call 911 and tell the dispatcher your baby is coming and you need  an emergency medical team immediately.
• Unlock the door so that its easy for the medical team to enter.
• Call a neighbor or friend if your parter is not available
• Call your  doctor or midwife. He/She will stay on the phone to guide you until help arrives.
• Get towels, sheets or blankets. Put one underneath you and put the rest nearby to dry the baby right after birth. If you happen not to have these items by you and the baby arrives, you can use your clothes instead.
• If you have an overwhelming urge to push, you can try to put it off by panting, using breathing technique or lying on your side. It is important to lie down or sit propped up. If you give birth  while standing, the baby can fall and sustain serious injuries. You should remember to remove your pants and underwear.

What to do if your baby arrives before help does

• It is important to try to stay calm.
• Do your best to guide the baby out as gently as you can.
• If the umbilical cord is around the baby’s neck, ease it over her head slowly or loosen it enough to form a loop so that the rest of his body can slip though. If the baby is fully out, do not pull the cord or try to tie or cut it off. Leave it attached until help arrives.
• Remain where you are until you deliver the placenta . The placenta should arrive shortly. Leave the placenta attached to the cord  until help arrives.
• Dry the baby immediately, rest her on your tummy skin to skin and warm her with your body heat. Cover yourself and your baby with a dry blanket.
• Gently run  your fingers down the sides of of the baby’s nose to ease any mucus or amniotic fluid in her  nostrils.
• If the baby doesnt cry spontaneously after birth, stimulate the baby by firmly rubbing up and down his back.
• You can try to get your baby to nurse while you wait for medical help. However you should do this only if  you can keep the umbilical cord slack, not taut (sometimes, if the placenta is still inside you, the cord won’t be long enough to allow you to bring your baby to your breast). It  gives the baby a sense of comfort and security. The suckling process releases oxytocin which is a hormone that stimulates contractions which helps the placenta to be  delivered. After the baby is out , it is important to continue nursing. The contractions that comes along with nursing  helps the uterus contract and keep bleeding in check. If your baby wont nurse right away, you can manually stimulate your nipples to release this hormone.
• After the placenta is delivered, firmly massage your uterus. This can be done by vigorously rubbing your belly right below the navel. This will help the uterus contract and remain contracted.