What if problems arise during birth?
Between 15 and 25 percent of first-time mothers develop problems and are transferred to the hospital during labor. For second time (or more) mothers, the percentage goes down to 10 to 15 percent. These problems are usually not clinically serious, but will be solved more safely in the hospital by medications or technology. Therefore, parents should be prepared for the possibility of problems requiring transfer. The ability to transfer when needed is a safety feature of birth center and home births. The reasons for transfer are usually non-emergencies like prolonged labor, signs that the fetus is under stress, or retained placenta. These transfers are usually not rushed and are done in the midwifes or the womans car. On rare occasions, however, true emergencies occur and require immediate action, for example: prolapsed cord (the cord comes out before the baby), excessive bleeding in the mother, shoulder dystocia (the babys shoulders get stuck during birth), breathing problems in the baby
