What if I Go into Labor During a Snowstorm?

Although it’s pretty uncommon, a pregnant woman’s greatest fears when due in winter may be: “What if I go into labor during a snowstorm?”

Despite concerns about weather, it is generally not a big problem. Typically, women tend to go into labor before a snowstorm occurs, due to changes in barometric pressure rather than during the storm itself.

Once the storm begins, the anxiety a woman feels looking out a snowstorm will usually keep her labor at bay until it is safer to drive. So be ready but don’t spend too much time fretting about the weather. Your time is best spent relaxing and preparing for the work of labor and birth.

Tips to Alleviate Anxiety as Your Winter Due Date Approaches.

Be READY to leave for the hospital in a minute’s notice. That means have your bags packed, gas and infant car seat in the car and someone close by for childcare.
Keep cell phones charged and be sure to have a car charger in the car.
Put the hospital/birth center address in your GPS now.
Prepare for a possible roadside delivery. If the labor goes quickly when your car must go slowly, there is the possibility of a car birth. Have your partner read about emergency birth and pack a few items that would make the experience less harrowing.
Consider moving closer to the birthing facility when you are in early labor so that the trip can be made when both you and your partner are calmer and in less of a hurry. You could go to a hotel or a family member’s home so that the weather won’t be a factor when determining when to go to the hospital and you won’t be tempted to go to the hospital too early. Why it’s best to do Early Labor at Home.
If your labor is rapid-fire, consider calling for an ambulance especially if you don’t have a 4-wheel drive vehicle. It is better to deliver in the safety of your home with emergency personnel present or on their way and avoid the risk of an accident on a slippery road.

Tips for an Emergency Birth

Sometimes babies come quickly or more quickly than expected. Women can have precipitous labors (labor that is less than 3 hours long), or even if the labor is a normal length, the baby may come out quickly once she reaches 10cm. Either way, it is best to know what to do if the baby is coming and you aren’t with your healthcare professional.First, remember that babies born quickly are almost always completely fine at birth. The following tips should help you and your partner feel calmer if you go into labor during a snowstorm.

Even when you feel pressure to push, you usually still have time. Keep blowing through the contractions and don’t push purposely.
If you think you are about to give birth, check for the baby’s head. Put your finger in your vagina. Don’t tell your partner to stop driving if your finger goes an inch or more into your vagina before touching something firm/hard. Just do your best to delay the delivery.
If the baby’s head is right at the entrance of the vagina and you have a strong, uncontrollable urge to push or to have a bowel movement, put yourself in the safest possible place for delivery. If you are planning a home birth, you should not deliver in the tub without your provider present. Lay on the bed or floor, maybe on your side. If in a car, have the driver stop the vehicle in a safe place, well off the road, and turn on the flashers.
Call for help. Call 911 and after that call your provider. We have delivered many babies over the phone!
Stay calm. Everything will be ok.
No one needs to pull the baby out, just have your partner catch the baby. The complications of childbirth like the umbilical cord around the neck, baby stuck in the birth canal and baby not breathing almost NEVER happen in a rapid delivery like this.
Dry the baby, put the baby directly against your skin (skin-to-skin contact) to keep it warm and make the place of birth as warm as possible. Then wait for the emergency personnel or finish the drive to the hospital if it is close by. There is no need to cut the cord.
Generally, the placenta delivers once the woman has someone to help her but if not, it is ok if the placenta delivers while still attached to the baby. Many times, it sits in the vagina until the woman is encouraged to push it out.

Emergency Birth Kit

Here are a few things to have handy as your birth approaches just in case your baby decides to make a precipitous arrival!

Try to complete an infant/child CPR course before the end of your pregnancy. This is good information for all people who are around children. Hospitals, community centers, and local chapters of the American Red Cross and American Heart Association offer CPR classes.
A waterproof absorbent pad for the seat of your car. They are sometimes called chux pads.
A couple of old, clean towels
An old, warm blanket
A Flashlight
Your Provider’s phone number readily available in your phone.

It is always a good idea to be prepared but try not to worry too much. While the term “emergent” birth often conjures up images of urgency, in reality, most of the time “emergent” birth is actually the most normal birth a woman can have. When the baby is coming out, nothing is wrong.

As you approach your due date, remember that every birth story is unique, and there is no single right way to bring a child into the world. Whether your experience is quick and spontaneous or carefully planned, what matters most is that you feel supported and empowered throughout the process. So take a deep breath, trust in your body, and enjoy the journey of bringing your baby into the world.