The Insider's Guide to Birth - 10 taboo topics only midwives know

September is THE busiest month for midwives, with the most popular day to be born in the UK being the 26th September.

The Baby Show, with Lidl GB, returns to Olympia London from 20th – 22nd October and they’ve teamed up with the experts at My Expert Midwife to discover 10 taboo topics that only midwives will know with the aim of helping an expectant parent on their journey to parenthood.

Cathy Tabner, Registered Midwife from My Expert Midwife shares her expertise:

1. Midwives love poo, we really do. We commonly see a smidgen sneak out, which means we know the baby is not far behind. Don’t be embarrassed you’re passing on the gift that keeps on giving - the invisible bacteria passed from your bowel to your baby as a starter kit for their own gut biome. We’re so discreet and speedy at cleaning it away too.
2. Midwives carry out most perineal repairs (suturing / stitching) after birth, using local anaesthetic. We often see women doze through the process. Partners are ideally placed to give the baby skin-to-skin at this point.
3. Women in advanced labour display a range of behavioural and physical signs which experienced midwives can assess without the need for a vaginal examination. An internal vaginal examination may not always be necessary, but always requires your consent.
4. Although plenty of babies are born in water pools in the UK, midwives also encourage  women to use warm water as a coping strategy for pain relief. If you have access to a bathtub in labour, a 30-to-40-minute soak works wonders.
5. The hormone - relaxin - loosens the musculoskeletal system, particularly the pelvis, in labour and midwives recommend upright active, mobile positions in the first stage of labour. This is because these positions can help the pelvis to open almost 30% more, providing more room for your baby to be born. 
6. During the second stage of physiological labour, many women will listen to their instincts and you can observe that women will automatically put their knees together and their calves out to relieve pressure on their perineum. This is called Knees In Calves Out (KICO). Listen to your body.
7. Guidelines may recommend continuous CTG (cardiotocograph) monitoring of a baby in labour. However, this does not mean that women cannot mobilise or have a break to use the bathroom. Technology advances mean that in most hospitals you can ask to use their wireless CTG if it is available.
8. Hunger in advanced labour is rare as digestion and stomach emptying is suspended by the hormones of labour and the blood supply to the stomach is diverted to the uterus. Women may snack but midwives regard a woman with a hearty appetite as unlikely to be in advanced labour.
9. Theatre gowns are worn for various procedures in maternity settings such as perineal suturing or a manual removal of the placenta. Midwives recommend women tie it at the front or wear it like a dressing gown, making skin-to-skin with baby easier.
10. A helpful mnemonic midwives often give to birth partners is ‘UMBRELLA.’ This is where they encourage their partner to be upright, mobile, breathing, relaxed, eating (and drinking), having frequent loo breaks and receiving loving language and from an advocate by their side.

My Expert Midwife will be running regular antenatal classes at The Baby Show at Olympia London, 20 – 22 October. The 40-minute taster class is the shortened version of the My Expert Midwife Foundation antenatal course, where you will learn how to prioritise your health and well-being starting from 28 weeks gestation.

Real midwives will take expectant parents through the practical, physical and highly personal ways of getting ready to birth their baby.

There are only 20 slots (10 pairs) per class. Book your antenatal class ticket here - Antenatal Class Ticket Packages - My Expert Midwife - Olympia London (thebabyshow.co.uk) for £56 which includes 40-minute taster class and two adult standard admissions to the show.

For more information visit www.thebabyshow.co.uk/olympia.