TORONTO – At a new maternity ward in Ontario, new moms are getting the royal treatment – a meal of tea, crumpets and jam and the arrival of their newborn baby, donning a crown or tiara.
At Lakeridge Health in Oshawa, Ont., doctors and nurses know that Monday isn’t just any other day for expectant parents. Babies born around the world could share a birthday with the third in line from the British throne.
Royal watchers are waiting with bated breath after Prince William and his wife, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, checked into the private wing of a central London hospital. Palace officials announced that she is in labour.
Read more: Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, in labour
It’s a historic moment for the British monarchy – this baby should eventually become king or queen.
“These moms are excited. Some are royal watchers, and some are very interested in sharing this birth date with the Royal family,” Tasha Osborne, director of Lakeridge’s women and children’s health care program, told Global News.
“If you share a birthday, today is special,” Osborne said.
There are about 12 women who could be delivering their babies on the same day as Kate at the hospital. Two women were in active labour Monday morning, four were going into labour and six deliveries were imminent within the next 24 hours.
These new parents will be treated to tea and crumpets with their families while their babies will be crowned to mark the special day.
First-time moms like Kate could see active labour that lasts between eight and 12 hours – sometimes even longer, experts say.
“It takes that long because the mother’s body is learning how to get into labour. Before mom fully kicks into good, strong, regular contractions, her cervix opening needs to soften, the process could be hours,” Jasmin Tecson, a midwife at Toronto’s Sages-Femmes Rouge Valley Midwives, said.
Get weekly health news
She’s worked in birthing women for the past 20 years, including six years as a midwife. She attends 80 births a year, she said.
Read more: Waiting nears end as well-wishers stand by with Kate in labour
The second time around, delivery isn’t as strenuous on moms, Tecson said. In one case, she saw a mom give birth in a dramatic 50 minutes.
“It can take a significantly shorter amount of time. Your muscles are ready, your body remembers so the process is much more familiar altogether.”
Active labour is when the expectant mom’s contractions are less than five minutes a part and in some cases, they’re dilated by about five centimeters, Osborne said.
Read more: Lindo Wing door basks in royal baby spotlight
A baby’s weight can range, depending on family, health and ethnicity. Tecson estimates that Kate’s baby could weigh between seven and eight pounds.
Once the baby is born, doctors go through a comprehensive safety checklist and full physical exam, Osborne said.
Midwives will dry the baby and rub it to stimulate the newborn to cry and take its first breaths of air.
“We check that it has a good colour, breathing, secretions are clearing, vital signs are normal and it’s nicely curled up and adapting well outside the womb,” Tecson said.
Meanwhile, for the next hour, moms are closely monitored to make sure their vital signs are healthy and they’re not bleeding more than usual.
Tecson has seen a mixed bag of reactions during her tenure as a midwife. Some moms burst into laughter, others burst into tears. Some looked stunned and shocked, but across the board, absolutely delighted.
A huge rush of endorphins is at play.
“It’s similar to coming off a huge rollercoaster that you’ve made it through and it’s been incredible,” Tecson said.
“People say there’s no moment in life like it. It’s like nothing else they’ve ever done,” Osborne said.
Typically, women stay in hospital for about one to two days, depending on what support the new moms need and how their babies are faring. At Lakeridge, Osborne said that the new facilities offer moms delivery and recovery within the same space.
Read more: Duchess of Cambridge goes into labour, stirs up social media frenzy
The first few days will be tiring for the royal couple along with all new parents.
Rest is crucial for the fledgling family: moms need to sleep and eat to make sure they’re fighting off any infection, limiting bleeding and providing milk for their newborns. She’ll be fighting fatigue and sleep deprivation meanwhile hormones are peaking and dropping.
Osborne suggests that moms keep their babies close and their cycles in sync.
At this time, babies don’t have sense of day and night and sleeping routines aren’t established.
“They really want to stay at the breast. They came from a warm tight environment out into a world that seems cold and bright,” Osborne explained.
carmen.chai@globalnews.ca
Follow @Carmen_Chai
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.