Resuscitation Board

This is the board (photos below) I carry with me to births. Its main purpose is to be a hard surface in case we need to do the chest compressions part of CPR. A previous client's husband made this for me and, happily, made a place to hand carry it if I need to.

When I'm at a birth, the board, encased in a flannel pillowcase, comes into the house. I use the board as a place for the "warm" blankets and such... layering as such:

- open (flat) a non-disposable, water resistant, thick underpad

- a heating pad

- a few blankets and a couple of washcloths

- the stethoscope

- a few more blankets and the rest of the washcloths

- another heating pad

- close/wrap the underpad around the whole shebang

I used to keep the hat/s in there, too, but now that the hats are passe, they don't make an appearance anymore.

I also have an extension cord that allows both heating pads to be plugged in, but using one outlet.

As mom labors, the board hangs out in an out of the way place, but as she gets closer to the birth, the board starts following mom around... discreetly, of course. It tucks under things nicely, but is close enough to grab if we need it.

One of the best parts of having a board is that if the baby needs help, someone can hold the board under the baby, allowing the cord to remain attached, but also doing chest compressions correctly.

I make sure the stethoscope is in the middle of the pile so it isn't burning hot if we have to use it; this is really important!

This is the naked board with my (old!) cell phone as a size gauge.   

This one shows the pillowcase on, opening at the top so I can grab the "handle" to carry it.    

This is the full board, still showing the handle. 

 The full board again with the cell phone size gauge.

 

Comments

[JeCaThRe]

Hats are passe?

[chingona]

How often have you had to use it? And was there a time before you had it that you wished you did?

[abundant b'earth]

i feel that hats are passe as a matter of routine. but, if a baby is struggling with its extrauterine transition, a hat can provide warmth so baby can use its energy for more important tasks like staying alive!

[pinkyrn]

Excellent idea. I am very superstitious. If you have the board ready, you won't have to use it. Have you had to do compressions? They actually feel a lot like the CPR dolls I was amazed how accurate those dolls are.