6
Catch a baby who’s coming out fast.
Unexpected births are rare but can happen. These deliveries can usually be
handled by a friend, family member, or bystander, says Sharon L. Ryan, director
of midwifery practice, education, and global outreach at the American College of
Nurse-Midwives. Call 911, but if the baby is faster than the EMTs, wash your
hands, find clean towels or blankets for the little one to land on, and then:
REMAIN CALM. “The calmer the mother is, the smoother the birth will be,”
says Ryan. Have her lie on her side, which will help slow the baby’s descent,
and encourage her to take quick, panting breaths for as long as possible,
rather than bearing down.
WHEN THE BABY STARTS CROWNING, simply support the baby’s head and
body as it comes out, says Ryan.
ONCE THE BABY IS OUT, gently wipe the nose and face with something clean.
Place the baby naked on the mom’s bare chest, then cover both with a blanket.
DON’T CUT THE CORD! The experts should do it safely, with sterile tools.
5
Recognize a stroke.
If a friend, coworker, or parent
suddenly starts acting or speaking
oddly—their face droops, their
speech is slurred—get help right
away. They may be having a
stroke, and the faster you get
them to the hospital for proper
treatment, the better their chance
of a full recovery. “The clock starts
ticking the moment the symp-
toms appear,” says Stacey Rosen,
MD, a cardiologist and volunteer
medical expert for the American
Heart Association’s Go Red for
Women movement. She recom-
mends keeping in mind the tips
in the acronym FAST (facial
drooping, arm weakness, speech
difficulty, time to call 911):
FACIAL DROOPING, TINGLING,
OR NUMBNESS: “Ask the person
to try to smile at you. Or if you’re
alone and think you’re having a
stroke, smile in the mirror,” says
Rosen. If the smile is lopsided,
that’s cause for concern.
ARM WEAKNESS: “Many of my
patients tell me they dropped a
pen or were holding a utensil
and it suddenly felt very strange,”
says Rosen.
SPEECH DIFFICULTY: A stroke
interrupts the flow of oxygen
to the brain, which can make
communication difficult. Speech
might be garbled, or the person
may not be able to form or repeat
a simple sentence.
TIME TO CALL 911: When you get
to the ER, don’t worry about both-
ering anyone with a potential false
alarm. “This is not the time to be
a good girl and let someone else
go first,” says Rosen. “You need to
scream to everyone who’s listen-
ing, ‘I think I’m having a stroke!’ ”
KNOW OTHER SYMPTOMS TOO.
“The symptoms can be more
subtle in women than in men,
but most women have an amazing
sense that something is just not
right,” says Rosen. Pay close atten-
tion to unusual symptoms, like
sudden nausea and vomiting; an
unexplained, debilitating head-
ache; blurred vision; dizziness or
trouble balancing; pain or pres-
sure on one side of the body; or
even hiccups that won’t go away.
100 REAL SIMPLE NOVEMBER 2019
BALANCE
