It's highly recommended that you have a certified midwife or doctor accompany you for your home birth. Make plans to have the midwife or doctor come to your home well in advance - meet and discuss your birth with him or her before your labor is likely to begin, and keep his or her number on hand so you can call if your labor begins unexpectedly.  The Mayo Clinic also recommends making sure the doctor or midwife has easy access to the consultation of doctors at a nearby hospital, if possible.  You may also want to consider finding or hiring a doula - someone who provides continuous physical and emotional support throughout a mother's labor. Giving birth is an emotionally and physically draining experience, to put it lightly. The last thing you'll want to do during labor, when you may in intense distress, is to have to make quick, important decisions about the way the birth will proceed. It's far smarter to create and review an approximate plan for your birth well before you enter labor. Try to account for every step of your delivery, from beginning to end. Even if you're not able to follow your plan exactly, having the plan will give you peace of mind. In your plan, try to answer questions like the following ones:  Besides the doctor/midwife, which people, if any, do you want present for the birth? Where do you plan to deliver? Note that, for much of your labor, you will be able to move around for comfort. What supplies should you plan on having? Talk to your doctor - usually, you'll want lots of extra towels, sheets, pillows, and blankets, plus waterproof coverings for the bed and floor. How will you manage the pain? Will you use medical painkillers, the Lamaze technique or another form of pain management? The vast majority of home births are successful and free of complication. However, as with every birth, there is always a small chance that things can go wrong which threaten the health of the child and/or mother. Because of this, it's important to be prepared to rush the mother to a hospital in the event of an emergency. Keep a full tank of gas in your car, and keep your car well-stocked with cleaning supplies, blankets, and towels. Know the quickest route to the nearest hospital - you may even want to practice driving there. Though you'll be able to adjust your position and even walk around for most of your labor, it's a good idea to have a place in your home set aside as the final site of childbirth. Choose a safe, comfortable spot - many mothers prefer their own bed, but it's possible to give birth on sofas or even on a soft part of the floor. Regardless of the location you choose, make sure that, by the time labor begins, it's been recently-cleaned and it's well-stocked with towels, blankets, and pillows. You'll probably also want to use a water-tight plastic sheet or covering to prevent blood stains.   In a pinch, a clean, dry shower curtain will work as a water-tight barrier to prevent stains. Though your doctor or midwife will most likely have these things, you may also want to have sterile gauze pads and ties ready nearby for cutting the baby's cord. Once you've made all the necessary preparations, simply wait for your labor to begin. On average, most pregnancies usually last about 38 weeks, though healthy labor can begin within a week or two of the 38 week mark. If you enter labor before the 37th week of pregnancy or after the 41st week, proceed immediately to a hospital. Otherwise, be prepared for any of the following signs of your labor beginning:  Your water breaking Dilation of the cervix Bloody show (the discharge of a pinkish or brownish blood-tinged mucous) Contractions lasting 30 to 90 seconds
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One-sentence summary -- Make arrangements with a doctor or midwife. Decide on a plan for your childbirth experience. Arrange for transport to a hospital. Choose where you will deliver the baby. Wait for signs of labor.


The purpose of the collaboration should be obvious to all participants. Even if you are simply working on a school assignment or other short term goal, make sure you know the exact scope of the project. Are you committed to work weekends? Does everyone understand the specific work required? . Rather than trying to do everything, it is best to divide and conquer. Let everyone find his or her strength and work therein to contribute to the common goal. If you feel overwhelmed or think someone else could use your help, speak up. Assigning each member more general roles such as "researcher" or "meeting facilitator" makes specific task delegation quicker and less arbitrary. Stop and listen if you find you talk more than most other participants. Consider other ideas before responding automatically. Collaboration thrives when each member recognizes the value of each other member's participation.  If some members are talking too much, adjust the discussion system. A small group can give each person speaking time in clockwise order. A large group can limit people to a certain number of minutes spoken per statement, or a certain number of statements made per meeting. To encourage shy members to speak up, ask them for input on a subject he or she is knowledgeable about or interested in. ssume good faith. Collaborative work proceeds most effectively in an atmosphere of trust. If you think someone is not acting in the group's best interest, you should try to discuss the reasons behind their actions non-judgementally. If you point a finger mistakenly, the spirit of collaboration can easily turn sour. Discuss problems openly, not behind a teammate's back. Collaborators should have opportunities to exchange ideas and information between meetings. Use online wikis, email discussions, or document sharing services to keep members up to date. Meet as a group for the occasional relaxed gathering as well. You'll work better together if you know each other better. Request that everyone meet as a group to discuss ways you can improve. Have regular short-term milestones and discuss how to meet them if you fall behind. For longer term collaborations, check in regularly to see if everyone is happy with progress toward the eventual goal.  Try to use fact-based metrics to monitor progress. Don't just ask whether a member did any research, check to see how many pages of notes they took or which sources they found. If a group member isn't completing their work, try to discuss the underlying causes together. See Dealing with Issues for specific situations. . Disagreements are common in any group effort. When conflicts arise, seek consensus from all members on a decision. If you can't reach consensus and need to move forward, at least make sure disagreeing members accept that the group has made a reasonable effort to compromise. If you leave a member upset, it will make further collaboration much harder. Even if there are serious disagreements between collaborators, try to keep your emotions reigned in and forgive people who argue with you. Well timed use of humor can be great for defusing a situation. Use self-deprecating humor or inoffensive jokes only, and don't offend someone by joking around when they're seriously upset.
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One-sentence summary --
Understand the exact goal and timeline. Help delegate tasks Let everyone participate in discussion. . Suggest ways to communicate. Hold members accountable and exchange feedback. Seek consensus whenever possible Don't burn bridges.