Preparing for Delivery During a Snowstorm

Babies and snowstorms – a likely pair

If your baby is due this winter, you’ll want to take the unpredictable TriState weather into consideration. Snowstorms can swoop in at any time – making it more likely that you can go into labor.

“The barometric pressure changes as the snow comes down,” says Deborah Cinque, Nurse Manager at the St. Elizabeth Family Birth Place. “Some people consider it an old wives’ tale, but a mother’s body can respond to these atmospheric changes and go into labor.”

To-Do List – Preparing for delivery during a snowstorm

If there is a snowstorm approaching along with your due date, Deborah recommends the following tips to help stay proactive:

1. Have you and your baby’s bags packed and ready to go.
2. Dress in layers and have extra hat, gloves and scarves in the car.
3. Have a portable shovel, extra blankets, change of clothes, food and water in case you get stuck while driving to the hospital.
4. Have a phone readily available and charged at all times. Bring a portable charger with you on your drive.
5. If you live far away from the hospital and a snowstorm is predicted, consider staying in a hotel or with a family member who lives close to the hospital.

Tips if you’re in labor during a snowstorm

If the snow is falling and you feel like labor is starting, call your physician right away and start heading to the hospital. Deborah also suggests the following helpful tips:

1. Stay relaxed – this is the best thing you can do for yourself and your baby.
2. Breathe! – Make sure to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth slowly so as not to hyperventilate.
3. Be cautious – get help early.
4. Stay hydrated – drink plenty of water.
5. Call 911 – if you cannot get to the hospital due to weather and you are in labor – call 911 as soon as possible.

Deborah has seen it all in her 26 years as a nurse – including unconventional arrivals at the hospital during significant snowstorms.

“Patients get here any way they can,” says Deborah. “Car, cab, EMS, police – you name it, there are people out there who will help you and your baby get here safely.”

We’re right here for you

At St. Elizabeth Healthcare, we know babies don’t always arrive according to schedule – or the weather. At the Family Birth Place, we’ll be with you every step of the way. Call us at 859-301-2229 (BABY) for a tour of our state-of-the-art facility, complete with beautiful birthing rooms. The St. Elizabeth Family Birth Place has many services and classes for our parents-to-be – for a full schedule visit the St. Elizabeth Healthcare event calendar.