If it looks as if the baby will be born at home without medical assistance, you should telephone the hospital or the midwife if you haven't done so already. If you haven't got a telephone, on no account should you leave the mother alone. However anxious and overwhelmed you are, you must stay calm and reassure her - she needs to feel confident and relaxed. Encourage her to take up any positions in which she feels most comfortable and to eat and drink if she feels like it. Speak quietly and keep any onlookers at bay. Between contractions Turn up the heating in ...