When is it best to transport a delivering mother?

• A. After birth
• B. Never transport before birth
• C. Only after delivery
• D. Always, unless you expect delivery within a few minutes

Answer: (B)

In obstetric care, the priority is to get the delivering mother to a facility equipped to manage labor and delivery in a controlled setting. Moving a laboring patient before the birth occurs can increase risk for both mother and baby, because field conditions are not ideal for delivery and you may miss immediate access to obstetric and neonatal support. The safest approach emphasized in many EMS protocols is to avoid starting transport with the assumption that birth will happen en route; instead, focus on rapid transport to the hospital so delivery can occur there under proper care. If birth happens during transport, you follow the delivery and neonatal protocols and continue to the hospital with the newborn stabilized. This is why the option reflects not initiating transport before the birth.