Normal labor and delivery process

Normal labor and delivery process

Normal labor and delivery process

After months of waiting, your baby's due date is approaching. Here's what you can expect from the start of labor to the first days and weeks with your newborn.

Labor signs

No one can predict with certainty when labor will begin. Usually, labor begins three weeks before this date or two weeks after it. Here are signs that labor is probably just around the corner:

  • Lighting. This happens when your baby's head drops into the pelvis in preparation for birth. Your belly may feel lower and you may be able to breathe easier because your baby is no longer filling your lungs. You may also feel an increased need to urinate when the baby presses on the bladder. This can happen from a few weeks to a few hours after the onset of labor.
  • Bloody show. A bloody or brownish discharge from the cervix is ​​a plug of mucus that has isolated the uterus from infection. This can happen a few days before or at the start of labor.
  • Diarrhea. Frequent loose stools may mean that labor is imminent.
  • Ruptured membranes. Fluid leaking from the vagina means that the membranes in the amniotic sac that surrounded and protected your baby have ruptured. This can happen a few hours before the onset of labor or during labor. Most women give birth within 24 hours. If labor does not occur naturally during this time, doctors may induce labor to prevent infections and birth complications.
  • Contractions. While it's not uncommon to have intermittent, irregular contractions as labor approaches, contractions that occur less than 10 minutes apart usually indicate that labor has begun.

Stages of labor

The labor is usually divided into three stages:

Stage 1. The first stage of labor is divided into three phases: latent, active and transitional.

The first, latent phase, is the longest and least intense. During this stage, contractions become more frequent, helping the cervix to dilate so that the baby can pass through the birth canal. Discomfort at this stage is still minimal. At this stage, the cervix will begin to dilate and disappear or thin. If you have regular contractions, you will likely be admitted to the hospital at this point and will have frequent pelvic exams to determine how dilated your cervix is.

In the active phase, the cervix dilates faster. You may feel intense pain or pressure in your back or abdomen with each contraction. You may also feel the urge to push or press, but your doctor will tell you to wait until the cervix is ​​fully open.

During the transition, the cervix fully dilates to 10 centimeters. The contractions are very strong, painful and frequent, occur every three to four minutes and last from 60 to 90 seconds.

Stage 2. Stage 2 begins when the cervix is ​​fully open. At this point, your doctor will give you permission to push. Your pushing, along with the strength of your contractions, will propel your baby through the birth canal. The fontanelles (soft spots) on your baby's head allow him to pass through the narrow channel.

Your baby's head is crowned when the widest part reaches the entrance to the vagina. Once your baby's head comes out, your doctor will suck out the amniotic fluid, blood, and mucus from his nose and mouth. You will continue to push to help stretch the child's shoulders and body.

Once your baby is out, your doctor will clamp and cut the cord.

Stage 3. After the baby is born, you enter the last stage of labor. At this point, you expel the placenta, the organ that fed your baby in the womb.

Every woman and every job is different. The time spent on each stage of delivery will be different. If this is your first pregnancy, labor usually takes 12 to 14 hours. The process is usually shorter for subsequent pregnancies.

Pain treatments

Just as the length of labor varies, the amount of pain women experience also varies.

The position and size of your baby, as well as the strength of your contractions, can also influence the pain. While some women can manage their pain with the breathing and relaxation techniques learned in prenatal classes, others will need other methods to control their pain.

Some of the most commonly used pain relief methods include:

Medications. Some medications are used to relieve the pain of labor. While these medicines are generally safe for both mother and baby, like any medicine, they can have side effects.

Analgesics fall into two categories: analgesics and anesthetics.

Analgesics relieve pain without complete loss of sensation or muscle mobility. During labor, they can be administered systemically by injection into a muscle or vein, or locally by injection into the lower back to numb the lower body. A single injection into the cerebrospinal fluid, which quickly relieves pain, is called a spinal block. An epidural block continuously delivers pain medication to the area around the spinal cord and spinal nerves through a catheter inserted into the epidural space. Possible risks of both include low blood pressure, which can slow a child's heart rate, and headaches.

Anesthetics block all sensations, including pain. They also block muscle movement. General anesthetics will make you pass out. If you are giving birth by caesarean section, you may be given general, spinal, or epidural anesthesia. The appropriate form of anesthesia will depend on your medical condition, the health of your baby, and the medical conditions associated with your birth.

Non-drug options. Non-drug methods of pain management include acupuncture, hypnosis, relaxation techniques, and frequent position changes during labor. Even if you choose non-pharmacological pain medication, you can still request pain medication at any time during labor.

What to expect after delivery

Just as your body went through many changes before birth, it will go through transitions as you recover from labor.

Physically, you may experience the following:

  • Pain at the site of an episiotomy or laceration. An episiotomy is an incision that a doctor makes in the perineum (the area between the vagina and anus) to facilitate labor or prevent ruptures. If this was done or the area was torn during labor, the stitches may make it difficult to walk or sit. It may also hurt when you cough or sneeze while it heals.
  • Chest pain. Your breasts may be swollen, hard, and painful for a few days while your milk is coming in. Your nipples may also hurt.
  • Hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids (swollen varicose veins in the anal area) often occur after pregnancy and labor.
  • Constipation. It may be difficult to have a bowel movement for several days after giving birth. Hemorrhoids, episiotomy, and muscle pain can cause pain during a bowel movement.
  • Hot and cold flashes. Your body's adaptation to changes in hormone levels and blood flow can leave you sweating one minute and looking for a blanket to cover the next.
  • Urinary or fecal incontinence. Muscles stretched during labor, especially after a long labor, may cause urine to leak when laughing or sneezing, or may make it difficult to control bowel movements, causing occasional urinary incontinence.
  • "After pains. After giving birth, you will continue to feel contractions for several days until your uterus returns to its pre-pregnancy size. You may notice contractions the most when your baby is breastfeeding.
  • Vaginal discharge (lochia). Immediately after giving birth, you will feel more spotting than during normal menstruation. Over time, the discharge will turn white or yellow, and then stop completely within two months.

Emotionally, you may experience irritability, sadness, or crying, commonly known as "baby blues," in the days or weeks after giving birth. These symptoms occur in 80% of new mothers and may be related to physical changes and your emotional adjustment to the responsibilities of caring for a newborn.

If these problems persist, tell your doctor or other healthcare professional; you may be suffering from postpartum depression, a more serious problem that affects 10% to 25% of new mothers. 


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