| Delivery |
| Written by Jane Brown | |
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Giving birth to a child is one of the most amazing and special moments of a woman's life. There's nothing that can compare to seeing a new life that took spark inside of you come into the world. Although there is pain involved in the process, it only makes the payoff at the end even sweeter. When the time comes for you to go into labor, you'll probably be relieved. Nine months is a long time to carry a passenger in your body, and while the experience has been life-changing, you're probably ready to get your body back. Labor begins when the cervix dilates and your uterus, which essentially is just a very strong muscle, begins contracting at regular intervals. When a contraction is occurring, you'll probably notice that your abdomen becomes hard. You'll probably also feel a shift in your body known as lightening, a feeling as if your baby has "dropped." This happens when the baby's head settles into your pelvis, preparing to make its emergence into the world. Some women undergo false labor, otherwise known as Braxton Hicks contractions. This happens when an expectant mother begins to feel contractions, but no other sign of labor is apparent. These usually painless contractions usually start occurring sporadically in the second trimester, and may become more pronounced closer to your due date. In general, these contractions are just your body's way of preparing for the main event. Occasionally, women may think that they're about to give birth if the Braxton Hicks contractions are particularly intense. One taletell sign of false labor is pain in the abdomen. In true labor, the pain begins in the back. To ease the pain of false labor, take a warm bath or drink a lot of fluids. Other symptoms of labor include an increase in thick, pinkish discharge from your vagina. This is caused by the dissolution of the thick mucus plug that's been keeping your cervix sealed during pregnancy. This discharge usually begins a few days before your labor starts. Closer to your labor, your water will break. What this means is that a gush or trickle of fluid will discharge from your vagina. This indicates that the protective fluid that's surrounded your baby during pregnancy has ruptured, meaning that your baby is on his or her way. This can happen a few hours prior to your contractions or after they've started. Getting back to the subject of contractions, during labor you'll probably feel a wave like motion that starts high and ends low. Most women have described contractions as feeling like intense menstrual cramps. They will likely come at regular intervals and last about a minute to a minute and a half. As you get closer to giving birth, the intervals between contractions will become shorter and the contractions themselves will become more intense. When your contractions are coming every three to four minutes and are lasting for 45 seconds or more, it's time to go to the hospital or call your midwife to your house. You should also immediately go to the hospital or summon your midwife if your water has broken. Once you've gotten to the hospital, and it's confirmed that you're going into active labor, you'll be given the option of receiving pain medication. This medication may help ease some of the very intense pain that can go along with childbirth. During labor your cervix will dilate, or spread and thin out. This is done to make room for your baby's head as he or she exits your womb and heads toward the birth canal. Cervical dilation is used to determine the progress of labor. When your cervix dilates to 10 centimeters, that means it has fully dilated and the baby is ready to come out. Once you're fully dilated, you're considered to be in transition, the final stage of labor. This is the hard part. During transition your contractions will become increasingly intense, reaching a point where they'll last up to 90 seconds at a time. You'll feel an incredible amount of pressure in your lower back and rectum, and may also feel nauseous and crampy. At this point, you'll probably take an active role in the birth of your child, being asked to push to get the child out. Once the child's head has emerged from your vagina (this is called crowning) you'll probably still need to push for 30 to 40 minutes to finish delivering the child. As soon as your baby is out, the medical staff helping you in your birth will help clear the baby's airway and make sure that the umbilical cord is clear. Often, you and your partner will be asked to assist with the clamping and cutting of the umbilical cord. It's not over yet though, you'll still need to deliver the placenta or afterbirth, but this process is fairly simple after what you've just accomplished. You'll continue to have contractions, and about 5 to 10 minutes following the birth the placenta will be expelled. Now that you've gone through pregnancy and childbirth, here comes the really hard part. Raising your child. Good luck. |
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