Natural Birth
From ChildWiki.com
A natural birth is a process by which a mother delivers her baby through natural means (withouth surgical intervention). Natural birth involves three stages.
The first stage begins when the contractions start to regulate and the cervix gets thinner and dilates. Once this stage progresses, the expectant mother needs to be admitted to the hospital, or put under the care of a certified nurse midwife. This active stage of birth ends when dilation reaches 10 centimeters. The second stage starts when the cervical dilation is at 10 centimeters, and it ends when the baby is delivered- this period is in fact the pushing period. The third stage starts once the newborn has been delivered, and the physician instigates the separation and expulsion of the placenta.
Contents |
[edit] Before Birth
At the end of the 40 weeks of pregnancy the uterus has transformed from an organ as small as a pear to the size of a small to medium sized watermelon. At 40 weeks gestation, the uterus is preparing for its most important job: pushing the baby through the cervix and vagina. Thus birth will occur.
Until now the baby has been well protected and comfortable in the amniotic sac inside the uterus. The tip of the uterus, called the cervix, is like a thick doughnut with a small hole in the middle. This is the hole through which the baby will be delivered, so it will gradually increase in diameter to allow the baby passage.
Before birth actually begins, the woman’s body will undergo preparations. From time to time the woman will feel pressure on the uterus called the Braxton Hicks Contractions that will prepare the uterus for birth. Braxton Hicks contractions are uncomfortable, but rarely painful. As the day approaches, the frequency of Braxton Hicks contractions may increase, but these will not end in the delivery of the baby
The cervix becomes smoother as it prepares for the stretching process that will occur during birth. Walking will be difficult. The cartilage between the pelvic bones softens so that the baby can pass freely between them.
With the first pregnancy, the fetus will move head down a few weeks before birth starts. The woman will be able to breathe easier and the pressure on the bladder will increase.
[edit] Active Birth
The initial contractions can present as acute menstrual cramps or as intermittent back pains. In the beginning, contractions will be very short (maybe 30-40 seconds) with 15 to 20 minutes between each one. These initial contractions will soften the cervix effacing and dilation. If the mucus plug that sealed the uterus hasn’t been eliminated, this will happen now.
As birth continues, the contractions will become more powerful, more intense, longer and in shorter intervals. The cervix is stretching already. If the fetus is in a posterior position (with his face facing the woman's belly), the woman will feel a pain or a pressure in her back and it may not completely dissipate between contractions. This occurs in 1 out of 4 pregnancies.
As the cervix opens, more mucus and blood will be released.
[edit] Dilation and Transition
At this point, most women have been in labor for several hours. Exhaustion may set in during this stage. This is the most intense period of birth as the contractions push onto the cervix to open it completely for delivery.
Contractions in the transition stage can come one after the other with very little resting time between. Because the baby starts to move down the birth canal, positions that used to be comfortable are not comfortable now. Some women experience nausea or vomiting, shaking, a warm sensation, fear or panicking. This is the toughest stage of birth, and all these are positive signs that the baby is getting ready to be born.
The transition stage, even if very intense, is usually short.
[edit] Actual Birth - Pushing Stage
Once the contractions have completely dilated the cervix to 10 centimeters, most women experience an overwhelming sensation to push. This has been reported to feel like the overwhelming need to defecate.
Sometimes this desire to push is impossible to resist because it comes with every contraction. In cases involving the use of epidurals, the feeling is not as clear or completely absent, so the woman will be instructed when to push.
Pushing the first baby through the cervix, into the vagina and then into the outside world is usually a slow process. With every contraction the baby moves further along, but when the contraction is over the baby will slide back slightly. Contractions are farther apart than in the transition period and this stage can even take a few hours. Labor and delivery of consecutive children can be a much faster process. However; there are women that experience a fast labor and delivery with their first birth, managing to pass this stage in as little as 10 minutes.
In some cases, the woman can experience a burning sensation on the edges of the vagina as the baby's head appears and stretches the skin. After a few more contractions, the head will be delivered, usually facing the mother's back. During the next few seconds the baby is turned so that the shoulders can pass between the pelvic bones. Once the shoulders are out, the rest of the body slides out easily. The body of the newborn is still attached to the mother through the umbilical cord.
[edit] Final Contractions - Placenta Expulsion
The newborn has arrived, but birth is not over yet. The umbilical cord will be cut, the newborn will be examined by doctors and given an Apgar score, and then the doctor will instigate the expulsion of the placenta. After 9 months inside, this organ is no longer needed. Mild contractions will separate it from the uterine walls, and expel it via the cervix and vagina. If these final contractions do not appear, an oxytocin (a natural contraction stimulator) injection is given.
