By the time you are in your third trimester, like most expecting moms, you are already predicting what your birth experience is going to be like. You may have heard stories from friends and family, but remember – no two birth experiences are the same for any woman.
Having said that, the basic physiological process of birth have been the same since time began. One thing is for sure: you will go through three distinct stages and at the end of your pregnancy. Here is how it happens.
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Signs of Labour
When your baby is due you’ll be obsessed about whether or not labour has started. Was that a twinge? Is this it? But ask any expert and they’ll tell you – you’ll KNOW when labour has really started!
Here are the most common signs of labour and can happen at any time after 37 weeks and would be considered ‘normal’. If you have any of these symptoms before this time (or you have any concerns generally, – no matter what stage you are at) please contact your doctor immediately.
A show -You may find a phlegmy-looking discharge, perhaps a little blood stained, either in your knickers or on the loo paper after you’ve had a wee. This is when the mucus which covers the cervix, protecting your unborn baby from the outside world, comes away. However, this doesn’t mean that labour is about to happen and you could have a couple of weeks left to go. ACTION: Contact your doctor if there’s a lot of blood, otherwise hold tight and mention this at your next appointment.
Waters breaking – this is when the bag containing the amniotic fluid your baby has been using as his own private swimming pool for the past nine months, ruptures and the fluid starts to leak out. Your waters may go with a pop and a gush – or an almost unnoticeable trickle as though you’ve leaked a little urine. And some waters don’t break until full-blown labour, or at all! ACTION: Call your doctor. Your baby should, ideally, be born within the next 24 hours even if it means giving you a little help to get there to avoid the risk of infection.
Contractions starting – they may feel like backache or mild period pains under your bump (and you may experience diarrhoea at this time, it’s your body’s way of getting ready for birth), they are the surest sign that labour is beginning. ACTION: Relax. You’ve probably got plenty of time. Time the length of each contraction and the gap between them. Sometimes contractions stop for a few hours, even overnight, and this may not be your full, proper labour yet. But call the doctor when the contractions become strong and frequent (approximately 20 minutes apart) and be on your way to hospital when they are 10 minutes apart or lasting as long as 45 seconds each time.
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At The Hospital
When you arrive, a midwife or doctor will take a quick look at you and:
1. Ask about the length and frequency of your contractions and whether your waters have broken.
2. Take your blood pressure, pulse and temperature.
3. May give you an internal examination to see how dilated your cervix is.
4. Feel your bump to determine the position of the baby.
5. Strap two belts around your tummy and hook them up to a machine that monitors the baby’s heart rate and your contractions (only for around 20/30 minutes so not too long).
6. Take you to a delivery room if your baby is on his way, a ward if you’ve got a while to go, or send you home if your labour isn’t properly established yet.
What birth is like
The three distinct stages of labour are – the contractions, next the birth, and finally delivering the placenta.
Stage 1
By the power of your contractions and the pressure of your baby, your cervix (the opening to your womb) will start to open (dilate) to its maximum 10cm. Contractions will grow from feeling like mild period pains to being intensely painful. When your cervix is fully dilated you may go through ‘transition’, which is when you feel a huge pressure inside your bottom and an overwhelming urge to push.
Stage 2
Once your cervix is fully dilated, your baby can pass through it and down the birth canal (your vagina). You’ll need to push very hard and follow the midwives instructions, and only push when she says so (breathe in-between) to prevent tearing. When the baby’s head reaches the outside world the midwife may say “it’s crowning” and may suggest you reach down and feel the top of the baby’s head. The head is usually the toughest bit to push out and you should get a moment’s breather before the rest of the body follows. The cord will then be clamped and usually cut.
Stage 3
A little while after your baby is born your womb will continue contracting and naturally push the placenta out. You may have been given an injection of syntometrine just after the birth to speed this process up.
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What happens next?
After he is born, your baby will have a quick check (known as the APGAR test to assess his heart rate, breathing, colour, muscle tone and reflexes). He’ll also be weighed and measured, wiped and wrapped and handed back to you. Finally the midwife will check the placenta to make sure none has been left behind, and any tear or cut in your vagina will be stitched up.
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