GIVING BIRTH

Finally the moment you have been waiting for has arrived after a long wait of around 9 months and this is in all probability your most endearing and toughest situations - giving birth, also referred as labor and delivery. The start of labor feels different for each woman. You’ll make out you’re in labor when you feel frequent repeated and regular contractions, the lone accurate sign that labor has begun. The duration of labor fluctuates for all women; the standard labor lasts 12-14 hours for the first baby and it is quite fast for the second and children born later.

Stages in Giving Birth

Labor

This is the first stage when you have regular contractions that dilate and open your cervix.

If you are not weary and exhausted, you may sit up or take a small walk during labor and change positions often - at a minimum of every 30 minutes. This period continues until the cervix is completely opened to 10 centimeters (about 4 inches). It can occur gradually and steadily with no conspicuous contractions over a period of days, but it can also take place in just a handful hours with very obvious contractions.

Pushing and Delivery

This phase begins as soon as the cervix is wholly open and ends with the birth of the baby.

The baby is willingly pushed down the birth canal with contractions, which get very strong and painful for the woman. At this point, the woman needs to work with her breathing and her body's natural rhythm and pace. She'll probably get irritated and sensitive to her surroundings, with some trembling, nausea, vomiting and rapid emotional fluctuations. If the water bag has not busted by now, it most likely will during transition and a severe urge to push as the baby is coming downward into the birth canal will be experienced . The woman may feel more in charge at this point, vigorously involved in completing the process. A stretching or burning sensation may be felt just as the baby's head is seen then the baby is finally delivered. The standard duration for this stage is usually one to two hours, but most women have shorter or longer durations.

Delivery of the Placenta

This stage starts right after the birth of the baby and ends with the delivery of the placenta. It usually lasts from 10 minutes to one hour when powerful contractions of the uterus expel the placenta. These contractions, on the other hand, are very different from that of labor contractions. They are prolonged, as the uterus clamps down to prevent the flow from the blood vessels where the placenta was attached. Women are strongly encouraged to push with these contractions. The uterus contracts and remains firm after the placenta is out, preventing blood loss.

Final Stage

The fourth and final stage of labor starts on after the birth of the baby and the delivery of the placenta and lasts for about an hour. It is the healing instance for the mother, and the occasion she has been waiting for, bonding with her new born.

Through this stage, the midwife or doctor will check the placenta and the cord, look for any cuts and tears, and stitch them up, episiotomy, if preformed. Check if the uterus is firm to the touch. This is simply the tuning and adjustment time to the many stresses and strains of labor.