What is natural childbirth? And what are the signs of its approach? What are the signs of natural birth of the firstborn, how can it be facilitated and how long does it take? What is the normal weight of the fetus at birth? These and other questions are answered in this comprehensive report.
What is natural childbirth?
A natural birth is one in which labor begins spontaneously, usually between 37 and 42 weeks of pregnancy, according to the website of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada.
Signs of natural childbirth
Signs that childbirth will occur within 24 to 48 hours According to Dr. Jonathan Emery, in a statement to the Cleveland Clinic website, there are 4 early signs of childbirth that may occur to pregnant women, namely:
1- Convulsions
Some women feel the kind of cramps that usually occur with their menstrual cycle. "These menstrual cramps may be the beginning of mild contractions. It's not very painful, but it's noticeable. It may come and go over hours or even two days."
2- Pressure in the pelvis
You may feel pressure in your vagina or pelvis, and you may feel lower back pain.
3- Loss of mucus plug
Some women notice a change in their vaginal discharge, which may indicate the fall of the mucus plug, which is an accumulation of mucus that forms a dam over the opening of the cervix, which helps protect the baby from unhealthy bacteria outside the womb. When the cervix begins to open in preparation for labor, the mucus plug may be lost once or gradually.
Decades ago, people believed that if a woman lost her mucus plug, it meant that she would be in labor in a certain number of days. But we now know that this can be undefined. You can lose your mucus plug, don't go into labor, and mucus can build up again in your cervix.
4- Changes in vaginal discharge
Even if your mucus plug remains intact, you may notice other changes in your vaginal discharge. "It can get wetter, viscous, thicker, or maybe a little pink before labor starts or in the early stages of labor," says Dr. Emery.
Emery says there are other possible signs of childbirth, but they are less scientifically supported, including:
5- Fatigue.
6- Pain in the groin:
A sharp, burning or fiery nerve pain in your pelvis caused by your child's position.
7- Loose stools or diarrhea.
8- Sudden rush of energy:
Dr. Emre says it is often associated with a strong desire to prepare your home for the baby and "one or more of these signs of labor may occur in some women, but there is no clear evidence that they are related to prenatal or preterm labor."
There are other signs of approaching labor:
9- Feeling an upset stomach
10- An urgent need to go to the toilet because your child's head is pressed inside
What are the signs of normal birth of a firstborn?
These are the same signs as before, but there is a difference in the time of labor. The cervix needs to open about 10 cm for your baby to pass through it, this is called full stretching.
In the first labor, the first labour, the time from the onset of fixed labour to full expansion is usually 8 to 12 hours. But it is often faster (about 5 hours) in the second or third pregnancy.
What to do if you think you are in labor?
Dr. Emery says that if you think labor has begun, you should monitor the time of contractions, and when they occur every five minutes and are too strong to walk or talk, contact your health provider or doctor.
The first stage of labor
During which contractions make the cervix gradually open (stretch). This is usually the longest stage of labour, according to the UK's National Health Service (NHS) website.
At the beginning of labor, the cervix begins to soften, this is called the "latent phase" and you may feel irregular contractions. It may take several hours, or even days, before you're in steady labor.
Fixed labor is when the cervix expands to about 4 cm, and regular contractions open the cervix.
During the latent stage, it's good to have something to eat and drink because you'll need energy when labor begins.
If your labor begins at night, try to feel rested and relaxed. Sleep if you can.
If your labor begins during the day, stay upright and gently active. This helps your baby go down to your pelvis and helps the cervix expand.
Breathing and massage exercises, warm showers or showers may help relieve pain during this early stage of labor.
When to contact your health care provider, doctor or midwife?
- Your contractions are regular and you experience about 3 contractions every 10 minutes
- Your water break, that is, the membrane containing the fluid surrounding your baby, breaks the amniotic fluid, and the fluid descends.
- When your contractions are very strong and you feel like you need pain relief
- You're worried about anything
The cervix needs to open about 10 cm for your baby to pass through it. This is called full stretching.
In first labor, the time from the onset of steady labor to full expansion is usually 8 to 12 hours. It is often faster (about 5 hours) in the second or third pregnancy.
Acceleration of labor
Labor can sometimes be slower than expected. This can happen if the contractions don't come often enough, aren't strong enough, or if your baby is in an awkward situation.
If this is the case, your doctor or midwife may talk to you about two ways to speed up your labor:
First: Breaking the water bag
The membrane containing the fluid around your baby is broken, often enough to make the contractions stronger and more regular. This is also known as artificial rupture of membranes (ARM).
A midwife or doctor can do this by making a small fracture of the membrane during a vaginal exam. This can make your cramps stronger and more painful, so your midwife will talk to you about pain relief.
Second: The use of oxytocin
If breaking your water bag doesn't work, your doctor or midwife may suggest using a drug called oxytocin (also known as syntocinone) to make the contractions stronger. This is given through a drip inserted into a vein, usually in your wrist or arm.
Oxytocin can make your contractions stronger and more regular, and it can start working very quickly, so your midwife will talk to you about your pain relief options.
The second stage of labor
The second stage of labor lasts from the entire dilation of the cervix until the birth of your baby.
The obstetric nurse will help you find a comfortable position for childbirth. You may want to sit or lie on your side, stand, kneel or squat, although squatting can be difficult if you don't use it.
Pushing your child out
When the entire cervix is dilated, your baby moves down the birth canal toward the entrance to the vagina. You may feel the need to push like you need to defecate.
You can push during contractions whenever you feel the need. You may not feel the need to pay right away.
إذا كنت ستلدين طفلك الأول، فيجب ألا تستمر مرحلة الدفع هذه أكثر من 3 ساعات. إذا كنت قد أنجبت طفلا من قبل، فلن يستغرق الأمر أكثر من ساعتين.
هذه المرحلة من المخاض عمل شاق، لكن ممرضة التوليد ستساعدك وتشجعك. يمكن لشريكك أيضا أن يدعمك.
عندما يكاد يكون رأس طفلك جاهزا للخروج، وستطلب منك ممرضة التوليد التوقف عن الدفع وأخذ بعض الأنفاس القصيرة وإخراجها من فمك.
ويستمر هذا حتى يمكن أن يولد رأس طفلك ببطء وبلطف، مما يمنح الجلد والعضلات في المنطقة الواقعة بين المهبل وفتحة الشرج (العجان) وقتا للتمدد.
في بعض الأحيان تقترح طبيبتك أو ممرضة التوليد إجراء " بضع الفرج" لتجنب التمزق أو لتسريع الولادة. هذا قطع صغير يتم إجراؤه في منطقة العجان، سنتحدث عنه لاحقا.
سيتم إعطاؤك حقنة مخدر موضعي لتخدير المنطقة قبل إجراء الجرح. بمجرد ولادة طفلك، ستتم خياطة بضع الفرج، أو أي تمزقات كبيرة، لإغلاقها.
المرحلة الثالثة من المخاض
تحدث المرحلة الثالثة من المخاض بعد ولادة طفلك، عندما ينقبض رحمك وتخرج المشيمة من المهبل.
هناك طريقتان لإدارة هذه المرحلة من المخاض:
الإدارة النشطة: عندما يكون لديك علاج لجعله يحدث بشكل أسرع.
الإدارة الفسيولوجية: عندما لا يكون لديك علاج وتحدث هذه المرحلة بشكل طبيعي
ستشرح لك ممرضة التوليد كلتا الطريقتين أثناء الحمل أو أثناء المخاض المبكر، لتتمكني من تحديد أيهما تفضلين.
ما هي الإدارة النشطة؟
ستعطيك ممرضة التوليد حقنة من الأوكسيتوسين في فخذك أثناء الولادة أو بعد ذلك بوقت قصير، وهذا يجعل رحمك ينقبض.
تشير الدلائل إلى أنه من الأفضل عدم قطع الحبل السري على الفور، لذلك ستنتظر ممرضة التوليد القيام بذلك بين دقيقة و5 دقائق بعد الولادة. يمكن القيام بذلك في وقت أقرب إذا كانت هناك مخاوف بشأنك أو بطفلك -على سبيل المثال- إذا كان الحبل السري ملفوفا بإحكام حول رقبة طفلك.
بمجرد خروج المشيمة من رحمك، تسحب ممرضة التوليد الحبل السري- الذي يعلق بالمشيمة التي تسحب من خلال المهبل. يحدث هذا عادة في غضون 30 دقيقة من ولادة طفلك.
Active management speeds up placental delivery and reduces your risk of severe postpartum bleeding (postpartum hemorrhage) but increases the chance of feeling sick, and can also make subsequent contraction-like pain after childbirth worse.
What is physiological management?
An oxytocin injection is not given, and the third stage of labor occurs naturally.
The cord is not cut until it stops pulsing. This means that blood still passes from the placenta to your baby. This usually takes about 2 to 4 minutes.
Once the placenta comes out of your uterus, you should feel some pressure in your ass and you'll need to push the placenta out. It can take up to an hour for the placenta to come out, but it usually only takes a few minutes to remove.
If the placenta doesn't clear up normally or starts bleeding profusely, your midwife or doctor will advise you to switch to active management. You can do this at any time during the third stage of labor.
What is the difference between the birth of the firstborn and the second and third?
Labor is usually faster in second and later births, and it is especially likely that the early stages (latent labor) will be faster and that contractions will become stronger faster.
So you may need to consider getting to where you're going to give birth faster than last time. The average length of labor for women who have given birth before is 5 hours, and it is likely to be shorter than 12 hours.
Unless you've had a C-section before, the active part of labor is also usually shorter because your muscles and vagina have stretched before, according to the National Children's Trust UK.
What is a birth wound?
A birth wound, whose scientific name is episiotomy, is an incision across the area between the vaginal opening and the anus. This area is called perineum. This procedure is performed to expand the vaginal opening for childbirth.
Usually, as soon as you see the baby's head, your health care provider will help get the baby's head out of the vagina, followed by the shoulders and the rest of the body.
Sometimes, the vaginal opening doesn't stretch enough for the baby's head. In this case, episiotomy is performed.
An episiotomy helps your health care provider deliver your baby. It is important to make an incision rather than letting the tissue tear. Your provider usually performs an episiotomy when the baby's head extends the vaginal opening to several centimeters, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Once the placenta is delivered, your healthcare provider will stitch up the wound. If you haven't received an epidural anesthetic injection, your provider may inject an anesthetic medication into your perineum.
Why might I need an episiotomy?
Not all women need an episiotomy. Pulling tissues naturally may help reduce your need for them. Ask your healthcare provider how to do it yourself. Without episiotomy, perineal tissue may rupture, and this can be difficult to repair.
Your health care provider might recommend an episiotomy in these cases:
- The baby does not have enough oxygen (fetal distress)
- Complicated delivery, such as placing the baby at the bottom or feet first (breech backbench) or when the baby's shoulders are trapped (shoulder dystocia)
- The long payment stage of childbirth
- Delivery by forceps or suction
- Big Kid
- Preterm baby
Your health care provider may have other reasons to recommend episiotomy.
What happens after episiotomy?
After an episiotomy, you may feel pain at the incision site. An ice pack may help reduce swelling and pain. Warm or cold baths (sitz baths) may help relieve pain and speed recovery. Medical creams or topical anesthetic sprays may also be helpful.
You can take a pain reliever as recommended by your doctor. Make sure you take only the recommended medications.
Keep the incision clean and dry using the method recommended by your healthcare provider. This is important after urination and defecation.
What is the normal weight of the fetus at birth?
The average birth weight of babies is 7.5 pounds (3.5 kg), although between 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg) and 10 pounds (4.5 kg) is considered normal, according to the University of Michigan Health website.
In general:
- Boys are usually slightly heavier than girls.
- Early children are usually lighter than later siblings.
- Larger parents generally have larger children, while smaller parents have smaller children.
Natural Postpartum Tips
- Rest whenever you can. Giving birth to a baby is hard work and you may not have been able to sleep much in the hospital. The first few weeks after giving birth are an important time to rest whenever you can. If possible, sleep or relax when your baby sleeps. Visits should be reduced for the first two weeks so you can rest and breastfeed, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
- Don't lift anything heavier than your baby, especially if you've had a C-section.
- Don't be afraid to ask for help. Let family and friends help you by cooking meals, helping with laundry or other household chores, babysitting siblings, or stopping by the store to buy some items for you.
- Wash your hands often, especially after each bathroom visit, after changing diapers, and before feeding your baby.
- Limit climbing stairs as much as possible in the first week after birth.
- Keep your baby's care simple. Your baby doesn't need to bathe every day. Just wipe his hands, face and diaper area daily.
- Know when you need professional help. If you feel anxious most of the time, can't sleep, or have been feeling depressed for more than two weeks, contact your doctor.