From time immemorial, women gave birth, give birth and will give birth - such is their nature. There is no representative of the weaker sex who would not at least once think about how the birth takes place, and whether she can cope with it. Everyone knows that childbirth is a natural process, that it is not easy and very painful. Hence all the fears and doubts.
More experienced women who have already experienced all the difficulties of motherhood and even more than once, still wonder how the women go through childbirth in subsequent times, whether they did everything correctly and whether there are ways to avoid pain.
Fortunately, even modern men have recently begun to pay more attention to the birth process. They are trying to somehow alleviate the condition of the future mother and in every way to help with the fights. Therefore, the question of how the birth takes place worries them to some extent. We will touch on these and other topics in the article below.
Harbingers of Childbirth
The long 9 months are left behind, and you know that at any moment, birth can begin. So, such a process never begins with the bay-floundering. This is provided that the pregnancy proceeded without pathologies. Experienced mothers know that before the most important day you can always notice the so-called precursors of childbirth. The set of symptoms that signals the imminent start of a long-awaited moment for each woman can be different.
Symptoms foreshadowing the preparation of the body for childbirth
Some note all the signs. Others simply do not notice them. But in any case, you should be wary and be prepared if:
- The stomach fell and it became easier to breathe. Why is this happening? The fact is that just before the birth, the baby falls into the small pelvis and presses its head firmly to the exit, while the uterus also lowers, as a result of which the diaphragm is released. A woman feels significant relief, disappears or decreases heartburn.
- Weight loss. A few days before the birth, the woman’s body discards all that is superfluous, including the accumulated water. Therefore, a pregnant woman may notice that she has lost some weight.
- Watery stools, frequent urination. These symptoms also signal a cleansing of the body immediately before birth.
- Training fights. Typically, such contractions of the uterus are irregular and painless. An organ is being prepared for the most crucial moment.
- Nausea. During the opening of the cervix, many women noticed nausea, including vomiting. The reason is the same - cleansing the body of unnecessary.
Symptoms in which you need to immediately go to the hospital
The above symptoms are indirect, after the appearance of which a half month may pass before childbirth. But there are symptoms, the detection of which should sound the alarm:
- The waters have gone. This is a clear sign of the onset of labor. In this case, the account goes to the clock.
- Departure of the mucous plug. In principle, it can be released both a week before birth and during them. Therefore, when small gel-like clots with streaks of blood appear, there is no reason to panic, but you should listen to your feelings.
- Intensifying contractions. If the pains in the abdomen and lower back increase, and the time interval between them decreases, this is not a training, but the real fight.
There are other signs of an approaching birth, but they are more likely to be visible to the doctor, and not to the woman. For example, a gynecologist can tell you that childbirth will begin soon if the cervix is soft and smooth , and perhaps even began to miss a finger.
How is the birth? Process steps
Normally, childbirth can begin both at 38 weeks and at the fortieth. The kid is full-term and ready to be born. Pregnant remains to gain strength and patience, because childbirth in women takes place in three stages. Each of the stages has its own characteristics and duration.
So, how is the birth for the first time:
- Contractions begin, the cervix gradually opens from 0 to 10 cm. The duration of the first period may vary. After all, childbirth takes place in re-giving birth much faster than the first birth. On average, this stage can drag on for 8-12 hours.
- The second period is attempts. This is the time when a woman can manage the situation and help the baby to be born as soon as possible.
- The expulsion of the placenta is the last and most painless moment in childbirth. After the birth of a child, a child's place leaves him from the uterus.
We will discuss in more detail about all stages and how the second birth takes place in the article below.
Counting contractions
We already wrote about false fights. They are also called Brextons. Such training fights differ from real painlessness. Inexperienced pregnant women sometimes think that they can take real fights for training. Believe me, you will never miss your birth.
If you are interested in how the birth takes place and what the contractions look like, then you should know: according to the reviews of many women who gave birth, the contractions feel like very painful menstruation. Indeed, in essence, these are the same contractions of the uterus, only stronger ones.
At the very beginning, contractions are short-lived, with long periods of time. They are moderately painful: an average of 1-2 in 10 minutes. This period is called latent. With the first contractions, the opening of the cervix begins. By the end of the latent phase, the opening of the pharynx should be 4 cm.
The next phase is active. It lasts 3-4 hours. The soreness of contractions noticeably increases, the cervix opens up to 4-8 cm. The opening time for giving birth for the first time is 1.5-2 cm per hour, while for multiparous - 2-2.5. That is, the second, however, like the third birth, are much faster than the first.
The third phase is full disclosure. The pains are the strongest, the intensity of contractions approximately every 30 seconds gradually turning into attempts, the neck opens up to 10 cm and the fetus is ready to move along the birth canal.
Attempts. Childbirth
To understand how the first birth takes place, many mothers read a lot of literature, try to prepare for the upcoming event. But even the most well-read and ready-made woman at a critical moment can completely forget about everything that she knew, and simply panic. Here the most important rule: do not scream, but listen to the doctor and midwife.
Attempts are, in fact, the expulsion of the fetus from the uterus. In the normal course of labor, this process lasts about half an hour, and the future woman in labor should carefully listen to the instructions of the midwives and the doctor, because childbirth takes place for the first time, and if you act incorrectly, you can get breaks. If with all the desire to avoid damage did not work or an episiotomy was performed, the specialist will carefully stitch and you will not be able to sit down for two weeks.
Placenta exit
The placenta is a muscular organ that appeared almost simultaneously with the fetus and ceases to function immediately after the birth of the baby. After 5-10 minutes, weak contractions appear, and then the placenta comes out. On this, the birth is considered completed. The woman stays in the delivery room for another 2 hours. A heaviness or cold is placed on her stomach to accelerate the contraction of the uterus, and then transferred to the ward.
It is very difficult to say how much time the birth takes. It all depends on the circumstances, on the condition of the woman herself. It also takes into account what kind of birth. And an important role is played by the psychological preparation of a woman for a very difficult responsible work.
How to relieve pain
Women, who are wondering how the birth of a child is, are actually very afraid of one thing - pain. And not in vain. Fights are considered the most painful. Women who tell how the third birth takes place note that with proper breathing and support from a loved one, pain can be significantly relieved. You can also try relaxing in the bath or sitting on a special ball.
And for those who cannot be born for a long time or who are very much afraid, doctors can advise anesthesia. But before asking for epidural anesthesia, you should carefully study all the negative aspects of such an intervention.
Be that as it may, all pains are forgotten immediately after the birth of such a welcome and long-awaited baby.
How are subsequent births?
Often, women are horrified to ask their experienced friends how the second birth takes place. After all, sometimes a woman, tormented during her first pregnancy, is very afraid to conceive a baby a second time.
According to statistics, most women who become a mother for the second time claim that both pregnancy and childbirth are about the same as the first. But there are differences. With the only difference - the second and subsequent births last almost 2 times less in time.
Drug intervention
There are a number of reasons why labor is not going according to plan, and the above stages of labor do not occur. In such cases, the doctor may advise stimulating them and starting the process. This is especially true for those who are not preparing for the first time to become a mother. Suppose you are interested in how the birth takes place 4 times. So, such pregnancies are at risk, and medical intervention may be needed at any time.
Reasons why they can start to stimulate contractions:
- postponed pregnancy - after 40 weeks you will be asked to come to the maternity hospital;
- the waters receded, but the contractions did not come;
- chronic and acute diseases;
- multiple pregnancy;
- polyhydramnios / low water.
How is stimulation performed and why is it dangerous?
There are several ways to “wake up” the uterus and help the baby to be born. After a thorough examination, the doctor selects the most suitable method. In a specific case, these may be:
- Prostaglandins - injected into the vagina in the form of a gel or suppository. Usually, labor begins within an hour. The procedure is absolutely safe for the mother and the fetus, does not cause negative and painful sensations.
- Oxytocin is an analogue of natural hormones that stimulate the opening of the cervix. With its introduction, contractions are very painful. A similar drug is contraindicated in the presence of amniotic fluid.
- Bubble puncture - with the help of a special hook, the amniotic membrane is pierced, due to which the outflow of water occurs. Such a procedure is doubtful, since there is a likelihood of infection, and besides, labor sometimes does not occur.
- Exfoliation of the membranes - upon examination, the doctor can manually exfoliate the amniotic membrane and thereby cause contractions. But sometimes, due to the inexperience of the doctor or thick walls, the action has to be repeated several times.
Reviews: how are the births during stimulation
Having read various horror stories on online forums, many women are afraid of stimulation, mistakenly thinking that this will harm the child and mother. But that is not so. In many cases, stimulation is the only salvation of a difficult situation. Most of these interventions take place without any problems and complications. Of course, there are also negative aspects that a woman in labor should know about in advance and prepare for them at least mentally.
So, judging by the numerous reviews of women who went through the stimulation process, the following negative points are noted:
- Contractions compared with natural ones are very painful, longer, and the intervals are shorter. This is especially true when oxytocin has been used. In such situations, many women asked for epidural anesthesia.
- It is impossible to walk or sit during contractions. The fact is that in most cases, during stimulation, the drug is administered through a dropper, which significantly restricts the movement, forcing the woman to lie on her back.
- Some drugs can cause fetal hypoxia, that is, oxygen starvation with all the ensuing consequences.
In the end, it is worth noting that weakened labor can be both in the first birth and in subsequent ones. With the right selection of the drug and method of stimulation, the procedure can save the life of mother and baby. Whether it is harmful or not, it is difficult to answer. Sometimes the mother’s body does not respond to external manipulations and then there is nothing left but to resort to surgery.