- At what point do you recommend that I come to the hospital/birth center?
- How soon after I come to the hospital will my health care provider see me?
- How much time will the health care provider spend with me during labor?
- If I write a birth plan, will it be honored?
- How often are vaginal exams performed during labor?
- Are showering and bathing allowed during labor?
- Does this birth center/hospital allow water births? What facilities are available for water births?
- How many people are allowed to be with me during labor and delivery? How many people are allowed to be with me during a cesarean delivery?
- What is the birth center or hospitals policy regarding other children attending the birth?
- Are eating or drinking allowed during labor?
- What laboring positions are recommended?
- Is video taping allowed?
- Can my partner cut the cord?
- How long will I be able to stay in the hospital? Can I leave earlier if I want to?
Here are some questions for you to consider before the "birth" day:
- Is there someone available who can take you to the hospital at any time?
- How will you get in touch with that person? (Note: many hospitals and birthing centers offer a pager service where you can rent a pager for a few months).
- Do you have your route to the hospital planned and an alternate if needed?
- Who will care for your older children when it is time to go to the hospital?
- If you work, have you discussed your maternity leave with your supervisor?
Methods of Delivery
Vaginal delivery is the most common and safest type of birth. When necessary
in certain circumstances, forceps (instruments resembling large spoons) may be
used to cup your baby's head and help guide the baby through the birth canal.
Vacuum delivery is another way to assist delivery and is similar to forceps
delivery. In vacuum delivery, a plastic cup is applied to the baby's head by
suction and the health care provider gently pulls the baby from the birth
canal.
Although vaginal delivery is the most common and safest type of delivery,
sometimes cesarean delivery is necessary for the safety of you and your
baby.
A cesarean delivery may be necessary if one of the following complications
is present:
- Your baby is not in the head-down position.
- Your baby is too large to pass through the pelvis.
- Your baby is in distress.
Most often, the need for a cesarean delivery is not determined until after
labor begins.
Labor
The first question most women have is, Am I pregnant? The question that
usually follows is, What is labor and delivery like? This information will help
answer the most common questions about labor, especially if this is your first
pregnancy. For detailed information on delivery, see
Methods of Delivery
Signs of Labor
Some women experience very distinct signs of labor, while others do not. No
one knows what causes labor to start or when it will start, but several
hormonal and physical changes may indicate the beginning of labor.
These changes include:
- Lightening
- Passing of the mucus plug
- Contractions
- Breaking of the bag of water
- Effacement and dilation of the cervix
Lightening
The process of your baby settling or lowering into your pelvis is called
lightening. Lightening can occur a few weeks or a few hours before labor.
Because the uterus rests on the bladder more after lightening, you may feel the
need to urinate more frequently.
Passing of the Mucus Plug
The mucus plug accumulates at the cervix during pregnancy. When the cervix
begins to open wider, the mucus is discharged into the vagina and may be clear,
pink or slightly bloody. Labor may begin soon after the mucus plug is
discharged or one to two weeks later.
Contractions
During contractions, the abdomen becomes hard. Between contractions, the
uterus relaxes and the abdomen becomes soft. The way a contraction feels is
different for each woman and may feel different from one pregnancy to the next.
But, labor contractions usually cause discomfort or a dull ache in your back
and lower abdomen, along with pressure in the pelvis. Contractions move in a
wave-like motion from the top of the uterus to the bottom. Some women describe
contractions as strong menstrual cramps. Unlike false labor contractions or
Braxton Hicks contractions -- labor contractions do not stop when you change
your position or relax. Although the contractions may be uncomfortable, you
will be able to relax in between contractions.
What's the Difference between True Labor and False Labor?
Before "true" labor begins, you may have "false" labor
pains, also known as Braxton Hicks contractions. These irregular uterine
contractions are perfectly normal and may start to occur in your second
trimester, although more commonly in your third trimester of pregnancy. They
are your body's way of getting ready for the "real thing."
What Do Braxton Hicks Contractions Feel Like?
Braxton Hicks contractions can be described as tightening in the abdomen
that comes and goes. These contractions do not get closer together, do not
increase with walking, do not increase in how long they last and do not feel
stronger over time as they do when you are in true labor.
How Do I Know When I am
in True Labor?
To figure out if the
contractions you are
feeling are the real
thing, ask yourself the
following questions.
|
Contraction
Characteristics
|
False Labor
|
True Labor
|
|
How often do the
contractions
occur?
|
Contractions are
often irregular
and do not get
closer together |
Contractions
come at regular
intervals and
last about 30-70
seconds. As time
goes on, they
get closer
together. |
|
Do they change
with movement?
|
Contractions may
stop when you
walk or rest, or
may even stop if
you change
positions |
Contractions
continue despite
movement or
changing
positions |
|
How strong are
they?
|
Contractions are
usually weak and
do not get much
stronger. Or
they may be
strong at first
and then get
weaker. |
Contractions
steadily
increase in
strength |
|
Where do you
feel the pain?
|
Contractions are
usually only
felt in the
front of the
abdomen or
pelvic region |
Contractions
usually start in
the lower back
and move to the
front of the
abdomen |
How Do I Know When to
Come to the Hospital?
When you think you are
in true labor, start
timing your
contractions. To do
this, write down the
time each contraction
starts and stops. The
time between
contractions includes
the length or duration
of the contraction and
the minutes in between
the contractions (called
the interval).
Mild contractions
generally begin 15 to 20
minutes apart and last
60 to 90 seconds. The
contractions become more
regular until they are
less than 5 minutes
apart. Active labor (the
time you should come
into the hospital) is
usually characterized by
strong contractions that
last 45 to 60 seconds
and occur 3 to 4 minutes
apart.
What Can I Do to Relieve
Pain Associated With
Labor?
The first stage of labor
(called the Latent
Phase) is best
experienced in the
comfort of your home.
Here are some tips to
help you cope.
-
Try to distract
yourself -- take a
walk, watch a movie.
-
Soak in a warm tub
or take a warm
shower. But, ask
your health care
provider if you can
take a tub bath if
your water has
broken.
-
Try to sleep if it
is in the evening.
You need to store up
your energy for
active labor.
What Happens When My
Water Breaks?
The rupture of the
amniotic membrane (the
fluid-filled sac that
surrounds the baby
during pregnancy) may
feel either like a
sudden gush of fluid or
a trickle of fluid that
leaks steadily. The
fluid is usually
odorless and may look
clear or straw-colored.
If your "water breaks,"
write down the time this
occurs, how much fluid
is released and what the
fluid looks like and
then notify your health
care provider. Although,
labor may not start
immediately after your
water breaks, delivery
of your baby will occur
within the next 24
hours.
Lastly, keep in mind
that not all women will
have their water break
when they are in labor.
Many times the doctor
will rupture the
amniotic membrane in the
hospital.
What Is Effacement and Dilation of the Cervix?
During labor, your cervix gets shorter and thins out in order to stretch and open around your baby's head. The shortening and thinning of the cervix is called effacement. Your health care provider will be able to tell you if there are changes to the cervix during a pelvic exam. Effacement is measured in percentages from 0% to 100%. If there are no changes to the cervix, it is described as 0% effaced. When the cervix is half the normal thickness, it is 50% effaced. When the cervix is completely thinned out, it is 100% effaced.
The stretching and opening of your cervix is called dilation and is measured in centimeters with complete dilation being at 10 centimeters.
Effacement and dilation are a direct result of effective uterine contractions. Progress in labor is measured by how much the cervix has opened and thinned to allow your baby to pass through the vagina.
When Should I Call My Health Care Provider or Go to the Hospital?
When you suspect you are in true labor, call your health care provider. Also call:
- If you think your water has broken
- If you are bleeding (more than spotting)
- When your contractions are very uncomfortable and have been coming every five minutes for an hour
Your health care provider will give you specific guidelines about when you should get ready to come to the hospital.
Recommended Viewing => JaimeZheng TV
Related:
First Trimester,
Second Trimester,
Third Trimester,
Am I Pregnant?
|
