In one of the previous publications, we told. Today, with the help of the book “Yoga for Pregnant Women,” we will find out how a child behaves during childbirth. Everyone has heard that he moves through the birth canal - but how exactly does this happen?
In order to understand what happens in childbirth, it is important to realize that it is hard work for your baby, commensurate with the pain you are experiencing. The intensity and frequency of contractions are simply necessary for the child, since in order to be born he must make six basic movements. As he makes his movements, the nature of the contractions changes, and they become more intense so that the baby can fit into the tighter places in your pelvis.
So, in the first (contractions and opening of the cervix) and the second (and expulsion of the fetus) periods of childbirth, your baby makes six main movements:
- descent;
- bending;
- rotation inward;
- extension;
- outward rotation;
- extrusion.
In order to provide space for these movements, three important changes occur in the cervix:
- smoothing;
- disclosure;
- tilt forward.
When the baby and the cervix work together, childbirth proceeds naturally. Let's take a look at this process in detail.
How does the cervix prepare for childbirth?
Already a few weeks before the onset of labor, you may feel weak contractions. They are called Braxton Hicks contractions and are considered a false onset of labor. However, these contractions are necessary for the walls of the cervix to begin to soften and mature in preparation for dilatation. With the onset of true labor, regular contractions will help the process of smoothing and opening the cervix. Each subsequent contraction will help the cervix to open, flatten and reach its full diameter of 10 cm; the walls of the cervix at the same time become thinner. Dense walls should become thin, like paper; this process is measured as a percentage from 0 to 100. In addition, the cervix should tilt forward.
As the cervix goes through these changes, your baby also works with her in unity, making her basic movements.
Baby movements during contractions
First, the baby's head should be inserted into the entrance to the pelvis. This happens when its head descends into the pelvic cavity and aligns with the ischial spines.
Thus, the child becomes at zero in the pelvic cavity. The first movement made by the child during childbirth is the descent. The child must move down the birth canal and overcome the zero mark. This occurs in the interval between the latent and active phases of the first stage of labor.
After that, the child makes the second movement - flexion. To squeeze into a narrower part of the pelvis, he must press his chest to his chin. Bending over, you can move on to the third movement - this is the rotation inward. The baby will have to turn half-turn from a position facing the side of the mother's body to a position facing the mother's spine. Sometimes it takes time, and sometimes it just doesn't happen.
When the baby turns his back to your spine (facing his stomach), this can lead to very intense and painful spinal contractions. A sign of spinal contractions is pressure in the lumbar region on the right or left. This pain is felt even in the intervals between contractions. Some midwives and doctors let the woman wait and advise her to move and change positions so that the baby still rolls over to face the spine. The inward rotation of the baby occurs somewhere between the active and transitional phases of the first stage of labor.
Movements of the child during attempts
When the baby is ready to be born, he makes the last three movements. These movements coincide with the second period of childbirth - attempts. The child extends the head in the birth canal. When this happens, we are talking about the appearance of the head in the pelvis at +3. You can really see the head when you start pushing.
As soon as you succeed in pushing the head out, the baby makes another movement - an outward rotation. When the head appears, the baby turns to face sideways. Usually the doctor helps him to make this movement. At this stage, the child is ready for his last movement - pushing out. Birth completed!
Pregnant women are interested in the process of childbirth and how the baby passes through the birth canal. The birth of a baby is a huge work of a woman and a long-awaited child. Knowing the whole process, the expectant mother will be able to control attempts and speed up the process of delivery. A woman in labor must understand what is happening in the body so that the passage of the child through the birth canal is without complications.
Process feature
Childbirth is the exit of the child from the uterus through the birth canal. The main role of the process is played by contractions, which force the cervix to open, after which the fetus begins to move.
The birth canal is the pelvic bones, soft tissues, perineum, and external genitalia.
What is a uterus? Medicine refers to the uterus as a simple muscle with a distinctive feature, it is hollow. The organ can be compared to a box inside which the baby is located. Like all other muscles, the uterus contracts at the right time, but the woman is not able to control this process. A woman in labor is unable to weaken or strengthen uterine contractions.
By the end of pregnancy, the birth canal of a woman begins to independently prepare for childbirth. The uterus, under the influence of fetal pressure, gradually opens. Gravity acts on the neck and by the beginning of the birth process, the organ is prepared and opened up to 3 cm.
How babies are born
- contractions. Childbirth begins with the appearance of constant and steady uterine contractions. There is a gradual full disclosure of the cervix up to 10-12 cm. The first stage of labor is considered the longest and most painful;
- pushing or expulsion of the fetus. This is the path of the child during childbirth and its exit to the outside;
- the birth of the afterbirth. Exit from the uterus of the child's place.
In primiparas, labor continues on average up to 18 hours, while in multiparous this time is half as much. Doctors explain this feature by the fact that if a woman gave birth, her genital muscles are more elastic and stretch faster.
What increases the time of birth of a child:
- fruit weight. The greater the weight of the child, the longer the fetus overcomes the path through the birth canal;
- presentation. With any deviation in the location of the baby inside the uterus, the process of childbirth is greatly delayed;
- contractions. The stronger the contractions of the uterus begin to become more frequent and intensify, the faster the birth will occur.
Labor activity in pregnant women follows an individual scenario, because people are different and the factors that affect the birth of a long-awaited baby are perceived by the body in their own way.
Contractions
At the initial stage, the uterus opens by an average of 1 cm per hour. For a successful birth, it is required that the cervix be opened by 10-12 cm. During contractions, the woman in labor experiences pain.
The intensity of pain depends on the woman's pain threshold. So, one mother endures contractions without problems, while the other cannot endure. In this case, doctors give an anesthetic injection.
How does a child understand that it is time for him to be born? During contractions, in addition to opening the cervix, the child is affected. The fetus during contractions is gradually pushed forward, since with each contraction the volume of the uterus decreases and there is an increase in intrauterine pressure.
As soon as the cervix is fully dilated, the amniotic fluid, in most cases, is poured out. Sometimes the amniotic sac does not burst, and the baby is born with it. Doctors call such children lucky, as there is a high probability of oxygen starvation. People say he was born "in a shirt."
Birth
In the second period, the child is born. In primiparous, it lasts an average of 2.5 hours, and in multiparous, everything proceeds faster. From the moment when the cervix is ready for childbirth, a lot of effort will be required from the woman for the safe expulsion of the fetus.
It is necessary to exclude the situation when the child is stuck in the birth canal for any reason. In the second period, the woman in labor has attempts, someone feels very tired, and some seem to have a second wind.
Factors affecting the duration of the second period:
- intensity of labor activity;
- force of attempts;
- the ratio of the size of the fetus and the pelvis of the woman in labor;
- fetal presentation.
The contractions in the period of exile are different from the contractions experienced by the woman in labor before. They have become less painful, muscle contractions occur in the press, chest and uterus. A woman feels attempts several times during the fight. Thanks to them, the fetus inevitably moves towards the exit through the birth canal. Attempts differ from contractions in that they can be controlled. A woman in labor is able to delay or, conversely, strengthen them.
In order for the birth to take place without complications, the child needs to pass through the birth canal. First of all, the baby passes through the pelvic cavity and enters the pelvic area. Having overcome this segment, the fetus rests against the muscles of the perineum. Under pressure, the perineum, and then the vagina, gradually moves apart. The birth of the child begins, that is, the birth itself. The head of the baby is large, so if it has passed through obstacles, then the body will not linger.
As soon as the baby is born, he lets out a cry. Crying fills the lungs with air and opens them up. The baby begins to breathe independently for the first time. But do not worry in the absence of the first cry, this is not an indicator of viability. It is more important to ensure that after the first breaths the skin becomes pink.
meconium
The outpouring of amniotic fluid is a sign that the baby will be born soon. Often the waters have an unusual green color, which frightens women in labor. Normally, the fluid is clear. In the presence of violations in the body, the color changes to green.
What is meconium during childbirth? Meconium is the baby's original stool. During childbirth, the baby sometimes has an emptying, so the amniotic fluid becomes green.
If a child swallowed meconium during childbirth, this phenomenon causes a danger in the presence of hypoxia or asphyxia. During contractions, carbon dioxide accumulates in the baby's blood, which affects the respiratory center. The child makes an involuntary breath and the birth is delayed, the breath is obtained in the womb. So, meconium gets into the lungs. Under such conditions, pneumonia often accompanies oxygen starvation.
The presence of hypoxia in the fetus leads to additional excretion of meconium. Another reason for the appearance of original feces in the waters is the prematurity of the fetus. As soon as the baby is born, the doctor removes fluid from the respiratory tract.
What is the best way to give birth if the water is with meconium? If a woman planned to give birth at home and the waters turned green, then you must immediately go to the hospital so as not to harm the baby. The fetus, when in waters with meconium, experiences oxygen starvation, so doctors will speed up labor. If the concentration of original feces in the amniotic fluid is high and threatens the life of the fetus, then a caesarean section is performed.
How long does it take for meconium to come out of a baby after delivery? The original feces leave the baby's body in the first days of life after birth in a natural way. Myconium is odorless, dark green in color and has a sticky consistency. So, the newborn was born safely, but the birth itself has not yet come to an end.
What happens after the baby is born? As soon as the baby is born, the woman begins weak contractions, the placenta detaches from the uterus and comes out. Doctors call this process separation of the placenta.
The expectant mother, carrying a baby under her heart, awaits with trepidation a meeting with him. But this expectation is not without fear: a woman always wonders how the birth goes? This question is undoubtedly relevant for primiparous women who will experience the process of the birth of a baby for the first time. Having heard from "experienced" moms about how childbirth goes, "new moms" are invariably afraid of the approach of "hour X", preparing for a painful and lengthy birth of a child. In this regard, it should be noted: for each woman in labor, childbirth always takes place individually, despite the fact that, by and large, they have a clear “scheme”. Therefore, one should not imagine the “torments of hell” in advance - it is better to go to prenatal courses, where they will teach the expectant mother, explain the features of the baby’s passage through the birth canal and, as far as possible, prepare for the upcoming birth.
In principle, you can, of course, completely surrender to the hands of an experienced doctor and midwife immediately after the onset of contractions. However, as practice proves, being aware means being armed. Therefore, if there is such an opportunity, it is better, of course, to prepare in advance for a meeting with a baby and first find out how the birth goes. With such knowledge, mommy will be able to approach the cherished hour of the onset of childbirth much more prepared, and during the immediate birth of the baby, she will feel more calm and confident.
So how is the birth going? Conventionally, doctors divide this process into three stages: the opening of the uterus and the contractions that accompany it; attempts and passage of the baby through the birth canal; postpartum period and expulsion of the afterbirth (placenta). In general, labor usually lasts about 12-18 hours in the case of a first child and approximately 8-11 hours if the child is not the first. If the amount of time exceeds that shown, doctors talk about prolonged labor.
The longest stage in the birth process is the first - the stage of contractions. It is the appearance of regular contractions that can be considered a signal that it is time to go to the hospital. Usually, regular contractions begin after the amniotic fluid breaks: at first they are just palpable, they become longer and longer, and the interval between contractions is reduced. Under the influence of contractions, the cervix gradually opens - from 2 to 10 centimeters. At this stage, the respiratory technique will come in handy, which a woman will be taught in special courses for pregnant women - it is recommended to breathe deeply and calmly in order to provide the baby with enough oxygen. It is advisable to choose a comfortable position in which contractions will be the least painful - it can be a vertical position, lying on your side, on your back. It is still too early to push: the baby must be positioned correctly for the “journey” through the birth canal. And therefore it is important at this time to listen to the obstetrician and the doctor, who, as the baby is ready for birth, will give the command to push.
This will be the beginning of the second stage of labor: when the cervix has opened 10 centimeters, and the baby needs help pushing through to be born. When the baby's head drops low enough, the woman's attempts are facilitated by the fact that the diaphragm is already pressing on the uterus due to the air drawn into the lungs. The pressure on the uterus is also increased by the woman herself - by contracting the abdominal muscles at the command of the doctor. Due to the combination of intra-abdominal and intrauterine pressure, the baby moves through the birth canal - this process can take up to 2.5 hours (if the woman gives birth for the first time) and not even reach an hour in time (if the birth is not the first). At this stage, the woman in labor should be prepared for the fact that the doctor may have to resort to an incision in the perineum: if the baby’s head is large, and there is a danger of soft tissue rupture (after the incision will be stitched, in which case it will heal much faster than at break). After the baby's head is born, the process usually goes much faster, and the baby is born entirely, which informs everyone present with the first cry.
Some time after the birth of the baby, the placenta is rejected and the placenta is born. This is the third stage of labor, which lasts from 5 to 30 minutes, and for the entire time the placenta passes, the woman in labor feels weak contractions. When the placenta has completely passed and the umbilical cord has been cut, the doctor will examine the mother's birth canal for tears, and if necessary, stitch them together using anesthesia. The first time after childbirth, the woman will spend in the maternity unit, and then will be transferred to the postpartum department. In the meantime, all the necessary procedures will be performed on the baby that has appeared: it needs to be examined, processed, measured and weighed. Data about the baby will be recorded on a special plate: year, day and hour of his birth, gender; name, patronymic and surname of the mother. If the birth went without complications, and the postpartum period proceeds according to the norm, then after 3-5 days the young mother and the baby are discharged home. Now they begin a new life filled with worries and joy!
Especially for- Tatyana Argamakova
It is not as difficult to carry a baby as to give birth to one. Women who are preparing to become mothers for the first time always worry a lot about how the birth will go. To instill confidence in yourself, you need to know how the process of giving birth takes place, what to expect and what to fear.
This article will tell you about all the stages of childbirth and help future mothers prepare mentally and physically.
Birthing process from start to finish
The birth process is divided into three main stages: - dilatation of the cervix. In order for a child to be born, the uterus must open up to a certain size, the opening of the uterus occurs due to the involuntary contraction of its muscles:
- the process of the fetus leaving the uterus, or this period is also called attempts;
- the birth of the placenta - this process is called postpartum;
But this is all just preparation for childbirth. The process of childbirth itself can be divided into the following stages:
- The discharge of amniotic fluid, this is what, in the most frequent cases, is the “start button” for childbirth. Sometimes contractions occur first, and then the water breaks.
- Labor contractions are cyclical and become more frequent. At first they last for 5-7 seconds, every 20-30 minutes, and then more and more often. At the very end of the stage of contractions, their frequency is about 7-10 minutes with a duration of 40-50 seconds.
Contractions help the uterus to open. This stage takes about 12-16 hours for women who give birth for the first time. Those women who have already given birth, and the muscles of their uterus are more elastic, contractions endure faster from 10 to 12 hours.
When contractions begin, a woman needs to breathe properly: deeply and slowly. It is also recommended to move a lot.
When the interval between contractions is reduced to 5-7 minutes, it's time to move to the delivery room.
The labor stage is painful and exhausting, but every woman experiences it differently, depending on how sensitive she is to pain. - The final stage is attempts. You need to push correctly, you should not strain the whole body, but only in the area of \u200b\u200bthe birth canal. Attempts do not last long, about 10-20 minutes. In rare cases, this process takes about an hour.
With the correct location of the baby, the head comes out first, and then the whole body.
After removing the baby, the mother feels relaxed and light.
Immediately after the baby is born, he is examined by a pediatrician, who must be present at the birth. Then the child is bathed and placed on the mother's chest, this will be his first contact with his mother. - After the baby is born, the placenta must come out. The stage of extraction from the uterus of the placenta is called: the exit of the placenta. The placenta comes out approximately 10-20 minutes after the baby is born. If within 30 minutes the woman did not give birth to the placenta, doctors must remove it on their own. The placenta is also checked for integrity - it is very important that no piece of placenta remains in the womb of a woman, as this can lead to inflammation of the uterus.
Two hours later, the mother and child are transferred to the postpartum ward, where she can rest. In the first minutes of a child's life, it is already possible to breastfeed.
Proper behavior during childbirth will help you go through all the stages with
less discomfort for you. Experienced doctors and midwives will always support
and tell you what to do. For a mother, the main thing is to observe
calmness, and do everything that the doctors say.
After nine months of pregnancy, the ripe fetus, together with the placenta, is expelled from the uterus. This physiologically complex process is called childbirth. But first, a woman feels the so-called harbingers of close childbirth. They are associated with changes occurring in her body.
Prolapse of the abdomen
The earliest harbinger is the prolapse of the abdomen of a pregnant woman about 2-3 weeks before childbirth. It becomes easier for a woman to breathe, the shape of the abdomen also changes, pulling pains appear in the lower abdomen.
Isolation of the mucous plug
The next important harbinger is the secretion of a mucous plug from the genital tract, which protected the fetus from the penetration of infections, about 3-5 days before delivery. This is facilitated by the hormones estrogen, the amount of which increases before childbirth.
Mood change
Changes in a woman's mood are also associated with hormonal changes. A sudden emotional upsurge can be abruptly replaced by tears.
false contractions
Precursor contractions may appear 5-7 days before delivery. They are manifested by pulling pains in the lower abdomen and aching pains in the lower back. Unlike labor contractions, these contractions are irregular and go away on their own. As soon as the contractions begin, it is necessary to note the time. If they become regular and their intensity increases, then these contractions are already generic and you need to prepare for childbirth.
Three stages of childbirth
Stage one - fights
The first is contractions. This is the longest period. Usually in primiparous it is 10-12 hours. For those who give birth again, this period is two times shorter. At this time, the cervix should open by 10-12 cm.
Uterus is a muscular organ. During the contraction, her muscles contract, the space for the baby in the uterus is limited, and he falls lower and lower with each contraction. This helps open the cervix.
The first contractions are rare (they repeat after 10-15 minutes) and short (last 20-30 seconds). Then they become more frequent and repeat every 5-7 minutes, and last from half a minute to a minute. At this point, the cervix dilates about 4 cm.
Then the rate of its opening increases to about 1 cm per hour. Pauses between contractions shorten again and pain increases. When the cervix opens 8 cm, they become very strong, last 90 seconds and repeat every 2 minutes. These last few contractions (from 10 to 20) will open the cervix to 10-12 cm.
The baby in the uterus also feels them. During the first contractions through the placenta, he still receives oxygen and nutrients. But with further strong contraction of the uterus, their flow slows down.
In response to less oxygen, the baby's heart begins to beat more slowly. That is, at the peak of the contraction, the supply of oxygen decreases, at the end of it everything returns to normal. Therefore, in maternity hospitals, the doctor during contractions listens to the fetal heartbeat in order to avoid intrauterine hypoxia.
In some women, childbirth can begin with the outflow of amniotic fluid or their leakage. In this case, you do not need to wait for the start of contractions, but you should immediately go to the hospital. Usually, amniotic fluid is poured out in the middle or at the end of the first stage of labor.
The second stage - attempts
The second stage of childbirth is attempts, or expulsion of the fetus. It begins with the full disclosure of the cervix and continues until the full birth of the fetus. The head of the child presses on the muscles of the pelvic floor, the rectum, the attempts become more frequent. This period can be completed within a few contractions lasting a minute and with a short break between them, but, as a rule, lasts one and a half to two hours. In multiparous it is shorter.
It is believed that this period is easier to bear because it can be controlled. Under the guidance of a midwife, at the peak of the next contraction, you can push, that is, strain the abdominal muscles and diaphragm, helping to expel the fetus.
At the beginning of the second period, during the contraction, you can see the baby's head. When the fight ends, the head disappears, but each time for a smaller distance. With each contraction, the head moves forward, and soon it no longer disappears - its eruption begins.
With the next attempts, the shoulders and torso of the child are shown, the remnants of amniotic fluid come out. The newborn takes its first breath and starts to scream. The midwife cleans his nose and mouth of mucus. After the umbilical cord, which connects the mother with the child, stops pulsing, it is cut. The second stage of labor is over. And the third and last one begins - the birth of the placenta, which consists of the umbilical cord, placenta and fetal membranes.
The third stage - the birth of the placenta
The uterus begins to contract again, but these contractions are very weak. The placenta separates from the wall of the uterus and exits the birth canal. A woman is now called not a woman in labor, but a puerperal. And a new stage in her life begins - motherhood.
