Pregnancy is a time of excitement and anticipation for many women. Bringing a child into the world is a beautiful gift and a life-changing experience. But as precious as that gift is, it’s never an easy process. As a woman, you’d undergo various changes and relatively new experiences throughout your body, from conception throughout the nine-month period the baby spends in your womb. Also, as your due date draws near, you may begin to feel nervous, wondering what to expect during delivery, most especially if it’s your first pregnancy. It is important to note that changes in the body during pregnancy are unique to each mother and infant. In addition, different women have completely different experiences with each new labour and delivery.
Although going through the labour process and delivery is better understood when experienced rather than explained, we hope that this guide will help you prepare for this important day and have a clear idea of what to expect during delivery.
What To Expect At Delivery
First, it is important to understand that there are different types of deliveries. A vaginal delivery is the most common type and involves the baby being born through the birth canal. On the other hand, a cesarean section (C-section) is a surgical procedure in which the baby is delivered through an incision in the mother’s abdomen. Your healthcare provider will discuss the best delivery option for you based on your individual needs and circumstances.
Vaginal Delivery
During a vaginal delivery, you may feel a range of sensations including pain, pressure, and discomfort. To help manage these sensations, you may be offered some pain relief options. Your healthcare provider will discuss these options with you in advance so you can make an informed decision.
Early phases of labour:
It is impossible to predict when labour will begin. However, here are some signs that you should look out for:
- Lightening: This occurs when your baby’s head drops down into your pelvis in preparation for delivery. Your belly may look smaller and you may find it easier to breathe because your baby doesn’t congest your lungs anymore. You may also feel an increased need to urinate because your baby is pressing on your bladder. This can occur between a few weeks to a few hours from the start of labour.
- Bloody-stained discharge: You will notice a blood-stained or brownish discharge from your cervix. This is the released mucus plug that has sealed off the womb from infection. This can happen days before or at the beginning of labour.
- Diarrhea: As your labour approaches, you may experience frequent loose stools.
- Amniotic sac ruptures: This is commonly described as your “water breaking.” The amniotic sac is the fluid-filled membrane surrounding your baby. This sac ruptures hours before the baby is born, but in some cases remains intact until during delivery. Most likely, your water will break before you go into labor or at the very beginning of labor. When this happens, you will experience a gush of fluid from your vagina. This fluid should be clear and odorless so if it’s yellow, green, or brown, inform your doctor immediately. Most women go into labour within 24 hours after their water breaks. If labour does not occur naturally within this period, your doctor may have to induce labour to prevent infections and delivery complications.
- Contractions: Contractions are the tightening and releasing of your uterus. These motions will ultimately help your baby push through the cervix. Contractions can feel like heavy cramping or pressure that begins in your back and moves to the front. Contractions are not a reliable indicator of labour and you may have already experienced some of it as early as your second trimester. Therefore, the general rule is that when you are having contractions that last for a minute, are five minutes apart, and have been so for an hour, you are in true labour.
- Before delivery, your healthcare provider will monitor your labor to determine the progression and make sure that both you and the baby are in good health. When it is time to deliver, you will be taken to a delivery room where you will be surrounded by medical staff who will be there to support and assist you throughout the process. You will also be connected to monitoring equipment that will track your contractions and the baby’s heart rate. This will help your healthcare provider monitor the progression of labour and ensure that both you and your baby are safe.
- Cervix dilation: The cervix is the lowest part of the uterus that opens into the vagina connecting the uterine cavity to the vagina. During labour, the cervix facilitates delivery of the baby by dilating, or opening up large enough to allow the baby through. Active labour is considered to be underway when the cervix is dilated 3 centimeters or more.
Labor and Delivery
After the cervical canal opens your baby is now able to pass into the birth canal. As the baby enters the vagina, the labia and perineum stretch to maximum stretching. At this point, you may feel a severe burning sensation in that area. Once the baby’s head begins to crown, you will be asked to push to help deliver the baby. Your healthcare provider will guide you through this process and offer support and encouragement. As the baby’s head emerges, you will feel great relief from the pressure, but will still feel some discomfort. After the baby is born, the umbilical cord will be cut and the baby will be placed on your chest for skin-to-skin contact.
After your baby has been delivered, the placenta comes next. The placenta and the amniotic sac supported and protected the baby for nine months. Delivering the placenta can happen immediately after your baby is born, or it may take as long as half an hour later.
Cesarean Section (C-Section)
The first step in a C-section procedure is preparing you for anesthesia. Most planned C-sections are performed with an epidural, so you are awake during the procedure. However, in some cases, you will be asleep under general anesthesia during the procedure. Your healthcare provider will make an incision in your abdomen and uterus, and the baby will be delivered through the opening. This will be followed by severing the umbilical cord, removing the placenta, and then closing the incisions with stitches and staples. After that, you will be taken to a recovery room to rest and recover. If you are awake during your C-section, you will be able to see and hold your baby shortly after birth.
Emergency C-sections follow the same procedures; however, the speed at which your baby is removed is different. The delivery takes about 10 to 15 minutes during a planned C-section. In an emergency C-section, your provider removes your baby in only a few minutes.
Delivery can be an exciting and nerve-wracking time for many women. Regardless of the type of delivery, it is important to remember that every birth is unique and may not go exactly as planned. It is therefore important to be open-minded and flexible and to trust in the expertise of your healthcare provider. Regular ante-natal visits, discussing your fears and worries with your physician, and talking to other mothers as they share their experiences can go a long way in helping you understand the process. If you understand what to expect and are prepared, you will be able to feel more confident and in control during this important day.
