Pregnancy is a beautiful journey and a wonderful experience for any mums.

Right from the conceptions to your D-day; childbirth requires proper planning.

You need to start planning ahead so that you can make choices about your labor and delivery. Here’s a step-by-step guide to prepare you for what lies ahead.

 

1. Natural Birth or Caesarean?

 

During vaginal birth, the mother will experience labor as her cervix dilates. Uterine contractions, which feel like super-strong menstrual cramps, move the baby’s head toward the vaginal opening, where it emerges after pushing. Some women opt for pain relief like an epidural, while others go medication-free. You’ll probably be able to hold your little one immediately after the birth. Labor and delivery can last 8-12 hours for first-time moms, and it’s usually quicker for subsequent births.

 

A C-section operation, on the other hand, usually takes about 45 minutes from start to finish (the baby is born in the first 10 to 15 minutes). The vast majority of C-sections are performed while the mother is awake, and she usually receives a spinal block to numb the lower half of the body. The surgery itself won’t hurt due to the spinal block, although you may feel pressure during your C-section and a tugging sensation when the baby is pulled out.

 

 

2. Pain Relief

Labour can be painful, so it’s important to learn about all the ways that you can relieve the pain. It’s also helpful for whoever is going to be with you during your labour to know about the different options, as well as how they can support you.

There are a number of options to help relieve the pain of being in labour.

 

 

Gas (Entonox)

This is a mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide gas. It won’t remove all the pain but it can help to reduce it and make it more bearable. Many women like it because it’s easy to use and they control it themselves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Epidural

 

An epidural is an injection that numbs the nerves that carry pain from the birth canal to the brain. For most women, an epidural usually gives complete pain relief.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pethidine (related to morphine and heroin)

Pethidine is a strong painkiller given by injection. It helps reduce the severity of the pain but does not take it away completely.

 

 

 

 

 

3. Packing your Hospital Bag

 

What to pack in a baby hospital bag?

Once you’re around 34 weeks pregnant, it’s time to start preparing for your delivery date. One of the most important is packing the hospital bag.

 

Homecoming Outfit for Baby: Pack a newborn-size kimono-style shirt, with footed pants so you don’t have to bring socks. You’ll likely get a receiving blanket and hat in the hospital, so skip those unless you’ve got your heart set on a specific style.

Homecoming Outfit for You: Here’s a hint: You’ll probably still look about 5 months pregnant, so skip your non-maternity skinnies and pack your favourite maternity dress or leggings and a tunic.

An Extra Bag or Two: With all the goodies from the hospital—diapers, blankets, and creams and all the gifts from well-wishers, you’re bound to have more stuff coming out than you did going in.

 

As well as the items on our check-list below, you will probably want to add in some personal bits and bobs too – phone and chargers, books and magazines and perhaps a list of phone numbers for friends and family if your partner does not necessarily have all of them stored on his phone. For example:

• Maternity bra or Nursing bras – pack two or three comfortable bras
• Nightwear for breastfeeding – large top or nightdress that opens at the front to make breastfeeding easier
• Breast pads
• Maternity pads and lots of spare knickers (disposable ones are particularly helpful too!)
• Toiletries and a towel – basics including toothpaste and toothbrush, deodorant, flannel and shower stuff
• Hairbrush and ties/clips for long hair – this can be especially helpful during labour when you’re likely to get very hot or hijab
• Snacks/cartons of drink
• Snacks for post-birth to give you energy e.g. cereal bars, water, juice
• Plastic bag for dirty clothes
• Antiseptic wipes – particularly if you’re worried about shared toilets

 

 

4. Labour & Delivery

Labour is traditionally divided into three stages:

• ​Stage 1 — process of dilatation of the cervix which is divided into: a) Latent phase — dilatation and thinning of the cervix to 3 cm b) Active phase — continued dilatation and thinning of the cervix from 3 to 10 cm (full dilation = 10 cm)
• Stage 2 — delivery of the baby after full dilatation
• Stage 3 — delivery of the placenta​

 

The length of labour​ varies for different women. The average active phase of labour lasts for 8–12 hours in your first pregnancy. Labour is often shorter for subsequent pregnancies.

 

 

• Stage 1 — Latent Phase

Duration: variable, from a few hours to a few days.

This is often the least painful stage of the labour. During this phase, you may experience very non-specific symptoms such as a mild backache, abdominal cramps, bloody show or passing of the mucous plug. Ambulation can help by distracting you from these symptoms and hasten this phase. You may start to prepare to head for the hospital once the contractions increase or if your water bag bursts. ​

 

• Stage 1 — Active Phase

Duration: 8–12 hours (about 1 cm per hour of dilatation).

During this phase, the contractions increase in intensity and frequency, lasting for up to 45 seconds at times. By this time, you should have been in the hospital for an internal vaginal examination to assess the extent of cervical dilatation. You would have been admitted into the delivery suite for the management of this phase of labour.

 

It is a common practice to manage your labour actively. This entails artificially rupturing your membranes and getting you started on an intravenous medication known as oxytocin to maximize your contractions if needed.

 

The rupture of the membranes enables your doctor to assess the colour of the liquor to see if meconium (motion) has been passed out by your baby, which may indicate that your baby is under stress. Be assured that there is nothing unnatural about this as it merely serves to assist your natural delivery process. Furthermore, it does not increase your chance of having a caesarean section.

 

You will also be offered a variety of pain relief options.

 

• Stage 2 — Delivery of Your Baby

Duration: It can take from a few minutes up to a few hours or more to push your baby into the world.

It might take longer for first-time moms and women who’ve had an epidural.

 

This is the stage where you are required to work the hardest to help push your baby out. Your doctor and/or the midwives will be beside you to help guide you​ through this. You may notice an urge to bear down owing to the pressure of the baby’s head on your perineum and back passage.

 

Your health care provider will ask you to bear down during each contraction or tell you when to push. Or you might be asked to push when you feel the need. When you push, don’t hold tension in your face. Bear down and concentrate on pushing where it counts.

 

This may be accompanied by the passage of faeces and urine but do not be embarrassed. At some point, you might be asked to push more gently — or not at all. Slowing down gives your vaginal tissues time to stretch rather than tearor episiotomy.

 

At times, your obstetrician may even need to assist you by using either a vacuum or forceps device  to help deliver the baby’s head.

 

• Stage 3 — Delivery of the Placenta

Duration: 5–30 minutes. ​

Once the baby is delivered, your uterus will continue to squeeze out the placenta so that it separates from the wall of the uterus.

 

This separation process is usually accompanied by a sudden gush of blood from your vagina. Prior to this, the baby’s cord blood will be collected​. You can help at this stage by remaining patient while your episiotomy or vaginal tear is being repaired.

 

In almost all cases, we do actively manage your third stage of labour. This includes administering an intramuscular injection of oxytocin after the delivery of your baby, followed by the delivery of the placenta through a controlled cord traction technique. Again, this has been found to reduce the incidence of post-delivery bleeding.

 

Rarely, separation does not occur, and this results in a retained placenta. In addition to causing discomfort, it can also give rise to increased bleeding. Under these circumstances, it may be wise to have your doctor remove it manually by inserting his hand into your womb through the vagina under a general or regional anaesthesia.

 

Some patients may opt to claim back the placenta for personal or religious reasons. For others, the hospital would dispose of it in an appropriate manner.