Childbirth includes three main stages - disclosure, expulsion of the fetus and the exit of the placenta. Each of them has its own characteristics that a pregnant woman should know about.
Labor pains and disclosure
Childbirth is a complex physiological process that includes three main stages - opening, expulsion, release of the placenta. Contractions mark the beginning of labor, and they gradually lead to the opening of the uterus. Each fight is characterized by strength and duration. During the first stage, the cervix opens up to 4 cm, the dense bladder opens (naturally or in an auxiliary way) and the amniotic fluid comes out. The second phase (active) is characterized by the opening of the cervix up to 8 cm, during this period the rate of opening is quite high - 1-2 cm per hour. The third phase is characterized by full expansion, the total period of which lasts from 5-8 to 8-12 hours.
Expulsion of the fetus
The period from the full dilation of the cervix to the birth of the child is usually called the period of fetal expulsion. It is characterized by pushing, as a result of which the muscles of the woman's anterior abdominal wall and the diaphragm create voluntary contractions. During expulsion, the fetus begins to move, in the path of which there are obstacles from the side of the pelvis. The biomechanism of childbirth depends on several factors, the most important of which is fetal presentation (head, pelvic, mixed or leg presentation).
During pushing, you should strictly adhere to the instructions of the obstetrician to reduce the risk of injury to the perineum.
Successive period
This is a period of time that begins with the moment the baby is born and ends with the birth of the placenta - the fetal membrane and the placenta. It occurs in two stages: separation of the placenta and its isolation (birth). On average, this process should take about 30 minutes. The first 2-3 hours after the release of the placenta is usually called the early postpartum period, during which the woman is in the delivery room and gets to know her baby, applies it to the breast. After that, they are transported on a gurney to the ward, where the mother and baby will stay for the next 3 days.
If the afterbirth is further in the uterus, it is removed by obstetricians.
What is important to know?
At 38-39 weeks of pregnancy, it is worth visiting a gynecologist who will check the readiness of the cervix for labor. It happens that the fetus sinks low enough, and the neck is absolutely firm, in this case, special suppositories or other drugs will be prescribed to help avoid problems.
