Normal childbirth: this is the sign and the process in progress

Normal childbirth is an ideal for many pregnant mothers. However, for those of you who are pregnant with their first child, the process of childbirth or giving birth to a normal baby through the vagina is usually a little scary.

Actually you don't need to worry. The reason is, when going to birth, the mother's body will naturally provide a way out to give birth to a baby in a normal way.

So, to be more courageous and ready to face birth, know the series of stages of childbirth or a normal delivery first before the actual time arrives.

What are the signs of normal delivery?

Normal childbirth is the process when a woman expels a fetus that has developed in her uterus through the vaginal opening.

Usually, this normal delivery process will occur at 40 weeks of gestation.

Therefore, when entering the final period of pregnancy, namely in the third trimester, doctors will usually advise you to be more careful and sensitive to signs of childbirth.

The signs of a normal childbirth for each woman can vary from one another. The following are signs that a mother is about to give birth:

• The position of the fetus in the uterus changes from what was on the top and legs below to the other way around.
• There is an opening of the cervix (cervix).
• Rupture of the water
• Mothers also usually experience labor contractions.

Changing the position of the baby makes it easier for the mother to apply breathing techniques during childbirth.

Reporting from the American Pregnancy page, you will experience pain or discomfort around the back, lower abdomen, pressure on the pelvis.

Unlike the fake labor contractions, the real labor contractions will not go away when you change positions, relax, or even take a walk.

Normal delivery is different from spontaneous delivery

It is important to understand that normal delivery is different from spontaneous delivery.

Spontaneous delivery is the process of vaginal delivery that takes place without the use of certain tools or drugs, be it induction, vacuum, or other methods.

So, this delivery really only relies on the energy and effort of the mother to push the baby out.

The difference between normal and spontaneous delivery lies in the use of tools (induction and vacuum) and also the position of the baby.

In spontaneous labor, labor can occur in the back of the head (fetal head first) and the buttocks (breech) percentage.

Meanwhile, with the normal birth process of the baby, delivery is usually more to the back of the head.

The process of giving birth in the normal way is generally carried out in the hospital.

Although most pregnant women give birth in the hospital, there are also mothers who prefer to give birth at home.

In addition to medical methods, mothers also strive for the smooth delivery of later births by natural induction and eating food so that they give birth quickly.

If needed, the doctor may provide medical labor induction depending on the condition of the mother and baby.

Don't forget, also prepare various childbirth preparations along with childbirth supplies from in advance.

What are the stages during the normal delivery process?

Childbirth, including the normal method or vaginally, is a unique and exciting experience.

This interesting experience can apply to those of you who are going through it for the first time or have given birth several times.

When the gestational age is close to the time of delivery, you and those around you will get ready to wait for the real delivery time.

Don't worry, because the body has the natural ability to provide a way out for the baby before normal delivery.

The muscles around the baby's outlet will usually stretch and widen so that the baby can easily pass through during a normal delivery.

There are 3 stages that the mother goes through in the labor process or gives birth to a baby normally, namely:

1. The first stage: opening of the cervix (cervix)

The first stage of normal labor or labor begins when you feel the regular contractions that cause the cervix to open up.

Compared to the other stages, it is this first normal stage of labor which tends to take the longest and longest.

This first stage of childbirth or normal delivery is divided into 3 main phases (kala), namely:

Latent (initial) phase or period

In the latent phase of labor or normal delivery, the contractions appear variable and can range from mild to strong and irregular.

At this early stage, these contractions will trigger a thinning and widening of the cervix (cervix) approximately 3-4 cm.

This condition can start several days or hours before normal delivery.

The length of time this initial phase lasts is unpredictable and can last for about 8-12 hours.

However, this time span is not absolute. Sometimes it can be very fast, sometimes it can even be long enough to move on to the next phase.

If the normal pre-delivery contractions that appear no longer disappear and occur, but feel regular, consult a doctor immediately.

The doctor will later perform a pelvic examination to find out how wide the cervix is ​​for childbirth.

However, you can actually relax and relax first at home. Try to stay relaxed and relaxed during this phase.

To make your body feel more comfortable, try to stay active during your fake labor contractions.

This aims to help dilate the cervix so that the process of normal labor or delivery becomes easier.

Active phase or time

Entering the active phase of normal childbirth, the opening of the cervix or cervix is ​​even wider.

If previously only about 3-4 cm, now the cervix can be approximately 4-9 cm wide. One of the factors is because the strength of the contractions in this phase also increases.

In addition to the intense sensation of the original labor contractions, other symptoms during this phase can include back pain, cramps, and bleeding.

You will likely also feel like water is dripping due to broken membranes.

The length of time for the active phase before normal delivery usually lasts about 3-5 hours.

If you are still at home or have not visited a doctor, in this condition you are advised to go to the hospital immediately.

The doctor will then perform a pelvic exam to find out how wide the cervix is ​​open.

That way, the time of birth or normal delivery can be predicted immediately.

The phase or moment of transition

After you have successfully passed the initial phase and are active before normal delivery, you are now in a transitional phase.

During the transitional phase, the cervix has now undergone a full delivery of up to 10 cm, which is approximately 10 fingers can enter.

Unlike the two previous phases, in this transitional phase the strength of the contractions will increase rapidly so that they feel very intense, strong, and painful.

The frequency of contractions is also quite intense, which can appear every 30 seconds to 4 minutes and last for 60-90 seconds.

The transition phase leading to normal labor or delivery usually lasts approximately 30 minutes to 2 hours.

2. The second stage: pushing and giving birth to the baby

When the doctor has declared the 10th cervical opening, this is a sign that you are ready to undergo a normal delivery process.

Some women often experience the urge to push because something in the body is about to come out.

Make sure you apply the proper way to push during childbirth.

Before the urge to push actually arises, the effect of the strong contractions should have pushed the baby into position.

The baby's head is usually in a fairly low position, aka it is very ready to go out through the vagina.

When the cervix is ​​fully open, the doctor usually recommends straining.

Then the baby's body will move towards the vagina which is the baby's birth canal in the normal way.

This pushing process during normal delivery aims to push the baby out.

Doctors and the medical team who assist you in labor, usually will also give instructions when to inhale and when to exhale.

The normal stages of labor for the baby are delivered through the vagina

The length of time for this normal delivery can vary, from a matter of minutes to hours.

If this is your first time giving birth, this normal vaginal delivery can last about 3 hours.

Meanwhile, for those of you who have been through the previous stages of labor, this process can usually take less than 2 hours.

However, back again, this time depends on the condition of the body of each mother.

When the baby's head starts to touch the vagina, the doctor will look at the baby's head and ask you to stop pushing and breathing.

This will give the perineal muscles (the muscle between the vagina and anus) time to stretch so that you will then give birth slowly.

Sometimes, doctors can also perform an episiotomy procedure or vaginal scissors to speed up the birth process.

An episiotomy is a minor surgery in which the skin and muscles of the perineum are incised to widen the vagina and make it easier for the baby to pass out at birth.

In order not to feel pain, you will be given a local anesthetic. After the baby is born, these incisions will then be sutured back together.

3. The third stage: removing the placenta

Feeling relieved and happy may not be enough to express the emotion after successfully giving birth to a baby normally.

However, your struggle is not over here.

Now, you are entering the final stages of labor, where you still have to try to get the placenta out.

The placenta is an organ that protects and maintains the baby's life while in the womb.

In this condition, the uterus continues to contract, triggering the placenta to pass through the vagina.

There are two ways you can do to remove the placenta from the uterus. First, it involves taking action to speed up the normal birth process at this stage.

The mother will be injected with medicine so that she does not have to push and try harder.

Here, the drug will stimulate the appearance of contractions, then the doctor will slowly pull the placenta out.

While the second, takes place naturally or without medical action.

It's just that you have to keep trying to push so that the placenta will eventually separate from the uterine wall.

Finally, the placenta comes out of itself through the vagina.

In addition, making skin-to-skin contact and initiating early initiation of breastfeeding (IMD) can help accelerate expulsion of the placenta.

Is it okay to give birth normally after myomectomy?

Normal childbirth can also be undertaken for those of you who have had previous myomectomy procedures.

Myomectomy is the surgical removal of uterine fibroids, aka benign uterine tumors. Myomectomy actually does not close your chances of getting pregnant.

This is because the myomectomy procedure only removes tumor cells and tissue in the uterus so that the uterus is still intact.

However, this type of surgery raises concerns for expectant mothers who still want to give birth normally.

In fact, a normal delivery after myomectomy can still be done, but with a big enough risk.

As reported by the Mayo Clinic page, myomectomy can pose certain risks during childbirth.

If the surgeon needs to make a deep enough incision in the uterine wall, your gynecologist will likely recommend a c-section.

This action is done to avoid the risk of uterine rupture during the normal birth process.

This condition is at risk of endangering the health of both mother and baby.

Is it normal to defecate during childbirth?

Although just imagining it is embarrassing, defecating during childbirth is a very natural thing to happen as long as the mother applies the normal way of giving birth.

Actually, the normal stage of labor is almost the same as when you are having a bowel movement. The muscles used for straining are the same as the pelvis and lower abdomen.

That is why, when your stomach aches due to stomach pain or is about to give birth, these muscles contract.

In addition, when the baby has slowly moved towards the vaginal opening, he will press on the part of the intestine and rectum that may contain food debris that has not been expelled.

This is also what then makes you pass the stool when the birth process or normal birth takes place.

Not necessarily the feeling of wanting to defecate is true because it could be the effect of the baby being born normally. Therefore, you don't need to worry about this.

The length of time of labor for each woman is not the same

Of course there are reasons why there are mothers who prefer a normal birth process or give birth to a baby in a different way compared to a cesarean section.

The reason why mothers choose the normal way of giving birth or giving birth is because the recovery time tends to be shorter.

Mothers can also breastfeed their babies immediately after the birth process or the normal birth of the baby is over.

Every woman has a different body condition. On that basis also, the length of time spent in labor from start to finish by each woman will also not be the same.

In fact, the length of time it takes for each stage of the normal birth process will also be different.

If this is your first birthing experience, it could take 12-14 hours in total.

However, the total time is usually much shorter for delivery in subsequent pregnancies.

Moreover, because the pain that the mother feels during childbirth or normal delivery is also not always the same.

It's just that, the pain during a normal birth process ranges from cramps in the uterine muscles, pressure in several parts of the body, to the impact of medication.

That is why doctors usually give the mother anesthesia to help relieve pain.

Pain during a normal birth can also be managed by applying childbirth methods such as water births, gentle births, and hypnobirthing.

Hopefully after reading the explanation above, it can help you not to be afraid and worried about giving birth again when the time comes, yes!

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