This is called 'lightening'. Some women find the sac of amniotic fluid containing the baby breaks before labour, contractions start and the fluid runs or gushes out of the vagina. This is referred to as rupture of the membranes, or 'waters breaking'. Let your maternity team know when your waters have broken and take notice of the colour of the fluid. It is usually light yellow. If it is green or red, tell your maternity team since this could mean the baby is having problems.
If your waters have broken but you have not started having regular contractions within 24 hours, you may need your labour to be induced because there is a risk of infection. Your midwife or doctor will talk to you about this. Movies often show women suddenly being struck by painful contractions and rushing to hospital. In real life, many women are not sure if they have actually started their labour.
You may feel restless, have back pain or period-like pain, or stomach disturbances such as diarrhoea. Labour officially begins with contractions, which start working to open up the cervix. You should phone your midwife when your contractions start, although you probably won't be encouraged to come to the hospital or birthing centre until your contractions are closer together.
Your pelvis is located between your hip bones. Women typically have wider, flatter pelvises than men, as well as a wider pelvic cavity hole to allow a baby to pass through. The organs sitting in a woman's pelvis include the uterus, cervix and vagina, which are held together by a group of muscles. During childbirth, the muscles at the top of your uterus press down on the baby's bottom. Your baby's head then presses on your cervix which, along with the release of the hormone oxytocin see 'How hormones help you give birth', below , brings on contractions.
Your cervix should dilate so your baby can pass through it. Your pelvis has bones and ligaments that move or stretch as the baby travels into the vagina. Your baby also has spaces between the skull bones called 'sutures', and the gaps where the sutures meet on the skull are called fontanelles. This allows for the baby's head to mould as the skull bones meet or overlap, allowing it to fit more easily as it travels through your pelvis. Your body produces hormones that trigger changes in your body before, during and after childbirth.
Here's how they work to help you deliver your baby. Sometimes, labour needs to be induced or started. There are a few ways to induce labour , including the mother being offered synthetic prostaglandin.
And it all got much easier once the epidural kicked in. To me, it felt like a menstrual pain that was more painful than normal but not excruciating. Actually, the worst part was how a contraction would kick in whenever the nurse put the baby monitor on my stomach! It feels like cramping when you get your period, just a little more intense. And the pushing is a relief. Once you hold the baby you forget all about the pain you were in.
A handful of women mentioned that the pain didn't escalate until their water broke. Here are their experiences. It was more of a tightening that got worse and worse until it peaked, then dropped off. If I could have had this particular pain once an hour or even once every 15 minutes, I'd have been able to tolerate it. But the fact that just as soon as you get through one contraction another is coming, that's what wears you down. The pain was so bad that in the middle of one contraction I imagined that I walked away from my body.
I tried to picture myself walking on the beach. Of course, that didn't work and my next thought was of the epidural. It felt like someone had taken hold of my insides and were wringing them out like a wet dishrag. It appears that the majority of moms who participated in our survey opted for an epidural—and were happy they did. After eight hours of labor pains I opted for the epidural.
I had immediate relief. The breathing I learned in class helped, but it was hard to concentrate because of the pain. Thank God for the epidural—from someone who was not sure if she was going to get it when she first went to the hospital! The best way I can think to describe it is to say that it felt like my stomach was getting an extremely bad cramp—like a charley horse , but in my stomach! The pain was really bad, but I'm not afraid to go through labor again. Some moms went with unmedicated childbirth and managed their pain in other ways.
I've had IV drugs, an epidural, and nothing. I honestly preferred nothing. I did not find that this really relieved my pain but rather made my labor feel like a nasty stomach virus.
I swore I would never have anesthesia again because of how awful I felt afterwards. My second baby was born naturally. I found this labor to be much easier to cope with. The pain was very intense, but it was a clean pain almost like a sports injury. But you may naturally have looser and more frequent bowel movements before contractions begin. What to do: As you push, a nurse is at your feet ready to clean up.
Your partner probably won't see any of this from the head of the bed. And if he does? It's unlikely your baby will be born in your Honda. In fact, it's much more common for a first-time mom to arrive during early labor when the cervix is dilated less than 4 centimeters , which can last hours to a few days, and be sent home.
To avoid a U-turn, call your provider when your water breaks or when contractions fit the rule: every five minutes and lasting one minute, continuing for an hour. The stress of the hospital can stall labor if you arrive prematurely, McMoyler says; it's best to spend early labor on a walk or at home tidying up. And in the unlikely case of a backseat delivery, if you were to cut the cord, clear the baby's nostrils and mouth, and swaddle him , the baby would likely be perfectly okay, says James Woods, Jr.
Early labor, when your cervix begins to dilate and thin out, varies wildly. It can last a few hours or go on for days. But for many women, this stage, which starts with mild contractions , isn't particularly uncomfortable. Active labor, when the cervix dilates to 10 centimeters and contractions are longer and more intense, typically lasts about eight hours. And most doctors won't let you go longer than 24 hours once your water has broken.
Indeed, Jennifer Krupp, M. However, "the only part of an epidural that hurts is when they numb the area first with a tiny needle," she reassures.
And "most anesthesiologists work behind you, so you won't see it," Dr. Krupp says. The hardest part of getting an epidural in active labor is that you have to sit still through contractions. Labor Tips for First Time Moms. By Catherine Ryan Gregory. Save Pin FB More. Considering home birth? Be aware of the risks and know that not every woman is a good candidate. And you should definitely have a physician or certified midwife present. Once your contractions are in full swing, your labor should progress just like a non-induced labor.
Even if you have your heart set on a vaginal delivery, 1 in 3 moms ends up requiring a C-section. There are a number of reasons your doctor might schedule one:. In short: You may, though a number of factors can increase or decrease your odds.
Emotionally, in the first weeks after birth you may have the baby blues or feel jittery, excited, overwhelmed or frustrated. Hang in there. Gradually over time, the symptoms will recede, you will start bonding with your baby, and you will feel like having sex again. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations.
Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy. The educational health content on What To Expect is reviewed by our medical review board and team of experts to be up-to-date and in line with the latest evidence-based medical information and accepted health guidelines, including the medically reviewed What to Expect books by Heidi Murkoff.
This educational content is not medical or diagnostic advice.
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