Vaginal Delivery

What is Vaginal Birth

Vaginal delivery happens when a baby is pushed down the birth canal and delivered through the vagina. Each labour and delivery is extraordinary. How long labour lasts or how it advances depends on the individual, past births, the position of the baby’s head, the size of the baby and the birth canal.

How to prepare for vaginal delivery

Women were made to birth babies, vaginal birth is painful but it does not have to be distressing. Here are a few tips to help you prepare for your birthing experience.

Start early with dieting and supplements, eat right.
Make sure you complete all your pre-birth visits and tests as planned.
Exercise routinely.
Make the time to relax during pregnancy, meditate, and quiet your mind.
Keep busy and connect with individuals who are positive. Get that nursery ready and enjoy some baby shopping.
Keep away from too much information. We always need the correct information, not an overload of it.
Everyone wants to share advice, gracious receive and refuse, it’s up to you.
Stay away from the labour horror stories, it will not help your preparation.
Get involved in birth preparation classes at your nearest hospital or with a midwife.
Learn about caring for your baby, some birth preparation classes will guide you and answer all of your questions.

Signs of Labour

Labour and birth, it is not the same for every woman or every pregnancy. Expectant mothers and their partners can be very stressed, particularly for first-time parents. Here are a couple of things to know about labour:

A tablespoon of blood or earthy colored, clingy bodily fluid comes out of your vagina, called a ‘bloody show’.
You release liquid which signifies the bursting of the water bag. Not all women experience it.
You may experience what feels like stomach cramps or pain in your lower back. These are the contractions. As these become more frequent and stronger, you know your labour is progressing and it may soon be time to head to the hospital.

Stages of Labour/Vaginal Delivery

The first stage

This stage starts when the cervix begins to soften and open, early labour contractions are further apart, during active labor, your cervix will dilate from 6 centimeters (cm) to 10 cm. Your contractions will become stronger, last longer, and be closer together. This stage is over when the cervix fully dilates to around 10 centimeters.

It’s important to time your contractions, this information helps you inform your professionals, so they can track how you are advancing.

The first stage is the longest.

The second stage

This stage covers the time between full dilation and delivery of your baby.

In the second stage you may have:

Longer and stronger contractions, with a brief breaks
Pressure in your lower area
A deep desire to push
Cramps
Burning sensations in your lower area.

Pushing

At the point when the desire to push tends to be overpowering. The pushing stage varies for every woman, some women push for longer periods of time than others. Besides the inclination to push, you are probably going to feel:

Pressure, and a compelling impulse to go to the bathroom
Stretching and burning in your vagina
The child’s head is descending
The pain is excruciating

Once the baby head crowns at the vagina, the baby needs to be removed quickly.

For some women, the vagina tears or a surgical cut is made at the opening of the vagina during childbirth, to aid a difficult delivery and prevent rupture of tissues.

The third stage

The third stage starts after your child is delivered, you now have the delivery of the placenta. In the third stage you may:

Have more contractions to oust the placenta
Your vagina feels full

Pain relief in Vaginal Delivery

There are numerous approaches to reduce pains during childbirth. Medications; narcotics, sedatives and anesthesia, along with calming techniques you may have learned in Lamaze classes may assist you with managing the pains.

Narcotics for pain, sedatives for anxiety, regional anesthesia to numb a specific part of the body and general anesthesia relaxes your muscles, puts you to sleep, and prevents you from feeling any pain.

Benefits of Vaginal Delivery

For Mother

Quicker Recovery time
Better involved with the whole procedure
Hospital stay is shorter
No danger of anesthesia
Quick postpartum care
Doesn’t affect future pregnancies

For Baby

Lower danger of respiratory issues
Regular healing from ailments
Zero reactions of anesthesia
Breastfeeding isn’t deferred

Recovery after Vaginal Delivery

Bleeding: You will bleed for 6-8 weeks postpartum
Hemorrhoids: To ease the pain, soak in a warm tub often. To avoid pain, eat a lot of fiber, yogurt, and drink a lot of water. Talk to your doctor about hemorrhoid cream.
Weakened pelvic muscles: Strengthen your pelvic muscles with exercises.
General Pain: There is a lot of medication that will help with cramps and overall pain. Talk to your doctor about it.
Soreness: Irritation after delivery is normal, particularly if you have tearing during delivery.
Emotions: Baby Blues are common postpartum, usually this appears soon after childbirth, and doesn’t last more than some weeks. If you still feel anxious and depressed after fourteen days, talk with your primary care physician, this may be a more serious, postpartum depression.
Rest: Try to rest as much as you can. You will need it and your baby will need you.