Having a baby, giving birth to a child is truly a remarkable event. It is a once in a lifetime experience, or one you may experience more than once. If more than once, you can be sure that each birth will be completely different than the one before!
Pregnancy and birth is a mystery of life. Your health care provider can't even predict with absolutes, when the happy event will occur, there are only guidelines, and signs of impending labor to watch and prepare for. As already discussed, when, where and how...is totally individual. So, forget all the bad stories you have heard and focus on your own experience, and read some good stories!
Because pregnancy and birth is a mystery, it comes with uncertainties and unknowns of how your labor will progress. This certainly is a cause for apprehension and fear. But, if your pregnancy has been going well, meaning no major problems, you're in good health, you feel baby moving, you are seeng your healthcare provider rountinely, etc., there is no reason to believe that you would have an unhealthy baby, or problems giving birth.
However, you do know the saying, even the best made plans don't turn out the way you want, or something like that. This comes back to expectations of what you want, and also being able to "go with the flow", tossing out the clock, and just letting your labor unfold in its own way. It also relates to possible unexpected events and outcomes during your pregnancy, labor, and birth.
Now, hold on. We are familiar with unknowns! Living life is FULL of unknowns, but we don't dwell on it, or so I would like to think. Everyday is a new day, "born", filled with unknowns, but we don't lock ourselves up in a closet everyday. No. We live our lives. We travel, commute to work, meet people, move to other cities, and so on , eventually returning home safely without mishap or accidents. We live life regardless of the unexpected, and manage to live with the results of the unexpected. What is different here, is that the unknown is happening to your body! You don't know how you will be feeling physically, or how you will react emotionally.
Once I had a new mother in labor and she was so worried about what was going to happen, she was very tense. All she could think about were the horrible stories she heard about labor. She kept waiting for everything she heard about to happen to her, and it didn't! As her labor intensified, progressing steadily towards near delivery of her baby, she used the breathing techniques (no epidural) learned in her childbirth class. after one hour of pushing, she delivered a healthy baby boy. Sometime later she pulled me aside and said " Ya know... that wasn't so bad after all." The point being you can psyche yourself into having a horrible time, what you expect may never happen, and sometimes events may happen that you didn't expect. But, you'll know what they are, and this will help you to respond to them.
What are some unexpected events?
-Mulitiple births: There have been incidents of ultrasounds not picking up two babies, or more in the uterus. ( Please read pg 25 in your book )
-Miscarriage: This can happen at anytime in the first trimester. It certainly is upsetting when it happens. However, it's your body's way to rid a fetus that either has not implanted well, or for other most likely unknown reasons. This does not mean you can't get pregnant again, or have to wait a period time, etc. Many women miscarry, get pregnant again and have healthy babies.
-Preterm Labor: Some women experience preterm labor which can be controlled by medications. 36 weeks and earlier of gestational age is considered preterm. This has to do with the lung maturity of the baby. 36 weeks and earlier, baby's lungs are immature and would need medical assistance for it to breathe in room air. 37 weeks or later, if baby were born, it would do well without medical intervention. If your are experiencing contractions, about 4 or more times in an hour, and they come and go throughtout the day, are earlier than 36 weeks in gestation, you may be in preterm labor. Call your healthcare provider, even if you are not sure what you are experiencing. The medication they use to stop the contractions is brethine, which causes the uterus to relax. Side effects for you may be increased heart rate, restlessness, tremor, drowiness, weakness, and headache. They may also give you another drug, a steroid, to help the lungs of the baby mature. The decision to use these treatments would depend on the results of your examination performed by your physician or Midwife.
-Fast labors: Sometimes, women experience fast labors! This is often the case if you have had more than one child. But, there are times when a first time mother has a fast labor in the hospital lasting less than three hours, and accompanied with strong contractions. If you think that your labor is happening rapidly, call your health care provider, and go to the hospital. If no one is with you to take you to the hospital, call 911, they are emergency professionals.
-The use of instruments, such as forceps and vacuum extraction to deliver baby. These are usually used in difficult deliveries, and at times when mother has been medicated, not pushing effectively, and/or overly exhausted. ( Review pg 45 in your book ) What book?
-Cesarean Birth: ( Please read pgs. 50,51,52, and 53 in your book ) What book?
Now, here is a hot topic in the USA! It is estimated that about one in four women will have a Cesarean birth. Why? It depends on your physician. So, it's a good and FAIR question to ask your physician what percentage of his/her deliveries are Cesarean, and what his/her philosophy of delivering babies is in general. Remember when Doulas were mentioned earlier, (need a review) and it was stated that research has shown that the use of a Doula with a laboring woman, decreased the rate of Cesarean births (good book-Mothering the mother, all about Doula care and research studies)? Why? Because the Doula provides emotional and physical support, which helps the laboring woman to RELAX and cope emotionally during her labor. Many times this is ALL a woman needs! Read this: Doulas and Cesarean Births)
There are many factors involved in the decision to have a Cesarean birth. The most important one is the well-being of you and your baby. Others are your labor progression, if you were medicated, your anatomy, the baby's anatomy, the size of your pelvis, the baby's position, the size of the baby, your stress level and coping abilities, fetal distress, your health during your pregnancy, and during labor. Often these factors do not present themselves untill you are in the throws of labor, and your physican makes a judgement call to perform a Cesarean birth. Many times a Cesarean birth is the only way to give birth for medical reasons in which case it will be planned by you and your physician, and performed before labor starts.
For these reasons it's best to view Cesarean birth as a medical option, if needed, depending on each individual's situation.
However, true rare emergencies do happen, and a Cesarean birth is neccessary.
- Cord Prolapse: Baby's umbilical cord is outside the opening of the cervix, and pressure from the baby's head is compressing the cord compromising oxygenation to the baby.
- Placentae Abruption: Premature separation of the placenta from the uterine wall, causing pain, bleeding, and a ridgid abdomen.
-Cephalopelvic disproportion: An incompatibility of the mother's pelvis and the size of the baby's head.
There are others briefly mentioned in your book.
Can you avoid a Cesarean Birth? You can certainly do your best by:
Throughout your pregnancy, and early labor, maintain good health, eat healthy, and drink plenty of fluids ( No dehydration aloud! ). Keep your prenatal appointments. Take your vitamins. Learn all you can about medications, and remember how they effect your body's chemistry and muscle function. Ask your physician about his/her Cesarean rate.
Take a childbirth education class to learn about medical interventions, fetal monitors, inductions, augmenting labor...etc. Learn about and know your options.
In early Labor, stay active by moving and changing positions, walk, take warm baths, use your breathing techniques with massage and visualization, and RELAX.. Avoid taking medications in early labor if you can. If you have an epidural, have the anesthesiologist decrease the amount of medication so that you may feel the contractions and work with them when it is time to push.
One last thought: It is important to say to you, should you have a Cesarean birth, you did not fail in giving birth. You carried that child for nine months, you worried, and felt amazed at the life inside you, you gave life and delivered that child into this world. You will love that child no differently than a woman who gave birth vaginally. You may feel disappointed. Allow yourself to feel so, it's alright.
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