Giving birth to a child is the most profound form of joy felt by a woman. After getting pregnant, one should discuss with her gynecologist what form of surgery they should go in for. Women have been delivering babies by normal childbirth without any complications since the old times. However, complications might arise if you don't take proper care of your body before the date of delivery. You should be careful and alert at all times so that there are no detrimental effects to you and your child.

Certain tips and guidelines should be followed so that you and your child are safe and secure during a normal delivery.

1. Diet: As soon as you know you are pregnant, you should take care of your diet. Avoid junk food and street food. Stick to a nutritious diet, which contains vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Iron and calcium rich food items should also be consumed for the healthy development of your fetus.

2. Active lifestyle: Try to exercise daily. Include light permissible yoga and also light walks during your pregnancy. You can also join a yoga fitness class for expecting mothers. This can make your body flexible and ready for a normal delivery.

3. Water: Drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water every day to keep yourself hydrated during your pregnancy.

4. Stress: Pregnancy can be extremely stressful. This can take a toll on your body and also on your unborn child's health. Also too much stress can make labor a difficult experience, as the pelvic muscles might not expand for the baby to pass through.

5. Avoid smoking and alcohol consumption: Tobacco is very harmful and might lead to birth defects in your child. Alcohol also acts as a poison. Intake of these substances should be avoided completely.

6. Prenatal class: Joining a prenatal class can be very helpful because you get to learn about giving birth and the things, which your body will be required to do during labor. This can come handy during the delivery.

7. Breathing exercise: During labor it is possible that you can experience shortness of breath. Practicing breathing exercises will help you prepare for a normal delivery.

These tips should be known by every expectant mother so that the strenuous process of a normal delivery is eased out.

Tips to Have a Normal Delivery

It is not easy to deal with labor pains. According to scientists and doctors, labor pain is a very strong sensation that a woman experiences in her lifetime. Therefore, it is important to know some tips that will help you deal with the intense pain during labor. There are some practical tools, which will help you survive labor pains on both emotional and physical levels. 

You just need to implement these tools during your labor.

Focus on the current contraction: When you get a contraction, focus on it solely. Do not agonize on the contractions you had or do not feel scared thinking about the contractions that are yet to come. You just need to focus on the present contraction without thinking about anything else. Many women think about how long they have to push before they can meet the baby. The over thinking can worsen the pain. Therefore, you should be in the present moment.
Breathe: A great tip of resisting labor pains is breathing. Various kinds of breathing techniques have been invented for labor. You can try some of those breathing techniques during your labor. If you don t remember any particular breathing technique, you can also try everyday breathing during the contractions. Breathing lets your abdominal muscles relax and helps the baby descend faster.
Try to relax: Whenever you encounter pain or stress, you tense all the muscles of your body, especially your abdominal muscles. It is important to relax during your labor pain. Although it is difficult, you should try to relax instead of getting tensed. It will make your labor smooth.
Be in a comfortable place: You should be in a place where your labor must be comfortable for you. If you are not comfortable, you will be stressed and anxious, which in turn, will make it difficult for you. When you are in a comfortable place, you will be happier and your muscles will be more relaxed.
Don t worry: Instead of worrying about your entire labor experience, focus on the task at hand. When you don t worry, you can process the contractions without being stressed. As a result, your body will also get less tired and your baby will come out faster. You need to channel your energy into pushing the baby rather than worrying and stressing.
If you follow these simple tips, you will be able to survive labor pains and give birth to a healthy baby. Nature has given women all the tools so that they can give birth to a baby naturally. You just need to trust your body and empower yourself by keeping these tips in your mind.

Labor Pain - 5 Tips to Help You Survive

Delivering a baby is a painful, but also a pleasurable moment for the mother. But if the delivery is done through a C-section surgery or what is more commonly termed as Caesarean delivery, the pain is not felt during the actual delivery since the woman in under anaesthesia. However, the real challenge is to recover from the operation. The first week is particularly critical. Here are some things you can do to manage it with less discomfort:

The first few hours, naturally, you will be under close observation till you fully regain conscience if it was a general anaesthesia. If only the lower portion was numbed for the surgery, then also the feelings in the legs etc. will return within a few hours.
You will start breastfeeding the baby; wear comfortable clothes so that you can feed the baby without any discomfort. If this is the first experience, learn things that you need to know through books or from friends and relatives who would have had a C-section earlier.
You may feel more comfortable in a recliner than a flat bed. Most hospitals should be able to provide you one.
You might be better off with a heater pad of your own, since your back may be aching considerably and bringing down the pain is essential.
Wearing a binder around your tummy is another suggestion given by many women who have had a C-section delivery; besides helping with easing the pain, it also prevents the tummy from bulging, which you would want to avoid.
Follow the obstetrician s advice on having a shower and also on resuming some of your physical activities without hurting the stitches or the sutures.
By Day 3, you should be able to resume eating your normal diet; in many cases, it could be earlier than that.
Do take care to avoid lifting anything heavy. The heaviest object you can lift is your baby. Make your husband or any other person to help you through this period to avoid any complications later.
How about medicines? If you are already on any kind of medication and if you had stopped any of them due to the surgical procedure, check with the doctor and resume taking the medicines.
Keep a close watch on the food you eat, particularly since you will also be nursing your baby. Don t hesitate to consult the doctor on things you may be fond of, but have to avoid in order to protect the kid from being affected in any way.
Pregnancy and delivery are some of the happiest moments in any mother s life; so remain cheerful throughout and enjoy the moments. If the delivery has been done through C-section, some of these extra precautions are to be observed to make it easy for yourself to recover fast.

C-Section - Tips to Help You Recover From It

According to a report by WHO, every hour about five women die in India during childbirth. Giving birth is one of the most challenging bodily functions that a woman has to perform in their life.

When it comes to the mode of delivery, there are a number of delivery options:

Normal or Vaginal Birth
C-Section or also known as Cesarean
Water Birth
Vacuum Extraction
Of the few mentioned above the most common delivery options are natural birth and C-section. The mode of delivery will be decided only after factoring in the woman s health condition, ability to endure pain etc.

Also, when it comes to deliveries, there is a lot of half-baked information floating around. The internet is one of the biggest contributor in this regard. Here are some of the most common myths -

Myths on Normal Delivery:

Myth 1: It s More Superior
Many women consider or think that being able to bring a life into the world without the aid of any painkillers or any other external interventions gives them a sense of empowerment.

Myth 2: It is Riskier
There is no definite statistic to prove that a natural birth is more risky than other delivery options.

Myth 3: A Process that comes naturally to a Woman
Another commonly held fallacy about normal delivery is that a woman s body knows exactly how to respond to a normal delivery. The common reason given is that women have been undergoing natural childbirth process since time immemorial without external interventions or assistance. Not only is a normal delivery fraught with misconceptions but so is a C-section surgery.

Myths on C-Section:

Myth 1: A C-Section is more convenient compared to a vaginal Birth
A C-Section is an invasive surgery method that comes with its own set of risks like any surgery. Doctors generally advise women to opt for a natural birth if possible.

Myth 2: You cannot undergo too many C-Sections
There is no limitation on the number of C-sections you can have in your lifetime. However, the risks of complications increase with every subsequent C-section.

It is advised that you plan the delivery option based on your health condition weeks before your due date. In some cases, C-section surgery is resorted to during the course of a vaginal birth when complications arise. 

Consult your doctor if you have queries regarding your choice.

Myths On Normal Delivery And C-Section Debunked!

C-section or Caesarean section is a surgery performed to deliver a baby. The baby is taken out from the abdomen through an incision in the abdominal wall. This surgery is performed when there is some sort of physical difficulty in natural childbirth through the vagina. Other reasons for performing a C-section are when the mother is carrying more than one baby, or the health of the baby is in danger. It could also be because of an undesirable fetal position, or when the mother is physically unable to push the baby out of the uterus. 


Procedure followed in C- Section
The procedure is most often done when the mother is in her senses and awake. However, epidural or spinal anaesthesia is provided to numb the body from chest to the feet, before the surgery is performed.


An incision is made on the lower abdomen, above the pubic area. A cut is made through the uterus and amniotic sac. The baby is pulled out from this opening. The umbilical cord is cut and cleaned. The fluids are cleaned from the baby s mouth and nose. The infant s breathing rate, heart rate and other vitals are kept under observation. 


Recovery from a C-section can take several weeks. The stitch wounds need to heal, including the recovery of pelvic muscles. It is important to walk around and do some very light exercises to boost the healing procedure. Doctors may prescribe painkillers in some cases and advice on effective post-operative care. Though the surgical procedure is quite safe now, with the use of highly advanced technology, there are risks that cannot be entirely ignored. 


Risks associated with C-section
Infections: Any surgery has some risk of infection associated to it. In the case of a C-section, an infection can occur around the site of incision that may rapidly spread in the uterine wall and other internal pelvic organs.
Haemorrhage: Blood refuses to clot and dangerously high quantity of blood is lost in the process. In such a case, it requires immediate transfusion and intensive care.
Injuries: The mother or the baby, both have a risk of getting injured during the surgery. Although these are rare, but the infant may suffer nicks and cuts while being manually pulled out from the womb. Other organs of the mother located near the pelvis may suffer minor or major wounds.


After the C-section, the mother and child will be retained in the hospital for 2 to 3 days, under intense care and constant monitoring. It is important to exercise and take the medications as advised by the physician to prevent any complication. 

C- Section - Understanding the Procedure and Risks

Premature labor is also known as preterm labor. This is the term given when the body gets ready for an early delivery in the pregnancy. Labor is considered to be premature if it starts almost three weeks prior to the due date. Premature labor usually leads to early birth, but now this can be delayed with medical help. It is better that the baby grows inside you because there are fewer chances of problems after birth. 

Risk of Preterm Labor:
Some of the things, which can increase the risk of a preterm labor are:
- Being underweight or overweight before pregnancy
- Poor prenatal care
- Use of alcohol and drugs during pregnancy
- Smoking
- Health conditions, such as preeclampsia, infections, diabetes, high blood pressure and clotting disorders
- Pregnant with a bay with birth defects
- Getting pregnant through vitro fertilization
- Pregnant with multiples like twins and triplets
- Becoming pregnant soon after having a baby

Symptoms of preterm labor:
Warning signs should be heeded to stop the stop premature labor, as acting quickly can help. Consult your doctor or midwife immediately in case you have the following:
1. Backache, especially in the lower back. Back ache can be a constant feature or might keep coming in intervals, but does not change with a change in position.
2. Contractions that take place in each 10 minutes.
3. A leaking feeling in the vagina or fluid leakage from the vagina.
4. Cramps in the lower abdomen very similar to menstrual cramps. These usually give a feeling of gas pains and come with a diarrhea.
5. Symptoms of flu like vomiting, nausea and diarrhea. Must to see a doctor if the liquids cannot be tolerated for more than 8 hours. 
6. The pressure in the vagina or pelvis increases.
7. Vaginal discharge increases.
8. There might be light bleeding from the vagina.

Ways to check for contractions
To spot and early labor one must be sure to check for the contractions. Contractions can be checked by the following:
1. When the fingertips are placed on the abdomen and the uterus feels too soft or tight then these are contractions.
2. Contractions if felt, should be timed and the starting time of these should be noted.
3. Contractions should be stopped by changing the position and drinking some water or by walking around.
4. Doctor or midwife should be contacted if the contractions occur every 10 minutes and the symptoms worsen.
5. Sometime women might experience false labor also known as Braxton Hicks contractions. These are not so strong, are erratic and stop on moving around.

Preterm Labor: What You Should Know

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