Delivery Health Feed

Pregnancy and childbirth are some of the most important functions of a woman’s life, and they have a life long bearing on how her body functions as well. Normal delivery or vaginal delivery is something that a majority of women prefer because it is one of the most normal ways of delivering a baby without having to go through an invasive or surgically induced method that will also include the aid of medication. So what all can you expect when you are going through a normal or vaginal delivery? Here is a quick list.

1. Birth plan: During the final trimmest of your pregnancy and especially during the ninth month, it is important to have a birthing plan in place. By this time, it will be clear that you are going through your pregnancy in a normal manner without any problems or complications that may have a bearing on the way you will deliver the child. It will be pretty clear that you are going to have a normal delivery, in which case it is important to talk to your doctor and your partner about who will be with you when you deliver the child, and at what point you may ask for an epidural. Also, remember to include the complications that can lead to the employment of other delivery methods like forceps or a caesarean section.
2. Early phase of delivery: During the early phase of your delivery, the amniotic sac, which is a fluid-filled protective sac, will burst. This sac usually protects the baby. Once this water breaks, you will be in active labour. For many women, the contractions and labour pains begin before the water actually breaks, in which case, the doctor may have to rupture the sac manually or with the help of medication.
3. Contractions: The tightening and releasing of your uterus is known as a contraction. These contractions will start to come in lesser intervals as the delivery progresses. It is important to keep track of the number of minutes between each contraction as this will help the doctor monitor the delivery. These may not be the most reliable indicator of the progression of your labour and delivery, because sometimes, these contractions may also be false alarms like Braxton Hicks contractions, which may happen at various points during your third trimester.
4. Opening of the Cervix: The opening or dilation of the cervix will usually take place eventually along with the contractions. Usually, cervix is about 3 to 4 centimeters in length with a passage connecting the vagina with the uterine cavity. When this dilation reaches 10 centimeters, it means that the baby is ready to start crowning. At this point, the contractions will also be closer and you will be urged to begin pushing so that the baby may enjoy safe passage.

Babies can enter this world in one of two ways: Pregnant women can have either a vaginal birth or a surgical delivery by Caesarean section, but the ultimate goal is to safely give birth to a healthy baby.

A C-section or Caesarean section is a surgical procedure to remove the baby through an incision in the mother’s abdomen and then a second incision in the uterus.

A C-section may be a necessity in certain situations, such as delivering a very large baby in a mother with a small pelvis, or if the baby is not in a head-down position and efforts to turn the baby before a woman gives birth have been unsuccessful.

Sometimes the decision by an obstetrician to perform a C-section is unplanned, and it is done for emergency reasons because the health of the mother, the baby, or both of them is in jeopardy. This may occur because of a problem during pregnancy or after a woman has gone into labor, such as if labor is happening too slowly or if the baby is not getting enough oxygen.

Some C-sections are considered elective, meaning they are requested by the mother for non-medical reasons before she goes into labor. A woman may choose to have a C-section if she wants to plan when she delivers or if she previously had a complicated vaginal delivery.

Reasons for a C-section may include-

1. Health problems in the mother
2. The mother carrying more than one baby
3. The size or position of the baby
4. The baby’s health is in danger
5. Labor is not moving along as it should

The surgery is relatively safe for mother and baby. Still, it is major surgery and carries risks. It also takes longer to recover from a C-section than from vaginal birth. It can raise the risk of having difficulties with future pregnancies. Some women may have problems attempting a vaginal birth later. Still, many women are able to have a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC).

How You Might Feel-

You won’t feel any pain during the C-section, although you may feel sensations like pulling and pressure. Most women are awake and simply numbed from the waist down using regional anesthesia during a C-section.

That way, they are awake to see and hear their baby being born. A curtain will be over your abdomen during the surgery, but you may be able to take a peek as your baby is being delivered from your belly.

However, women who need to have an emergency C-section occasionally require general anaesthesia, so they’re unconscious during the delivery and won’t remember anything or feel any pain.

Recovering from a C-section-

After a C-section, a woman may spend two to four days in the hospital, but it may take her up to six weeks to feel more like herself again.

Her abdomen will feel sore from the surgery and the skin and nerves in this area will need time to heal. Women will be given narcotic pain medications to take the edge off any post-surgery pain, and most women use them for about two weeks afterwards.

A woman may also experience bleeding for about four to six weeks after a surgical birth. She is also advised to not have sex for a few weeks after her C-section and to also avoid strenuous activities, such as lifting heavy objects.

Pregnancy is usually one of the most important times in a woman’s life. Pregnancies are divided into four terms. These include the early term where the delivery happens after 37 weeks, the full term where delivery happens after 39 weeks, the later term where the delivery takes place after 41 weeks and the fourth or post-term stage where the delivery happens after 42 weeks.

If a pregnancy lasts for two weeks longer than the expected due date, a woman is more likely to experience complications. In such situations, it is recommended that a woman induce the labour or has it done by a doctor.

The medical ways to induce labour are as follows:
1. Cervical ripening helps in making the unborn baby anxious and come out of the womb.
2. Breaking or bursting of the amniotic sac that covers the baby within the uterus. This gets the labour started and is also known as amniotomy.
3. Using oxytocin to induce labour as it tends to ripen the cervix and making more space for the delivery around the uterus by lubricating it further.
4. Naturally occurring chemicals like prostaglandins might be used. These tend to soften the cervix to allow cervical stretching. These can either be delivered to the vagina or taken as an oral medication.

It is highly important that women speak with their doctors or specialists to talk about methods of inducing labor since some of the methods mentioned above might turn out to work for some, whereas for the others, they may not be as useful or could also turn out to be harmful. There are chances that a woman might get highly annoyed because of the delay during the post-term stage. However, one should always give different relaxation techniques a try.

Conceiving a baby is one of the most joyous experiences for a couple and it can be a healthy one as well if the couple is aware of pre- and post-conception care. While it is true that these days couples are more aware of family planning and pregnancy than they were in the earlier days, it still makes sense to make pre- and post-conception care a part of life when going for a baby.

It is important because:

• It helps one get pregnant faster – Many times, couples looking to get pregnant think that getting off the pill is sufficient to get pregnant but this is not true. Getting off the pill is just the first step towards conceiving and it has to be supplemented with other steps such as keeping a tab on the ovulation cycle, having intercourse at the most favorable time and with the right technique, eating a nutritious diet, saying no to unhealthy habits such as smoking and drinking and much more. It is only when a couple follows these other steps that the woman can get pregnant and this is why it is important to be aware of these pre-conception care steps as they ensure quicker pregnancy.
• It ensures healthy pregnancy – The nine months of pregnancy are a delicate time for the mother-to-be and she needs to take care of her health to make sure that her baby is also fine. She needs to eat healthily and abstain from harmful lifestyle activities, before as well as after conceiving. Pre-conception care makes sure that the fetus is healthy right from the beginning. The practice of healthy habits and lifestyle prior to and after conception makes the uterus fit to carry the fetus. It ensures that the mother-to-be is also in the right state of mind and body to sail through the pregnancy.
• It minimizes the chance of miscarriage and post-delivery complications – Miscarriage is something that creates fear in the minds of women and if they have had a history of abortion then they are even more concerned. However, if they know the necessary things about pre - and post-conception care and follow it, they can minimize the chances of miscarriage and also deliver the baby safely. Also, proper care makes sure there are no birth defects in the child and the mother and the baby are healthy after the delivery.

Basic few blood tests need to be done prior to planning pregnancy so that if any variation found, it can be corrected. Also, those women who are already on certain pills, need to reassure that medications that they are taking are safe.

Pre-conception care is vital not just for women but also for men. The latter also need to follow a healthy lifestyle in order to make conception a reality. Healthy lifestyle results in increased sperm count and healthier sperm, which when fertilizes with the eggs, results in a healthy embryo. As for post-conception care, it rests with the woman but being the father-to-be, the man also needs to be educated and mentally prepared for the pregnancy.

He needs to give emotional support to the mother of his child and look after her during the nine months. So, pre- and post-conception care is for the man as well as the woman and therefore, both should learn and get themselves educated about the same.

On a pain scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the most severe, labour pain is one of the most severe pain forms. Most women would agree that life after childbirth feels like a second lease of life. Life takes a complete turn after childbirth, with the added responsibility of having to care for the newborn. In addition, the mother herself has a lot to recuperate from, including the stress of pregnancy and the pain that was endured during delivery. The uterus, which expands to accommodate the growing baby shrinks back to its size which causes severe pain.

While there are chemical medications to the rescue, homoeopathy also offers an effective remedy to manage this phase of life. As with all conditions, homoeopathy believes in treating the individual as a whole and not just provide symptomatic relief. Your homoeopath will ask you a number of questions to arrive at a diagnosis and base treatment on that, which is highly customised.

While the following four products are commonly used, it is always advised to not self-medicate in homoeopathy.

1. Caulophyllum: Made of Blue Cohosh, this is commonly used during pregnancy and post labour. During labour, it is helpful if the labour is not progressing with the lack of cervical dilation and irregular contractions. Post labour, it is used if the patient has erratic, shooting, or wandering pains that are unbearable. These pains are also coupled with nausea and vomiting. The pain is, however, intermittent and sharp. The patient will be very hungry, chilly, thirsty, weak, exhausted. The woman will also be nervous and excitable.
2. Cimicifuga [Cimic]: This is useful in women who have postpartum pains that are intense in the groin area, thighs, hips and back. It helps in cervical dilation and reducing rigidity during examination postpartum. The woman is apprehensive, confused, and paranoid.
3. Pulsatilla: Made from the windflower, it is useful in women who are tearful, sensitive, shy, affection, and requires reassurance. When this reassurance is lacking, she might feel sad, alone, anxious, fearful, or abandoned. There is also an expectation of hugs, consolation, and self-pity. The pain worsens around dusk, the patient craves fatty foods and wishes to be out in the open. There could be other symptoms including varicose veins, nausea, chronic chest congestion, runny nose, and headaches.
4. Sepia: There is a severe, bearing down pain as if the uterus and everything along with it would just pop out. The patient would have severe depression, indifference to the baby, might have never wanted the baby in the first place. She would be sad, offended easily, and irritable. She might have had children with short intervals.

Talk to your homoeopath and there are definitely ways to relieve the postpartum pains completely.