For nine long months your baby has been actively growing in the uterus. Now has come the time for him to step out into the world for himself.

_{USAF photo by Tech. Sgt. Suzanne M. Day 2 October 2008 via wikimedia commons}

To make this possible, nature has been preparing your own pelvic organs by softening the tissues in some mysterious manner so that they can stretch to allow the baby through. These are not sudden changes; they have been going on for the past several months. When all is ready, something inside you gives the order and the powerful uterine contractions begin. This is referred to as ”labour.” It is well named, for you certainly have some exciting work ahead of you!

At first you may feel a vague discomfort in the abdomen, followed by tightening of the muscles. These contractions, mild at first, later become stronger and more regular. Try as you will, you cannot control them, nor can you hurry them along. These early contractions last only a few seconds. Nature is busy just smoothing out the passageway for the baby. As labour progresses, these contractions become more frequent and may last half a minute or more. There may also be a slight show of mucus, and in some cases, with a little blood. This is not abnormal. However, if there is a lot of bleeding, you should notify your doctor at once.

Some time during labour, the amniotic sac, or “bag of waters,” will rupture. The sudden rush of fluid prepares the way for the baby and is a part of the normal process of birth. Now that labour has started the nurse will probably give you an enema and also a bath to make you feel more comfortable.

FIRST STAGE OF LABOUR

You are now in the first stage of labour. The baby is moving into the proper position, and each contraction helps to open the way. Try to rest as much as possible between contractions. You might as well conserve your energies by letting things more or less take their course.

If labour seems slow, you may get up and walk around the room for a while. Stretching your muscles will improve the circulation in your legs. It will also relieve tension. Remember, you have nothing to fear. If you are strong and healthy, you are quite capable of carrying this job to the end.

How long will it take? You may ask

This is hard to say. With your first child, you may be in labour from twelve to twenty-four hours. With later babies, the time may be shortened to six hours or less. However, you will be resting and perhaps even sleeping most of the time. The more rest you get, the better for yourself, and also for the baby.

SECOND STAGE OF LABOUR

As the baby moves down into the birth canal, the contractions become harder and more frequent. These heavier muscular contractions help to open the cervix, or door of the uterus. By this time, your contractios are lasting longer and coming more frequently. If the pain is severe, the doctor may give you a light anaesthetic to help you during the last few moments. However, the less anaesthetic you demand, the better for you and your baby. You have a thrilling time ahead of you so it will be a pity to sleep through that magic moment of your baby’s first cry and miss the joy of your own wonderful accomplishment.

As soon as your baby has been delivered, the doctor holds him up by his feet for a moment to allow the fluids to drain out if his mouth and throat. The next instant he lets out a loud cry — one of the most beautiful sounds to your own ears and to those who are attending to you. Now he is able to live on his own and breathe for himself. Soon his skin changes to its own natural colour, and you have another member in your family to love and care for.

But all is not over for you. There are other important things to do. Just now the doctor is busy clamping and tying the umbilical cord about an inch from the baby's abdomen. The nurse wipes the baby’s eyes and puts on a few drops of a special penicillin solution, or some other safe antiseptic, to protect his eyes from some infection he might have picked up while passing through the birth canal. This is to prevent blindness and injury to the delicate structure of the eyes.

PLACENTA OR AFTERBIRTH

Sometime within the next ten or fifteen minutes, the placenta — or “afterbirth”— comes away. If there is any delay, the doctor may gently squeeze or massage the uterus through the skin of your abdomen. This keeps the uterus firm, and helps to control bleeding.

After the placenta has come away, the doctor carefully examines it to be sure no fragments are left behind. These must be removed, or they could cause further bleeding and perhaps a serious infection.

Now at last you can have that long rest you so much deserve. This is the time to relax and regain your strength, so take it easy and enjoy these moments of quiet rest. From time to time the nurse will check your pulse to make sure everything is all right. If there is a hard lump down in the middle of your abdomen, she will be satisfied. This means that the uterus is firm; its muscular walls are clamping down to control any bleeding.

If the nurse finds a soft, spongy mass, she will gently rub or massage the lower abdomen to stimulate the muscles to contract again. She must also be sure you are not losing any large quantity of blood. A small amount of bleeding is quite normal for the next hour or two, but any large loss of blood must be reported immediately to your doctor just in case some serious complication is setting in. Remember, this is no time for amateur opinions. Good medical care is always the least expensive in the long run.

BREECH BABY

Most babies are born in the head-first position. Occasionally, however, one may try to come feet first, or shoulder first. If the birth canal is adequate and the baby is small, there may not be any serious difficulty. If the baby is large, and the birth outlet is small, this could be dangerous to both you and the baby. In times like this, you must rely on your doctor. His skill and training are vital to you in any such emergency.

However, if you are far from professional help when your baby comes, any intelligent person can help you by studying the pictures of normal and abnormal births either from books or the internet. But it is better for you to have a real professional help, rather than to risk the baby’s life, or perhaps your own. Do not travel far from home during the last few weeks of pregnancy.

NOW YOUR BABY IS HERE

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You can relax and let others help you. Do not be in a hurry to get up too soon. You will have plenty of time for all those extra things around the house that you have been planning. It is much wiser for you to rest quietly for a few days and regain your normal strength. Your family will appreciate you much more. It will do them good to help you during this time of recovery.

This is a wonderful time for you and for all the family. You have many busy days ahead of you. But they can be days full of joy and accomplishment. A young mother caring for her own baby, and surrounded by her loved ones and friends, is truly one of the loveliest sights in all the world.