Research has shown that remaining active during the latent phase of labour will significantly reduce the duration and decrease the likelihood of requiring instrumental deliveries and/or caesarean sections (Lawrence, 2009).
This article (Steen, 2012) focuses on the benefits to women if they remain active in labour and advises on different positions to adopt during the first and second stages of labour.
Advantages of active labour are shown throughout the article, starting with the woman’s preparation to ensure an active birth is possible. The use of props are encouraged, such as chairs, beanbags or birthing balls(Steen, 2007 cited in Steen, 2012 pg 35) which - the article states - would help and enable her to adopt positions to find most comfortable during labour (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, 2007). Examples of this being used in midwifery practice are often found on midwifery led birthing units, labour suites and antenatal wards where the use of such equipment is used frequently. The use of props in the first stages of labour can not only aid her comfort but also help her feel more in control of her labour and birth (National Childbirth Trust, 2010) and feel empowered by her decision making.
The following key points within the article are advising on positioning and movements in both the first and second stages of labour.
The first key point is about the first stage of labour. This stage of labour is often described as the latent phase. This happens prior to labour becoming established. Many women will experience a long latent phase which can be exhausting and require additional support and encouragement (Chenery-Morris and McLean, 2013).
According to Steen (2012), in order to facilitate...
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...nding the second stage of labour. This stage of labour is defined by the cervix being dilated to 10cm, the fetus moves through the vagina and is born (Chenery-Morris and McLean, 2012).
Women tend to instinctively move into birthing positions which facilitate an easier birth, often remaining upright or adopting a range of different positions to make it more comfortable to push with each contraction (Chenery-Morris and Mclean, 2012). The pictures shown in the article show women adopting positions that are gravity assisted by kneeling or squatting these also help to open the pelvis which make it easier for the fetus to move through the birth canal.
It shows a good variety of positions and also shows how the midwife or birthing partner can be supportive by helping adopt these positions during this stage of labour, which is an important aspect of care during labour.
...other can move around more freely and find positions that help her stay comfortable during labor. Natural child birth is also a very intimate process. Your partner can be involved in the process as you work together to manage your pain (2013, November).
This special touch ability also prompts the body to produce more of the hormone Oxytocin. As the Oxytocin increases in the body, the labor speeds up. According to Lora Schwacke, having a Doula on hand can reduce labor times by as much as 25% overall.
In conclusion, the first stage of giving birth consists of contractions that will help get the baby's head into the birth canal and get ready for delivery, along with the cervix thinning out and dilation increasing. During the second stage, you will begin to push the baby out. As the tissue starts to stretch, you might experience “the ring of fire”. Shortly after the stretch, the baby's head will be out and then its body. The final stage is quick and almost effortless.
"7 Tips For Having A Natural Childbirth." Fit Pregnancy. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. .
... help us to lengthen the duration. Our babies, our bodies and our families can reap the benefits of a happier and better rested mother-baby pair.
"If it is related to giving birth check out Ina May's guide to child birth (Find it Here)"
Epidurals also have been linked to an overall increase in operative deliveries: cesareans, forceps deliveries, and vacuum extractions. A meta-analysis of the effects of epidural anesthesia on the rate of cesarean deliveries was undertaken by a group of physicians who examined, categorized, and analyzed all available literature.
The first outcome: 100 % of the staff will comply with hourly rounding and promptly answer call lights. Will be accompanied by the following activities: laminated sheets and markers will be placed in each postpartum/post epidural mothers room. The nurse on duty will initial each hourly round that she/he complies to. Signs reading, "To prevent a fall, please call" will be hung in every postpartum/post epidural mothers room. The second outcome: 100% of the staff will be able to assess the maternal mother's deep tendon reflexes and motor strength (using the motor strength scale) prior to receiving an epidural to use as a baseline and again once the epidural is discontinued. Will be accompanied by the activity: initial and annual training courses will be mandated for all ante and postpartum nurses.
...o find a balance between interventional and non-interventional birth. With this being said, I also understand that there are strict policies and protocols set in place, which I must abide to as a healthcare provider, in any birth setting. Unfortunately, these guidelines can be abused. Christiane Northrup, MD, a well recognized and respected obstetrician-gynecologist has gone as far as to tell her own daughters that they should not give birth in a hospital setting, with the safest place being home (Block, 2007, p. xxiii). Although I am not entirely against hospital births, I am a firm believe that normal, healthy pregnancies should be fully permissible to all midwives. However, high-risk pregnancies and births must remain the responsibility of skilled obstetricians. My heart’s desire is to do what is ultimately in the best interest of the mother, and her unborn child.
The hospital room holds all the usual scenery: rooms lining featureless walls, carts full of foreign devices and competent looking nurses ready to help whatever the need be. The side rails of the bed smell of plastic. The room is enveloped with the smell of plastic. A large bed protrudes from the wall. It moves from one stage to the next, with the labor, so that when you come to the "bearing" down stage, the stirrups can be put in place. The side rails of the bed provide more comfort than the hand of your coach, during each contraction. The mattress of the bed is truly uncomfortable for a woman in so much pain. The eager faces of your friends and family staring at your half naked body seem to be acceptabl...
My mother has expressed to me that she had a good pregnancy. Her pregnancy resulted to be better than what she expected considering that all those bad comments of pregnancy were over exaggerated. Her pregnancy was calm and she did not have any problems. The hardest part of my mother’s pregnancy was during her last week before going on labor. Considering that she had a hard time to sleep and her feet would get swollen. During her last two weeks before her delivery she began to get contractions which made it even more difficult. In order to control her pain she would try to rest more than usual. In the book Infants, Children, and Adolescents the author Laura E. Berk well explained the reasons of these contractions during pregnancy. Berk explains that these contractions happen when the
Perry, S. E., Hockenberry, M. J., Lowdermilk, D. L., & Wilson, D. (2013). Labor and Birth Processes. In Maternal Child Nursing Care (5th ed., p. 351). Elsevier-Health Sciences Division.
Unlike vaginal birth delivery, the process of a cesarean delivery is quite different, but just as safe as giving vaginal birth (Taylor, 1). When delivering a baby using the cesarean method, there are two ways anesthetic can be used. The women can be put into an unconscious state using the anesthetic, therefore she will be asleep during the entire operation and her coach may not be present. The other way for the anesthetic to be used would be in an epidural or spinal block to temporarily numb the woman from her waist down. In this case the mother will be awake and her coach may be present to give her extra support. Once the anesthetic is working, an incision is made in the abdomen either horizontally or vertically, depending on the reason for the cesarean delivery. A vertical incision is made when the baby is in trouble and needs to be out as quickly as possible, when there is more time the horizontal incision is used. The baby is then lifted out of the uterus and gone for the APGAP procedure. The placenta is then removed and the mother’s reproductive organs are examined before closing the incision (Taylor, 1).
The video started by explaining the reasons why women get c- sections. For example, cesarean births happen because of medical conditions, previous c-sections, difficulties in labor, and the baby or the mother is distress. About nine people worked on the c- section surgery. In the process of beginning the cesarean birth, a nursed shaved the patient. Then they made sure if she did not feel pain before they proceed with the surgery. To begin the surgery the mother received a low transverse incisions in the uterine. After that, two doctors worked on the women’s first layers of fat, tissue, and skin to prevent the accessing bleeding. When they finished that process, they began to separate the abdominal muscles with their hands. The doctor then guided out the baby by taking out his head in the opening. Before taking the baby out they suction the baby’s nose and mouth. Finally, they pulled the baby girl out and they cut her umbilical cord. The anesthesiologist then gave the mother some antibiotics. The women lasted three minutes to deliver her baby. Before carrying her baby the mother had to wait a few minutes because the nurse had to take the baby to examine it and to clean it. After the delivery, the doctors began to clean her uterus and to staple the women’s incision. This process is the longest part of the surgery. The last procedure was to remove the epidural. In order for the
This journal was useful for me because it gave me the background details on why women are opting for delayed motherhood by the age of 30 or 40. Accordingly, I was able to build up my points on how it will affect the health conditions of both baby and mother and also the risk of taking that challenge.