How can childbirth

It can lead to :. Before delivery, symptoms may include a low heart rate and low pH levels, indicating high acidity. Treatment of perinatal asphyxia can include providing oxygen to the mother, or carrying out a cesarean delivery. Shoulder dystocia is when the head is delivered vaginally but the shoulders remain inside the mother. It is not common , but it is more likely to affect women who have not given birth before, and is responsible for half of all cesarean deliveries in this group.

Complications are usually treatable and temporary. However, if a non-reassuring fetal heart rate is also present, this may indicate other problems. Possible problems include :. Maternal complications include uterine, vaginal, cervical or rectal tearing and heavy bleeding after delivery.

On average, women lose milliliters ml of blood during the vaginal delivery of a single baby. During a cesarian delivery for a single baby, the average amount of blood lost is 1, ml.

It can occur within 24 hours after delivery or up to 12 weeks later, in the case of secondary bleeding. Around 80 percent of cases of postpartum hemorrhage result from a lack of uterine tone.

Bleeding happens after the placenta is expelled, because the uterine contractions are too weak and cannot provide enough compression to the blood vessels at the site of where the placenta was attached to the uterus. Low blood pressure , organ failure, shock, and death can result.

Certain medical conditions and treatments can increase the risk of developing postpartum hemorrhage:. Excessive bleeding can be life-threatening, but with rapid and appropriate medical help, the outlook is normally good. Not all babies will be in the best position for vaginal delivery. Facing downward is the most common fetal birth position, but babies can be in other positions. They include :. Problems with the umbilical cord include :. If it is wrapped around the neck, if it is compressed, or emerges before the baby does, medical help will probably be needed.

When the placenta covers the opening of the cervix, this is referred to as placenta previa. Your baby also has spaces between the skull bones called 'sutures', and the gaps where the sutures meet on the skull are called fontanelles. This allows for the baby's head to mould as the skull bones meet or overlap, allowing it to fit more easily as it travels through your pelvis.

Your body produces hormones that trigger changes in your body before, during and after childbirth. Here's how they work to help you deliver your baby. Sometimes, labour needs to be induced or started. There are a few ways to induce labour , including the mother being offered synthetic prostaglandin. This is inserted into the vagina to soften the cervix and start contractions. If contractions slow down or stop during labour, the mother may be offered synthetic oxytocin from a drip to increase the contractions.

In both these cases contractions can come on strongly and more pain relief may be needed. Your maternity team should explain the benefits and risks of this with you before you agree to it. The baby could be in a posterior or breech position , not ideally placed above the cervix before the birth. Your maternity team may need to use forceps or a vacuum to help turn the baby or help the baby travel out of the vagina.

Sometimes a caesarean is needed. A caesarean is usually the next step. If you have any questions about childbirth or pregnancy, you can call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby on , 7 days a week, to speak to a maternal health nurse. Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content. Almost all women experience pain during childbirth which varies in severity. There are different pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches to treatment of pain during childbirth.

Read more on HealthEngine website. Learn more about labour complications. Going into labour before your 37th week of pregnancy is called preterm labour, or premature labour. Read more on myDr website.

Induced labour is a medical treatment to start labour. It may be recommended if your baby needs to be born before labour is due to start naturally.

Your doctor may need to intervene to help you have your baby. Are you likely to be having a premature birth? When you are recovering from delivery, it is best to err on the side of caution if you feel that something is not right with you or with the baby.

You should expect to have some discomfort as you heal. You should not begin to feel worse. Postpartum Support International. Department of Health and Human Services, Womenshealth. Last Updated: August 28, This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject.

Postpartum preeclampsia is high blood pressure in a woman who has recently had a baby. It is a rare…. Visit The Symptom Checker. Read More. Path to improved health It took the better part of a year to grow and have a baby. Here is more of what you can expect during your postpartum recovery. Things to consider Pay attention to your body after giving birth. Postpartum hemorrhage is rare but can happen.

If your postpartum bleeding is filling more than a pad every hour, you should contact your doctor immediately. Without treatment, postpartum hemorrhage can be fatal. You could be in danger of having a stroke.

Deep vein thrombosis a blood clot in a deep vein is a somewhat uncommon problem 1 in every 1, pregnancies that can occur during or after pregnancy. Symptoms include leg pain or feeling like you have a pulled muscle. Your leg may also be red and hot to the touch. Left untreated, these clots can break away and travel to your lungs. When this happens, it can be life-threatening. Postpartum preeclampsia is rare and can develop within 48 hours after childbirth or as late as six weeks after childbirth.

Both preeclampsia and postpartum preeclampsia cause your blood vessels to constrict get smaller. This results in high blood pressure and also distresses your internal organs. Sometimes there are no obvious symptoms, unless you are monitoring your blood pressure. When you do have symptoms, they may include severe headache, swelling of your hands and feet, blurred vision, pain in the upper right portion of your body, and sudden weight gain.

If you suspect you may have postpartum preeclampsia, call your doctor immediately. When to see a doctor When you are recovering from delivery, it is best to err on the side of caution if you feel that something is not right with you or with the baby. In general, if you have any of these postpartum symptoms, call your doctor.

Heavy vaginal bleeding that soaks more than one pad per hour or vaginal bleeding that increases each day instead of decreasing. Passing large clots bigger than a quarter. Fainting or dizziness. Changes to your vision or a severe headache persistent. Painful urination or difficulty urinating. Vaginal discharge with a strong odor. Heart palpitations, chest pain or difficulty breathing.

Incision from C-section or episiotomy is red, weepy with pus , or swollen. Abdominal lower belly pain that is getting worse or new abdominal pain. Sore breasts that are red or feel hot to the touch. Pain in your legs with redness or swelling. Increase in swelling. If the separation is delayed, breastfeeding the baby or stimulating your nipples may help trigger contractions to encourage separation.

Some midwives and doctors give medication, such as oxytocin to help encourage separation, or they may give the medication after the placenta is out to help minimize bleeding.

One of the limitations of this website is similar to that of many childbirth classes or preparation books. In the focus on childbearing, little attention is paid to the aspect that will ultimately take up much more of your time and lead to more personal growth than pregnancy and birth ever did: your new role as a parent.

We hope that many of the things you have learned during your pregnancy and birth will also prepare you for your growth as a parent. A holistic approach to parenting and taking care of yourself while parenting offers countless benefits, including a thoughtful awareness of how you are feeling physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Complementary therapies and practices you might have learned during pregnancy, such as massage , Reiki , and aromatherapy , can continue to offer healing comfort and relief from physical symptoms. Additionally, the methods of relaxation that you adopted during pregnancy can help relieve stress , both during your child's infancy and throughout the growth of your child. Indeed, many parents have stated that they draw on the strength they found in childbirth during challenging times of parenting.

Finally, skills you learned in advocating for yourself in the healthcare system remain important, both for yourself and for your child. The author of one of the most famous books on childcare, Dr. Spock, starts each edition with the words, "Trust yourself.

No one else will ever know your child or have his or her best interests at heart as much as you do. Listen to this affirmation. It will help you trust in your body's abilities during pregnancy and childbirth. Here are some relaxation techniques you might practice during your pregnancy that may help during childbirth. Relaxation techniques. Myla and John Kabat-Zinn. By Tracy Hogg and Melinda Blau. By Martha Sears. By William M. More info on this topic.

A holistic approach. Why go holistic? Birthing positions. What about pain? History of childbirth. How childbirth works. Factors that influence birth. Preparing for pregnancy and birth. Get birth support.

Classes and birth plans. What do things look like inside? The bones and muscles of the pelvis provide support for the growing uterus and baby, and provide a passage through which your baby emerges during birth. The uterus surrounds the baby, growing as the baby grows. The cervix is actually a part of the uterus, but made up of different tissue.

During pregnancy, the cervix is thick and closed. As you approach the time of birth, your contractions draw the cervix up into the body of the uterus, and it becomes thinner called effacement and opens called dilation. When the cervix is fully dilated about ten centimeters , contractions help the baby begin to move from the uterus into the vagina. The vagina leads from the cervix to the outside of your body. The inside of your vagina has many folds, called rugae, which unfold as the baby passes through.

Your body's preparation for labor. Hormones work to soften the ligaments between the bones in your pelvis. Softening the ligaments gives your pelvis additional room for birth. Other hormones begin to soften your cervix. Your baby may begin moving lower in the pelvis. You may experience the passage of stringy, perhaps blood-tinged mucous. Your water may break. You may experience pre-labor contractions. Two women's stories Ginny Ginny's baby started moving lower in her pelvis about three weeks before her due date.

Lorinda Lorinda began to notice a pattern of contractions every evening about a week before her due date. Their providers' advice Ginny's doctor and Lorinda's midwife both assured these women that everything was normal, and that when things were normal, it was best to wait to go into labor and to use measures such as massage, hydrotherapy, warm packs, and Reiki to make themselves as comfortable as possible while they waited. What can I expect emotionally? For example, if you fear a cesarean section, you might say: "I am afraid that I won't be able to give birth vaginally.

For example, "I am strong and healthy, and I am well-designed to give birth. I am strong, and I can too. During your "worry time," repeat each affirmation several times and then tell yourself that worry time is over. For the remainder of the day , if you find worries creeping in, repeat the positive endings to the affirmations.

Try the guided relaxation exercise, focusing on positive mental preparation for birth. What are the stages of labor?

There are three stages of labor, excluding the preparatory changes discussed above. You have contractions that work to open your cervix. You have contractions that bring your baby down into the vagina and out into the world. You assist this process by pushing.

You continue to have contractions that free the attachment of the placenta, and you push the placenta out. What influences the progression of labor? Childbirth professionals often refer to the following factors influencing labor progression as the "Four Ps" of labor: Passenger your baby Passage the pelvic bones, your cervix and vagina, and the muscles in your pelvis Power your contractions Psyche your emotions.

The dilation stage What happens in the dilation stage? What happens in the dilation stage? The dilation stage can be further subdivided into phases of early labor and active labor.