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Sep 30, 2022 · Planning a natural childbirth? Find other parents like you. Show transcript. See what giving birth is like in this video.
- Midwife
- 6 min
- Overview
- Initiation of labour
- First stage: dilatation
- Second stage: expulsion
- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
birth, process of bringing forth a child from the uterus, or womb. The prior development of the child in the uterus is described in the article human embryology. The process and series of changes that take place in a woman’s organs and tissues as a result of the developing fetus are discussed in the article pregnancy.
Despite decades of research, the events leading to the initiation of labour in humans remain unclear. It is suspected that biochemical substances produced by the fetus induce labour. In addition, the timing of the production of these substances and their interaction with placental and maternal biochemical factors appear to influence this process. A...
Early in labour, uterine contractions, or labour pains, occur at intervals of 20 to 30 minutes and last about 40 seconds. They are then accompanied by slight pain, which usually is felt in the small of the back.
As labour progresses, those contractions become more intense and progressively increase in frequency until, at the end of the first stage, when dilatation is complete, they recur about every three minutes and are quite severe. With each contraction a twofold effect is produced to facilitate the dilatation, or opening, of the cervix. Because the uterus is a muscular organ containing a fluid-filled sac called the amnion (or “bag of waters”) that more or less surrounds the child, contraction of the musculature of its walls should diminish its cavity and compress its contents. Because its contents are quite incompressible, however, they are forced in the direction of least resistance, which is in the direction of the isthmus, or upper opening of the neck of the uterus, and are driven, like a wedge, farther and farther into this opening. In addition to forcing the uterine contents in the direction of the cervix, shortening of the muscle fibres that are attached to the neck of the uterus tends to pull those tissues upward and away from the opening and thus adds to its enlargement. By this combined action each contraction of the uterus not only forces the amnion and fetus downward against the dilating neck of the uterus but also pulls the resisting walls of the latter upward over the advancing amnion, presenting part of the child.
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In spite of this seemingly efficacious mechanism, the duration of the first stage of labour is rather prolonged, especially in women who are in labour for the first time. In such women the average time required for the completion of the stage of dilatation is between 13 and 14 hours, while in women who have previously given birth to children the average is 8 to 9 hours. Not only does a previous labour tend to shorten this stage, but the tendency often increases with succeeding pregnancies, with the result that a woman who has given birth to three or four children may have a first stage of one hour or less in her next labour.
The first stage of labour is notably prolonged in women who become pregnant for the first time after age 35, because the cervix dilates less readily. A similar delay is to be anticipated in cases in which the cervix is extensively scarred as a result of previous labours, amputation, deep cauterization, or any other surgical procedure on the cervix. Even a woman who has borne several children and whose cervix, accordingly, should dilate readily may have a prolonged first stage if the uterine contractions are weak and infrequent or if the child lies in an inconvenient position for delivery and, as a direct consequence, cannot be forced into the mother’s pelvis.
About the time that the cervix becomes fully dilated, the amnion breaks, and the force of the involuntary uterine contractions may be augmented by voluntary bearing-down efforts of the mother. With each labour pain, she can take a deep breath and then contract her abdominal muscles. The increased intra-abdominal pressure thus produced may equal or exceed the force of the uterine contractions. These bearing-down efforts may double the effectiveness of the uterine contractions.
As the child descends into and passes through the birth canal, the sensation of pain is often increased. This condition is especially true in the terminal phase of the stage of expulsion, when the child’s head distends and dilates the maternal tissues as it is being born.
Learn about the biological process of bringing forth a child from the uterus, or womb, and the factors that influence it. Explore the anatomy, physiology, and history of birth, as well as the common complications and interventions.
Birth is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring, also referred to in technical contexts as parturition. In mammals, the process is initiated by hormones which cause the muscular walls of the uterus to contract, expelling the fetus at a developmental stage when it is ready to feed and breathe.
Jan 13, 2022 · Learn what to expect during the three stages of labor and birth, from early labor to active labor to pushing and delivery. Find out how to cope with contractions, cervical dilation, pain relief and more.
- The first stage of labor and birth occurs when you begin to feel regular contractions, which cause the cervix to open (dilate) and soften, shorten...
- It's time! You'll deliver your baby during the second stage of labor.How long it lasts: It can take from a few minutes up to a few hours or more to...
- After your baby is born, you'll likely feel a great sense of relief. You might hold the baby in your arms or on your abdomen. Cherish the moment. B...
Learn the meaning, synonyms, examples, and history of the word birth, which can be a noun, verb, or adjective. Find out how to use birth in a sentence and how it relates to other words and phrases.
In 2019, there were about 140.11 million human births globally. [9] In the developed countries, most deliveries occur in hospitals, [10] [11] while in the developing countries most are home births. [12] The most common childbirth method worldwide is vaginal delivery. [6]
Dec 29, 2023 · Learn about the process of giving birth, from early labor to delivery of the placenta. Find out what to expect, how to cope, and what complications may arise during and after labor.
