If you're having a home birth, this examination will take place at home. The midwife will ask to:. These checks will be repeated at intervals throughout your labour. Always ask about anything you want to know. If you and your partner have made a birth plan, show your midwife so they know what you would like to happen during labour. Most delivery rooms have easy chairs, bean bags and mats, so you can move about in labour and change position. Some have baths, showers or birthing pools. You should feel comfortable in the room where you are giving birth.
Some maternity units may offer you a bath or shower. A warm bath can be soothing in the early stages of labour. You may like to spend much of the labour in the bath, as a way of easing the pain.
After the birth of your baby your uterus gently contracts to loosen and push out the placenta, although you may not be able to feel these contractions. This may occur five to 30 minutes after the birth of your baby.
The muscles of the uterus continue to contract to stop the bleeding. This process is always associated with a moderate blood loss — up to ml. In this stage of labour, one of the potential problems is excessive bleeding postpartum haemorrhage , which can result in anaemia and fatigue.
This is why the third stage is carefully supervised. There are two approaches to managing the third stage:. During labour, your baby's heart rate will be checked regularly.
If you have had a low risk pregnancy and there are no problems at the onset of labour, your baby's heart will be listened to every 15 to 30 minutes using a small hand-held Doppler ultrasound device or Pinard fetal stethoscope. This equipment can be used regardless of the position you are in. A CTG involves having two plastic disks receivers strapped to your abdomen and held in place by two belts. The receivers are attached to a machine, which may limit your movement. Some hospitals have machines that enable you to move around freely while you are being monitored.
This is known as telemetry. The area between the vagina and anus is called the perineum. Once the baby's head starts to crown appear the perineum will tear if it can't stretch enough. These naturally occurring tears can be difficult to stitch and may not heal very well. In around three or four per cent of cases, the vagina tears right through to the anus. An episiotomy is an intentional cut of the perineum, using a pair of scissors.
This clean cut is much easier to control and repair, tends to heal better than a tear, and is less traumatic to the underlying muscle and tissue. An episiotomy may be needed during the last part of the second stage of labour if:. If you are having your first baby, you may help prevent tearing by massaging the perineum during the weeks prior to the birth.
Massaging the perineum during the second stage of labour has not been shown to stretch tissues and therefore does not reduce perineal injury. Episiotomies should be performed only if needed. They should not be 'routine' as they do not reduce the risk of severe perineal injury, urinary stress incontinence or trauma to the baby.
Be guided by your doctor or midwife, but general suggestions for a woman approaching labour include:. Having a support person with you can help enormously during labour. Your support person can:. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. In Victoria, you can have two types of abortion: surgical and medication. Both types are safe and reliable. You can have a medication abortion up to nine weeks of pregnancy.
When the muscles relax, the pain fades and your hand will feel the hardness ease. The contractions are pushing your baby down and opening your cervix entrance to the womb ready for your baby to go through.
Your midwife or doctor will probably advise you to stay at home until your contractions are frequent. When your contractions are coming every 5 minutes, it's time to go to the hospital.
You may have either backache or the aching, heavy feeling that some women get with their monthly period. While you are pregnant, a plug of mucus is present in your cervix. Just before labour starts, or in early labour, the plug comes away and you may pass this out of your vagina.
This small amount of sticky, jelly-like pink mucus is called a 'show'. It may come away in one blob, or in several pieces. It is pink in colour because it's blood-stained, and it's normal to lose a small amount of blood mixed with mucus.
If you're losing more blood , it may be a sign that something is wrong, so telephone your hospital or midwife straight away.
A show indicates the cervix is starting to open, and labour may follow quickly, or it may take a few days. Some women do not have a show.
Most women's waters break during labour, but it can also happen before labour starts. Your unborn baby develops and grows inside a bag of fluid called the amniotic sac. When it's time for your baby to be born, the sac breaks and the amniotic fluid drains out through your vagina. This is your waters breaking. When this happens, call your midwife or doctor, so they can ask you some questions and check your condition.
You may feel a slow trickle, or a sudden gush of water that you cannot control. To prepare for this, you could keep a sanitary towel but not a tampon handy if you are going out, and put a plastic sheet on your bed. Amniotic fluid is clear and a pale straw colour. Sometimes it's difficult to tell amniotic fluid from urine. When your waters break, the water should be clear or slightly pink. If it appears greenish or bloody, see a doctor or your hospital immediately, as this could mean you and your baby need urgent attention.
If your waters break before labour starts, phone your midwife or the hospital for advice. Without amniotic fluid your baby is no longer protected and there is a risk of infection. The cervix needs to open about 10cm for a baby to pass through. This is called 'fully dilated'. Learn why and how we induce labor When to come to the hospital Timing is different for every pregnancy. Counting contractions A contraction is a tightening of the uterus that feels like cramping or pressure.
Timing is everything. Time the length of each contraction. Count the time between contractions from the start of one to the start of the next. Signs of labor. Stages of labor. When to call us Symptoms you shouldn't ignore and how to get in touch with us. No volver a mostrar esto. Continuar Cancelar.
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