Many mothers, especially first-timers, have felt nervous about moment of delivery. The doubt of not knowing how to give everything worries us. Therefore, the more informed we are, the better.
The day less thought, between week 37 and 42 of gestation, the complex hormonal interactions between mother, son and placenta decide that the time has come.
Rhythmic and painful contractions begin, which trigger labor, shortening and dilating the cervix. They start every 10 minutes and last about 15 seconds, then appear more often and last longer, until repeated every 2 minutes with 1 minute duration. The first phase of labor, that is, dilation It can last between 6-8 hours if the mother is first time or if not, between 4-6 hours.
The second phase is the expulsive and it can last between 30 min and one hour. When the neck has dilated 10 cm and the baby's head is in the vagina (seen from the outside), everything is ready for your child to leave. If you have not put the epidural you will feel like pushing caused by the pressure of the baby; With anesthesia you will not be able to feel them, so the doctor will tell you when you should do the bids. You will probably have an episiotomy, an incision in the skin and vaginal walls that is done to prevent tears. If the expulsion phase is extended more than 2 hours in primiparous, more than one in multiparous, or if there is any sign of loss of well-being of the fetus, the doctor can resort to some instruments that will help the fetus to leave: spatulas, suckers or forceps. If something fails at some point, a cesarean section is likely to be performed.
Once the baby has left, the cord is cut and the third phase of labor begins: the birth, that is, the expulsion of the placenta and the contraction of the uterus that lasts about 15 minutes.
The last phase is the post-birth, that is, the control and recovery of the mother after such an effort, as well as the attention to the newborn. In the next ten days the uterus will contract until its limit is below the navel and the losses of the first 3-5 weeks will decrease until it disappears.
Source | Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Dexeus University Institute
