After an average of 40 weeks of pregnancy, a woman goes into labor and gives birth. The delivery of a baby involves many choices on the part of the mother-to-be, including decisions about where to give birth, the degree of assistance desired and choices about what will occur immediately after the birth. Mothers-to-be should consider birth options carefully but remain flexible in case an unexpected emergency requires a rapid change of plans.
Options
Women who give birth may choose to do so in a hospital, birth center or at home. Some women choose a natural birth, using no medication to relieve pain or hasten labor. Others choose among the many options for assisted delivery, such as the use of an epidural or spinal block, induction to start the process of labor or a Cesarean section to extract the baby through a surgical incision in the abdomen. The pregnant woman may choose a doctor, certified nurse midwife or lay midwife to deliver her baby.
Baby's Process
Just before delivery, the baby drops into the pelvic area, pressing his head against the cervix. This pressure causes the bag of membranes, also called waters, to break. When the mother's cervix is fully dilated, the baby will begin his descent. His head will slowly emerge first, followed rapidly by the rest of his body. The bony plates in his head will slide over each other, compressing his head so that it will fit through the birth canal.
Mother's Process
During a normal delivery, the woman will first go into labor, noticing contractions that increase in duration and intensity. The waters may break before she begins contractions or shortly after contractions have begun. The mother-to-be will check into the hospital or birth center, or call her provider if she is giving birth at home. She will be checked to determine how dilated her cervix has become and will continue laboring at the hospital until she is 10 centimeters dilated. At this point, the baby exits her body through the birth canal. After the baby is delivered, the delivery of the placenta typically follows about five to 10 minutes later.
Complications
Complications during birth are rare, but do sometimes occur. Excess bleeding, fetal distress and complications with the placenta or umbilical cord can all develop rapidly and necessitate an immediate medical response. Sometimes, complications require a change in the birth plan, such as giving the mother medication to induce a stalled labor or performing an emergency Cesarean section if the mother or baby is endangered.
Recovery
Recovery time depends on the type of delivery and whether or not there are any complications. Women who have an uncomplicated vaginal birth typically leave the hospital with their baby within 48 hours after birth. Women who deliver by Cesarean section often remain in the hospital for three to five days and may take up to six weeks to recover from the surgery. No matter the type of delivery, the postpartum mother should expect some degree of pain, vaginal bleeding and swollen breasts.
