Obstetrics

labour

Soon, you will experience the amazing process of childbirth! It is important to recognize the signs of labour so that you will know when you are experiencing the "real thing." If this is your first baby, you will most likely experience lightening (the descent of the baby's head into your pelvis) sooner than women who have already had other children. Typically, the signs of labour include uterine contractions, tightening of your stomach, and cramps in your low back. Your health care provider will describe the labour process, so you will know when it is happening.

You may have several options available for where you will have your baby, including at home, in a birth centre, or at a hospital. Birth centres usually can administer intravenous fluid, pain medications, and oxygen, are able to repair episiotomies, and have basic equipment such as an infant warmer and an infant resuscitator. Hospitals have advanced medical equipment to do more than basic resuscitation, and will be able to provide a caesarean section or epidurals, if necessary. A certified nurse-midwife can deliver your baby at home, or in a birth centre. There are many factors to consider when choosing where you would like to have your baby, such as the distance you are from the hospital, as some nurse-midwives will not deliver in your home if you are more than 30 minutes from a hospital. If your pregnancy is considered to be at high risk (as in women who smoke, or use drugs, or have medical complications due to a known condition), home births are not recommended.

You may also be interested in taking childbirth preparation classes, which emphasizes minimal medical intervention, teaches coping methods for labour and delivery, and helps guide new parents in the many decisions they will make before and during the birth process. One of the things you may be most concerned with is the amount of pain you may experience during labour. Childbirth is different for all women, and no one can predict how much pain you will have. During the labour process, your health care provider should ask you if you need pain relief, and will help you decide what option is the best for you. Your options may include a local or intravenous analgesic (pain relieving drug), an epidural (injection which blocks pain in the lower part of your body), spinal anaesthesia (used when the delivery will require forceps), or a pudendal block (numbs the vulva, vagina and anus during the second stage of labour and during delivery).

Your progression through the different stages of labour and delivery will determine how quickly the baby is coming, and whether you have time to get to the hospital, birth centre, or back home to deliver. Having information about your choices for birthing will help with some of the stress you may feel during labour.