How to calmly welcome a new life when the birth is approaching

After ten months of pregnancy, the baby is born. Facing childbirth, many pregnant mothers are inevitably timid and panicked - when to go to the hospital? What if the baby cannot be born? What if the uterine contraction hurts? This series of questions is enough to make some pregnant mothers fall into anxiety and tension. Today, let's follow Xiaolong's mother to experience the process of childbirth.

Contractions: Regular and gradually increasing

Xiaolong's mother is 37 weeks pregnant. After the doctor's examination, he believes that Xiaolong's mother is ready for vaginal delivery. The next step is to wait for the contractions to come. These days, Xiaolong's mother often feels tightness in her abdomen. Is this the beginning of labor?

The doctor told her that the contractions of real labor are more regular and gradually increase, and there is obvious pain that is different from the usual tightness of the abdominal wall, and may also be accompanied by spotting or vaginal discharge. Labor contractions may be irregular at first, such as once every 10-15 minutes, and then the interval gradually shortens to about once every 6-7 minutes, and then once every 3-5 minutes. The degree of pain of contractions also becomes stronger and stronger. At this time, it should be called regular contractions. The abdominal tightness that pregnant women experience in the late pregnancy can be relieved after rest, does not affect normal life, and does not affect night rest. It is usually false labor.

Water breaks: Do not raise your hips at will

One day, Xiaolong's mother got up at night to go to the bathroom and suddenly felt vaginal discharge. At first she thought it was urine leakage, but the discharge was uncontrollable. Xiaolong's mother panicked, thinking that her water had broken, and quickly woke up Xiaolong's father. Xiaolong's father heard that pregnant women should raise their hips when their water breaks, so he quickly asked Xiaolong's mother to lie down, put a cushion under her hips, and called an ambulance to rush to the hospital.

Doctors told pregnant mothers at full term that if the fetus is in the head position, especially when the fetal head is in the pelvis, there is no need to raise the buttocks. When the water breaks, pregnant mothers raise their buttocks mainly to deal with situations such as the fetal head floating high or the fetal breech position. At this time, since there is no obstruction at the cervical opening, the umbilical cord may flow out with the amniotic fluid and cause fetal hypoxia. If the fetus is in the head position and in the pelvis, the fetal head becomes this obstruction. At this time, raising the buttocks will artificially create a gap between the cervical opening and the fetal head, leaving a chance for the "naughty" umbilical cord to escape.

Labor: Free position for labor

Xiaolong's mother's stomach was getting more and more painful. She felt the contractions of labor and felt that she could not bear it any longer, so she shouted, "I don't want to have the baby anymore. I want a cesarean section."

The doctor explained that there are many measures to reduce labor pain. If the mother's fetal heart rate monitoring is qualified, labor analgesia can be performed. Family members should also give more encouragement and support to the mother, which is also an important part of reducing the mother's pain. They can help the mother walk around. The mother is not limited to lying down, but can also squat, sit, and kneel. Whichever posture is more comfortable can be used for delivery. This is free position delivery, which can relieve maternal pain to a certain extent. Family members can help the expectant mother to beat her waist, which is also helpful to relieve uterine contraction pain. During uterine contractions, the mother must remember to inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth, and avoid shouting. Because excessive tension and shouting are not conducive to blood supply to the uterus, it is easy to induce fetal distress and aggravate postpartum flatulence in pregnant women.

Childbirth: The safety of mother and child is the criterion

Xiaolong's mother's cervix was fully dilated, and she would be able to meet Xiaolong soon. But she couldn't hear Xiaolong's cry for a long time, and then the doctor came and said, "The fetal heart rate has slowed down. We are actively treating it and performing intrauterine resuscitation. But if the fetal heart rate slows down again, we will need an episiotomy, and we may also use forceps to deliver the baby as soon as possible." Xiaolong's mother was a little confused: "Can we not use forceps? Let's do a cesarean section."

Doctors warn that if fetal distress occurs, the doctor will first give the mother oxygen and let her lie on her left side, which will help improve blood supply to the placenta, give her appropriate fluids, and suppress uterine contractions as appropriate. At this time, whether to choose forceps or cesarean section depends on which method can deliver the newborn faster. When conditions permit, forceps delivery usually delivers the baby faster than cesarean section. At the same time, compared with cesarean section, forceps are relatively less damaging.

Finally, the doctor performed an episiotomy on Xiaolong's mother but did not use forceps. Xiaolong was born with a cry. The doctor reminded that Xiaolong's mother had to go through three stages after delivery: smooth urination, prevention of bleeding, and wound healing. After a long delivery, the mother's bladder was under pressure and the urination sensation was poor. She needed to drink more water and urinate actively. Getting up and moving and breastfeeding as soon as possible are beneficial to the recovery of the mother's uterus and reduce postpartum bleeding. In addition, keeping the vulva dry and clean as much as possible after delivery is conducive to wound healing.

Giving birth is a journey of pain and happiness. Now, looking at her baby's cute sleeping face, Xiaolong's mother feels that all the efforts along the way are worth it.

(The author Zou Liying is the deputy director and chief physician of the Department of Perinatal Medicine at Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University)