Steps of natural delivery

Pregnant women will feel psychological pressure when they are about to enter the delivery stage. Sometimes they will use the wrong force during natural delivery, which will cause them to feel bad and affect the delivery. Therefore, if you plan to have a natural delivery, you must be adequately prepared, learn more about natural delivery, and understand the relevant content of the steps of natural delivery. The more pregnant women know about natural childbirth, the more confident they will be and they will not feel helpless during childbirth.

1. The first stage of labor: also known as the cervical dilation period, is from the beginning of regular uterine contractions with intervals of 5-6 minutes to the full dilation of the cervix to 10 cm, which can allow the fetal head to be delivered. This process takes 11-12 hours for a primipara and about 6-8 hours for a multipara.

2. The second stage of labor: also known as the fetal delivery period, is from the full dilation of the cervix to the delivery of the fetus. It takes about 1-2 hours for a first-time mother, and usually only a few minutes for an experienced mother, but it may take up to 1 hour.

3. When the top of the fetal head can be seen, the midwife will tell the pregnant woman not to push too hard, because if the fetal head is delivered too quickly, the skin of the pregnant woman's perineum may be torn, so the pregnant woman should relax and take a few seconds to catch her breath. If there is a risk of severe tearing or the fetus is in danger, the woman will have an episiotomy. When the fetal head expands the vaginal opening, the pregnant woman will feel a tingling sensation, followed by numbness. This is because when the vaginal tissue expands very thin, it blocks the conduction of nerves.

4. When the head is delivered, the baby's face is facing downward. The midwife may want to check the umbilical cord to make sure it is not wrapped around the baby's neck (which often happens around the head as the baby's body is delivered). The baby's head is then turned to one side so that the head is in line with the shoulders. The midwife cleans the baby's eyes, nose, and mouth and, if necessary, suctions fluid from the baby's airway.

5. During the next two contractions, the baby's body will slide out of the mother's body. Usually the midwife will place her hands under the baby's armpits to help her out and place her on the pregnant woman's abdomen, while the baby is still connected to the umbilical cord.

At first the baby looks a little blue, has skin covered with vernix caseosa and streaked with blood, and cries. Additionally, the midwife will clear the baby's airway again and give oxygen if necessary.