Here's a close look at what babies experience during the birthing process. Every pregnant woman wonders -- often with a wince or two -- how a seven-, eight-, or even nine-pound baby manages to fit through an opening roughly the diameter of a bagel. But Mother Nature equips infants with a soft skull for a reason. Labor produces mechanical and physiological changes that help prepare your baby for her first gulp of air.
In the womb, a fetus's lungs are filled with a fluid that helps them mature. Your baby's lungs will also begin pumping more blood through them after she's born.
In the womb, the blood bypasses these organs due to pressure. During birth, the pressure in the baby's lungs drops and blood starts flowing through them normally. How does a baby who's coming from a The thyroid plays a big role. That surge is caused both by exposure to cold and by increased adrenaline. Elevated thyroid levels cause heat production from a type of fat called "brown" fat, which is essential in helping a newborn regulate its temperature outside the womb.
You may also see a 'show', which is a pinkish plug of mucus, stained with blood. Your baby may move further down your pelvis as the head engages, or sits in place over your cervix, ready for the birth. Some women feel they have more room to breathe after the baby has moved down.
This is called 'lightening'. Some women find the sac of amniotic fluid containing the baby breaks before labour, contractions start and the fluid runs or gushes out of the vagina. This is referred to as rupture of the membranes, or 'waters breaking'. Let your maternity team know when your waters have broken and take notice of the colour of the fluid.
It is usually light yellow. If it is green or red, tell your maternity team since this could mean the baby is having problems. If your waters have broken but you have not started having regular contractions within 24 hours, you may need your labour to be induced because there is a risk of infection. Your midwife or doctor will talk to you about this.
Movies often show women suddenly being struck by painful contractions and rushing to hospital. In real life, many women are not sure if they have actually started their labour. You may feel restless, have back pain or period-like pain, or stomach disturbances such as diarrhoea.
Labour officially begins with contractions, which start working to open up the cervix. You should phone your midwife when your contractions start, although you probably won't be encouraged to come to the hospital or birthing centre until your contractions are closer together.
Your pelvis is located between your hip bones. Women typically have wider, flatter pelvises than men, as well as a wider pelvic cavity hole to allow a baby to pass through. The organs sitting in a woman's pelvis include the uterus, cervix and vagina, which are held together by a group of muscles. During childbirth, the muscles at the top of your uterus press down on the baby's bottom.
Your baby's head then presses on your cervix which, along with the release of the hormone oxytocin see 'How hormones help you give birth', below , brings on contractions. Your cervix should dilate so your baby can pass through it. Your pelvis has bones and ligaments that move or stretch as the baby travels into the vagina. Your baby also has spaces between the skull bones called 'sutures', and the gaps where the sutures meet on the skull are called fontanelles. This allows for the baby's head to mould as the skull bones meet or overlap, allowing it to fit more easily as it travels through your pelvis.
Your body produces hormones that trigger changes in your body before, during and after childbirth. Uncomplicated vaginal birth Most babies breathe and cry within a few seconds of being born.
If your baby is breathing well, baby can be placed naked, skin to skin, on your chest or belly straight after birth. The midwife will dry your baby while your baby is on you, and cover you both with a warm blanket or towels. Forceps or vacuum birth Most babies born with the help of forceps or a vacuum will breathe and cry at birth.
If this happens, the midwife, obstetrician or paediatrician will take your baby to a special warming station. You can hold your baby once baby is breathing properly. You can ask for skin-to-skin contact. Or your baby can be dried, wrapped in warm towels or blankets for you to hold.
Elective caesarean section Most babies born via elective caesarean section breathe and cry vigorously at birth. If baby is breathing well, you might be able to have skin-to-skin contact before baby goes to a special warming station to be dried and checked.
You can ask to hold your baby skin to skin, or baby can be wrapped in warm blankets or towels for you to hold while on the operating table. Sometimes you might need further medical attention, so that first cuddle might have to wait. All babies should have a hearing screen before leaving the hospital so that problems are found early. With a vaginal birth, the average newborn stay is about 48 hours. With a cesarean delivery, it is about 96 hours. Many parents are surprised to see how alert a newborn really is.
Right after birth, a newborn's eyes are open quite a bit and babies spend a lot of time studying faces — especially their parents'. Your baby may turn or react to the sound of your voices. Your baby is using all of the senses, including smell and touch, to further identify and become attached to you.
Your newborn will cry, sleep, and at times will look directly into your eyes. Although the vision is blurry, your baby can best see something such as your face that is about 8 to 15 inches away. Your baby will grab onto your finger if you place it in his or her palm. And of course, your baby will want to eat. After initially being very awake, most newborns get sleepy for about the next 24 hours.
It's important to wake them to feed every 2 to 3 hours so they get used to the process and start eating well. If a mother is breastfeeding, this is also the best way to encourage her milk to come in. A woman who's breastfeeding can begin as soon as her newborn is placed in her arms. Her milk probably won't fully come in for another day or two, especially for a first-time mom, but babies do get nourishment from colostrum, a precursor to actual breast milk. For some women colostrum is thin and watery; for others it is thick and yellowish.
As your baby sucks on your breast, this action triggers hormones to tell your body that it's time to make milk. Some babies especially premature and smaller babies have a hard time latching on or getting enough suction to nurse from the breast. A nurse, breastfeeding counselor, or lactation consultant can help you and your baby overcome any hurdles. Even if breastfeeding is going smoothly from the start, it's still helpful to learn as much about it as you can from a breastfeeding specialist.
Initially, you will probably be feeding your baby about every 2 to 3 hours around the clock. If you bottle-feed your baby, you can usually begin within the first few hours of life. Having a baby is a life-changing experience.
Don't be surprised to find that you go through a broad range of feelings. You may feel everything from relief to concern to anxiety to pure joy.
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