The truth about birth and your vagina
When you give birth, the baby travels through the cervix and out through the vagina (also called the birth canal). The entrance to the vagina must stretch to allow the baby through. Sometimes the skin between the vagina and anus (the perineum) might tear or be cut by a doctor or midwife to allow the baby out. This is called an episiotomy. After having a baby, it's not unusual for women to feel their vagina is more loose or dry than usual, and have perineal pain or pain during sex. u give birth, the baby travels through the cervix and out through the vagina (also called the birth canal). The entrance to the vagina must stretch to allow the baby through. While it takes nine months to grow a full-term baby, labor and delivery occur in a matter of days or even hours. However, it’s the process of labor and delivery that tends to occupy the minds of expectant parents the most.
Many women experience irregular contractions sometime after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Known as Braxton Hicks contractions, they’re typically painless. At most, they’re uncomfortable and are irregular. Braxton Hicks contractions can sometimes be triggered by an increase in either mother or baby’s activity or a full bladder. No one fully understands the role Braxton Hicks contractions play in pregnancy.
Labor and delivery are divided into three stages. The first stage of labor incorporates the onset of labor through the complete dilation of the cervix. This stage is further subdivided into three
Delivery
During the second stage, the cervix is fully dilated. Some women may feel the urge to push right away or soon after they’re fully dilated. The baby may still be high up in the pelvis for other women. It may take some time for the baby to descend with the contractions so that it’s low enough for the mother to start pushing.
Delivery of the placenta
The placenta will be delivered after the baby has been born. Mild contractions will help separate the placenta from the uterine wall and move it down towards the vagina. Stitching to mend a tear or surgical cut (episiotomy) will occur after the placenta is delivered.
Modern medicine can provide a variety of options to manage pain and complications that can occur during labor and delivery. Some of the medications available include the following.
Narcotics
Narcotic medications are used frequently for pain relief during labor. Use is limited to the early stages because they tend to cause excessive maternal, fetal, and neonatal sedation.
Epidural
The pain relief results from injecting an anesthetic drug into the epidural space, located just outside the lining the covers the spinal cord. The drug blocks the transmission of pain sensations through the nerves that pass through that portion of the epidural space before connecting with the spinal cord.
Labor can be artificially induced in several ways. The method chosen will depend on several factors, A hormone medication called prostaglandin, a medication called misoprostol or a device that may be used to soften and open the cervix if it’s long and hasn’t softened or started to dilate. Medications like oxytocin or misoprostol can be used to induce labor. Oxytocin is given intravenously. Misoprostol is a tablet placed in the vagina.
Your doctor regularly monitors your baby’s position during prenatal visits. Most babies turn into a head-down position between week 32 and week 36. Some don’t turn at all, and others turn into feet- or bottom-first position. Most doctors will try to turn a breech fetus into a head-down position using external cephalic version (ECV).
A C-section is often the safest and quickest delivery option in difficult deliveries or when complications occur. A C-section is considered major surgery. The baby is delivered through an incision in the abdominal wall and uterus rather than the vagina. The mother will be given an anesthetic before surgery to numb the area from the abdomen to below the waist.
Vaginal birth after C-section (VBAC)
It was once thought that if you’ve had a C-section, you’ll always need to get one to deliver future babies. Today, repeat C-sections are not always necessary. Vaginal birth after C-section (VBAC) can be a safe option for many. Women who have had a low transverse uterine incision (horizontal) from a C-section will have a good chance at delivering a baby vaginally. Women who have had a classic vertical incision should not be allowed to attempt a VBAC. A vertical incision increases the risk of uterine rupture during vaginal birth. It’s important to discuss your previous pregnancies and medical history with your doctor, so they can assess whether VBAC is an option for you.
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