The Birth Process A baby is born Created by Mrs. Jane Ziemba Perryville Middle School

After 266 days… A human pregnancy from conception to birth of the baby lasts about 266 days (about 38 weeks). Most all babies are born within 11 days of this due date. Most babies stop growing around day 260, and this starts the hormone change which helps to start labor.

The trimesters These 38 weeks are divided into trimesters. The first trimester (months 1 to 3) may be rough for the mother. She may have nausea or “morning sickness” as well as other problems as her hormones and her body adjusts to the new life within her. The second trimester (months 4, 5, & 6) is a very comfortable time for the mother The third trimester is a time of weight gain and growth for the baby which makes the mother very uncomfortable

The beginning signs…. As the time for birth nears, the fetus is very cramped. The fetus turns its head downwards and fits snugly into the mother's pelvis. This is called lightening, and the mother begins to feel relief from the pressure on her stomach, heart, and lungs. LIGHTENING: the sensation a pregnant woman experiences when the fetus settles into the birth position

False Labor As her due date approaches, the mother may feel false labor. This is common. Labor is the hardest of all physical efforts, and once it begins, the woman cannot rest until it is finished.  FALSE LABOR: warm-up contractions that many women experience before the birth process Labor begins as the woman's hormones cause her uterine muscles to contract powerfully and rhythmically. There are three stages to labor.

The first stage of Labor The first stage of labor is the longest stage and is known as the dilation stage DILATION STAGE: the FIRST STAGE of labor during which the cervix is dilating (opening) wide enough (4 inches) for the fetus to exit In a first pregnancy, this stage averages about 10 1/2 hours. In later pregnancies, it averages about 6 1/2 hours.

The first stage continues In this first stage, contractions become more and more powerful and closer and closer together. Sometime during this first stage of labor, the pressure of the the contractions causes the mother’s “water to break” This means that the amniotic sac that holds the amniotic fluid has ruptured. Depending upon the size and location of the tear, the fluid either trickles out or gushes out

A transition occurs During the first stage of labor, the contractions start out weaker, further apart, and shorter in length. Near the end of this stage, a transition occurs. TRANSITION: a time when the contractions begin to get stronger, closer together, and longer in length The mother is feels the pressure of the baby as he moves through the fully opened cervix to position himself in the vaginal canal.

The second stage of labor During the second stage of labor, the contractions are still more powerful. This stage is known as the expulsion stage. EXPULSION STAGE: the SECOND STAGE of labor during which the involuntary contractions and pushing of the abdominal muscles push the infant through the birth canal In this stage the baby's head is seen crowning, the amniotic sac of waters breaks (if it hasn’t), and the baby is born. This stage takes about one hour. CROWNING: the moment in which the top (crown) of the baby's head is first seen

Still during the second stage of labor Sometimes the physician or midwife needs to do an episiotomy, to help the baby's passage. EPISIOTOMY: a surgical cut made at the vaginal opening during childbirth when the vagina cannot stretch enough without tearing to allow the baby to pass The mother normally receives a mild anesthetic before the episiotomy is made. An episiotomy prevents tearing at the vaginal opening, which can cause problems for the mother.

The Third Stage of Labor In the third stage of labor (placental stage), there are several final contractions that expel the placenta or afterbirth. PLACENT AL STAGE: the THIRD STAGE of labor in which the placenta is expelled AFTERBIRTH: the placenta, umbilical cord, and membranes that are expelled AFTER the BIRTH of the baby

The baby arrives Upon delivery of the baby, the umbilical cord is clamped off and cut. The baby is checked for vital functions, and drops of silver nitrate are put into its eyes to prevent blindness from possible gonorrhea that the mother might have. If the mother is alert and awake for delivery, the baby will be too. If the mother is groggy from medication, the baby will receive the same medication through the placenta, and will be sleepy.

Cesarean Section Occasionally, the physician needs to perform a Cesarean Section (C-section) because of problems with the birth. CESAREAN SECTION: surgical childbirth, in which the infant is taken through a cut in the woman's abdomen In the United States, approximately 24-28% of the births involve Cesarean Section and this number is increasing.

Why do a Cesarean Section? * A baby who is too large to pass safely through the mother's pelvis may require a Cesarean Section. * Other problems, such as excessive stress on the baby or signs that the mother is bleeding excessively, may also involve a Cesarean Section. * A breech birth is a rare occasion that may result in a Cesarean Section. Only about half the breech births require a Cesarean Section. BREECH BIRTH: a birth in which the infant is born in a position other than the normal headfirst position (the feet, hind end, or shoulders are born before the head.)