pre-industrial (natural) childbirth
Nov. 10th, 2009 08:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pachamama posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
leftoverresearchquarterlyFirst labour which is completely unmedicated commonly lasts around 24 hours or more. The waters-breaking-oh-my-god-contractions of the tv sitcom almost never ever happens. Waters most commonly break during transition from First stage (contractions) to Second Stage (pushing), and contractions often start out as mild and indistinguishable from Braxton-Hicks, only slowly evolving over hours into something painful and significant.
The later the waters break often the slower the labour because the baby's head isn't pressing as firmly against the opening cervix, but the fewer the complications due to misalignment which can happen when the waters break and the head comes down crooked or with a hand by the face (complex presentation)and the lower the risk of secondary infection. Waters breaking late is also often a sign of good nutrition during pregnancy.
"Back labour" (labour pains which focus in the lower back) is caused often by a baby who hasn't rotated (ie is "sunny side up" or face-to-pubic-bone. Back labour is often slower too, again because the hardest part of the baby's head isn't located where it needs to be to make that cervix streeeeetch.
Having the chord wrapped around the neck is not usually any big deal for an experienced midwife -- they just reach in and unwrap it before the next contraction which will birth the shoulders. Baby is still getting oxygen through the umbilicus at that time, so "strangling on the chord" is largely a myth.
Very large babies may cause tearing of the perineum at the birthing of the head, but if a baby is going to get "stuck" it is normally at the birthing of the shoulders, which in a large baby is the trickiest bit.
One of the riskiest parts of birth for the mother is the Third Stage or birthing of the placenta. A retained or partially retained placenta is a real problem, as is post-partum haemorrhage which tends to occur when the womb doesn't contract adequately after the placenta separates, and the separation point continues to bleed copiously. Suckling at the nipples releases ocytocin which assists the contraction to occur, which is why midwives put babies to the breast right away.
The later the waters break often the slower the labour because the baby's head isn't pressing as firmly against the opening cervix, but the fewer the complications due to misalignment which can happen when the waters break and the head comes down crooked or with a hand by the face (complex presentation)and the lower the risk of secondary infection. Waters breaking late is also often a sign of good nutrition during pregnancy.
"Back labour" (labour pains which focus in the lower back) is caused often by a baby who hasn't rotated (ie is "sunny side up" or face-to-pubic-bone. Back labour is often slower too, again because the hardest part of the baby's head isn't located where it needs to be to make that cervix streeeeetch.
Having the chord wrapped around the neck is not usually any big deal for an experienced midwife -- they just reach in and unwrap it before the next contraction which will birth the shoulders. Baby is still getting oxygen through the umbilicus at that time, so "strangling on the chord" is largely a myth.
Very large babies may cause tearing of the perineum at the birthing of the head, but if a baby is going to get "stuck" it is normally at the birthing of the shoulders, which in a large baby is the trickiest bit.
One of the riskiest parts of birth for the mother is the Third Stage or birthing of the placenta. A retained or partially retained placenta is a real problem, as is post-partum haemorrhage which tends to occur when the womb doesn't contract adequately after the placenta separates, and the separation point continues to bleed copiously. Suckling at the nipples releases ocytocin which assists the contraction to occur, which is why midwives put babies to the breast right away.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-20 07:57 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-26 11:55 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-05 08:51 am (UTC)However, on a research level, this is very useful stuff! Thanks a lot!