These pads are attached to a monitor that shows your baby's heartbeat and your contractions. Sometimes a clip called a foetal heart monitor can be attached to the baby's head instead. This can give a more accurate measurement of your baby's heartbeat. You can ask to be monitored electronically even if there are no concerns. Having electronic monitoring can sometimes restrict how much you can move around. If you have electronic monitoring with pads on your bump because there are concerns about your baby's heartbeat, you can take the monitor off if your baby's heartbeat is shown to be normal.
Labour can sometimes be slower than expected. This can happen if your contractions are not coming often enough, are not strong enough, or if your baby is in an awkward position. If this is the case, your doctor or midwife may talk to you about 2 ways to speed up your labour: breaking your waters or an oxytocin drip.
Breaking the membrane that contains the fluid around your baby your waters is often enough to make contractions stronger and more regular. This is also known as artificial rupture of the membranes ARM.
Your midwife or doctor can do this by making a small break in the membrane during a vaginal examination. This may make your contractions feel stronger and more painful, so your midwife will talk to you about pain relief. If breaking your waters does not work, your doctor or midwife may suggest using a drug called oxytocin also known as syntocinon to make your contractions stronger.
This is given through a drip that goes into a vein, usually in your wrist or arm. Oxytocin can make your contractions stronger and more regular and can start to work quite quickly, so your midwife will talk to you about your options for pain relief. You will also need electronic monitoring to check your baby is coping with the contractions, as well as regular vaginal examinations to check the drip is working.
The 2nd stage of labour lasts from when your cervix is fully dilated until the birth of your baby. Your midwife will help you find a comfortable position to give birth in. You may want to sit, lie on your side, stand, kneel, or squat, although squatting may be difficult if you're not used to it. If you've had lots of backache while in labour, kneeling on all fours may help. It's a good idea to try some of these positions before you go into labour.
Talk to your birth partner so they know how they can help you. Find out what your birth partner can do. When your cervix is fully dilated, your baby will move further down the birth canal towards the entrance to your vagina. You may get an urge to push that feels a bit like you need to poo.
You can push during contractions whenever you feel the urge. You may not feel the urge to push immediately. If you have had an epidural, you may not feel an urge to push at all. After birth, your body starts to change to help you heal. Last reviewed: March, Get expert tips and resources from March of Dimes and CDC to increase your chance of having a healthy, fully-term pregnancy and baby.
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Saving Just a moment, please. You've saved this page It's been added to your dashboard. In This Topic. And it may be different each time you have a baby. What are stages of labor? What is a birth plan? What is a doula? Having a doula can help: Shorten your labor Reduce your need for pain medicine during labor Reduce your risk of needing a cesarean birth or the need for your provider to use forceps or suction with a vaginal birth Your baby get a good Apgar score at birth.
Your baby gets an Apgar test right after birth to check his overall health. The test checks his heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, reflexes and skin color. What happens in the first stage of labor? Early labor For most first-time moms, early labor lasts about 6 to 12 hours. Your doctor might recommend induced labour if:. Not everyone can have an induced labour. It is not usually an option if you have had a a caesarean section or major abdominal surgery before, if you have placenta praevia , or if your baby is breech or lying sideways.
During the late stages of your pregnancy, your healthcare team will carry out regular checks on your health and your baby's heath. These checks help them decide whether it is better to induce labour or to keep the baby inside. Always tell your doctor or midwife if you notice your baby is moving less than normal. If they decide it is medically necessary to induce labour, first your doctor or midwife will do an internal examination by feeling inside your vagina.
They will feel your cervix to see if it is ready for labour. This examination will also help them decide on the best method for you. There are different options for inducing labour and you may need a combination of treatments. It can take from a few hours to as long as 2 to 3 days to induce labour. It depends how your body responds to the treatment. It is likely to take longer if this is your first pregnancy or you are less than 37 weeks pregnant.
Induced labour is usually more painful than natural labour. Depending on the type of induction you are having, this could range from discomfort with the procedure or more intense and longer lasting contractions as a result of the medication you have been given. Women who have induced labour are more likely to ask for an epidural for relief.
Because inductions are almost always done in hospital, the full range of pain relief should be available to you. There is usually no restriction on the type of pain relief you can have if your labour is induced.
Not all induction methods will work for everyone. There are several different types of induction. Your doctor may try another method, or you might need to have a caesarean. What is an episiotomy? How will my baby be monitored during labour? What is a CTG? Why do I need internal vaginal examinations?
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