Process of Normal vaginal Child birth

Normal vaginal childbirth
During a vaginal birth, the first stage of labor lasts between 12 to 19 hours and begins when the baby moves into the pelvis and is positioned there. In response to this, the cervix begins to open or become thinner and dilate.

During this process the mother may begin to feel strong and regular contractions that occur every 5 to 20 minutes in addition to lower back pain and cramps that do not go away.

As the cervix begins to open, you may notice a brown or reddish mucous discharge, which may be the mucus plug coming off the opening of the cervix and is an indicator that labor is about to begin.

If the amniotic sac that holds the baby bursts during pregnancy, a procedure also known as "water breaking," you may experience a heavy gush of water or a continuous drip.

If you experience any of these symptoms contact your doctor or midwife immediately to find out if you should go to hospital.

At the beginning of the second stage of labor, which can last from a few minutes to three hours, the cervix is fully dilated to 4 inches, and by this time the baby's head will have moved beyond the cervical opening into its birth canal.

During this stage, the mother will feel stronger contractions, which will favor the baby so that it can be pushed out more easily. At this time the mother may instinctively push when she feels the need or she may need the help of her doctor, midwife or labor nurse to tell her when to push and when to rest.

In a normal delivery the baby's head will turn and face the mother's back and during labor the uterus will dilate (open up; which is when the uterus contracts to push the baby down, allowing it to pass more quickly through the birth canal.

In response to this, the passive waiting stage will begin, which causes the muscle of the uterus to remain relaxed and stretched to give the baby more room to pass through. In some cases, when the top of the baby's head appears or pokes out, the doctor may make a small cut called an episiotomy to enlarge the vaginal opening. After the cut is performed the mother is able to continue to naturally push her baby out.

Pressure on the head as it goes through the birth canal, which is very narrow, may mold the shape into an oblong which is normal during childbirth; within a few days the head will return by itself to its normal shape when the skull bones return to their place.

After the baby's head comes out of the vulva, he/she will rotate their shoulders to pass through the birth canal. The baby's shoulders pass one after the other to be able to cross through the pelvis, once these are expelled the rest of the baby's body will come out easily.

After the birth of the baby, the doctors will proceed to cut the umbilical cord, which is the means by which the mother gave life to her baby during pregnancy through the exchange of nutritional substances as well as blood vessels.

In the third stage of labor, which can last from 5 to 30 minutes, the mother will feel gentle contractions that help push the placenta out of the uterus. During this stage, mother and baby may begin to bond through skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding.

Once the third stage is over, the mother will be able to enjoy that very special moment with her baby, the miracle of his/her birth and of becoming a mother