Skirmishes
In the first stage of labor, the cervix is fully opened, providing an opportunity for passage of the fetus through the birth canal. Throughout the pregnancy, the cervix performs an important protective function while holding the fetus in the uterus. In the first hours of birth, its role changes - it turns into a wide smooth channel, serving to release the fetus from the birth canal. This transformation is completed by the time when the contractions of the uterus change their character: fights that promote the opening of the cervix, are replaced by attempts aimed at expelling the fetus. During this period a woman often experiences significant physical and psycho-emotional changes. The contractions of the uterus become more intense and frequent - sometimes they follow one another, leaving no time for rest. They can be accompanied by a tremor, diarrhea or even vomiting.
Psychoemotional
The emotional changes that occur during this period can be manifested by the unusual behavior of a woman - for example, increased irritability or impressionability. Often during childbirth, she shows anger towards the partner, accusing him of the pain she is experiencing. Sometimes a woman in childbirth seems to think that what is happening above her strength, and she no longer wants this child, others would never believe that they can scream like that.
Birth of a child
The second period of labor - the period of expulsion of the fetus - begins with the full opening of the cervix and ends with the appearance of the baby. The uterus pushes it out. Many women do not realize how this will happen, and it becomes completely unexpected for them that the expulsion of the fetus is an instinctive act caused by involuntary contractions of the uterus, a process that can not be stopped. At the time of the fetal head exit from the external vaginal opening, a woman may feel burning pain (sometimes compared to a nettle burn). Some women in labor try to touch the head at this moment, welcoming the appearance of the child to the world. For a woman who has just been given birth to a child she has born, the output of the afterbirth, which is the last period of childbirth, often passes like in a fog - she is already poorly aware of what is happening from her joyful excitement and euphoria. As soon as the baby is in the mother's arms, she experiences joy and relief. Nine months of pregnancy ended happily, behind the pain from childbirth, the baby is alive and well. At this moment it is important to give parents the opportunity to be alone with the child - it is at this time that the emotional connection between them and the baby begins to be laid.
Tribal pains
Most women experience intense pain during labor, and the fear of this pain is one of the main concerns in expectation of childbirth. However, in a significant part of cases, pain is a consequence of the idea imposed on our culture that delivery should be painful. The result is a vicious circle - fear leads to tension and pain, causing even more fear and stress, exacerbating pain. It is important to realize that pain during labor is not a sign of trouble - it is absolutely normal and physiological. The uterus is not an immediate source of pain. It is associated with an insufficient supply of blood to the tissues of the abdominal cavity at the time of contraction of the uterus. It is even supposed that this pain is a signal for the brain, forcing a woman to make the movements necessary for a successful delivery. Remembering the birth as a very painful process, many women, nevertheless, believe that the expected joy gives him the strength to experience it - the appearance of a baby. A woman giving birth for the first time has nowhere to get an idea of how she will endure childbirth, so in such cases, one should remember the possibility of anesthesia and be ready at the right time to resort to it. Future parents should also know that about 20% of births end with a cesarean section. After that, a woman can feel "deceived" because she did not have to go through the natural process of giving birth.
If the father is present during childbirth, it often falls out the most important role - to ensure maximum comfort for the future mother, supporting her in the necessary position, feeding water for drinking and providing emotional support. The father can be allowed to take the child first when he leaves the birth canal and cut the umbilical cord. Although recently, mothers and medical personnel are increasingly trying to motivate their father to participate in childbirth, many men do not feel really necessary, when this important process, to which they are to some extent involved, reaches its apogee. To some, it seems that they are ignored or "dismissed", focusing all attention on the future mother. A man can feel rejected if a woman, because of pain during fights, behaves in an uncharacteristic way.
Attitude towards the child
The reaction of the parents at the sight of the newborn can vary from tears of joy and rapid manifestation of rapture to awe or silence after intense exhaustion. Some parents feel relieved that everything is happily over, and the pride of the accomplishment, but they reveal a strange indifference to the child. Perhaps they will need time to get used to the newborn. A child at birth may look too small, he has a disproportionately large head, his skin is covered with a whitish grease-like substance - the so-called original grease. From the first days of caring for the newborn, parents will notice that he is responding to their voices, and the love for him will grow. With the birth of the first child, the life of the newly minted mother and father enters a new phase. Now we know what the woman feels when the birth begins.