Duration of labor. How are labor?

Duration of labor. How are labor?
 The long-awaited hour is at hand, you have packed their bags and mentally prepared for the big event. You experience the joy and some fear. And that, in general, normal. If all goes well and, more importantly, how long you have to work for the birth of your baby - these questions may not give you sleep in the last days. Women's magazine JustLady wishes you that all went well, and the baby was born healthy, but now talk about the duration of labor.  

Surely you have already mastered in parous girlfriends abouthow are labor. Some people have told you in the spirit of the saga of "The Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years" (and were not far from the truth, if there were prolonged labor), others shrugged - birth, they say, and did not notice. Which is also partly true, if it was a case of rapid delivery, and even repeated.

How many actually last generations?

Duration of labor depends, and can not be accurately called a time that will be spent on the birth of your baby. It plays the role of age of mother, fetal position, the health of both.
Also, the duration of labor affect emotions, physiological characteristics of women, even the use of pain medication. And this is not the whole list.

Doctors, however, determine the average time of normal births so.
If you give birth for the first time, the process will take at 6-10 hours to some sources, on the other - 15-20. This discrepancy, I think, due to the fact that in the first case is considered, in fact, the active phase of labor, and in the second all the stages.

Therefore, I propose to consider all the stages of labor, their characteristics and durability.

Duration of labor. How are labor?

Duration of labor: the first period

This period is divided into three phases.
The first phase, called latent, Occupies a large part of the time, and can last up to 9 hours. At this time, begin the fight until fairly weak, the cervix becomes softer and more supple and gradually begins to unfold. This happens quite slowly and the entire first phase there is an opening at 3-4 centimeters.

The second phase - active - Continuedfrom 3 to 6 hours. At this time the contractions become stronger, painful, occurring more frequently, continues to open the cervix. By the end of this phase the cervix must open up to 7-8 inches.

The third, or transition phaseActually means a transition to the process of birth, that is, dry heaving. At this time the contractions become stronger and more frequent, the cervix opens to 10 centimeters. Phase lastsfrom several minutes to hours and ends with the feeling that you need tighter.
This is the signal to start the second period.

Duration of labor: the second period

At this point, a normal birth cervix has opened to 10 centimeters, that is, it is able to skip the baby's head. During any attempts doctor will ask you to make every effort to push the head out. Next, the doctor has to help him get to the light.
When this normal birth period lasts about 45 minutes women giving birth for the first time and only half of those who give birth again.

This is a very important period. Here, if the case drags on for a long time, doctors will have to help your child, using tools or other methods. You have to understand that it is necessary, as a kid, staying long in the birth canal in an awkward position, may suffer.

Duration of labor: the third period

Actually baby is born and you are perfectly happy. You want to close your eyes and relax, but it is too early. After birth, the baby should come last, which still remains in the uterus.

In some cases, things happen quickly, and subsequent release in just a few minutes after birth. If this does not happen, the doctor will wait, butno more than half an hourBecause after this time, the placenta has independent access unlikely.
Then the midwife just helps him to part with the help of special, virtually painless procedures.

That's all. But also keep in mind that after delivery may need minor surgery in the case of fractures and lacerations. Also, some time you have to spend in the delivery room with the cooling water bottle to stop the bleeding.

In conclusion, I want to focus on what you do in some way can affect theduration of labor.

Thus, for example, from your emotional state depends,how are labor. If you are experiencing fear and distrust of doctors, the process may be delayed. Experiencing psychological stress, you agree to provoke muscle tension, what not to do.

In this case, doctors may resort to the introduction of drugs that stimulate labor. On the one hand, nothing wrong with that, it is normal practice. On the other hand, in this case, not only the contractions become frequent, but also will be more painful than normal.

Also a considerable role inhow are laborPlaying your behavior, especially in the first period. If you're lying motionless on his back, so do not use gravity to accelerate the process. Much better to stand or walk (of course, not too fast), then the baby will quickly "move to the exit." At worst, you can lie on your side or sit up.
But it is necessary to consider that at some point you to sit here and be banned worth listening to doctors.

Delivery may be delayed, if you decide that you can not stand the pain and will require anesthesia before birth will be included in the active phase. According to the observations of physicians, such untimely intervention often leads to a weakening of labor.
So, it is better still to gain strength and endure.
Good assistants at this time will be proper breathing and massage specific points.

Alexander Panyutin
Women's magazine JustLady

Tags: genus clock period, the duration, the duration