At my prenatal classes we’ve learnt about the first stage of labor: latent and active, and the second stage of labor. We will now move on to pushing your baby out!
PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS:
- The need to push is increasing as the baby’s head descends.
- Contractions might be further apart.
- There might be some blood expelled and bowel movements during pushing. The midwife instructed us to push the way our body tells us to.
- You might feel burning around the vagina.
- After the baby’s head has been born, the rest of its body comes quickly.
- Time: within 2 hours.
Pushing with an epidural. According to my favorite pregnancy book Pregnancy Day By Day if you have had an epidural, this can affect your awareness of when to bear down and push. If this is the case, your doctor will first check that your baby isn’t showing signs of distress, and may then decide to wait a while for the epidural effect to wear off slightly so you can feel when to bear down and push. Alternatively, the doctor will feel the top of your uterus so that she is aware of when a contraction is starting and will the guide you to bear down and push.
EMOTIONAL STATE:
- Sudden increase of energy.
- Excitement.
- Amazement by the force within.
- Tiredness and sleep between contractions.
- Interest in the baby.
- Indifference towards what’s going on around you.
- Your partner’s encouragement can have a huge impact on how you birth.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING INTERESTING TO SHARE ABOUT BIRTHING A BABY? PLEASE DO IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW 🙂
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