What happens at child birth?
What Happens at Child Birth?
The birth of a child has been called one of life’s greatest miracles. A few weeks prior to childbirth, a baby usually positions himself with his head pointing down to go out into the world headfirst. The first stage of labor begins with short regular contractions of the uterus, every few minutes. It continues until the mother’s cervix is fully dilated, at 10 cm.
In the second stage of labor, the contractions become more frequent and more painful. As the baby’s head moves down the vagina, the amniotioc sac breaks, and fluid is released. Most mothers recognize this as their water breaking. The top of the head appears at the entrance of the vagina and finally bulges out. This is the crowning of the head. The contractions that follow push the baby’s head even further down, so that the head is delivered.
The baby’s eyes immediately begin to blink and the mouth makes suckling movements. The baby usually emerges facing the mother’s back so that the head passes through the widest possible opening in the pelvic girdle. The head then turns so that the upper and then the lower shoulder follow. There is a final contraction and the baby then slips out, still attached to the umbilical cord. The cord is then tied and then cut – a painless operation, as the cord is does not have nerves. The third stage of labor, in which the placenta comes out, is usually completed about 15 minutes after the birth.
This video explains exactly what happens at childbirth. A must watch before going into labor.
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