In addition to preparing for the needs of the little one, expectant mothers are also required to find the right delivery information before giving birth. This information is important to be used as a provision so that pregnant women can prepare for childbirth well and not panic when the day comes.
Giving birth without knowing enough information about the birth process may make pregnant women fear and worry excessively.
Therefore, pregnant women need to find out various things about childbirth so they can anticipate things that might happen and ensure that the health conditions of pregnant women and their little ones are ready to go through this process.
List of Must-Know Maternity Information
The following is some important information that pregnant women need to know before going into labor:
1. Early signs of labor
When it is near the time of delivery, the body of a pregnant woman will begin to prepare itself to remove the baby from the womb. Ahead of delivery, there are several things that pregnant women may experience, namely:
- Body achesBefore giving birth, pregnant women will feel pain. This pain can include lower back pain that is similar to pain during menstruation, as well as pain or pressure in the pelvis. When these complaints arise, pregnant women may find it difficult to rest or sleep well.
- Frequent contractionsContractions will be felt more often before delivery. When experiencing this, pregnant women will experience heartburn or the stomach feels like being gripped, then relax again. Contractions can occur periodically, for example every few minutes. As labor approaches, contractions may appear stronger, longer, and more frequent.
- Broken amniotic fluid
Sometimes it is difficult to tell if the amniotic fluid has ruptured, because the discharge may be similar to urine and therefore difficult to distinguish.
If in doubt whether the fluid that comes out is urine or amniotic fluid, pregnant women can immediately go to a midwife or doctor for further examination.
- Increased vaginal fluid productionVaginal fluid will increase in number when the day of delivery arrives. The liquid is clear or pink (pink), and may be accompanied by a small amount of blood. This condition occurs a few days before or during delivery.
- Mood swingApproaching delivery, pregnant women's moods may become erratic (mood swings). When feeling this, pregnant women may wake up feeling very excited to welcome their baby into the world, but then suddenly become sad or worried.
2. The right time to go to the doctor or midwife
Pregnant women are advised to go to the hospital or midwife when the contractions appear regularly for about 30-60 seconds, and the intervals between them appear 3-5 minutes.
Pregnant women should also immediately see a doctor or midwife if they experience any of the following:
- Amniotic fluid has broken
- Vaginal bleeding
- Decreased baby movement
- Severe stomach pain
- Dizziness and weakness
- Fever
3. Childbirth is painful
Giving birth is painful, but pregnant women need not worry because every woman's body has been created to be able to deal with it. Moreover, the pain can provide information about the extent to which labor is progressing.
If you can't stand the pain, try using labor pain relief methods, either medical or natural. To determine the right pain reduction method, pregnant women can consult a gynecologist.
4. The birth process is unpredictable
Actually, no one can predict how long a normal delivery process will take. The initial phase of labor can take from hours to days. It all depends on various factors, such as the position and size of the baby, the strength of the contractions, and how easily the cervix dilates.
The delivery process is calculated from the time the pregnant woman enters the active phase of labor. This active phase is characterized by contractions that come stronger, longer (5-60 seconds), and more often (every 3-4 minutes), and the cervix or cervix that has been opened by 3-4 cm.
For women who are giving birth for the first time, the active phase may last about 8-15 hours, plus a pushing time of about 1-2 hours. If you have given birth before, the active phase may take about 5-12 hours, plus 10-60 minutes of pushing time.
After the baby is born, the last stage of the labor process is the delivery of the placenta. The placenta will usually come out of the uterus within 10-20 minutes after the baby is born. If the placenta still does not come out 30 minutes after the baby is born, the doctor will provide treatment to remove the placenta.
Although the predicted date of delivery is still far, pregnant women are advised to equip themselves with the right information about childbirth. For this reason, do not hesitate to ask questions, including about appropriate delivery methods such as lotus birth or hypnobirthing, to an obstetrician or midwife when pregnant women undergo routine pregnancy check-ups.
