Normal & Caesarean Delivery

The art of giving birth is an inherent mechanism in all women. If the course of your pregnancy in its 9 months has been uneventful & normal there are more than 85% chances that you can have a normal vaginal birth.

Tips to Facilitate Normal Delivery

  1. Stay active – women who stay physically active during pregnancy have higher chances of normal delivery. Walking is a good form of exercise in pregnancy. You can start small and gradually progress to 45 min daily walk. You can also take specific exercise classes in pregnancy.
  2. Watch your weight – the ideal weight gain in pregnancy is 9-11 kg. Watch what you eat.
  3. Be mentally prepared – while it is good to be informed about the process of normal delivery don’t frighten yourself! Be positive in your attitude and trust your Gynaecologist. Normal delivery takes time. Have patience.
  4. Pain – women who have a fear of pain are unwilling to have normal delivery. You can discuss pain relief options with your gynaecologist.

Signs of Labour

  1. Labour pains – labour pains are usually intermittent pains which start from the back and come to front. They gradually increase in intensity, frequency and duration.
  2. Leaking – sometimes the water bag surrounding the baby breaks and the woman starts experiencing watery discharge through the vagina making her clothes continuously wet or she may wake up in a wet bed. If there is leaking you need to reach the hospital ASAP.

What to Do in Labour

If you experience labour pains or leaking, reach the hospital that you are registered in. The doctor on duty will check you and admit if required. Your Gynaecologist will be informed.

  1. Carry all your pregnancy records with you.
  2. Carry your baby bag with you.
  3. Ensure you have money with you
  4. Make sure you have a contact list on your phone of family and friends who can help you out in case of an emergency.

What Will Happen After Admission?

We will do your check-up and listen to your baby’s heartbeat to ensure everything is ok.

The first stage of labour is when the cervix dilates. In this stage your labour pains are going to increase progressively. You may be given enema to clean your bowels. It is better to be active in labour. you can ask your partner to rub your back to help with labour pains. Stay hydrated…keep taking plenty of fluids.

The second stage of labour is the time of delivery. You are going to be placed in the delivery position. Keep calm. Once your doctor tells you to push, just hold the railing of the bed and push during pain. When the pain passes off, take a deep breath to recuperate your energy and have some fluids.

You may require a cut in the vagina for delivery which the doctor will suture up after the baby and placenta are out.

Remember delivery is a natural process and you can do it.

LSCS OR CAESAREAN SECTION

Sometimes a woman may require a caesarean section. This can be planned (elective) or an emergency one.

Planned caesarean sections are done if you have previous delivery by LSCS, breech baby, transverse baby, the placenta is low lying, a very big baby which cannot come out of the normal passage, precious pregnancy with bad fetal outcome, precious baby like IVF, maternal request etc. In this, once the baby is term a date is fixed and LSCS is done.

Emergency LSCS may be required if the baby’s heart rate drops, labour is not progressing as required or if the baby passes meconium.

In LSCS you are given spinal anaesthesia, in the back so that your lower part of the body is numb. There is a transverse cut in the lower part of abdomen. It is opened and the baby is taken out.

Dr Himani Gupta, Gynaecologist & Obstetrician at Kharghar Navi Mumbai who practices at Mother ‘n’ Care Clinic takes utmost care in both Normal & Caesarean Delivery of our patients.