First Stage of Active Labor
When the first stage of labor begins, the cervix responds to hormonal changes and contractions start to take on a more patterned interval. Cervical dilation and bloody show will be present as well.
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Baby Blues and Postpartum Depression
Suffering from a brief bout of mild depression is common for women who
have just given birth. Some women will fight through the depression and
come out within a few weeks feeling better than ever before. Other
women will suffer from baby blues symptoms that lead to a deeper more
clinical-style depression.
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Kegel Exercises
Nearly every pregnant woman has been told to do Kegel exercises to make labor easier.
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Body Aches and Pains
There will be plenty of aches and pains associated with pregnancy, but the legs and back are often the body parts hit the hardest. Increased fluid retention during pregnancy can lead to swelling.
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Natural Childbirth
While some women may believe natural childbirth is safer for her baby, there can be some common side effects she did not plan on when making her decision to skip pain medication.
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Reflexology for Labor and Delivery
More women are turning to reflexology as part of their plans for a good experience with labor and delivery. It can be used both throughout a pregnancy, and also in the delivery room as labor progresses.
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When Is It Too Late For Pain Medication?
For a pregnant woman who has decided on using pain medication for labor and delivery hearing the words, “It is too late to relieve pain” can be frightening. Why, and more importantly when, is it too late for pain medication during labor and delivery?
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Overcoming Sleep Deprivation
It's a simple biological fact: babies simply cannot sleep through the night. Sleep deprivation is like spending money from a bank account that has no funds. Eventually, mom and dad will have to pay back the loan or face very real health-related consequences.
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Preparing for a New Baby in the Home
Preparing for a baby’s arrival in the home is one of the most exciting parts of pregnancy. Most families choose to wait until late in the second trimester to prepare the baby’s room just to ensure the pregnancy is safe
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Me Time Replaced by Daddy Time
It can be hard for Dad to replace me time with daddy time, but working
together with mom and using the give and take method may work to the
advantage of both parents.
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Helping When the Time is Right
The help mom needs is not going to manifest until the latter stages of the pregnancy. Dad can, however, tell mom on a daily basis how beautiful she is and how she is going to be a great mother. These emotional boosts are the best way to give support as physical changes are happening to her body.
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Giving Mom a Hand After Birth
After birth emotional issues, paired with sleep deprivation, often
strike a usually happy couple. Mom needs some alone time, support time,
and help after the baby is born, and Dad needs to learn how to read the
signs.
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Co-Bedding Safety Issues
Parents tend to choose co-bedding as a solution to late night crying and sleep deprivation. While co-bedding may help solve these problems, some experts report that the baby is at a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome and accidental death when sleeping beside a parent.
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Alternative Feeding Methods
Moms typically choose between prepared infant formulas and breast milk
for feeding the baby. In rare cases, moms may not feel comfortable with
either of these choices. Alternative feeding choices for the baby are
limited, but there are some choices mom may want to research.
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Clothing and Fetal Safety
Finding the right pregnancy clothes can be a difficult task, especially when you'll need exercise clothes, business clothes, dress clothes, and don't forget jackets and coats!
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Labor Induction: Methods and Potential Benefits
If the time has come to give birth and the natural labor process has
not begun, doctors can choose to induce labor in a variety of ways.
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Breastfeeding: Tips and Tricks
There is nothing easy about breastfeeding. Every mom needs a few helpful tips to make breastfeeding the beautiful experience it should be.
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Heartburn and Indigestion
Acid escaping from the stomach into the esophagus is often to blame for heartburn and indigestion during pregnancy.
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Painful Body Changes In Pregnancy And How to Cope
It is normal for a pregnant woman to undergo many body changes, aches and pains during pregnancy. Most are associated with hormones, and the pain will stop when hormone levels return to normal.
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Other Painful Body Changes
Physical changes during pregnancy are commonly associated with hormonal changes. The body typically returns to normal a few months after baby is born.
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Swelling During Pregnancy
Swelling of the face, hands, legs and feet are all common symptoms of pregnancy, but can cause also serious discomfort and even pain.
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Childbirth: Aromatherapy for Pain Management
One of the alternative techniques you can use for the management of pain during labor is aromatherapy. Aromatherapy can be a great way to reduce the amount of stress you're experiencing.
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Why Would You Need a Cesarean Section?
A cesarean section is an operative delivery done by cutting through the mother's abdomen and uterus and delivering the baby through the incision.
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Midwives and Doulas
Doulas and midwives are two choices a pregnant woman may choose to include as part of her birthing plan.
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Tips for Preventing SIDS
SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome, describes an infant death with an unknown cause. While doctors and researchers may not be able to pinpoint the reason for death in SIDS cases, they have compiled a list of tips to prevent SIDS from occurring with your baby.
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Unproductive Labor
Unproductive labor occurs when mom successfully makes it through the first stage of labor only to have the cervix become unresponsive to contractions and hormonal changes. If the cervix does not dilate and efface, the baby cannot pass through the cervix and into the birthing canal.
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Vacuum Assisted Birth and Forceps
When energy levels are low or the baby’s head is a bit too large to push through the vaginal opening, vacuum-assisted birth or forceps may be used to help in the birthing process.
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Pushing Tips
You can take classes, watch movies and ask questions about pushing, but until you are in active labor, you won't know exactly how strong the pressure and the need to push really is. Learning some tips for effective pushing can help lt lessen the time spent in labor.
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How Long Do I Have Until The Baby is Born?
New moms are often told that they can tell how long they have until the baby is born by the way the belly button appears or the drop of the tummy. These signs are not proven to determine when active labor will begin, though they can be an indication that the baby is getting closer to the birth canal.
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Tips to Naturally Induce Labor
As you near the end of your pregnancy, you may be ready for the entire process of carrying your baby to be over. Several things can be done to induce labor naturally that might make you have contractions and begin labor, but they'll only work if your body is ready! Follow these labor induction tips.
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Breathing Exercises
Most people associate breathing exercises with helping to ease pain from contractions, but it also provides increased oxygen levels to the baby who is in state of stress as well.
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Epidural and Spinal Anesthesia During Labor
An epidural is the most popular choice among women during labor and delivery. It is delivered through a needle and catheter which usually stays in place until the baby is born.
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Third Stage of Labor
Giving birth to a new baby is about more than just active labor, contractions and pushing. The placenta needs to pass out of the uterus and vagina after delivery.
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Second Stage of Active Labor
The second stage of active labor is when you finally get to react to those strong contractions. As the second stage of active labor begins you will feel the need to push.
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Prelabor Preparation
Weeks before real labor begins, the pregnant woman's body starts preparing for birth. Most of these changes will go unno
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Swelling, Swelling Everywhere
\While most swelling is associated with increased fluid retention and dietary choices, some changes in swelling can be a marker for health issues associated with pregnancy.
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Common Myths About Inducing Labor
The latter days of pregnancy can be the most irritating. When resting in bed, mom may search for the fastest way to self-induce labor from home and may come across some interesting prospects.
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Vaginal Tearing
Natural tears are common during childbirth and tend to heal just as quickly as surgical cuts or episiotomies. There are four degrees of vaginal tearing during pregnancy:
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Basic Diapering Skills 101
When pee and poo are on the line, it is important to know the basics of proper diapering well ahead of time so practice before the baby is born.
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General Anesthesia
General anesthesia is rarely used during labor and delivery. General anesthesia is reserved for C-section deliveries that have complications.
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Spinal Anesthesia
Spinals are pain medications delivered via the spinal column in one dose. The medication is fast acting and can achieve a complete block of pain in as little as 15 minutes.
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Bottlefeeding: Sanitary Choices and Formula Selection
When choosing bottle feeding for a baby, it is important to maintain a sanitary environment with the bottles, nipples and formula.
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Does Sex During Pregnancy Cause Labor?
Sex is often one of the first tactics pregnant moms will use to bring about the start of birth.
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Proper Pregnancy Nutrition
Pregnant women used to be told to eat for two during pregnancy. But eating for the baby is much more involved than simply eating more food.
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Most Common Pains During Pregnancy
When conception occurs, pregnancy hormones kick into overdrive and cause some serious changes in the female body. These changes are not limited to promoting the healthy growth of the baby.
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Warm Water and Fetal Safety
Taking warm baths can help relieve tension and pain throughout pregnancy, but too warm could lead to birth defects and lack of oxygen to the baby. ... read more »
Constipation and Diarrhea During Pregnancy
Those same pregnancy hormones that make the muscles and ligaments more lax during the birthing process, will also play games with the intestinal organs.
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Why Can't I Use the Bathroom?
While dehydration is not typically a problem thanks to IV fluids, fear of urinating may cause a woman who has just given birh to refrain from heading off to the bathroom too quickly.
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Nausea and Vomiting as Early Pregnancy Symptoms
Morning sickness is one of the most common symptoms of early pregnancy. And though the name suggests symptoms only occur in the morning, they can really happen at any time of day.
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Where Did These Breasts Come From?
Some women are thrilled to have 40 weeks of expanding breasts, while others are happier with the breasts they had before becoming pregnant. Why and how do breasts grow during pregnancy?
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