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Week 34 Welcome to Week 34 of the KidandParent Weekly
Show. You are eagerly waiting for your baby to come into the world. In todays's show we
will try to understand stages of labour. We will also explore how to differentiate between
false and true labour.
Changes Taking Place in Mother If you are expecting for the first time, you
may feel dropping at this stage. The process of the baby's head entering the birth canal
is called dropping. Mothers with previous deliveries may feel this movement before the
labour. Once the baby's head enters the birth canal, you find it easy to take deep breaths.
The pressure on the diaphragm is released when the baby moves towards the pelvis. You
may feel some pressure in the *** after the baby drops. Antibodies pass from your
body to your baby and strengthen his immune system. When you breast feed your baby after
birth, he is provided with more antibodies.You should consult your doctor with regards to
*** care. Make a list of things to be done, important
numbers, your medical papers, list of things to be taken to the hospital ready by now,
this comes handy in case of a preterm labour.
How is Baby Doing ? The brain and nervous system of your baby's
brain are fully developed. Fat keeps adding on to his bones. His bones continue hardening
due to the calcium intake from the mother. But the bones in his skull are still soft
and separated. This makes it easier for the baby to travel through the birth canal. His
head begins to move into the pelvis during this week to position himself for delivery.
He keeps his eyes open when he is awake. The lanugo hair is almost completely shed off.
After this week, the only significant change in the baby is his weight gain.
Stages of labour Childbirth is a unique adventure. Every delivery
is unique and follows its own path. Childbirth is divided into three stages – labour, delivery
of baby and delivery of placenta. We will take a look at what happens in each stage.
Stage I – Labor Labor is divided into three phases.
* Latent or Early labour - This is usually the longest of the three phases. It lasts
for about 8 to 14 hours. It is also the least intense and least painful. The *** starts
becoming thinner and is dilated to 3 cm. As the *** opens because of the thinning,
it moves forwards. Initially, it is firm and by the end of Stage I it is soft and stretchy.
* Active Labour - This is usually the longest of the three phases. It lasts for about two
to three hours on an average. The *** is dilated to 7 cm. The contractions are stronger,
longer and more frequent. * Avanced Active or Transitional Labour - This
is the final phase of Stage I of childbirth. It lasts for about fifteen minutes to an hour
on an average. The *** is dilated to the maximum, to a full 10 cm. The contractions
are very intense.
Stage II - Delivery of baby The entire process takes about half an hour
to two hours. If this is your first baby, this stage may last a few hours. If not, it
may take only about 10 minutes. The contractions are more regular and usually less painful
than the transitional phase. Your womb pushes your baby down the *** or birth canal.
Stage III - Delivery of Placenta Your baby has come out and it is now the turn
of the placenta to be delivered. The entire process takes about five minutes to half an
hour. You will experience mild contractions within a few minutes after the baby is born.
The contractions detach the placenta from the uterine wall into the bottom of your womb.
You can then push it out of the ***. This results in the delivery of the placenta.
False and true Labour All pregnant women, at some point wonder how
will they know they are in labour. Here are a few things which can guide you
* Timings of contractions: False labour contractions are irregular, but real contractions come
at regular intervals. * Change with movement: False labour contractions
stop with change in position, but the real labour contractions do not stop.
* Strength of contractions: False labour contractions are generally weak, they go on increasing
in real labour. * Pain: During false labor pain is felt in
front mostly, but upon real labour pain starts at back and moves to front.
1 in 250 pregnancies can result in identical twins
Have a Nice Week with this Lovely thought by Carrie Fisher
Everything grows rounder and wider and weirder, and I sit here in the middle of it all and
wonder who in the world you will turn out to be.
Carrie Fisher