How long does a delivery "normal"?
It is very difficult to answer this question. Generally, we consider that the work begins with the first contractions or during loss of water.
Midwives and doctors believe that working time is measured from the time the cervix is dilated three to four centimeters. This stage marks the beginning of expansion of the "active phase of labor."
Obviously things are experienced differently by the mother who suffers from painful contractions for several hours and did perhaps not even sleep last night! To him, it's been a while since the work is "active".
You should know that the first babies take their time. The average length of the active phase of labor for the first child is about 8 hours. This is only an average and your work may be slower or faster, but anyway it is not likely to last longer than 18 hours.
The work is often faster in women who have given birth, but it varies from woman to woman. If this is not your first child, the active phase of labor should last on average 5 hours and is unlikely to exceed 12 hours.
Prompt delivery is not necessarily a good thing, whether for your baby or for yourself. Work too fast may even be physically and emotionally exhausting. However, it also happens that the work is so slow that it generates a real risk of exhaustion of the mother or child.
The progress of the active phase of labor varies over time. Things can move slowly for an hour or two, then suddenly accelerate. In principle, midwives assess the progress of the work all hours.
If your cervix is not dilating fast enough, your midwife may discuss with the obstetrician for a possible acceleration of labor.
In some pregnancies, it is customary to speed up labor if the cervix does not dilate one centimeter per hour. However, each woman is unique and such a decision must consider the welfare and wishes of the mother.
Before taking additional measures, some midwives prefer to practice a new examination two hours later to see if the work has really slowed.
What can slow down in labor?
Multiple factors can slow down the work, including stress or fear, which alter hormone levels for the work. That said, women are extremely different from each other, it is hardly surprising that some birth faster than other
Here are some possible causes of a slowdown of work:
- the baby's position or how his head is placed in the maternal pelvis,
- a lack of power of contractions,
- a size or a non-optimal in the basin.
Approximately one in four women is born with a basin whose shape is closer to the male pelvis (android pelvis) and we know that there is then more likely to get the baby moved back into position to back that doctors call the posterior position. This can slow and complicate the work of birth.
Generally, there is no particular reason to work slowdowns.
Remember that the first five centimeters of dilation of the cervix takes a lot longer than the last five centimeters. Indeed, more work progresses, the contractions are stronger and they contribute to cervical effacement.
What can I do to speed up labor?
If your midwife offers to accelerate the work, take time to reflect and ask some questions before answering. Indeed, if your baby is fine, if your cervix is cleared, albeit slowly, but steadily, you may prefer to let nature take its course. Some women prefer to take their time and stay in tune with their bodies and their babies.
On the other hand, if you feel so exhausted that all that matters to you is that the child is born as soon as possible, you could try four natural techniques to accelerate the work.
If you are lying on a bed in the labor room, your midwife may suggest you change positions or, if possible, get up! The fact move could strengthen your contractions while making them more bearable. But these practices are not occurring in all maternity.
You may be proposed to empty your bladder. Indeed, an overfull bladder may slow down activity by interfering with the engagement of the baby's head.
Plunge into a hot bath or in a birthing pool could avoid the use of drugs to augment labor. But all maternity hospitals do not!
An alternative therapy! It seems that acupuncture and hypnosis can help avoid the need for augmentation of labor. These techniques are most effective when used throughout the delivery, but it is still possible to use an acupuncturist at the last minute, when a slowdown in work. Acupuncture is growing in maternity, acupuncturists specializing in obstetrics are the teams. So there is more often a person available to help women in labor.
If your job extends, here are 6 suggestions to better relax:
If you are tense, it is time to use breathing exercises and relaxation techniques you learned during the sessions of childbirth preparation.
Ask your partner to massage your shoulders firmly, or feet.
If you do not want to be touched, listening to soft music may help.
Change your position. If the work is already well advanced, you probably will not want to walk, but the midwife can still help you find a more comfortable position.
Throw yourself on your hips and lean forward during contractions to help your uterus to push the baby worm collar.
Ask your midwife she will explain what happens. Indeed, if you feel involved and active in your work, you'll be less stressed and more relaxed. Well informed, you should live your best delivery.
Should we break the amniotic sac?
The midwife may suggest an artificial rupture of the amniotic sac to hasten labor. If you agree, it will help you climb on the delivery table it will remove the last item so that you have all the buttocks at the edge of the table, and your feet in stirrups.
Once you are installed, the midwife will use a blunt point, or a glove with one finger has a small point, to scrape the membrane that surrounds your baby until it pierces , causing the flow of amniotic fluid. Without an epidural, this procedure is generally described as "uncomfortable" rather than "painful". Conversely, if you have an epidural, you will feel almost nothing.
The midwife will check that the operation did not disturb your baby by monitoring the beating of his heart. Artificial rupture of systematic water bag at the start of work is not recommended because it does not affect working hours. However, in a downturn during the active phase, this intervention is likely to restart the job it tends to shorten the duration of approximately one hour.
After the rupture of the amniotic sac, your contractions are likely to become much stronger. Get ready to use the correct breathing exercises and relaxation exercises. You can also ask for something for pain relief to the midwife if you feel the need.