Everything is ready to welcome your baby and you do not expect more than he did in watching for the slightest sign. However, two issues concern you: "How will I know it is time to leave for the maternity ward?" and "How will this happen?".
Childbirth: what should alert you
If you have not planned to release your birth, here are the elements that can help you recognize the impending onset of labor:
- Loss of mucus plug: it corresponds to the removal of cervical mucus that usually comes close the neck and is released as it begins to change. It can occur from several hours to 2 weeks before delivery, so it should not be sufficient alone to make you leave for maternity.
- Contractions: they are often more common in late pregnancy, but if they become painful and regular every 20 minutes and then every 3 to 5 minutes is probably the work begins (the pain is felt in the stomach in most cases but also in the kidneys in some).
- The rupture of the amniotic sac: rupture of the membranes surrounding the baby with runny clear liquid. Upon rupture of the amniotic sac, you have to leave without waiting for motherhood, even if you do not have uterine contractions.
Delivery: the way to motherhood?
The big moment has arrived! Have someone accompany you to go to motherhood. If you are alone, take a taxi or an ambulance. Talk to the fire or ambulance in cases of extreme emergency only.
Special case of induced labor
Sometimes for medical reasons or for your personal convenience, we offer you to trigger your delivery. In this case, successive examination of your cervix in late pregnancy will seek changes to it. Once your cervix is favorable, an appointment is given to you for the following days: contractions are caused by a drug given by infusion, after the establishment of an epidural. If your cervix is really favorable, induction does not result in additional medical procedures compared with spontaneous delivery.
Here I am: arrival at the maternity
On arrival at the maternity, you will first submit to you the usual paperwork, except of course in an emergency. Remember to bring your mother's passport, your blood group card, the reports of all examinations performed during pregnancy with ultrasound, your family book, your Social Security card. The midwife who welcomes you to take care of you medically. It notes the start of your contractions, their frequency, duration, rupture of the amniotic sac, amniotic fluid color, time of your last meal. You will be asked if you want an epidural.
The obstetrical examination used to measure your fundal height and observe the baby's position. You take the voltage and pulse, then verifies that your biological assessment of late pregnancy has been achieved; otherwise, a new sample is taken. By vaginal, we will note the degree of effacement and dilation of your cervix. After the examination, if the midwife thinks it is a beginning of work or false labor, you will install it in a generally quiet and close to the delivery room. The average working hours for a first baby is 8 hours, so we expect that your cervix is dilated to 2 or 3 cm to push you into the workroom.
Childbirth: labor room
Upon arrival, the midwife welcomes you, you and your companion. You are being installed on the delivery table whose characteristic is to be sufficiently articulated to allow you to install in various positions ranging from horizontal to an almost squatting position. All apparatus around you, it is intended to ensure that while working all goes smoothly for you and your baby. An infusion is usually set up, it helps to hydrate during labor because you will remain completely sober; more it will be used to administer the medication may be needed during labor. It was at that time that the anesthetist will ask if you wish, an epidural. The puncture was made in your back after local anesthesia, the product is injected via an extremely thin tube left in place (a catheter) and that will inject the product later as the pain will return.