Natural Birth

Labour and Birth:

There can be 3 different signs that labour will start: you might get a show, your waters may break or you start getting some tightenings/contractions.

Many times the first sign is a show which is some slimy vaginal discharge. Sometimes it is only slime that looks a bit like eggwhite, sometimes it can look pink or with a little bit of blood in it. It’s both normal. It doesn’t tell you that you will go in labour immediately; sometimes it can take some more days.

Sometimes the membranes will rupture first (waters break). It can be a big gush or a constant trickle. The liquor (water around the baby) should be clear. Once the waters have broken the contractions usually start within 24 to 48 hours.

Most births start with slow, mild contractions, which soften the cervix, the lower part of the uterus (early labour), and are gradually changing into stronger, longer and more painful dilating contractions. Try to ignore them as long as possible.

In general we speak about real labour when the contractions become longer, stronger and more painful. This is usually when the contractions come every 3-4 minutes and last for at least one minute. In the first stage of labour the contractions will open up your cervix so that the baby can pass through. When the pain is mild and you don’t feel the need to focus on your breathing, try to go on with what you were doing or bake a nice apple cake (for example). When the pain is very strong, lasting more then 1 minute and with shorter breaks in between, try only to concentrate on yourself and your breathing. Stop being social. Think how animals behave when they give birth. By using a good deep belly breathing, you will relax better and you’ll have less pain and your baby will be in a better condition by getting more oxygen.

Try to avoid your environment disturbing you. Don’t use bright lights, loud people, loud TV or video games. Create an atmosphere where you feel comfortable and where you can concentrate on the job you have to do. Also if you have to deliver in a hospital, you can create a little bit of your own atmosphere. When it is cold, use a heater, socks and take a warm bath or showeras often as you like. Try to accept the whole progress as it goes. When you feel you have to burp, to throw up, or you want to sing, make noises or whatever, just let it go, don’t try to behave yourself!

Don’t eat to heavy, avoid fat and spicy food, it makes you feeling sick. Drink continuously and go to the toilet often.

Most important during labour is your positive thinking, the trust in your body and the motivation to work for your baby. Don’t be afraid for what is coming, you can find it hard at the start, but as soon as you get a rhythm you can cope much better! Try to doze a little bit between the contractions, use the breaks to rest. Think the process will end, often soon after you feel you can’t do this anymore, don’t feel sorry for yourself, feel the power in your body! Realize your baby is also working hard.

The time from when your cervix has fully opened to when the baby is born is called the second stage of labour. You will feel the urge to push. It’s mostly a strong feeling that you can’t miss, because your whole body is pushing as an uncontrollable reflex. Most women loose a little bit of poo, which is absolutely normal because you are pushing into your bowels and baby can’t pass if the bowels are not empty. At this stage you’ll feel more awake and you’ll get lots of energy. It mostly takes around one and a half hours to push a first baby out. Next babies go faster. We will help you to find the best position to push: squatting, sitting, on hand and knees or whatever you like. It is mostly not lying on your back. We will check baby’s heart beat more often and if you like, we can show your progress in a mirror. It’s hard, physical work but less painful then the first stage and it’s good to know that you will see your baby very soon. We will always try to let baby birth calm and gentle, so we might ask you just to breathe during the last contractions instead of hard pushing. As soon as baby’s head is born it only takes a few minutes before the whole baby is born, open your eyes and you might be able to catch your own baby!

After the baby is born, we will check your uterus and your blood loss. Mostly you’ll get another contraction within 5 minutes and your placenta will be born. This is called the third stage. We will stay with you at least till 2 hours after birth, checking you and your baby, helping to breastfeed and of course answering all your questions.

When to call?

Ring straight away if you really worry about something. If you need us, because you have had contractions in the night for a long time, it’s still not progressing, but you can’t sleep and you don’t know what to do anymore. During the day if your waters are broken. During the night if your waters are green or babies head is not in your pelvis. If you loose clear water during the night, you can wait until you have good contractions or the next morning. If you loose a lot of blood, like a normal period. If you have already strong contractions for 2 hours every 3 to 4 minutes and every contraction last for more then 1 minute. If you feel any urge to push or pressure in your bottom. Try always to speak to us yourself that gives us an indication how you are going.

Last but not least

Realize that every birth is a unique event and very impressive for every new mother. How you will experience this, depends not only on the way it happens, the place it happens and the time it takes. It depends a lot on your attitude, your flexibility and your own feeling. Sometimes the whole process is not going the way we all hope and wish, even if you end up in Whangarei hospital try to understand the reason and don’t feel frustrated. We will never take any risk with you or your baby and we know, more then 85% of all healthy women can have a normal birth, but we also know that some women or babies need more help or extra medication and we try to provide this for the mothers and babies who need this. When you have done your best and your baby is healthy you have reached the most important goal!