23 min
Maternal Health: Medical Model of Care for Childbirth - Making Informed Decisions Amra Circle
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- Parenting
Making informed choices during childbirth can be complex and multilayered. Understanding the various interventions in childbirth, pain relieving methods, common misconceptions and risks involved can go a long way in helping families understand the implications of every decision they make.
Normal labor and delivery is the term used when the baby is born in head down position at full term (9 months) through the vagina (birth canal) after spontaneous labor pains. Typically, for first-time mothers normal labor may last anywhere from 6 to 18 hours.
In low-risk births, a normal labor and delivery is safer for the mother and baby over a c-section. It allows you to breastfeed your baby sooner and helps you recover faster.
Normal delivery process has the following three stages
Stage I is when the contractions in uterus cause opening and shortening of the cervix i.e. the mouth of the uterus.
Stage II is when the cervix is fully open and the baby descends down the birth canal. The mother pushes and gives birth to the baby.
Stage III is when delivery of placenta (i.e. the organ that supplies nutrients to the baby) occurs.
A pain-sensitive woman requires one of many pharmacological (using medications) methods using intravenous medications for short durations which have their limitations due to temporary undesired side effects during labor affecting both mother and the child.
Inhaling (Entonox) Nitrous oxide and oxygen mixture relieves anxiety, helps to tolerate mild pain in the early 1ststage and during the 2nd stage of labor from second delivery onwards.
Interventional techniques like spinal and epidural would give us maximum safety profile and comfort to the delivering mother. Spinal may be used in urgency when pain relief is needed for a short duration towards the end of 1st stage. Epidural is the gold standard and gives at least 90% pain relief.
Making informed choices during childbirth can be complex and multilayered. Understanding the various interventions in childbirth, pain relieving methods, common misconceptions and risks involved can go a long way in helping families understand the implications of every decision they make.
Normal labor and delivery is the term used when the baby is born in head down position at full term (9 months) through the vagina (birth canal) after spontaneous labor pains. Typically, for first-time mothers normal labor may last anywhere from 6 to 18 hours.
In low-risk births, a normal labor and delivery is safer for the mother and baby over a c-section. It allows you to breastfeed your baby sooner and helps you recover faster.
Normal delivery process has the following three stages
Stage I is when the contractions in uterus cause opening and shortening of the cervix i.e. the mouth of the uterus.
Stage II is when the cervix is fully open and the baby descends down the birth canal. The mother pushes and gives birth to the baby.
Stage III is when delivery of placenta (i.e. the organ that supplies nutrients to the baby) occurs.
A pain-sensitive woman requires one of many pharmacological (using medications) methods using intravenous medications for short durations which have their limitations due to temporary undesired side effects during labor affecting both mother and the child.
Inhaling (Entonox) Nitrous oxide and oxygen mixture relieves anxiety, helps to tolerate mild pain in the early 1ststage and during the 2nd stage of labor from second delivery onwards.
Interventional techniques like spinal and epidural would give us maximum safety profile and comfort to the delivering mother. Spinal may be used in urgency when pain relief is needed for a short duration towards the end of 1st stage. Epidural is the gold standard and gives at least 90% pain relief.
23 min