The period of pregnancy is a special one, which fulfills a couple, but which also gives them a lot of insecurity, fears and lessons to learn. The closer the birth is, the more the questions start to flow, and gynecologists hear the same words from their patients. What answers they have, discover in the lines below.
Books, the internet, but especially specialist doctors, provide clear information on the most common concerns encountered in the last part of pregnancy, about the end of the nine months and about birth. Primary obstetrics-gynecology doctor Ciprian Pop-Began made a list of the most common questions asked by pregnant women of all ages, but those in their first pregnancy.
It’s my first time giving birth. How will I know that labor has started?
Labor always begins with painful uterine contractions, which follow each other at regular time intervals (about 10 minutes). Concluding, you can’t help but realize that labor has begun. Moreover, the closer you are to the point of giving birth, the more the intensity of the pain will increase. In short, during labor, several preparation changes take place in your cervix: the cervix shortens and molds to the baby’s skull, following the dilation phases. In medical terms, the final goal of labor is to expel the fetus, placenta, membrane and amniotic fluid.
Does labor last longer the first time?
Yes. Labor can be more difficult for women who give birth for the first time. It can last around 12 hours. Only with a second birth, the labor period can last less, approximately seven hours.
Why is the first labor different from the next?
The main reason why a first labor lasts longer is related to the “lack of experience/elasticity” of the cervix in dilating. The mother’s organism is at the first changes of this type and it must go through a so-called adaptation phase.
Does the doctor decide the safest method of birth, regardless of the mother-to-be’s decision?
Yes. Before the birth, the neonatologist consults the expectant mother to determine exactly whether she can give birth naturally or by caesarean section. This complex medical evaluation is done at 36 weeks of pregnancy. There are also exceptions when the doctor no longer indicates the expectant mother to give birth naturally (after 36 weeks of pregnancy). An abnormal evolution of labor is the one that could change the way of birth through a caesarean section.
Can pregnant women take painkillers during labor?
The doctor can give the pregnant woman sedatives during labor. It is about pethidine injections (they have a similar action to morphine). They have a strong sedative effect, but do not change the pregnant woman’s contractions during labor or the baby’s breathing.
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