Medical Uni References – Pregnancy Issue and Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

This high-tech replacement for the ear trumpet is used to track the baby’s heartbeat. Electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) will be used routinely in all cases of high-risk pregnancies, but most mothers and babies don’t require it. You will have EFM if you are being induced or your labour is being accelerated for any reason, or if you have opted for epidural anaesthesia. Its main function is to give warning of fetal distress. If your doctors decide that you and your baby would be better off with EFM, try to see it as a source of reassurance. You can watch your baby’s heartbeat during labour and know that he is fine.

What it is

There are two kinds of electronic monitors, external and internal. An external monitor can be used early in labour and is sometimes used during pregnancy to check the baby’s well-being. The internal monitor is slightly more accurate. You will have belts strapped around your body and a tiny electrode will be clipped on to the baby’s head. Your contractions and the baby’s heartbeat are recorded on a printout (partogram). There is also a video screen that records the contractions and heartbeats as visible waves, punctuated by flashing lights.

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The most common reasons for deciding to have a Caesarean include the baby’s head being too large to pass through your pelvis, the baby being in a breech position or lying across your pelvis; placenta praevia (where the placenta has implanted near or over the cervix); and certain medical conditions such as diabetes or AIDS.

It may also be necessary if you have previously had a Caesarean. This was once thought essential, because it was feared that the scar of the previous Caesarean section would open up during labor. But experience has shown that this does not happen with the horizontal or “bikini” cut, which is now usually employed. Doctors often suggest that you try a normal vaginal delivery, known as a “trial of labor”. However, remember that it is your uterus that is on trial, not you, so don’t feel you have failed if you end up having a Caesarean. Read the rest of this entry »

Its important to master your chosen pain relief method, and familiarize your birth assistant with the technique, before you go into labour. If special equipment is required, make sure it is available at home or in hospital. One method alone may not be enough – you may need a combination for complete relief.

Positions

Walking around, leaning against your partner or the wall, and rocking your pelvis will probably feel much more comfortable than lying on your back in bed. There are also certain positions that you will find more comfortable than others, because these will relieve the pressure on your back. Read the rest of this entry »

When you arrive at the hospital, the midwife will prepare you for the birth. There are certain routine examinations that you will have to undergo.

While consulting your notes, the midwife will ask you questions about your labours progress — whether your waters have broken and how often your contractions are coming.

You will be asked to undress and put on a hospital gown or your own T-shirt or nightdress.

You will then be examined; the midwife will palpate your abdomen to feel the baby’s position; she will listen to the fetal heartbeat, take your blood pressure, pulse and temperature and give you an internal examination to see how jar your cervix has dilated.

You will be asked to give a urine sample to test for the presence of protein and sugar.

You 11 be asked when you last had a bowel movement and it may be suggested that you have an enema or a suppository (although this is no longer routine in many hospital).

You then have a shower or bath and are shown to the first stage labour room. If you have any questions or you want to make your feelings known to the staff, now is the time to remind them of your birth plan.

Every woman’s experience of labour is unique, and the time span can’t be predicted. However, an average labour lasts about 12—14 hours for first-time mothers, and about seven hours for subsequent labours. If your first labour lasts longer than 12 hours, or in subsequent labours nine hours, your obstetrician may intervene.

The first stage of labour can be regarded as having three separate phases. The early, or latent, phase is the longest, lasting about eight hours for first babies, during which the cervix is softening and you will feel contractions occurring with increasing frequency and length. Try to conserve your energy during this time.

The next, active phase when the cervix is dilating, is shorter, lasting from three to five hours, and this is when your contractions become more painful, and you may want pain relief. The final phase of dilatation (sometimes called transitional) is the shortest and most intense, usually lasting under an hour, and comes just before you begin to push.

Your Cervix Dilates

The normally tough cervix must be stretched thin and opened wide before your baby`s head can pass through. The contractions of the first stage of labour achieve this.

Before labour

Your cervix is normally thick and closed, but has been softened by hormones during pregnancy.

Early (Latent) phase

Your cervix begins to thin (efface) before it can stretch and dilate.

Active dilatation

When your cervix is about 5cm (2in) wide, it is halfway to full dilatation and delivery.

End of the first stage

Your cervix is fully dilated when it is about 10cm (4in) wide. Now the head can descend.