delivery
stage 2 pushing and delivery (aka why you did kegels)
stage 3 delivery of the placenta (aka sorry, but you’re not done)
Once you’re fully dilated and you get the go-ahead to push...well, push! You’ll get some coaching as you bear down at each contraction. For some women, especially moms who have birthed before, the pushing stage may only last a few minutes. For others, it can take a few hours. This stage comes with the ultimate reward: your brand-new baby.
pain relief
After baby’s born (hooray!), you’ve got to deliver the placenta. Your uterus continues to contract. (Don’t worry—these contractions don’t normally hurt!) Those postbaby contractions cause the placenta to separate from the uterus and leave the body. This usually takes less than half an hour. Then you really are (finally) done. Woo-hoo! Now enjoy that baby and try to rest. >
yo w c h !
Whether you go all-natural or get drugs, there are ways to hurt less. t wha
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Using the same breathing techniques that chill you out when you’re stressed to deal with the ouchies.
At the start of each contraction, take a really deep “cleansing” breath like at the beginning of a yoga class.
Get more guidance and plenty of practice by taking a childbirth class. See page 134 for options.
relaxation techniques
Operating under the notion that pain is a state of mind. Trying to get more comfortable and to distract yourself.
Imagine yourself in a happy place. Play calming songs. Get a massage from your partner. Stuff like that.
It’s hard to know exactly what’s going to work once you get there, so have a whole bag of tricks to try.
epidural
Usually a combo of meds that block your brain from feeling pain and that (mostly) numb your lower half.
It’s delivered throughout labor and delivery through a tube inserted into your back.
You’ll be stuck in bed, since you’ll be hooked up to an IV and a fetal monitor to track baby’s heart rate.
Medications like morphine, Demerol, Stadol and Nubain, which are all narcotics.
Systemic meds are injected into the bloodstream or a muscle and affect the entire body.
They only really take the edge off. You may get nauseated, and baby can be exposed to them.
breathing
systemic medication
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