Your baby is to arrive soon. You have probably done your part of research about what to expect during the labor. But, do you have any idea on what your baby is going to go through? Only if they could convey would they tell you how it suddenly feels so cramped in their once comfortable spaces?
The 9 months span is complete—your baby is prepared to come out to the new world. However, the hard work of birthing is not solely yours to do. Your little one will also put her effort to help you in the process of labor. Let us rewind the process of the labor and delivery, but this time around from your baby’s perspective.
1. Experiencing First Contractions – Early Labor
Every mother has a different labor story—experiences vary from person to person. Some describe it as enhanced menstrual cramps, accompanied by pain in the back, others feel like a stab in their lower abdomen. Contractions are arbitrary—with an interval of 10 minutes to an hour.
What Babies Do
Your baby will be pressing her head into the birth canal, which will contribute to the opening up of the cervix (dilation), leading the baby to the birth canal. Oxytocin released by the mother during the labor helps the baby calm down. They will continue their sleep-wake cycles during this stage. So probably when you are having that painful minute-long contraction, your baby is fast asleep and unaware of what is happening.
What Moms Can Do
Be calm and comfortable. This will increase the production of oxytocin, which will soothe your baby. During the early labor, you will be more at ease in your home than at a hospital.
2. The Second Stage – Active Labor
You will undergo strong contractions, which are frequent and occur at intervals. Your cervix will dilate further and open up from 6 to 10 centimeters. Your water might break at this stage. You may feel shooting pain in the back, which can become intense—it’s up to your judgment to ask the doctors for an epidural or anesthesia if the pain becomes unbearable.
What Babies Do
Your baby won’t be at comfort like before. As they feel their surroundings squeezing in on them, they may twist and turn to find an easier way to move through the birth canal. With every contraction, they will be under pressure, which can affect the blood supply. However, it is normal for a baby’s heartbeat to drop a little during contraction and then rise up again.
What Moms Can Do
If you feel panicky, anxious or stressed, hormones like cortisol and adrenalin can pass from your body to the baby through the placenta, stressing your baby as well. This can interrupt the labor. Relax and breathe deep. Change position. Take the help of gravity—kneel down on all fours, roll on a birthing ball, take a dip in warm water, or ask your partner to gently massage your back.
3. The State Of Transition
The contractions will intensify and will be prolonged—about 60-90 seconds. Your cervix will be fully dilated to about 10 centimeters. But, if the cervix hasn’t opened up completely, your midwife might ask you stop pushing. If you push too hard, you might end up tired. It will cause the cervix to swell, making the labor only difficult towards the end.
What Babies Do
Your baby is already prepared to pass through the narrow passage. Her skull isn’t fully formed—the plates of the skull aren’t fixed because of which it can adjust to the shape of the birth canal while moving slowly ahead. However, your baby may have a claustrophobic experience with the walls pushing against them.
What Moms Can Do
In the last moments of delivery, focus on breathing to increase the amount of oxygen intake–this will help both you and your baby to get through the moment of stress.
4. The Birth Of Your Baby
As the baby’s head starts appearing (crowning), the mother feels a burning sensation. A few more contractions will push the baby’s head out, followed by the shoulders and then, the rest of the body.
What Babies Do
During delivery, your baby’s heart rate is closely monitored—the doctors intervene only when needed. The pressure they experience helps push out fluid and mucus from their lungs and prepares them to take their first breath. It also prevents them from inhaling fluid and blood. Towards the end, after the crowning has happened, your baby will turn to their side as the shoulders and then, the entire body emerges out.
What Moms Can Do
Your midwife will guide you throughout the delivery. Don’t be in a hurry to give a final push, you might tear your perineum if the baby comes out too quickly.
If everything goes as planned, your doctors will allow you to have a skin-to-skin contact with your baby soon after birth. They don’t feel pain during birth, but the pressure does give your baby some discomfort. Bond with them and keep them warm. Cuddling will help your baby calm down after coming to out into new and a different world.
