The last days of pregnancy are the most stressing to an expecting mother.
Labor can be painful especially due to contractions, which are the stronger than your monthly period pains.
One may get backache or other extremely painful experiences.
However to first time mothers, it’s hard to know that the time for delivery unless the water breaks.
What happens when your waters break?
Most women’s water breaks during labor. However it can also happen prior to the delivery date.
The unborn baby develops and grows inside a bag of fluid called the amniotic sac.
When it’s time,, the sac breaks and the amniotic fluid drains out through the private parts.
One may feel a slow trickle or a sudden gush of water you can’t control. To prepare for this, you could keep a sanitary towel (but not a tampon) handy if you’re going out, and put a protective sheet on your bed.
Amniotic fluid is clear and a pale straw color. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell amniotic fluid from urine.
To begin with, when your waters break, it may be a little bloodstained.
Tell your midwife immediately if the waters are smelly or colored, or if you’re losing blood, as this could mean you and your baby requires urgent attention.
If your waters break before labor starts, phone your midwife or the hospital for advice. Without amniotic fluid, your baby is no longer protected and there’s a risk of infection.
How to reduce the pains at the beginning of labor:
Walk Around:
This helps a lot to reduce the pain and gives the mother more flexibility. Her position can offer a difference.
Try kneeling, bending, or rocking back and forth.
Drink fluids: Hydration is important because a lot of energy is used during labor.
Try taking raw milk as it helps in easing child birth.
Have a snack: having a baby on an empty stomach isn’t a good idea. Eat a few fruits and simple cereals.
Try relaxation and breathing exercises as the contractions get stronger and more painful. This helps in regulating your blood pressure and the baby’s breath.
Have your partner rub your back, as it can help relieve pain. Although the massage might feel uncomfortable, it helps relax the back muscles and bring them in position.
A massage that starts slowly is best. Frantic rubbing will make you feel panicky rather than relaxed! Firm pressure will help stimulate your body to release feel-good hormones (endorphins), which help to reduce pain as well as aiding relaxation.
Above all take a bath, because Laboring in warm water can relax you and make contractions more bearable, just as having a bath helps to ease tummy ache or backache.
Using a birth pool is likely to shorten the first stage of your labor and help you cope with the pain. Research has found that women who spend some time laboring in water are less likely to need an epidural or spinal than women who spend their entire labor out of water.
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