 	        			Childbirth An amazing experience!

Soon, you will experience the amazing process of
childbirth! It is important to know the signs of
labor and learn about the different options
available for giving birth so you feel confident
and comfortable with your experience.

Signs of Labor

Remember the signs of true labor, so that you will
know when you are having the "real thing:"

    *

      Contractions at regular and increasingly
shorter intervals that also become stronger in
intensity.
    *

      Lower back pain that doesn't go away. You
might also feel premenstrual and crampy.
    *

      Your water breaks (can be a large gush or a
continuous trickle) and is accompanied by
contractions.
    *

      A bloody (brownish or blood-tinged) mucous
discharge. This is the mucous plug that blocks the
cervix. Labor could be at any time, or days away.
    *

      Your cervix is dilating (opening up) and
becoming thinner and softer (also called
effacement). During a pelvic exam, your health
care provider will be able to tell if these things
are happening.

Birthing Options

You may have several options available for where
you will have your baby, including at home, in a
birth center, or at a hospital. Birth centers
usually can administer intravenous fluid, pain
medications, and oxygen, and are able to repair
episiotomies. They also have basic equipment to
start emergency treatment if it is necessary.
Hospitals have more advanced medical equipment to
care for a baby whose health or life is in danger,
and will be able to provide a cesarean section or
epidurals, if necessary. If your pregnancy is
considered to be at high risk (as in women who
smoke, or use drugs, or have medical complications
due to a known condition), home births are not
recommended.

You also can choose what type of health care
provider you would like to deliver your baby. An
obstetrician (OB) is a medical doctor who
specializes in prenatal care and in delivering
babies in a hospital. A certified nurse-midwife
(CNM) also specializes in prenatal care and labor
and delivery, and can deliver your baby at the
hospital, in a birth center, or at home. There are
other types of midwives as well. Some women also
choose to have a doula assist with labor and
delivery. A doula is a professional support person
who helps give physical support, such as advice on
breathing, relaxation, movement and positioning
during labor. Doulas also give continuous
emotional support and comfort to women and their
partners during labor and birth. Doulas and
midwives often work together during a woman's
labor.

You may also be interested in taking childbirth
preparation classes, such as Lamaze, which
emphasizes minimal medical intervention, teaches
coping methods for labor and delivery, and helps
guide new parents in the many decisions they will
make before and during the birth process.

Managing Pain

One of the things you may be most concerned with
is the amount of pain you may have during labor.
Childbirth is different for all women, and no one
can predict how much pain you will have. During
the labor process, your health care provider
should ask you if you need pain relief, and will
help you decide what option is the best for you.
Your options may include a local or intravenous
analgesic (pain relieving drug), an epidural
(injection which blocks pain in the lower part of
your body), spinal anesthesia (used when the
delivery will require forceps, or a pudenal block
(numbs the vulva, vagina and anus during the
second stage of labor and during delivery).

Your progression through the different stages of
labor and delivery will determine how quickly the
baby is coming, and whether you have time to get
to the hospital, birth center, or back home to
deliver. Having information about your choices for
birthing will help with some of the stress you may
feel during labor.

This page last updated: October 2004
Source: Womenhealth.gov