The birth of a child is an exciting event that has a significant impact on the lives of parents. After the birth of a child, habits, routines, the situation in the house, and everyday life change. And both parents-to-be need to Prepare for childbirth and the arrival of the baby. That’s right – both. And about this, we will tell you in order in the article.
What do expectant parents need to know about childbirth?
As soon as you find out you’re pregnant, you start thinking, “What do you need to know about childbirth? Especially women who are expecting their first birth are asking this question.
The main thing to remember is that childbirth is a physiological natural process that can proceed painlessly, in comfort and peace. You don’t need to translate the experience of your mother, grandmother, or girlfriends to yourself – it’s their experience, not yours.
A positive attitude toward natural childbirth is already a huge success in having a healthy baby.
Labor can begin with training contractions. Starting at 32 weeks of pregnancy, your uterus contracts 10 to 12 times a day, but there is no pain. Why does this happen? It’s simple. The uterus is a muscular organ that must perform training exercises before a serious competition. The cervix does not open during training contractions, and only true labor can open it.
Childbirth has 3 periods:
- First period – contractions;
- Second period – pushing;
- The third period is postpartum or the birth of the placenta (afterbirth).
The duration of labor varies from woman to woman. Moreover, even for the same woman, if she gave birth to more than one child, the duration of labor differs. In a first-born woman, labor can last 12-14 hours, and in a second birth – 6-8 hours. So do not worry, and it is better for both parents-to-be to be patient and trust the doctor who will deliver your baby.
There are two possible ways to start labor:
The break of amniotic fluid,
or the onset of labor (contractions).
If your water breaks, tell your doctor right away and call the hospital and come to the hospital within 2 hours.
If you have contractions every 7 to 10 minutes, this is also a call to go to the maternity hospital because you are starting the first period of labor.
During contractions, you can take any body position you want. Not only can you do that, but you should! Be guided by how you feel.
Don’t forget your breathing during labor. It is special – “abdominal”. In order to learn how to breathe this way, you should practice in advance. Put your hand on your abdomen and breathe through your nose so that the stomach rises with the palm, and exhale through your mouth, folding your lips into a tube. This is done in order to increase the resistance to the exhaled air.
And it is important to remember that the tandem of patient and doctor in labor is the key to success. The pushing period is especially important. Take turns doing what your doctor tells you and your pushing will be as effective as possible.
A birth preparation plan
Preparation for childbirth should begin in advance and should include:
psychological preparation of both parents-to-be;
physical preparation of the mother;
Organizational issues of childbirth.
And first of all, we recommend making a birth preparation plan, according to which to act in the future.
We have prepared some helpful items for you to include in your birth preparation plan
- Training. The first thing to remember is to attend classes for expectant parents.
- Lelek, for example, has a Responsible Parenthood School, which offers lectures for pregnant women, classes in preparation for childbirth, breastfeeding, newborn care, etc.
- The classes include information on how labor begins, when to go to the hospital, what position to choose during the pushing period, the role of your partner and what he or she should do, breathing during labor, and many other things.
- Choosing a maternity hospital. This issue should be approached as carefully as possible and take into account the most important moments for you: the level of medical care, qualification of medical personnel, technical equipment, and the level of comfort for future parents.
- To make it easier for expectant parents to get acquainted with the maternity hospital and its staff, learn its level, and get answers to their questions, Maternity House conducts Open Days on childbirth management.
- Doctor’s choice. For some pregnant women, making an appointment in advance with a doctor or midwife helps them feel more confident and relaxed.
- If you plan to choose a doctor for your delivery, do so in advance. Then you will be able to consult with your doctor during the last weeks of your pregnancy. This will allow your doctor to monitor your condition until birth and stay in touch with you at all times.
- Make a birth plan. If you have chosen a doctor, it is a good idea to discuss your birth plan with your doctor.
- In order for you to have a step-by-step understanding of what will happen – prepare in advance a list of questions that you want to ask your doctor. There may be all sorts of questions: how to contractions, push, how to breathe, and how to push correctly. It is especially important to discuss the pushing period.
- You should also discuss and choose a scenario for a partnered birth. Some women feel more comfortable giving birth in the presence of someone they trust, whom they can take into labor with them. This can be her husband, her mother, her sister, or a friend. We at Lelek support partner delivery, because we know for sure that the presence of a family member at such an important moment in a woman’s life is a great support.
- If you have answers to all your questions, you’ll be relaxed and set up for a physiological, easy birth.
- Pack your things to the maternity hospital. Of course, to the Maternity Hospital, you need to take the minimum and that is:
- exchange card of the pregnant woman and documents;
- Fluorographic examination of the future birth partner;
- clothes for the baby;
- Clothing for the mother for discharge.
- But if you will give birth in another maternity hospital – find out in advance what you need to take with you and fold a bag.
- An enema? This a very common question from pregnant women, so we added it to our list.
- An enema is not a mandatory procedure. But if you have a 2-3 day absence of defecation by the time you start giving birth, then an enema is indicated. At, you can ask the staff to do it yourself.
Psychological Preparation for Having a Baby
When we talk about psychological preparation for childbirth, we don’t just mean the moment the baby is born in the maternity hospital. It is just a few days in the life of parents. And we are talking about the arrival of another family member who significantly affects the life of the parents as a whole, their habits, daily routine, everyday life, etc.
We must remember that the man is a person who helps the woman to realize herself as a mother, meets the needs of the family, and is supported. Of course, he also has his own needs. So the couple needs to come to terms, talk about needs, and, don’t forget about romance.
In addition, husband and wife should have a common time that they will only spend together. Without the element of romance, there will be no understanding.
If the family didn’t get along before the baby came along, it will be harder to do so later on. A couple should be one when they have a child.
Children inspire you to move on and grow. They can force self-organization, build boundaries, and find help. Often Ukrainian women want to be strong, so they do not talk about their weaknesses. It is worse when they bring themselves to such a state, when they become apathetic, and depressed, preventing them from finding their needs.
Therefore, the psychological preparation of both parents-to-be is incredibly important. To do this, one should:
Have individual conversations and lectures with your doctor, the psychologist of the clinic;
attend group classes in special gymnastics;
should read and listen only to verified information from highly qualified doctors.
At, we have made sure that expectant parents receive all the necessary preparations before the birth of their baby.
Throughout their pregnancy, women seeing their pregnancies at have the opportunity to:
Attend classes for pregnant women and new parents together with their husband
go through preparation for childbirth together;
to talk to a psychologist;
to attend classes in LFC or massage for pregnant women, etc.
There is also psychoprophylactic preparation for birth, aimed at eliminating negative emotions and creating positive conditioned reflexes in a woman:
Removing the pregnant woman’s fear of childbirth and labor pains,
to involve her in active participation in the act of childbirth.
Physical preparation of pregnant women for childbirth
You should not forget about physical preparation as well.
In today’s world, pregnancy should not limit you. Continue to do the physical activity you were doing before unless your doctor decides that it is contraindicated for you.
If you want to take up a new sport while already pregnant – it is worth choosing to go to the pool, Pilates, or do yoga. In these sports, breathing exercises are very important, which will come in handy later in childbirth.
Also, do not forget that walking in the fresh air is also part of sports. However, you should walk in such a way that you feel comfortable and that it adds to your strength, not the other way around.
We hope that you will find our birth preparation tips useful.
We wish all moms-to-be easy births and healthy babies. And we will be happy to help you.
